Residence Permit Renewal Applications Now Require Personal Appearance

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At a Glance

• In a change of policy, all residence permit renewal applications in Turkey must now attend an appointment at the Migration Office, whereas previously renewal applications could typically also be filed by mail. Renewal applicants now must request an appointment online, which is the existing process for initial residence permit applicants.  
• Affected residence permit renewal applicants may face longer processing times due to the new policy.

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The situation

In a change of policy, the General Migration Directorate in Turkey now requires all residence permit renewal applicants to file their applications in person at the Migration Office, where previously they could also file their applications by mail.

A closer look - online process

Residence permit renewal applicants now must request an appointment on the online system, which is the existing process for initial residence permit applicants.

Previously, most residence permit renewal applicants qualified for a mail-in renewal process.

Impact

• Delays for all residence permit renewal applicants. Affected renewal applicants may face longer processing times due to the need to schedule an appointment.

• Notable further delays. Currently, appointments in the Istanbul Migration Office are experiencing a two- to three-week backlog. Also, as a result of the new policy, the Migration Office in Bakirkoy, Istanbul (which only handled postal renewal applications) is closed and residence permit applications submitted there are being transferred to the main Migration Office in Vatan, which could result in additional delays for affected applicants.

 

Looking ahead

The underlying reasons for the current restriction are not clear and are not indicative of any future changes since residence permit-related rules and processes change often in Turkey and without notice or explanation.

Fragomen will monitor the situation and will report on relevant developments, including the authorities’ processing of pending applications.

Fragomen worked closely with the Bener Law Office in Istanbul to prepare this alert. This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].