Residents Permit

[The March Hare]

Residence Permit

When you initially enter Turkey you will have bought a tourist visa. This visa is intended for 'short' visits and covers the person up to 90 days. If you intend to stay longer you have 2 options to remain legal:

1. Leave the country and re-enter and buy another tourist visa, or

2. Get a residence permit.

The 1st option is used by many people to renew their visas. Some take a day trip to Rhodes by ferry and buy a new visa when they arrive back in Turkey or go to the Greek Island of Meis see our article here. Others combine a visit back to the UK or other non Turkish place. However, whether it is cost effective for you depends on where you go and why you go. It is also a 'grey' area legally and there is always a risk that you may be refused entry back into Turkey!

The residence permit is the government's preferred method of making a longer term stay legal - and of course this is reflected in the prices charged! However, having residence does allow you to place your child in the Turkish state education system, be buried in Turkey, get discounted medical treatment in some private hospitals, get a phone line in your own name, and buy a car or motorbike/scooter and registered it.

Getting the residence permit is easier if you know how. Some people use their estate agent or pay someone else to do it for them. However, you can do the whole process in a day if you start at the right place, at the right time, are relatively fit (or have transport) and know where to go (although a basic grasp of Turkish is needed in the Maliye). Our easy to print and take guide shows you how to do it and save yourself some money!!

<

[The March Hare]

Residence Guide

Getting the residence permit is easier if you know how. Some people use their estate agent or pay someone else to do it for them.

However, you can do the whole process in a day if you start at the right place, at the right time, are relatively fit (or have transport) and know where to go (although a basic grasp of Turkish and a lot of patience are needed in the Maliye).

Our easy to print and take guide shows you how to do it and save yourself some money!!

Getting Your Residence Permit In Fethiye
Step by Step Guide for English Citizens
Version 1-2005

You will need for this process:

Item
Tick when you have

10 passport sized photographs


3 copies of your passport photo page and 2 copies of the page where your last tourist visa is located. 2 for the passport police and 1 for the Muhtar.
Please make sure you have enough time left on your passport for the number of years of residence you want otherwise you may only be get the number of years left on your passport.


1 copy of your passport photo page


A copy of a bank statement or pension statement to prove that you have enough money to live in Turkey


A copy of your deed/tapu or rental contract


Your passport


Cash – As follows - Residents Permit Fee


i. 1 year 456 YTL
2 years 888YTL
3 years 1,320 YTL
5 years 2,184 YTL





ii. 66 YTL per application to Mugla visa office (not required for permit renewals)


iii. 4.5 YTL per application fee to the PTT for handling the payment (not required for permit renewals)


H. Your existing residence permit if renewing



The office hours are from 9:00 am to 12:00 and 1:00 pm to 5.00 pm Monday to Friday

Step by Step Guide


Step 1

Go to the Maliye office first floor and visit the desk on the right. Ask to pay the fee for the residence visa. They will print off a form which you must take to the cash desk on the ground floor and pay the relevant fee (G.i).

They will stamp it paid. Take this back to the desk on the first floor that gave you the form and hand them the receipt. They will then issue you with a formal receipt. DON'T LET THEM FOB YOU OFF AND SEND YOU TO THE PASSPORT POLICE FIRST - they will try it - Choc Comic!

Step 2

Go to your local Muhtar (see end of document) and register that you live in your property if you haven’t already. They will need two of your photographs and a copy of your passport. They will complete a registration document and give you a copy of this. You must take this with you to the passport police in Step 3.

Step 3

Go to the passport police and ask for a residence application form. Complete the form at the police office. Hand them the:

· 8 passport sized photographs (A)

· The 2 copies of your passport and visa page (B)

· The copy of your bank statement (D)

· The copy of your deed/tapu or rental contract (E)

· The receipt from the Maliye

· Your existing residence permit (H) if applicable

· The Muhtar registration document.

The passport police will collate your papers and hand you another form to fill in.

Step 4

Take the form and go to the KAYMAKAMLIK office. This is situated next to GIMA supermarket.

The building houses, among other things, the courts so can be very busy. When you get through the entrance door turn left immediately and continue along the floor then turn right and go up the stairs. Immediately ahead are the courts and you will see an armed guard in uniform. Don’t go ahead turn left and the office is three steps to the right – named KAYMAKAMLIK. Enter the office – say ‘Effendim’ to get the persons attention (they may ignore you otherwise) and hand them the form. They will stamp it and sign it.



Step 5

Leave the building and turn left and walk to the PTT.

Enter the PTT and complete a grey payment form. They are littered around on the writing benches. On the top section put the name of the person to be paid MUGLA EMNIYET MUDURLUGU YABANCILAR SUBE MUDURLUGU ADINA. On the bottom put your name and address. Write the total to be paid on the form as 66 YTL. Go to desk 6 or 7 and pay 66 YTL plus 4.5 YTL fee for the PTT. They will issue you with a receipt. Keep this safe as you will need to give it to the passport police.

Step 6

Take the form that was signed in step 3 to the police station opposite the PTT and next to the Turkey Ish Bank. There is an armed guard outside and another guard just inside the door. Go past that guard and to the information desk ahead and to the left (small hatch type window). Give them your form. They will stamp it and give it back. Take the form upstairs. At the top of the stairs turn left go ahead and turn right and go the DANISMA office, which is office on the left as you look ahead at the two offices facing you. Hand them the form. Wait there as they go and get the boss to sign your form.

Step 7

Return to the passport police and give the your signed form and the receipt from the PTT. They will add these to your now large sheaf of papers. Hand them your real passport (F).

At this stage the passport police may say that the process is finished and you will hear from them sometime in the future. However, there are 2 things you need from them

An authorised copy of your passport (C) to use as ID whilst your passport is away otherwise you won’t be able to use your credit card or prove your identity to the authorities.

The document number of your application. You will need this to track your application at Mugla.

And that’s that!!! Time for a well earned drink!!

Next

After 2-3 weeks you may be able to pick up your visa from Mugla depending on workload and the speed of the government postal system. You will need someone who can speak Turkish to ring the office and enquire on the progress of your visa. They will need the document number so that it can be traced.

Although the office have taken your phone number they are unlikely to phone you to say your passport is back. So, after 5 weeks either ring or take a weekly trip to the passport office to see if your passport and visa have come back.

Finally

This is what you will get………the little black book and your passport back!



And don’t forget – this permit enables you to live in Turkey but NOT work legally





Muhtar

The Muhtar is a local elected representative with certain administrative responsibilities for communities. We are in the process of listing the location of the Muhtars currently

[The March Hare]

Residence - Family

Are you a family thinking of coming to live in Turkey and bringing your children?

Do all the children have your surname?

If not, due to divorce and remarriage, read on……………….

Residence Permit - Family


A contributor to the site who wishes to remain anonymous recently recounted the bureaucratic nightmare she’d survived due to the above circumstances.

Residence permits for two children, whose surnames didn’t ‘match ‘ the other family members, were initially refused as our contributor couldn’t prove she had legal custody of the children. Remember that English divorce law no longer gives custody to one parent, but merely states there is a ‘joint duty of care’ – Turkish law is very different.

Luckily these children were in private school so the months it took to sort out the residence permits didn’t disrupt their education. However, if you plan on placing your children in the Turkish state system, forget it. Your child will only be placed in a Turkish state school after s/he has a residence permit valid for at least one year.

Our contributor is a very resourceful woman and she did manage to sort out the problem but wants everyone who may fall into the same trap to be aware and make sure they bring all necessary documentation from UK:

Full birth certificates naming the mother and the father – certified copies of an entry. Small originals are no good. To order the full certificates over the internet costs approx. £50 per certificate. Certificates need to be translated and notarised – which can be done in Turkey.

Death certificate if one parent is a widow(er). Again this will need to be translated and notarised.

Divorce papers – translated and notarised.

Marriage certificate – translated and notarised.

Any court order that determines custody of the child – translated and notarised – if such a document exists.

If you are divorced, are still in contact with the other parent and have his/her agreement to the child(ren) coming to live here with you and your new spouse, then a sworn affidavit from a UK solicitor should help. It will, of course, need to be translated and notarised here before it can be used for any bureaucratic purpose.