Student Residence Permit - First Application for Degree-Seeking Students
Warning! If you are abroad, you cannot apply for the residence permit! An application can only be made after entering Turkey and registering at the university. It is not possible to make it outside the country.
Be aware that this information is the summary of previously gained experience. Every student has to read the Immigration Office official web page and follow the updates about Law on Foreigners and International Protection, as regulations might change frequently: http://en.goc.gov.tr
Students enrolled in an academic program in Turkey for 3 months or longer are obliged to acquire a student residence permit as per the Law on Foreigners and International Protection. The Student Residence Permit gives you the right to stay in Turkey during your study period. All international students, regardless of their status, are required to apply for the student residence permit within a month upon their arrival in Turkey. To do this, you need to make an online residence permit application and submit your files. However, do not worry; we will guide you through the process. It is your responsibility to prepare all the documents listed below and submit them to the Immigration Office on time! As IRO, we are only responsible for checking that your documents are complete and in the correct order and giving you a correct guideline.
You must complete the following documents right after the registration and submit your hard copy application file to the Immigration Office on your appointment date. If you do not provide all the documents on time, then Immigration Office might reject your application and deport you from the country.
Important Notes:
- An application can only be made after entering Turkey and registering at the university. It is not possible to make it outside the country.
- Please enter Turkey with your passport, not an ID card. If you enter Turkey with an ID card, you can not get a residence permit.
- Turkish citizens / blue cardholders do not need to get a residence permit.
- Students cannot leave Turkey before obtaining the residence permit document.
- Students are responsible for prolonging their residence permit according their study period, if needed.
- Students’ passports must be valid at least 60 days beyond the requested ending date of residence permit (i.e. if a student wants to have a residence permit which expires on June 30th, his/ her passport must be valid until August 29th). Make sure your passport is valid for 6 months minimum.
- If you already have a short-term residence permit, you can make a “transfer application” for the student residence permit.
- If you are coming from another university in Turkey to Sabancı University, you have to apply for a residence permit within 10 days after you leave your previous university. In addition, you need to get a document as proof of leaving your university before joining Sabancı University.
- If you register for a PhD program after graduating from a master degree in Sabancı University, you have to apply for the student residence permit again.
- After collecting all the necessary documents, you can bring them to the IRO to show your documents. After we review your paperwork, we will give you back your file during our meeting. Then you have to submit your file to the Immigration Office you have chosen on your online application form. As IRO, we are physically on campus 3 days on the weekdays to support you during the application process. For this reason, we kindly ask you to bring your documents to us via online or face-to-face meeting with us. To meet with us on other working days, send an email to irolegal@sabanciuniv.edu.
- For the IRO document check step, please select a date and time from this page before you go to the Immigration Office.