What Is The General Acquisition Of Turkish Citizenship?
Acquisition of Turkish Citizenship in General
Pursuant to Article 11 of the Citizenship Law No. 5901, foreigners who have resided continuously in our country for 5 years may acquire Turkish citizenship in general if the following conditions are met. Turkish citizenship is acquired in two ways: by birth and subsequently by decision of the competent authority. Foreigners who wish to acquire Turkish citizenship later on in accordance with general provisions must meet the following conditions.
The foreigner must be of legal age according to their national law; if stateless, they must be of legal age according to the Turkish Civil Code.
They must have resided in Turkey for at least five years prior to the citizenship application.
The foreigner must express their desire to settle in Turkey. For example, they must have taken actions such as acquiring real estate in Turkey, marrying a Turkish citizen, or having a Turkish citizen as a parent or child;
They must not have a disease that poses a threat to public health;
They must not be a person who exhibits behavior contrary to public morality;
They must be able to speak Turkish in order to integrate into Turkish society;
They must have a profession and income sufficient to support themselves and their dependents in Turkey;
They must not pose a threat to national security or public order.
Procedures to be Followed by Applicants for Turkish Citizenship
Applications for Turkish citizenship are submitted to the governor’s office of the applicant’s place of residence by the applicant themselves or by their representative with a special power of attorney. If the applicant is under 18 years of age and/or lacks the capacity to discern, the application may be made by a parent or guardian.
The application for citizenship is processed based on the foreigner’s Turkish Republic Foreign Identity Number.
The application is made by filling out the application form and submitting the documents listed below. The date of application is based on the date the form is registered as a document.
Foreigners who wish to obtain Turkish citizenship may stay abroad for a total of up to 12 months within the required period of residence under the new legal regulation. If the total time spent abroad does not exceed 12 months, it is evaluated within the required period of residence.
Documents Required to Obtain Turkish Citizenship
Turkish Citizenship Application Form;
Biometric photograph with a white background, 50×60 mm in size;
Passport or similar valid document;
Birth certificate containing identity information or similar document containing this information;
Document indicating the person’s marital status. Such as marriage certificate, divorce decree, death certificate.
A health report meeting the criteria specified by the Ministry of Health, stating that the person does not have any infectious diseases or diseases that pose a threat to public health;
A document proving that the person has a profession and income sufficient to support themselves and their dependents in Turkey (work permit, tax certificate, etc.);
A document from the Provincial Security Directorate showing the dates of entry into and exit from Turkey, proving that the applicant has resided in Turkey for at least 5 years prior to the citizenship application;
A valid residence permit valid for the period until the citizenship application is finalized;
If the applicant has a final court decision against them for any criminal offense, a certified copy of it;
A receipt showing that the service fee has been paid to the Treasury.
Procedures Performed by the Commission
The application made by the foreigner to the Governor’s Office within the province where they reside is sent by the Governor’s Office to the General Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs of the Ministry of Interior. The applicant can track the status of their citizenship application by obtaining their application number from the Public Relations Unit of the relevant Ministry’s General Directorate.
The Ministry of Interior’s General Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs conducts the necessary review and informs the applicant of the outcome of their citizenship application, whether positive or negative.