Acquisition of Turkish Citizenship According to General Provisions
According to the 11th article of the Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901, foreigners wishing to acquire Turkish citizenship must meet the following conditions:
- Be of legal age and have the capacity to discern according to their national law; or, if stateless, according to the Turkish Civil Law No. 4721.
- Have resided continuously in Turkey for five years, counting back from the date of application.
- Have confirmed the decision to settle in Turkey by actions such as acquiring real estate, establishing a business, investing, relocating their business and trade center to Turkey, working in a job subject to a work permit, or other similar behaviors. Alternatively, by marrying a Turkish citizen, applying as a family, having a parent, sibling, or child who has previously acquired Turkish citizenship, or completing education in Turkey.
- Not have a disease that poses a threat in terms of general health.
- Demonstrate good moral character by acting responsibly as required for community life, instilling trust in the community through their behavior, and not having any bad habits that are not well-received and go against community values.
- Be able to speak Turkish at a level sufficient to integrate into social life.
- Have an income or profession that can support themselves and those they are responsible for in Turkey.
- Not have any circumstances that would pose a threat to national security or public order.
These are the conditions sought.
Required Documents for Application
- Application Form (VAT-3)
- 2 biometric photographs of 50×60 mm size on a white background without patterns, compliant with ICAO standards and machine-readable.
- A passport or similar document indicating the applicant’s nationality. If stateless, a related document if obtainable.
- Documents showing personal identification such as a birth certificate or a copy of the population register. If married, a copy of the family registry or similar document showing the familial relationship of the spouse and children.
- A civil status document and, if married, a marriage certificate. If divorced, a document proving the divorce, and if widowed, the death certificate of the spouse.
- A health report, as determined by the Ministry of Health, confirming that the person does not have a disease posing a threat to general health.
- Documents proving income or profession that supports the person and those they are responsible for in Turkey, such as a work permit, tax plate, commitment letter, or similar documents.
- A document from the provincial police department indicating the dates of entry and exit from the country, proving continuous residence in Turkey for five years from the application date.
- A residence permit valid for a sufficient period for the conclusion of citizenship procedures from the application date.
- If there is a finalized court decision due to any crime, a certified copy of it.
- If the exact day and month of birth are not available, a document from the competent authorities of the person’s country confirming the birth date. If such a document cannot be obtained, a signed declaration accepting the procedures according to Article 39 of the Population Services Law No. 5490.
- A receipt showing that the service fee has been paid to the Treasury.
Authority and Procedure for Application
- Applications are made directly to the governorate where the residence is located or with a special power of attorney concerning the exercise of this right. Applications made by mail are not accepted.
- Citizenship applications for minors or those lacking the power of discernment are made by their guardians or custodians.
- The foreign identification number is the basis for applications and transactions.
- The date the form petition is recorded by the application authority is considered the application date.
- A foreigner wishing to acquire Turkish citizenship can stay outside Turkey for up to six months in total during the required residency period.
- The time spent outside Turkey that doesn’t exceed a total of six months is evaluated within the prescribed residence period.
- If the foreigner spends more than six months in total outside Turkey within the residence period or stays in Turkey for more than six months without a valid residence permit or without obtaining a residence permit, the residency period is interrupted, and previous residency periods aren’t considered.
- Staying in Turkey without a legal residence permit, or even legally but without showing an intention to settle in Turkey; asylum or refugee application holders, refugees, studying, tourism, accompanying a studying child, treatment, or with residence permits obtained for such purposes or with ID cards of foreign mission personnel providing diplomatic or consular privileges and immunities, is not considered valid residence for acquiring Turkish citizenship.
- Previous residency periods are also taken into account if a person in Turkey for reasons not accepted in gaining Turkish citizenship later links to residence for a subsequently valid reason. This provision doesn’t apply to those in Turkey with a tourist residency permit.
- The certification procedures for official documents issued by foreign authorities are made according to Article 59 of the Population Services Implementation Regulation.
- It’s sufficient for documents such as diplomas and passports obtained from foreign authorities by foreigners wishing to acquire Turkish citizenship to be translated into Turkish and certified by a notary during the application.
- In necessary cases, the conformity of the original residence permits can also be certified by provincial directorates.
I hope this helps! Let me know if there’s anything else.