New regulations consolidate many of the Migration Directorate’s rules implemented over the past ten months. The regulations are effective immediately, but may not apply in practice since Interior Ministry officers may not be aware of the changes for some time.
The key points of the regulations are described below:
- If a visa is not used within six months of issue, it becomes invalid.
- In some circumstances, overstayers who pay a fine upon exit may not be banned from future entry.
- Foreign nationals (except those under a Work Permit) have a ten-day grace period to apply for a Residence Permit after the expiration of their status. This rule does not apply to renewals.
- Assignees now have ten days from the expiration or cancellation of their Work Permit to file a new Residence Permit application without being considered an overstayer.
- Foreign parents may file a Residence Permit application for children born in Turkey within 180 days of the child’s birth without facing a penalty (as opposed to the former 30-day deadline).
- If a child departs Turkey before a Residence Permit is issued, the child will only face fines, and no entry ban will be implemented.
- Residence Permit amendments must be reported within 20 business days of the change, instead of the previous ten-day deadline.
- Residence Permit holders who move to a new city must now apply for a new Residence Permit within 20 business days as opposed to filing an address amendment.
What This Means for Foreign Nationals
Foreign nationals should technically benefit from the relaxed rules regarding entry bans and the timing of Residence Permit applications but should note that moving to a new city requires a new Residence Permit application. Affected foreign nationals should contact their immigration professional to discuss the level of implementation of the applicable rules.
Fragomen worked closely with Bener (Istanbul) to prepare this alert. It 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].
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