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Pathway

Türkiye Long-Term Residence

Türkiye (Turkey) Residency
Pathway overview

At a glance

You can usually apply for Türkiye's long-term residence permit after at least eight continuous years of qualifying residence. You must also meet the income, medical insurance, and personal-record requirements.

Residence history
At least eight qualifying years; student time counts half, and protected or humanitarian categories are excluded
Financial requirements
Stable sufficient income, medical insurance, and no social assistance in the previous three years
Personal checks
Public-order and security requirements apply

Summary

Established residents can apply to remain in Türkiye through long-term residence after the required qualifying history, calculated from the permits they actually held. Student time counts at half its length, some protected or humanitarian categories are excluded, and continuity must satisfy the residence rules rather than simply eight years having passed since arrival.

The application also checks income, medical insurance, recent social-assistance history, and personal requirements. After approval, an absence of more than one continuous year can lead to cancellation unless an exception applies. Citizenship remains a separate procedure.

Could this pathway work for you?

Eligibility

The applicant needs at least eight years of continuous qualifying residence. Half of student-permit time counts; protected and humanitarian categories cannot use the ordinary transfer described here.

Continuity must meet the residence rules. After approval, a continuous absence over one year can cause cancellation unless a permitted exception applies.

The applicant must have received no social assistance during the previous three years, have stable sufficient income and medical insurance, and satisfy public-order and security requirements.

More about this route

The calculation is not simply eight years since the first arrival. Student-permit time counts at half its length, and protected or humanitarian categories cannot use the ordinary transfer described here. The route is therefore a later settlement option to assess against the actual permit history, rather than a starting point for a new move.

Calculate qualifying time by permit category
  1. At least 8 qualifying years Residence calculation Count eligible time; student residence counts at half its length.
  2. Before applying Separate support checks Review social-assistance history, stable income, health coverage, and personal records.
  3. Application stage Long-term application Confirm continuity and category eligibility with the authority.

Protected and humanitarian categories cannot use this ordinary transfer; continuing absence rules also apply.

What This Route Allows

Approval provides long-term residence in Türkiye, subject to the conditions for keeping the status and maintaining the required identity document. The application assesses an established life in the country, including the applicant’s ability to support themselves.

Time outside Türkiye remains relevant after approval. A continuous absence of more than one year can lead to cancellation unless a permitted exception applies, which matters for a resident considering an extended period abroad.

What This Route Is Not

This is not an immediate entry route or a citizenship application. Some kinds of temporary stay count differently or are excluded.

Next Steps

The residence and travel records should establish the qualifying period, including any student years that count only partly. The migration authority can confirm how that history is treated and whether the applicant’s previous residence categories allow the transfer.

The file also needs the current financial and health-coverage evidence and must meet the rule on social assistance during the preceding three years. These are separate requirements from having lived in Türkiye for the necessary period.

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Similar permanent residence pathways in other destinations.

Sources