Marrying a Turkish citizen does not directly grant Turkish citizenship. Foreigners who have been married to a Turkish citizen for at least three years and whose marriage is ongoing can apply to acquire Turkish citizenship.
If the marriage ends due to the death of the Turkish citizen spouse after the application date, the requirement to live within a family union is not sought.
Foreigners who acquire Turkish citizenship through marriage, if they acted in good faith during the marriage, retain their Turkish citizenship even if the marriage is annulled. If the marriage of the foreigner who acquired Turkish citizenship is annulled, the matter of whether they will retain their Turkish citizenship is asked to the Ministry through the Governorship. According to Article 16 of the Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901: Marrying a Turkish citizen does not directly grant Turkish citizenship. However, foreigners who have been married to a Turkish citizen for at least three years and whose marriage is ongoing can apply to acquire Turkish citizenship. Applicants must meet the following conditions:
- Live within a family union,
- Not engage in activities incompatible with the marital union,
- Not have a situation that would constitute an obstacle in terms of national security and public order. If the marriage ends due to the death of the Turkish citizen spouse after the application, the condition in the first paragraph (a) is not sought. Foreigners who acquire Turkish citizenship through marriage, if they acted in good faith during the marriage, retain their Turkish citizenship even if the marriage is annulled.
Required Documents for Application
- Application Form (VAT-6),
- 2 biometric photos measuring 50×60 mm on a white background, without patterns, defined by ICAO, and machine-readable,
- Passport or similar document indicating citizenship; if stateless, a notarized Turkish translation of the duly approved document related to this,
- A notarized Turkish translation of the duly approved document showing all identification details that will be the basis for registration,
- Latest residence permit if the place of residence is in Turkey,
- A certified copy of a finalized court decision, if there is one due to any crime,
- If the applicant does not have a birth month and day, a notarized Turkish translation of the document obtained from competent authorities of their country proving this or a signed declaration accepting the completion as the first day of July according to Article 39 of the Population Services Law No. 5490,
- Receipt indicating the service fee has been deposited at the Treasury.
Application Authority and Procedure
- Applications are made in person to the governorate where the residence is located within the country, and to foreign representations abroad, either personally or with a special power of attorney. Applications made by mail are not accepted.
- Citizenship applications of minors or those who lack the capacity to discern are made by their guardians or custodians.
- Foreign identity number is taken as the basis during application and procedures.
- The date the application letter form is recorded by the application authority is considered as the application date.
- Authentication processes of official documents provided by foreign authorities are conducted according to Article 59 of the Population Services Application Regulation.
- Turkish translations and notary approvals of documents such as diplomas and passports obtained from foreign authorities presented by foreigners who want to acquire Turkish citizenship during the application are sufficient.
- If necessary, the authenticity of residence permits can also be verified by provincial directorates.