Turkey has entered the top 10 countries for hosting Ukrainian refugees. This is not surprising, as this country has always been close to our citizens; many Ukrainians have relatives there – expatriates, friends, and acquaintances. Many Turks speak Russian, especially on the southern coast, so it's easier for Ukrainians to find common ground with Turks than with locals in other countries.
However, since Turkey is not an EU member and does not provide temporary protection status to Ukrainians, it is quite difficult for refugees from our country to understand the statuses and rights our citizens can obtain in Turkey for legal residence. Publicly available information on the protection of Ukrainians in Turkey is also very confusing. To understand how the asylum system for Ukrainians in Turkey currently works, we spoke with Anna Balanovich Er, a real estate specialist at the Turkish company Look-O-More. Anna directly advises clients on obtaining residence permits (also known as temporary residence permits) in Turkey and helps Ukrainian citizens navigate their new country.
Disclaimer: Anna's experience and our general advice are based not only on the law but also on conversations with our citizens who have already contacted the Turkish Immigration Service in this situation. Therefore, below we explain how this works in practice and strongly encourage you to verify information directly with the Turkish Immigration Service (Göç İdaresi).
☎️ Migration Service hotline: 157 from the Turkish number (there are Russian-speaking operators).
Consequently, Ukrainians who left for Turkey due to the war can obtain three types of status: a tourist residence permit (tourist residence permit), a humanitarian residence permit (humanitarian residence permit), and international protection status.
What does each of these statuses imply?
1️⃣ Tourist Residence Permit (Kısa dönem ikamet izni)
This is the most common and understandable format for long-term stay in Turkey. As a reminder, Ukrainians can stay in Turkey for up to 90 days under the visa-free regime. For those planning a longer stay, the Turkish Immigration Service issues tourist residence permits valid for up to one year, but Ukrainians have even begun receiving two-year permits.
In addition to a residence permit of up to 2 years, a tourist residence permit gives the right to:
- under insurance (insurance is purchased separately)
- the opportunity to get a car and obtain a local driver's license
- apply for a loan and mortgage
- educate a child in a public school
- learn English and/or Turkish for free
- open a business
❌ A tourist residence permit does not include a work permit. A work permit is issued separately; the specific employer must submit the documents to the Ministry of Labor.
To obtain a tourist visa, the following documents must be submitted:
- A valid biometric passport is required (if you don’t have one, you can apply for or renew your old biometric passport at the Ukrainian embassy/consulate);
- birth certificate of the child (if there are children), translated and apostilled;
- A notarized rental agreement. Anna recommends including all family members living in the house in the rental agreement—this will simplify the process of obtaining a residence permit for them. If one of the spouses was not included in the rental agreement when it was signed, a marriage certificate translated into Turkish and apostilled is included. If you plan to stay with relatives or friends, you can provide a suretyship document, in which the owners of your property confirm your location.
- biometric photos;
- insurance;
- receipt for payment of tax for the certificate;
- Additionally, they may request a certificate confirming that you are the owner of one of the utilities - gas, electricity, etc.;
- Fill out the form on the Migration Service website. Once completed, you will receive a date and time (appointment) to appear at the Migration Service with your documents.
A tourist visa doesn't restrict your travel within the country; you can leave and return to Turkey without hindrance. However, if your visa application is still pending and you wish to leave Turkey, notify the Immigration Service (even at the airport) so they know you'll be returning and that obtaining a visa is important. Also, keep in mind that obtaining a tourist visa for one person will cost you from 1,000 lira (approximately 2,000 UAH).
✅ Who is eligible for a tourist residence permit?
- you plan to stay in Turkey for more than 90 days;
- you want to travel freely around the country and abroad;
— you have a stable income or savings, and you don’t want to deal with applying for a separate work permit.
❌ Who is not eligible for a tourist residence permit?
- you are planning to get a job;
— you do not have the funds to pay for the paperwork;
- you don’t have a place to live;
— you do not have funds for health insurance and want to be treated at the expense of the state;
— you don't have a biometric passport (however, the Consulate General in Istanbul has now resumed issuing biometric passports, and Turkey has promised to waive fines for overstaying the visa-free period. This means if your visa-free period is about to expire, you don't have to worry and can wait until your passport is ready before applying).
2️⃣ Humanitarian residence permit (humanitarian residence permit) (insani oturma izni)
A humanitarian residence permit is practically equivalent to a tourist residence permit and is issued annually. However, it is issued when you want to obtain a permanent residence permit but, for certain reasons, lack the full set of documents required for a tourist residence permit.
For example:
— if the mother and child have left, and the father's consent for the child's removal has not been obtained. This consent is required to obtain a tourist visa, and, accordingly, if this document is not available
— Children are issued a humanitarian visa. The mother can apply for either a tourist visa or a humanitarian visa. The cost of the 50% visa is reduced for children;
— citizens who do not have real biometric passports and wish to obtain an equivalent tourist visa in terms of the size of the rights and criteria;
— A humanitarian residence permit also requires a place of residence. However, while a tourist residence permit won't be issued to you without a rental agreement or a guarantor, a humanitarian residence permit will. For example, if you live in a hotel with which you can't have a rental agreement, you can't apply for a tourist residence permit, but you can apply for a humanitarian one.
A humanitarian visa also requires independent medical insurance. You can also travel freely within Turkey and abroad. And, as with a tourist visa, a humanitarian visa does not grant a work permit; a separate permit is required for employment.
To apply, you can contact the Migration Service office without an electronic appointment.
3️⃣ International protection (refugee status) (Ulusrarasi koruma)
Turkey grants our citizens a subtype of international protection—secondary protection. Essentially, this is the so-called refugee status. This permit is issued annually and can be extended. More importantly, six months after applying for the status, you can work without the need for additional work permits. Another nice bonus is that secondary protection is free.
To apply for secondary protection, you can visit your local immigration office without an appointment. There's a dedicated Ulusrarasi koruma counter there, and staff members speak English or Russian.
You must have with you:
- a valid passport or other identification document, together with a document on crossing the Turkish border (issued at the border to citizens without a biometric passport);
- two biometric photographs of each family member;
- Application. You must write a handwritten application with a detailed explanation of why you are applying for MZ status. This application must include the following information:
— who is the applicant (an individual, family members, if the application is from a family);
- what city did you live in and why did you leave this city;
- when did you leave Ukraine;
- When and how did you enter Turkey?
You must also clearly indicate in your application that you are requesting international protection status. You can submit your application in Turkish, English, or Russian. Applications in Turkish will yield the fastest results.
- Proof of residential address. This supporting document may be:
- a housing lease agreement;
- a letter from the hotel, if you are staying at a hotel;
If you live with someone else, the apartment owner must personally confirm this, and with their permission, you will be registered in the system at that address. If your host is renting the apartment, they must provide a rental agreement, and with the current landlord's permission, you will be registered in the system at that address.
❗ If you have a disability, serious chronic illness, or a medical condition that requires immediate medical intervention/treatment, you have become a victim of human trafficking and be sure to indicate this, as this will expedite the decision-making process.
After the interview, you will be issued an "Applicant's Certificate for International Protection Status," which will grant you permission to stay and enjoy your rights until final secondary protection status is granted. Final status will be granted six months after submitting your documents.
What rights does this status provide?
- legal stay for 1 hour;
- the right to work 6 months after receiving the applicant's permit;
- free state health insurance;
- receiving education in public schools;
- assistance with housing if you have nowhere to live;
- opening bank accounts.
❌ However, it's important to remember that this status will restrict your travel within and outside the country. You will be required to remain within the province where you applied for international protection. Leaving the province is possible with permission from the immigration service. Leaving Turkey before receiving your final status (the first six months after submitting your documents) will cancel your international protection. This means you can voluntarily renounce international protection at any time and return home, but in this case, your status will be lost. This status also requires periodic monitoring by the immigration service—you will be required to report abroad every two weeks.
✅ Who is eligible for international protection status?
- you plan to wait out the war in Turkey and do not plan to leave it in the next 6 months;
- you are in a difficult situation and you need housing;
— it is important for you to use free medical care;
- you want to work (in 6 months).