- Turkey’s immigration authority has set a clear timeline for foreigners seeking long-term residence status in the country
- The rule applies to most permit holders, but certain categories of foreigners are excluded from ever qualifying for the long-term permit
- Student permit holders are treated differently from other residents when calculating the qualifying period
Turkey’s Directorate General of Migration Management has outlined the conditions under which foreigners living in the country can apply for a long-term residence permit, and the minimum requirement is eight continuous years of legal residence.
According to the official immigration authority, a foreigner must have lived in Turkey without interruption for at least eight years on a valid permit before becoming eligible.
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The long-term permit, once granted, is issued indefinitely, meaning there is no expiry date attached to it.
Turkish PR: How the 8 years is calculated
Not all years count equally. For those who spent part of their time in Turkey on a student residence permit, only half of that duration is counted towards the eight-year threshold.
Every other type of residence permit is counted in full. This distinction means that a person who spent several years as a student will need to factor in a longer overall stay before they become eligible to apply.
The permit is issued by the relevant governorate, subject to approval from the Ministry of Interior. Foreigners who meet the conditions set by the Ministry may also qualify through an alternative route, though the standard path remains the eight-year continuous residence requirement.
Who cannot apply for Turkish permanent residency
Not everyone living legally in Turkey can work towards a long-term permit. The rules explicitly exclude refugees, conditional refugees, and those under subsidiary protection.
People holding temporary protection status and humanitarian residence permits are also barred from transferring to a long-term permit, regardless of how long they have lived in the country.
The long-term residence permit is governed by Articles 42 to 45 of Turkey’s Law on Foreigners and International Protection, as well as Articles 40 to 43 of the Regulation for Implementation of that law.
Legit.ng has also published residency years for foreigners who want to become Qatari citizens.
Citizenship: Australia mentions residency years for foreigners
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Australia’s Department of Home Affairs has outlined the residence requirement foreigners must meet before applying for citizenship.
Applicants must have lived in Australia on a valid visa for a number of years before the date they apply for citizenship.
The rules also specify how much time applicants are allowed to have spent outside Australia during that period.
Source: Legit.ng