Residence Permit

Visa is a document that is necessary for entering a country and must be applied for prior to departure and prospective international students need to check carefully whether they need a visa to enter Turkey.

A visa is not the same as a residence permit. A residence permit is a document necessary for staying in the country and should be applied for after arrival.

Applying for a Visa in Your Country

Once you are accepted to DOU you will receive a full acceptance letter, required for the student visa application. After you receive your visa in your country, please plan your travel accordingly for your enrollment to DOU. 

Applying for a Residence Permit in Turkey

All international students¹, regardless of their status, must register and obtain a student residence permit from the Istanbul Provincial Immigration Administration Office. Application process should be completed within 30 days of entering Turkey. Enrolled students should apply online at the Ministry of Interior Directorate General of Migration Management official website in order to obtain a residence permit. After application is successfully processed, the rest of the necessary documents may be gathered and submitted to DOU International Relations Office.

Required Documents for the First Time Student Residence Permit Application:

1. Online residence permit application form
2. 2 Photos (biometric) 
3. Up-to-date student certificate
4. Original copy of a valid health insurance
5. Residence permit card fee payment receipt from Tax Office 
6. Address declaration from Provincial Civil Registry Directorate²
7. Copies of the:

• Passport Identification Page
• Visa
• Entry Stamp Page
• Old Residence Permit Card (if any)

Please make an appointment before submitting your documents to DOU International Relations Office.

Please keep in mind;

• Students are responsible to follow up their application for the residence permit on time. Please follow the rules and regulations in order to avoid any kind of problems, such as paying penalty or getting deported.
• The Provincial Directorate of Migration Management takes the online appointment date of the application form into account, so application process must be done before the validation of your visa or the residence permit expiration date.
• In case of any changes in your information such as your name/surname, marital status, address, passport details, department/program at your university etc., the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management should be informed accordingly within a 10-day period.
• For the students, who already graduated and are planning to stay in Turkey, the transfer application should be carried out from student residence permit to short-term residence permit within 10 days after official graduation date.
• If you stay beyond the date of your visa or your residence permit expires, you will be fined at the port of exit and will be subject to a travel ban preventing you from re-entering Turkey for a period between three months to five years (depending on the length of your overstay).
• Erasmus+ students, Erasmus+ interns and exchange program students are required to apply for the short-term residence permit. The reason of stay should be chosen as Student Exchange Programme.
• After your documents are submitted to University you need to wait for an SMS or an e-mail from the Migration Office that will be sent to your cellphone and e-mail address. Therefore, if the cellphone number and e-mail address which you declare on your residence permit application changes, you are required to inform the Immigration Office in time, otherwise, you will not receive any notification about your application status.

You may call 157, Communication Center for Foreigners, 7/24!

¹ Students who are Turkish citizens, double citizens with one of them being Turkish, Blue Card holders and the ones who have temporary protection documents are excluded.

² Students who are applying for the student residence permit for the first time may submit their rental contract instead.