Family Residence Permit FAQ

The sponsor must be either a Turkish citizen or a foreign national holding a valid Turkish residence basis (work, long-term, short-term, humanitarian or other qualifying permit) for at least one year, with sufficient income and health insurance to cover the dependants. Sponsorship by a foreign national whose own permit is short-term or unstable is harder to land. The sponsor is the legal anchor; the dependant's permit cancels if the sponsor's status lapses.

Source: Law 6458 (Law on Foreigners and International Protection / YUKK) and the Presidency of Migration Management (PMM / Göç İdaresi), Article 34

The qualifying class is the sponsor's spouse and minor children (under 18). Adult children and other relatives — parents, siblings, in-laws — do not qualify under Article 34 and must apply on their own basis (work, study, short-term touristic residence, etc.). Step-children acquired through a registered marriage typically qualify.

Source: Law 6458 (Law on Foreigners and International Protection / YUKK) and the Presidency of Migration Management (PMM / Göç İdaresi), Article 34

The sponsor must show monthly income at or above a threshold tied to the Turkish minimum wage and scaled to the number of dependants. The exact figure shifts each year as minimum-wage policy changes, so verify the current floor with PMM or a Turkish immigration lawyer rather than relying on last year's number. Acceptable evidence includes employment contracts, payslips, business financials, pension statements or savings.

Source: Law 6458 (Law on Foreigners and International Protection / YUKK) and the Presidency of Migration Management (PMM / Göç İdaresi), Article 34

A family residence permit by itself does not grant work rights. A foreign spouse who wants to work must obtain a separate employer-sponsored work permit. Children remain in education on the family permit; their later work rights are handled through their own future work permits.

Source: Law 6735 (International Workforce Law) and the Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MoLSS / Çalışma ve Sosyal Güvenlik Bakanlığı)

Initial family permits are typically issued for up to two years, renewable in line with the sponsor's status. Once the foreign spouse has held a family permit for several uninterrupted years and meets integration criteria, conversion to a long-term residence permit and ultimately citizenship by marriage become possible. Verify current durations with PMM.

Source: Law 6458 (Law on Foreigners and International Protection / YUKK) and the Presidency of Migration Management (PMM / Göç İdaresi), Article 34

A family residence permit gives the foreign spouse the right to live in Türkiye while married, but it is not citizenship — no Turkish ID, no passport, no voting. Citizenship by marriage is a separate, slower pathway under Article 16 of Law 5901, requiring at least three years of continuous marriage and cohabitation evidence. Many spouses hold the family permit for years before applying for citizenship.

Source: Law 5901 (Turkish Citizenship Law / Türk Vatandaşlığı Kanunu) and the General Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs, Article 16

Divorce ends the qualifying basis for the family permit, and the foreign spouse must transition to another residence basis (work permit, short-term touristic residence, etc.) or leave. Some protections apply to spouses who have been resident for years, particularly with custodial responsibility for Turkish-citizen children — these cases are reviewed on their merits. Get tailored advice before filing for divorce if your residence depends on the marriage.

Source: Law 6458 (Law on Foreigners and International Protection / YUKK) and the Presidency of Migration Management (PMM / Göç İdaresi), Article 34

Türkiye does not legally recognise same-sex marriage or civil partnerships, so Article 34 family-permit sponsorship between same-sex partners is generally not available even when the union is recognised abroad. Same-sex partners typically rely on independent residence bases — work permits, short-term touristic residence, study — rather than family sponsorship.

Source: Law 6458 (Law on Foreigners and International Protection / YUKK) and the Presidency of Migration Management (PMM / Göç İdaresi), Article 34

Yes. Türkiye does not grant citizenship by birthplace alone — a child born in Türkiye to two foreign parents takes the parents' nationality, not Turkish citizenship. The child needs a residence permit, typically as a family-permit dependant of one of the parents. Birth registration is handled at the Provincial Population Directorate; the family permit follows.

Source: Law 6458 (Law on Foreigners and International Protection / YUKK) and the Presidency of Migration Management (PMM / Göç İdaresi), Article 34

Core documents: marriage certificate (registered with Turkish authorities) for spouses; apostilled and translated birth certificates for children; sponsor's residence-permit or Turkish ID; proof of sponsor's income and insurance; address registration (yerleşim yeri belgesi); biometric photographs; valid passports for all applicants. Country-specific add-ons (no-criminal-record, custody documents) are common.

Source: Law 6458 (Law on Foreigners and International Protection / YUKK) and the Presidency of Migration Management (PMM / Göç İdaresi), Article 34