Reference data
Closed and restricted districts for residence permits
An unofficial, public-reporting summary of Turkish districts where new foreigner address registrations have been reported as closed or limited. The official open/closed list is maintained at neighbourhood (mahalle) level by Göç İdaresi — always verify your specific address with provincial migration management before signing a lease or applying.
Last updated
2026-05-09
| Province | District (ilçe) | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ankara | Altındağ | Restricted | Selected mahalles reported as closed/limited. |
| Antalya | Aksu | Closed | Reported closed to new foreigner address registrations. |
| Antalya | Kepez | Closed | Reported closed to new foreigner address registrations. |
| Antalya | Muratpaşa | Restricted | Selected mahalles reported as closed/limited. |
| Antalya | Konyaaltı | Restricted | Selected mahalles reported as closed/limited. |
| Antalya | Alanya | Restricted | Selected mahalles reported as closed/limited; tourist residence permits affected separately. |
| Bursa | Osmangazi | Restricted | Selected mahalles reported as closed/limited. |
| Bursa | Yıldırım | Restricted | Selected mahalles reported as closed/limited. |
| Gaziantep | Şahinbey | Restricted | Selected mahalles reported as closed/limited. |
| Istanbul | Esenyurt | Closed | Among the earliest and most-cited closures; new foreigner address registrations broadly suspended. |
| Istanbul | Bağcılar | Closed | Reported closed to new foreigner address registrations. |
| Istanbul | Sultangazi | Closed | Reported closed to new foreigner address registrations. |
| Istanbul | Esenler | Closed | Reported closed to new foreigner address registrations. |
| Istanbul | Fatih | Restricted | Multiple mahalles reported closed; verify the specific mahalle before signing a lease. |
| Istanbul | Zeytinburnu | Restricted | Selected mahalles reported as closed/limited. |
| Istanbul | Avcılar | Restricted | Selected mahalles reported as closed/limited. |
| Istanbul | Küçükçekmece | Restricted | Selected mahalles reported as closed/limited. |
| Istanbul | Başakşehir | Restricted | Selected mahalles reported as closed/limited. |
| Istanbul | Bahçelievler | Restricted | Selected mahalles reported as closed/limited. |
| Istanbul | Beyoğlu | Restricted | Selected mahalles reported as closed/limited. |
| Istanbul | Şişli | Limited | Specific mahalles reported with capacity caps; verify before applying. |
| Izmir | Konak | Restricted | Selected mahalles reported as closed/limited. |
| Izmir | Buca | Limited | Capacity-cap reports; verify specific mahalle before applying. |
| Mersin | Akdeniz | Restricted | Selected mahalles reported as closed/limited. |
District-level summary only. The official Göç İdaresi list operates at neighbourhood (mahalle) level — confirm your specific mahalle with the relevant Provincial Migration Management before applying.
FAQ
Closed districts — frequently asked questions
- What does 'closed district' mean for a residence permit?
- A 'closed' district is one where the Presidency of Migration Management has stopped accepting new foreigner address registrations because the foreign-resident share of the population has reached an internal threshold. If your prospective address falls inside a closed mahalle, your residence permit application will not be accepted at that address — you will need to register at an open one.
- Can I still apply for a residence permit if my address is in a closed district?
- No. A new application using an address inside a closed mahalle will be refused at the registration step. Existing residence permits already issued at that address are generally not retroactively cancelled, but renewals and new applications are blocked. The standard fix is to find a lease in an open mahalle and apply with that address.
- How often is the closed-district list updated?
- The Presidency of Migration Management updates the open/closed mahalle lists periodically — sometimes monthly, sometimes less frequently. There is no fixed schedule. We refresh this page when widely-reported changes are confirmed across multiple outlets, but you should always verify the current status of your specific mahalle with the relevant Provincial Migration Management before signing a lease.
- What happens if my district status changes during my application?
- If your mahalle is closed after you submit but before approval, applications already in the queue have generally been processed under the rules in force at submission, though this is not guaranteed and discretion sits with the provincial directorate. If you are mid-application, do not move addresses without first checking with your provincial migration management.
- Where is the official source for this list?
- The authoritative source is the Presidency of Migration Management (Göç İdaresi Başkanlığı) at goc.gov.tr. They publish per-province open and closed mahalle lists. This page is an unofficial summary of public reporting on widely-cited closures at district level — it is not the official source and not legal advice.
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