Visa-free entry, established Ukrainian communities in Antalya and Istanbul, and accessible residence pathways. Türkiye is one of the largest Ukrainian destinations since 2022.
Key facts
Visa-free entry
90 days within any 180-day window
Largest community
Antalya, Istanbul
Banking access
Workable with residence permit
CBI route
Open · USD 400K property
Türkiye is among the largest destinations for Ukrainians since 2022 — visa-free entry, geographic proximity, established Ukrainian and Russian-speaking services in Antalya and Istanbul, and accessible residence permits make it a practical landing point. Antalya and Istanbul host the largest Ukrainian communities; Mersin and Alanya have growing populations.
Türkiye allows visa-free entry for Ukrainian citizens for stays up to 90 days within any 180-day period. Long-term residence requires a Turkish residence permit, applied for in-country at e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr. Renewals are typically straightforward.
Banking access has tightened compared to pre-2022 conditions but is generally easier for Ukrainians than for Russians — major Turkish banks accept Ukrainian residence-permit-holders without unusual friction. Bringing original apostilled documents (birth, marriage, education) before arrival saves significant time.
Visa-free · 90 days in 180
Ukrainian passport holders enter Türkiye visa-free for up to 90 days within any 180-day period. Longer stays require a residence permit applied for in-country.
Antalya + Istanbul communities
The two largest Ukrainian communities in Türkiye are in Antalya (especially Konyaaltı/Lara) and Istanbul. Russian-language services are widely shared.
Banking is workable
Major Turkish banks accept Ukrainian residence permit holders. Have a Turkish tax number + active address ready before walking into a branch.
Citizenship via property
USD 400,000 property purchase route remains open to Ukrainian buyers. Real-estate prices have risen materially since 2022 — verify the valuation supports the threshold.
The procedure
How Ukrainians actually move to Türkiye
Ukrainian nationals may be eligible for routes that do not apply to most other nationalities, and the applicable status can differ from an ordinary short-term residence permit. Check the current position with the migration authority directly rather than assuming the standard short-term route is the one that applies to you.
01
Confirm your entry status before you book anything
Before you leave
Whether your passport needs a visa, and how long you may stay before a residence permit is required, is set per nationality and changes without much notice. Your permitted stay is the clock your whole permit timeline runs against.
For Ukrainians
Ukrainian ordinary passport holders are exempt from a visa for travel of up to 90 days, per the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Entry status is the step where Ukrainian applicants should be least willing to rely on a secondary source: the routes available have changed more than once, and the migration authority is the only current record.
Documents issued abroad generally need an apostille from the issuing country and a sworn Turkish translation before a Turkish authority will accept them, and they are far harder to obtain once you have left. See the residence-permit document checklist.
03
Get a Turkish tax number
First week
A tax number (vergi numarası) unlocks almost everything else — a bank account, a lease in your name, utilities and the permit application itself — and is available to foreigners before any permit exists. See the e-Devlet guide.
Arrange health cover that the directorate will accept
First week
Health insurance is a condition of the residence permit, not an optional extra, and whether cover from your home country counts for anything here depends on the agreement between the two states. See the permit-compliant insurance guide.
For Ukrainians
There is no bilateral social-security agreement between Türkiye and Ukraine, so cover does not transfer. Where an applicant holds a status other than an ordinary short-term permit, the health-cover requirement attached to that status can differ — confirm it against the status you actually hold.
The application is made online through e-ikamet, which also issues the appointment. The fee has two parts — a universal document fee and a permit fee set per nationality under the reciprocity principle. See the short-term permit walkthrough.
Address registration ties your permit to a real residence and is what makes it usable. It is normally completed once you have a lease or title in your name. See the arrival checklist.
Banks ask for a tax number and usually proof of address. Beyond that, willingness to onboard a foreigner varies by nationality and by branch more than by any published rule. See the bank-account guide.
For Ukrainians
Ukrainian customers are generally onboarded without nationality-specific restrictions, but documentation issued in Ukraine since 2022 is sometimes queried at the counter. Carry apostilled originals rather than relying on digital copies.
08
Understand when you become a Turkish tax resident
Ongoing
Spending more than 183 days in Türkiye in a calendar year generally makes you a Turkish tax resident, which changes what Türkiye may tax. What your home country does about that is governed by the treaty between the two states. See the 183-day rule explained.
For Ukrainians
Türkiye and Ukraine have a double-taxation treaty. The complication for Ukrainian applicants is usually evidencing where the 183 days were actually spent when travel has been irregular, so keep entry and exit records rather than reconstructing them later.
What do Ukrainians need to know before moving to Türkiye?
Bring apostilled originals of birth certificate, marriage certificate, and education credentials. Apostille is processed at the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (or relevant ministry depending on document type).
The Bracket-B nationality fee tier in our residence permit calculator is the relevant range for Ukrainian applicants.
Most Ukrainian arrivals base in Antalya or Istanbul. Smaller communities exist in Alanya, Mersin and Trabzon.
Russian-language services are widely accessible — many Ukrainians use them in addition to Ukrainian-language community resources where available.
Driving: Ukrainian driving licences are accepted for the first 6 months; after that, exchange or local Turkish licence required.
Do Ukrainians need a visa for Türkiye?
Visa-free for 90 days within any 180-day period. Longer stays require a Turkish residence permit, applied for in-country at e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr. Ukraine is in the Bracket-B nationality range for residence permit fees.
How are Ukrainians taxed when moving to Türkiye?
Türkiye and Ukraine have a double tax treaty in force. If you become Turkish tax resident, the treaty determines which country taxes which income type — review with a Turkish tax advisor before settling on a long-term plan.
How big is the Ukrainian community in Türkiye?
An estimated 70,000–150,000 Ukrainian citizens are medium-to-long-term residents of Türkiye, the largest concentration of Ukrainians in any non-EU country.
Official sources
Every immigration, tax and social-security claim on this page traces to one of the authorities below. Where a rule depends on your specific nationality — above all whether you need a visa — check the authority directly rather than any guide, including this one.