Short-Term Residence Permit

Eligibility

• You must have a defined reason of stay that maps to one of the Article 31 sub-paragraphs (a) through (j).
• You must hold a valid passport with sufficient remaining validity — typically at least 60 days beyond the requested permit end date.
• You must have valid private health insurance covering the entire requested permit period (or be over 65 / exempt under bilateral agreement).
• You must have a registered address in Türkiye (NVI / Nüfus address registration) and provide proof of accommodation.
• You must demonstrate sufficient and regular financial means for the duration of stay — minimum balance benchmarks are set yearly by PMM circular.
• You must not pose a public-order or public-security risk and must not be subject to an entry ban.

Documents required

• Application form printed from the e-ikamet portal (e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr).
• Passport bio-page copy plus the most recent entry stamp or e-visa.
• Four biometric photos (50 × 60 mm, white background, taken within the last 6 months).
• Proof of address: tapu (title deed) for owners, notarised lease for renters, or notarised undertaking from the host.
• Private health insurance policy meeting PMM's minimum-coverage rules (lifetime hospitalisation cover; SGK is also accepted for those eligible).
• Bank statement or pension certificate showing sufficient financial means.
• Reason-of-stay-specific evidence (tourist itinerary, treatment letter, tapu, business invitation, etc. — see specific subtype pages).

Application process

1. 1

   Pre-check your reason of stay

   Confirm which Article 31 sub-paragraph applies (tourism, treatment, property, commercial relations, etc.). If you would qualify under family, student, work or long-term, apply under that subtype instead.

2. 2

   Register a Turkish address (NVI)

   Register your address at the Nüfus Müdürlüğü (population directorate) in your district. Without an active NVI registration the e-ikamet portal will reject your application.

3. 3

   Book the e-randevu and complete the e-ikamet form online

   Visit e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr, select 'first application' or 'extension', fill the form and book the appointment at your provincial Göç İdaresi office.

4. 4

   Pay the harç and card fee

   Pay the residence permit harç (stamp tax) at any tax office or via Interaktif Vergi Dairesi, plus the card production fee (kart bedeli). Keep both receipts; you will upload or hand them in.

5. 5

   Attend the appointment with originals

   Bring originals of every uploaded document. Sworn-translated and apostilled where the document is issued abroad. The officer checks completeness, captures biometrics and issues a holding receipt (müracaat belgesi).

6. 6

   Wait for the decision and receive the card by PTT

   PMM evaluates the file. Decisions historically arrive within 30–90 days; the residence permit card is delivered to your registered address by PTT (Turkish post). Carry the holding receipt while you wait — it is proof of legal stay.

Validity and renewal

Short-term permits are typically issued for up to 2 years per grant under Article 33 of Law 6458; renewals are evaluated case by case. Touristic short-term permits are subject to cumulative-stay limits and tighter renewal scrutiny under recent PMM guidance — verify the current circular before relying on multi-year totals.

Fees

Two costs apply: the harç (stamp tax for the period of stay, set yearly by Treasury circular) and the kart bedeli (card production fee, also set yearly). Both figures are reset annually and have changed materially several times since 2018 — always check the current Ministry of Treasury harç schedule and goc.gov.tr fee notice before you pay. Nationality-bracket discounts and exemptions exist under reciprocity rules.

Common rejection reasons

• Invalid or unrecognised health-insurance policy (lifetime hospitalisation cover is the operative test).
• Insufficient or irregular financial means (no salary, no pension, balance below current PMM benchmark).
• Address registration mismatch — NVI shows a different address from the application.
• Mahalle (neighbourhood) closed to new foreign registrations under the restricted-districts policy.
• Reason-of-stay no longer credible (e.g. tourism declared but applicant is working or studying without notification).
• Outstanding overstay or prior visa-violation flags on the entry record.

Recommended tools

Plan the numbers

Deep dives

Long-form guides and calculators