It is your responsibility to be aware of and act according to the rules and regulations about residence permits. Please pay attention to avoid any serious legal problems and financial penalties in the future. In case of any problem or confusion, you need to contact Migration Office.

First Time Application for a Residence Permit in Türkiye:

Newly admitted students, after registration to the University, before the expiry of the visa or visa exemption period (this period is 10 days for those who enter the country with the conditional entry form of residence permit), must apply for a residence permit online (from https://e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr).

Once the online application is submitted, those students who will get a residence permit for the first time in Turkey could submit their application documents to our office instead of going to the Migration Office for their appointment. Within 30 days from the date of the online application and in line with the schedule to be shared by our office at the beginning of each semester, these students could submit the below-listed documents to the International Students Office (applications with the missing document will not be accepted). Those who do not submit the documents to the ISO within this time period must go to the Migration Office for their appointment and submit their documents to the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management personally.

If you are a newly-admitted student but you previously had any type of residence permit in Türkiye (even if that permit is not valid anymore), you need to see the "Extension, Renewal or Transfer Application" section below.

Required Documents:

1. e-İkamet Online application form
• You will fill the online application form at https://e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr/ and after filling the form, you will download the form in pdf format, print it, and then sign the field on its first page.
• While filling the form, remember that only the fields written in red are mandatory fields. You do not need to fill the fields written in black. 
• For the beginning date of your studies at METU, you should write your date of initial registration to METU. For the end date of your studies, just write a random date in August of the year that you are supposed to graduate.)
• The form will ask for two addresses, one is the address of the university and the other one is your permanent address. See this document for the address details.)
2. A valid passport and copy (copy of last entry page and the visa page, if any) (the copy should be approved as “true copy” taken from the Registrar’s Office. Once you come to ISO to submit your documents, we will guide you about the true copy procedure. Please make sure that you have the copies.  If you will go to your appointment personally, you do not need the true copy stamp.)
3. 4 biometric photos
4. Health insurance (Although there are two health insurance options for students, which are General Health Insurance-GSS conducted by the Social Security Institution and private health insurance, GSS is not an option for the first-time residence permit applications as it requires a valid foreign ID number. Therefore, first-time applicants should buy private health insurance to complete their application. Once you get your residence permit, you may still consider applying for the GSS. Those who have health insurance valid in Türkiye based on a bilateral agreement and those who are younger than 18 do not need to buy health insurance. See this page for details about insurance)
5. The Residence Permit Information Form (apply and download via Program No: 205 here) YOU NEED TO PRINT THE FORM ONCE YOU DOWNLOAD IT.
6. Document showing your address information (If you stay in the dorm, you should submit a document with e-signature/signature and sealed/stamped taken from dormitory management. If you stay as a tenant, you should submit a notarized rental contract on which your name is present or your flatmate should give a notarized letter to you stating that you will be staying with him/her.)
7. Residence permit card fee receipt (356 TL) (If the online payment at the Migration Office webpage does not work, OPTION1: please first visit https://ivd.gib.gov.tr then select "Harç ve Değerli Kağıt Bedeli", then select "Göç İdaresi İkamet Tezkeresi Harcı Ödeme" and then enter the Tahakkuk number you got at the end of your online residence permit application. Then you can pay this fee online and get a receipt. OPTION2: please first visit https://ivd.gib.gov.tr then select "Yabancılar için Potansiyel Vergi Kimlik Numarası", fill the form and get your tax number. Visit Ziraat Bank and make your payment by providing the Tahakkuk Number and your tax number OPTION3: Visit a tax office with your passport, get a tax number and then pay at the tax office or Ziraat Bank)
8. For those who are younger than 18* ( By the date of application to e-ikamet)
   1. Letter of consent* (If the foreign mother and father officially reside in Türkiye, this document is not needed.)
   2. Birth certificate* (This document is needed in case the mother and/or father of the student cannot be identified from the given identification/passport)

*These documents are not requested from those who enter the country with a student visa taken from Türkiye's foreign missions. 

Extension, Renewal or Transfer Application:

Students first need to make an online application (from https://e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr) and get an appointment.

• If you have an active student residence permit, you will select "I APPLY FOR THE EXTENSION OF THE DURATION OF RESIDENCE PERMIT" (you can only make an extension application only within the last 60 days of your current residence permit).
• If you have an active residence permit other than a student residence permit, you will select "I LOGDE A TRANSFER APPLICATION FOR RESIDENCE PERMIT".
• If your previous residence permit has expired, you will select "I LOGDE AN APPLICATION FOR RESIDENCE PERMIT FOR THE FIRST TIME"

After that, students should be present at the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management on the appointment date and hour (Appointment details will be sent by the Migration Office once you complete your online application. If you do not get a message about your appointment within one week following your online application, please check your application form again to see whether or not the appointment date and time are added).

Required Documents:

1. e-İkamet online application form (taken from https://e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr)
• You will fill the online application form at https://e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr/ and after filling the form, you will download the form in pdf format, print it, and then sign the field on its first page.
• While filling the form, remember that only the fields written in red are mandatory fields. You do not need to fill the fields written in black.
• For the beginning date of your studies at METU, you should write your date of initial registration to METU. For the end date of your studies, just write a random date in August of the year that you are supposed to graduate.)
• The form will ask for two addresses, one is the address of the university and the other one is your permanent address. See this document for the address details.)
2. A valid passport and copy (copy of last entry page and the visa page, if any)
3. 4 biometric photos
4. The Residence Permit Information Form (apply and download via Program No: 205 here) YOU NEED TO PRINT THE FORM ONCE YOU DOWNLOAD IT.
5. Document showing your address information (If you stay in the dorm, you should submit a document with e-signature/signature and sealed/stamped taken from dormitory management. If you stay as a tenant, you should submit a notarized rental contract on which your name is present or your flatmate should give a notarized letter to you stating that you will be staying with him/her.)
6. Health insurance (You can apply for General Health Insurance conducted by the Social Security Institution or you can have private health insurance. Those who have health insurance valid in Türkiye based on a bilateral agreement do not need to have health insurance. See this page for details about insurance)
7. Residence permit card fee receipt (356 TL) (If the online payment at the Migration Office webpage does not work, OPTION1: please first visit https://ivd.gib.gov.tr then select "Harç ve Değerli Kağıt Bedeli", then select "Göç İdaresi İkamet Tezkeresi Harcı Ödeme" and then enter the Tahakkuk number you got at the end of your online residence permit application. Then you can pay this fee online and get a receipt. OPTION2: Visit Ziraat Bank and make your payment by providing the Tahakkuk Number and foreign ID nuumber Please remember that you will be going to your appointment at the Migration Office and you can also pay the card fee once you go there.
8. Letter of consent (for those who are younger than 18)
9. Presentment of the previous residence permit

Important Notes:

1. Legal action is taken against students who do not follow the procedures.
2. You do not need to obtain a visa to enter Türkiye during the period your residence permit is valid. To illustrate, upon returning to Türkiye from a visit to your country during a semester break, you may present your residence permit. However, if the expiry date of your residence permit is close, you are recommended to contact the authorities not to face a last-minute problem at the airport.
3. Migration Management takes into consideration the online application date. In any circumstances, you need to take an appointment before your residence permit or visa expires.
4. The address you give while you are applying for a residence permit should be correct and complete.
5. In case of any change in name/surname, marital status, address, passport or department/program, etc. the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management should be notified immediately.
6. There should be no erasures or scrapes on the residence permit. In case of loss, the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management should immediately be notified.
7. The list of students who are in statuses: registered, not registered, non-registration, on leave and disciplinary punishment is sent to the Migration Office every semester. Information about those who have graduated, have left with their own will or have withdrawn their registration is sent to the related unit in about one week. Therefore, those must follow their residence procedure carefully.
8. Please do not forget that your student residence permit is only valid as long as you have an active studentship, regardless of the expiry date written on your residence permit card. If you (i) cancel your registration from your program, (ii) do not register for the semester courses, (iii) get a semester leave, this means that your permit will be canceled by the Migration Office, even if your card says that your permit is still valid until a certain date.
9. The student residence permits of the students whose semester status is "on leave" or "not registered" for any reason (except exchange programs, international joint degree programs, and TÖMER courses)  are canceled by the Migration Office. Please pay attention to this point while you are freezing your studies or getting leave for one or more semesters. Therefore, those who will stay in Türkiye for any reason without registering for the semester need to apply for a short-term residence permit. Do not wait to see your leave request be defined to the Student Information System, but make your online application for a transfer to a short-term residence permit as soon as you submit your leave request to your department. (Note: Those students who entered Türkiye initially with a student visa cannot transfer to a short-term/touristic residence permit and they need to leave the country and re-enter with a new visa.)  
10. If you are planning to stay in Türkiye while you are not registered in any program (for the graduation ceremony, for graduate program application, etc.) you need to apply for a short-term residence permit before your residence expires.

11. According to the information received from the Migration Office (as of January 2023), when you graduate from your program and if you card’s expiry date is after the graduation (For undergraduate students, the graduation date is the date of the grade announcement. For graduate students, the date of the submission of the printed thesis to the Graduate School), you can stay in Turkey roughly until the beginning of the next academic semester. Those who will stay longer must apply for a short-term residence permit before their residence expires, as stated above. For example, if you graduate in June 2023 and if your student residence permit’s expiry date is February 2024, then you can still reside in Turkey until September 2023 with your current permit. However, if your student residence permit’s expiry date is July 2023, then you can only reside in Turkey until July 2023 with your current permit. Although this is the current general rule, students are highly recommended to contact the Migration Office (Call Center-157 and ankara@gov.gov.tr) for their individual cases and to get the most up-to-date and appropriate information. The rules and regulations could change and/or your unique case could bring an exception to the general rule. Therefore, the information written here is intended to inform the students about the general rules and regulations received from the Migration Office.

12. The student residence permit does not make the parents and other relatives of the student eligible for a residence permit automatically.  

13. Regarding working and work permits, you may see here: https://iso.metu.edu.tr/en/work-permits 
14. If you want to leave Türkiye while your residence permit application is under evaluation by the Migration Office, you need to get an official letter from the Migration Office letting you leave the country for a maximum period of 15 days. If you leave without this permission document, your ongoing residence permit application could be affected negatively and you could need to re-apply for the residence permit.

It is your responsibility to be aware of and act according to the rules and regulations about residence permits. Please pay attention to avoid any serious legal problems and financial penalties in the future. In case of any problem or confusion, you need to contact Migration Office. 

Migration Management carries out the residence permit procedure. Therefore, in case of any rule and regulation change/update, please keep in touch with the below-mentioned management units and follow their website.

For your questions:

• Foreigners Communication Center (YİMER) Call Center: 157 
• Ankara Provincial Directorate of Migration Management

Address: Barbaros Mahallesi, Binnaz Sokak No:2, Çankaya

E-mail: ankara@goc.gov.tr

Tel: 0 312 439 40 40 / 0 312 440 33 48

Fax: 0 312 439 40 66

Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/3eyXCXL7w2PwBDxLA