7. Apply for Turkish Citizenship

Where to Apply for Turkish Citizenship and What are the Required Documents?

In order to apply for Turkish citizenship, applications are made to the local governorship in Turkey or to Turkish diplomatic missions abroad. The application can be submitted in person or through a special power of attorney issued for this purpose. Once the necessary documents are prepared, the individual can apply in person or through the lawyer they have granted power of attorney to.

The required documents for a Turkish citizenship application are as follows:

• Application form.

• 2 biometric photos.

• Documents such as birth certificate and population registration record proving the applicant’s identity, and if married, a similar document proving the family ties with the spouse and children, if any.

• Identification document, passport, or similar document showing the applicant’s nationality.

• If the applicant is stateless, a document proving this status.

• Marriage certificate if married, a document proving the death of the spouse if widowed, and the divorce decree if divorced.

• Documents proving sufficient income or profession to support themselves and any dependents they have in Turkey, such as work permits, tax certificates, and similar documents.

• Health certificate showing that the applicant does not have a disease that will affect public health.

• A document obtained from the Provincial Directorate of Security showing the dates of entry inside and exit from Turkey, proving that the applicant has not spent more than 6 months abroad during the 5 years of residence in Turkey until the application date.

• A valid residence permit that will suffice until the application date.

• If the applicant has a final court decision regarding a crime, a certified copy of the decision.

• Receipt or proof of payment of the service fee to the Treasury. • Additional required documents according to the type of application.

One of the required documents is the citizenship application form. It is possible to access the application form on the website of the General Directorate of Civil Registration and Citizenship Affairs. The form asks for general information about the applicant, information about their spouse, and information about their children.

When filling out the application form, the following should be considered:

• The application form should be filled out on the computer using uppercase letters, Arial font, and 8 points. If it is not possible to fill out the form on the computer, it should be filled out with a ballpoint pen.

• No abbreviations should be used when writing the name and surname.

• Information regarding identification should be filled out according to the Turkish translations of the approved identification documents.

• If the applicant wants to have a Turkish name and Turkish surname, they should fill in these fields on the form. If they want to use their existing name and surname, they should be written in compliance with Turkish spelling rules.

• If there are more than three children, a second form should be used. In the second form, only the section related to the children should be filled out.

Turkish Citizenship Application Service Fee

To apply for Turkish citizenship, a certain amount of fee must be deposited to the Treasury for the citizenship application. This fee varies each year. For the year 2023, the Turkish citizenship application service fee is 115 TL (Turkish Lira). After paying this fee and obtaining a receipt, the application can be submitted. The fees to the lawyer will be paid separately to apply for Turkish citizenship.

How to Apply for Turkish Citizenship?

To apply for Turkish citizenship, first, the required documents should be gathered. Then, the service fee should be deposited to the Treasury, and a receipt should be obtained. Once the documents are prepared, and the fee is paid, the applicant can apply to the governorship of their place of residence.

Having all the necessary documents in order is crucial to avoid prolonging an already lengthy process to apply for Turkish citizenship.

It is possible to make the citizenship application through a lawyer. Some documents may take a long time to prepare and may involve technical details. Lawyers can apply on behalf of their clients and follow up on the process.

Who Can Apply for Turkish Citizenship?

Foreigners who meet the requirements can apply for Turkish citizenship. Additionally, the applicant must be over 18 years old and have the capacity to distinguish right from wrong. For applicants under the age of 18, their parents can make the citizenship application on their behalf, or a lawyer with a special power of attorney can carry out the procedures on behalf of everyone involved.

Stages of Turkish Citizenship Application

The stages of Turkish citizenship application are as follows:

  1. Fulfilling the required conditions.
  2. Preparing the necessary documents.
  3. Paying the service fee.
  4. Applying to the governorship of the place of residence.
  5. Obtaining any additional required documents, if necessary.
  6. Passing the interview stage.

The administrative stages for citizenship acceptance are as follows:

  1. Application.
  2. Fingerprinting.
  3. Provincial investigation completed.
  4. Commission.
  5. Documents sent to the General Directorate.
  6. Preliminary examination.
  7. Examination.
  8. Archive investigation.
  9. Research evaluation.
  10. Added to the list.
  11. Added to the list.
  12. Decision stage.

NOTE! Your lawyer, who will guide you to apply for Turkish citizenship, should be familiar with these stages and inform you accordingly.

How Long Does the Turkish Citizenship Application Take?

The processing time for citizenship application can vary depending on the workload, the specifics of the application, and whether there are any missing documents. However, in general, the application is processed within 4 to 24 months. Applying through a lawyer ensures that the documents are prepared correctly and completely, preventing unnecessary delays. Otherwise, we often observe that applications take much longer.

Citizenship Application Inquiry

To check at which stage the citizenship application is, you can visit the website of the General Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs. You can perform a citizenship application inquiry using the identity information or application file number by clicking here.

Cancellation of Turkish Citizenship Application

The applicant can cancel the citizenship application until it is finalized. If it is discovered that a successful applicant provided false information or concealed essential conditions for citizenship, their citizenship will be revoked. In such cases, the citizenship of the applicant’s spouse and children, who also acquired citizenship, will also be revoked.

Power of Attorney for Turkish Citizenship Application

It is possible to make the citizenship application through a lawyer. Since citizenship is a tightly bound right to the individual, a special power of attorney should be prepared for working with a lawyer on this matter. The power of attorney should explicitly state that the lawyer is authorized to make the citizenship application. Otherwise, the lawyer’s request for application will be rejected, and the person will be asked to apply in person.

The Importance of a Lawyer in Turkish Citizenship Application

Lawyers can provide assistance in checking if the required conditions are met, preparing the documents correctly and completely, and submitting the application. Due to their technical knowledge, lawyers ensure that the process is conducted accurately.

Please contact our legal team in order to receive better services to apply for Turkish citizenship!

Apply for Turkish citizenship today to ensure a secure future to your family by having second nationality!