New Turkish Visa Rules
I have been receiving very concerned e-mails from expats living in Turkey about new Turkish visa rules. I have two letters which outline the problem in a simple and clear way. However, I will only quote the letters from readers and hope to clarify this matter and publish some answers next Monday.
The first letter is from Janet; “Please can you assist me in finding out if there is to be any changes in the 90 days tourist visas for people from the UK. There is a lot of talk on the website that this is going to happen next year. Best regards, Janet.”
The second e-mail reads as follows; “Hello Berk Bey, Can you comment on the e-mail below? Has there been a change to the acquisition of residence permits? Is it true that you can only get a student visa or a work permit, but you can’t get a non-work residence permit? Thanks, MW Law.”
After seeing some of the e-mails last night about changed visa policies I went to the Ankara Emniyet Müdürlü?ü this morning to investigate first hand. We have a team member who was due to make an exit in two weeks. She was planning on staying just three months longer. I spoke three times to two different officials in the Yabanc?lar ?ubesi (foreigners department) today. I was told very clearly by both of them that two separate visa policies have been discontinued:
1. Foreigners who were previously able to make an exit and immediate return to obtain a new 90-day visa will no longer be able to do so. If you try to enter on your passport alone without waiting 90 days outside of Turkey you will not be allowed entry. I asked for clarification about this saying: “I have friends who are now outside of the country after having been here for 90 days on a tourist visa. They have only been outside of the country for one month, will they be let in?” The officer said that they wouldn’t be let in. The only way to come back as a tourist is to wait 90 days or to apply at a Turkish consulate or embassy outside of Turkey.
2. Residence permits for tourists and “extensions” of tourist visas will no longer be granted.
This is definitely the more devastating change. Both officials were very clear that in order to stay for more than 90 days at a time, a person would have to have either a student visa or a work visa. I had gone to the emniyet with our team member to try to apply for a three-month residence permit. They wouldn’t accept her application. However, the officers also told me that she would be able to get a student visa if she were enrolled at a language school in Turkey. I told him that in the past students weren’t able to get student visas for language school alone but he assured me that they would take her application for a student visa if she had her language school registration documents. I also asked him whether the people who now have residence permits as tourists would be able to renew their residency. He told me that a definite decision on that policy had not been made and that I should communicate to my friends that their renewal applications may or may not be granted. I asked whether there was somewhere we could go to read about details of the new policy and he told me that it hadn’t been posted on the website yet, but that it would be posted soon.”
I will be responding and commenting on these e-mails next week.
Berk Cektir http://www.berkcektir.av.tr The information provided here is intended to give basic legal information. You should get legal assistance from a licensed attorney at law while conducting legal transactions and not just rely on the information in this corner. http://www.todayszaman.com info@berkcektirlaw. Photo by Altinkum Web Design
