General Acquisition of Turkish Citizenship
Pursuant to Article 11 of the Citizenship Law No. 5901, foreigners who have resided in our country for 5 years without interruption may acquire Turkish citizenship through the general procedure if they meet the following conditions. Turkish citizenship is acquired in two ways: by birth and subsequently by decision of the competent authority. According to subsequent general provisions, foreigners wishing to acquire Turkish citizenship must meet the following conditions.
The foreigner must not be of legal age according to national law; if stateless, they must not be of legal age according to the Turkish Civil Code.
They must have resided in Turkey for at least five years from the date of their citizenship application.
The foreigner must express their desire to settle in Turkey. For example, they must have acquired real estate in Turkey, married a Turkish citizen, or become the parent or child of a Turkish citizen;
They must not have any illness that poses a threat to public health;
They must not be a person who behaves in a manner contrary to public morality;
The must be able to speak Turkish in order to participate in Turkish society;
They must have a profession and income sufficient to support themselves and their dependents in Turkey;
They must not pose a threat to the country’s security and public order.
Procedures to be Followed by Persons Applying for Turkish Citizenship
Applications for Turkish citizenship are submitted by the applicant or their representative to the governor’s office of their place of residence with a special power of attorney. If the applicant is under 18 years of age and/or lacks the capacity to discern, the application may be made by a parent or guardian.
Applications for citizenship by foreigners are processed based on the Turkish Republic Foreign Identity Number.
The application is made by completing the application form and submitting the documents listed below. The date of application is the date on which the person’s petition is received as a document record.
Foreigners who wish to obtain Turkish citizenship may stay abroad for a total of up to 12 months during the required period of residence under the new legislation. If the total time spent abroad does not exceed 12 months, it is evaluated within the prescribed period of residence.
Documents Required to Obtain Turkish Citizenship
Turkish Citizenship Application Form;
Biometric photograph with a white background, 50×60 mm format;
Valid passport or similar document;
Birth certificate containing identity information or similar document containing this information;
Document containing the person’s marital status. Such as marriage certificate, divorce decree, death certificate.
Health report meeting the criteria determined by the Ministry of Health, stating that the person does not have any infectious or socially dangerous diseases;
A document proving that the applicant has a profession and income sufficient to support themselves and their dependents in Turkey (work permit, tax certificate, etc.);
document from the Provincial Security Directorate showing the dates of entry into and exit from Turkey, proving that the applicant has resided in Turkey for at least 5 years from the date of application for citizenship; A residence permit valid for a sufficient period until the citizenship application is completed;
A certified copy of any final court decision against the applicant for any criminal offense;
Certified copy of any final court decision against the applicant for any criminal offense;
Receipt for the service fee paid to the Treasury.
Procedures Performed by the Commission
The application made by the foreigner to the Governor’s Office within the province where they reside is sent by the Governor’s Office to the General Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs of the Ministry of Interior. Th applicant can track the status of their citizenship application by obtaining their application number from the Public Relations Unit of the relevant Ministry’s General Directorate.
The General Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs of the Ministry of Interior conducts the necessary review and informs the applicant of the outcome of their citizenship application, whether positive or negative.