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.


  • After you complete your application for a student residence permit (https://e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr), you will collect the required documents (see below). However, you will not go to the Migration Office to submit your documents, but bring them to the ISO desk at the Registrar's Office. You must submit your documents to the ISO desk at the Registrar's Office on the first Thursdays following your e-ikamet application. We will take the documents to the Migration Office periodically.
  • Documents will only be collected at the ISO desk at the Registrar's Office. One of the counters on the entrance floor will be reserved for this purpose. We will not accept any document brought to our office at the MM building.
  • The ISO desk at the Registrar's Office will be open only on Thursdays from 09:30 to 12:00 and from 13:30 to 17:00. We will not accept any residence permit application documents on other days.
  • Upon submitting the documents to the Migration Office, they will inform the ISO if there is any missing document/information for any student. If so, we will let you know via your METU email. I want you to know that it is your responsibility to check your emails and act according to the information given in that email.
  • The ISO desk at the Registrar's Office will only function as a document collection desk. If you happen to have a problem or question regarding your residence permit, you first need to contact 157 to get the right answer directly from the Migration Office. If you still need help, please contact our office using the contact channels listed here: https://iso.metu.edu.tr/en/contact 
  • Although the involvement of the ISO has increased with this new protocol, it is still the responsibility of the student to follow the required procedures and regulations regarding the residence permits, and it is still the Migration Office that is the sole authority to evaluate the residence permit applications. Therefore, besides collecting the application documents and taking them to the Migration Office, the university has no involvement, responsibility, or authority over the residence permit procedures.

Required Documents:

  1. Two copies of the DECLARATION/CONTROL DOCUMENT, which you need to download via here. You will fill only the yellow cells (either by hand or on computer)
  2. 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.)
  3. A valid passport and copy (copy of last entry page and the visa page, if any) (Once you submit your documents to the ISO desk at the Registrar's Office, we will handle the "true copy" stamp procedure. Please make sure that you bring the photocopies with you.)
  4. 4 biometric photos
  5. Health insurance: GSS or private health insurance covering the period of residence permit request (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)
  6. The Residence Permit Information Form (apply and download via Program No: 205 here) YOU NEED TO PRINT THE FORM ONCE YOU DOWNLOAD IT.
  7. Document showing your address information
    • If you are staying in your own house, a copy of the title deed (for extension applications, “document showing the place of residence" -and if possible a bill by your name- is sufficient. You can get the document via e-devlet: https://www.turkiye.gov.tr/nvi-yerlesim-yeri-ve-diger-adres-belgesi-sorg...)
    • If you are staying with a rental agreement, a notarized copy of the rental agreement (for extension applications, “document showing the place of residence" -and if possible a bill by your name- is sufficient.You can get the document via e-devlet: https://www.turkiye.gov.tr/nvi-yerlesim-yeri-ve-diger-adres-belgesi-sorg...)
    • If you are staying in accommodations such as hotels, etc. proof of your stay in these places
    • If you are staying in a student dormitory, document showing that you are staying in the dormitory
    • If you are staying in a third person’s residence, the notarized undertaking of the host (if the host is married, also the notarized undertaking of the spouse)
  8. Residence permit card fee receipt (565 TL) To pay the card fee, please first visit https://dijital.gib.gov.tr/ 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.
  9. For those who are younger than 18* ( By the date of application to e-ikamet) (These documents are not requested from those who enter the country with a student visa taken from Türkiye's foreign missions.) 
    • the document containing the information of the parent/guardian (birth certificate, family certificate, etc.)
    • the deed of consent given by the parent/guardian/legal representative

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 2024 and if your student residence permit’s expiry date is February 2025, then you can still reside in Turkey until September 2024 with your current permit. However, if your student residence permit’s expiry date is July 2024, then you can only reside in Turkey until July 2024 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@goc.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