Relocate from Iran

Moving to Türkiye from Iran — 2026 Guide

Türkiye is the largest destination for Iranians leaving Iran. Visa-free entry, established Iranian community in Istanbul, and accessible long-term residence.

Key facts

Visa-free entry: 90 days per visit
Largest community: Istanbul (Esenyurt, Beylikdüzü)
Banking access: Hard — needs residence permit + buffer time
CBI route: Open · USD 400K property

Türkiye is the single largest destination country for Iranians leaving Iran in the 2020s. Visa-free entry, geographic proximity, established Iranian-language services in Istanbul (especially Esenyurt, Beylikdüzü, Şişli), and a relatively predictable residence permit pathway combine to make it the most-used relocation option.

The Iranian community in Istanbul has grown materially since 2018, with full Persian-language doctors, lawyers, schools (including Iranian-curriculum and bilingual options), real estate brokers and food businesses now widely available in the western European-side districts.

Türkiye allows visa-free entry for Iranian citizens for up to 90 days per visit. Longer stays require a Turkish residence permit, with banking and bureaucratic friction higher than for some other nationalities — plan extra time and document buffer.

Visa-free entry · 90 days

Iranian passport holders enter Türkiye visa-free for up to 90 days. Longer stays require a residence permit applied for in-country.

Largest Iranian community in Istanbul

Esenyurt, Beylikdüzü and Şişli have the densest Persian-language services, schools and businesses outside Iran.

Banking is harder

Opening a Turkish bank account as an Iranian typically requires a residence permit + tax number + active Turkish address. Plan for post-arrival timing.

CBI route is open

USD 400,000 property purchase remains an accessible route to Turkish citizenship for Iranian applicants.

Run the numbers for Iran

Calculators most relevant for Iranians

Istanbul Cost of Living Calculator

Istanbul is the primary landing city — most relevant cost benchmark.

Citizenship by Investment Calculator

CBI via property is an accessible route to a Turkish passport for Iranian applicants.

Residence Permit Cost Calculator

Iranian passport (Bracket-C) residence permit fees and document costs.

Tax Residency Calculator

Score your tax residency exposure — important without a comprehensive treaty.

Moving to Turkey Checklist

Pre-arrival and first-30-days task list, with banking timing flagged.

What do Iranians need to know before moving to Türkiye?

Bring fully apostilled copies of all key documents (birth certificate, marriage certificate, education credentials). Iranian apostille is processed by the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Bracket-C nationality fee tier in our residence permit calculator is the relevant range for Iranian applicants.
Most arrivals base in Istanbul (Esenyurt, Beylikdüzü, Şişli, Ataşehir). Smaller communities exist in Ankara, Antalya and Trabzon.
Persian-language schools and bilingual programs exist in Istanbul; international schools (English-medium) are also widely available for those not focused on Persian-curriculum continuity.
Translations: documents in Persian require sworn-translator translation into Turkish. Plan for ~2-3 weeks of paperwork lead time.

Do Iranians need a visa for Türkiye?

Visa-free for 90 days per visit. Longer stays require a Turkish residence permit. Iranian passports fall into the Bracket-C nationality range for residence permit fees in our calculator.

How are Iranians taxed when moving to Türkiye?

Türkiye and Iran do not have a comprehensive double tax treaty in force at the same level as EU treaty partners. Tax planning for Iranian residents in Türkiye should be done with a Turkish tax advisor familiar with Iranian-source income treatment.

How big is the Iranian community in Türkiye?

Estimated 70,000–120,000 Iranian citizens are medium-to-long-term residents of Türkiye, the largest concentration of Iranians in any country outside Iran.

Moving from a different country?

Pick your origin country.

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Long-established British community in Fethiye, Bodrum and Antalya.

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Deep historical and family ties — over 3 million people in Germany have Turkish heritage, with significant return migration in 2026.

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Lower cost of living, modern infrastructure, no Schengen visa cap, and accessible long-term residency.

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Visa-free entry, established Ukrainian communities in Antalya and Istanbul, and accessible residence pathways.

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Visa-free entry, established French community in Istanbul, accessible residence pathways.

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Visa-free entry, geographic proximity, and accessible long-term residence.

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Established Iraqi communities in Istanbul and Mersin, with Arabic-language services widely available.

Relocate from Saudi Arabia

Strong cultural ties, summer-residence flows to Trabzon and Bursa, and full Arabic-language professional infrastructure in Istanbul.

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Visa-free entry, growing Kazakh community, and shared Turkic linguistic and cultural ties.

Relocate from Uzbekistan

Visa-free entry, large Uzbek community in Istanbul, and shared Turkic linguistic ties.

Relocate from Azerbaijan

Visa-free entry, shared Turkic linguistic and cultural roots — "one nation, two states.

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e-Visa entry, growing professional community in Istanbul and Ankara, and accessible long-term residence.

Relocate from China

e-Visa entry, growing Chinese business community in Istanbul, and accessible long-term residence.

Relocate from Kyrgyzstan

Visa-free entry, shared Turkic linguistic ties, and a growing Kyrgyz student and worker community in Istanbul.

Relocate from Egypt

Established Egyptian community in Istanbul, full Arabic-language professional infrastructure, and accessible long-term residence pathways.

Relocate from Jordan

Visa-free entry, growing Jordanian and Levantine community in Istanbul, and accessible long-term residence pathways.

Relocate from Lebanon

Visa-free entry, growing Lebanese diaspora in Istanbul, and an active relocation flow driven by Lebanon's economic crisis.

Relocate from Afghanistan

Visa-required entry, significant banking and document-authentication friction, and complex residence-permit processing.

Relocate from Pakistan

Visa-required entry, growing Pakistani student and professional community in Istanbul and Ankara, and accessible long-term residence with proper preparation.

Relocate from Nigeria

Visa-required entry, growing Nigerian student and trader community in Istanbul, and accessible long-term residence with proper preparation.

Relocate from Italy

Visa-free entry, established Italian community in Istanbul (with deep historical roots), and accessible long-term residence pathways.

Relocate from Spain

Visa-free entry, small but established Spanish community in Istanbul, and accessible long-term residence pathways.

Relocate from the Netherlands

Visa-free entry, established Dutch community along the Mediterranean coast, and accessible long-term residence.

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