r/AskTurkey • u/Abject-Leave-3105 • 2d ago

Politics & Governance Residence permit ‘missing documents’

Merhabalar,

I am Turkish, awaiting my citizenship by descent (2 Turkish parents). I applied for this 3 months ago from the UK. I am now living in Antalya. While I wait for my citizenship, I was told to get an ikamet izni… I submitted this application and on the same day I received a message saying I have missing documents:

  1. Kalınacak Yeri Gösterir Belge (Kira Kontratı, Taahhütname, Tapu Fotokopisi vb.)
    2. Yerleşim Yeri Belgesi

I definitely submitted a copy of my lease, so I’m unsure what happened. At the office, they said I would get a text message with the result in a week. I don’t know if I should go back with my lease or just wait. I never received a single reply to my emails.

Since I am Turk soylu, it should be straightforward. I need this citizenship asap and I can’t even make an appointment for that without an ikamet izni (since I don’t have a Turkish ID number).

It’s so frustrating. How long does the ikamet izni usually take, and is it mailed to my address? Do I get a digital ID or number that I can use should I travel before then? Should I go back to the office and re-submit my lease? I’m so tired of this whole process.

Teşekkürler

1 Upvotes

60% Upvoted

33 comments sorted by

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u/LesPaul3419 2d ago

I remember you asking about this topic already a couple of months ago...

The required documents are all listed there : https://e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr/Ikamet/BasvuruIstenenBelgeler/BasvuruFormuIstenenBelgeler?tur=0

And beware the misleading information here... As a foreigner your single point of contact is Göç İdaresi, this is also where you need to go to register your address (Yerleşim Belgesi), you should not go to Nüfus Müdürlüğü.

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u/Abject-Leave-3105 2d ago

Hi, yeah it’s me again, I’m posting with new Qs now that I’m applying for a residence permit and clearly struggling again.

They refer to the gov website which is not applicable for non citizens, like ??? So now I have to go to the göç idaresi again. But the appointment I need is not listed on the website and when I search yerleşim yeri I get 0 results. How exactly is it possible for me to get this?

Also the wording is really poor here — are they asking for an electricity/water/gas bill as well as this document of residence?

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u/LesPaul3419 2d ago

You need to book an appointment at göç idaresi yes. Go there with whatever facility bill you have in your name + your rental contract, and the civil servant will register you at this address and provide you with the yerleşim yeri belgesi you can then attach to your ikamet application.

On a side note, you will struggle with a lot of admin things in Türkiye. İt's a developing country and you are coming from a developed country, are you aware of this ? Relying on Reddit for every other question you may have is certainly not sustainable. Either you are eager to pull your sleeves up and be hands on, or you pay a lawyer to handle all that in your name... Or you cancel your plans to live in a developing country.

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u/Abject-Leave-3105 2d ago

The point I’m making is that I literally can’t make this appointment on the website because there is no option for it. There is no ‘yerleşim yeri’ option for me to select…

I also do not have any facility bills in my name. I was told by real estate that this was not possible until I have a citizenship or residence permit. If that’s wrong, I’ll follow it up now.

I am trying to be hands on. Helpful strangers on reddit are SO appreciated since I can’t find the info I need elsewhere. If all else fails I guess I’ll get a lawyer. I’m committed to learning more, and yeah, it’s really hard. My Turkish family agrees. I acknowledge how it can come across but admin hurdles would not make me bail on this path I’ve chosen thankfully

2

u/LesPaul3419 2d ago

And my point is literally this. Türkiye is a developing country with a lot of dysfunctional processes in a variety of domains. You will be in need of constantly finding backdoors to get round dysfunctional stuff. İt's nerve breaking, but you take it or leave it. So for instance if you cannot book an appointment for this specific reason you book for another reason and you bargain with the staff there when you are allowed in.

1

u/Gaelenmyr 2d ago

Try relevant Facebook groups too, they can also be helpful

1

u/LesPaul3419 2d ago edited 2d ago

Btw gayrimenkul shpping all inclusive contracts is common yet illegal. The renter must pay his bills on his own name. So either you get your contract cancelled or you are obliged to go to göç idaresi with your gayrimenkul guy and a paper signed by him and notarized stating you do live there + an utility bill in his name.

You seem completely off wrt living in developing countries, please go get a lawyer asap.

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u/SecondPrior8947 2d ago

Welcome to Turkish bureaucracy. If you've submitted your lease, then it looks like you're missing the "Yerleşim Yeri Belgesi" which is essentially a piece of paper from the local government confirming you live where you live. Did you register with the muhtar (village secret service) or the nufus mudurulugu (population control)? If not, you need to do that, it's required by law.

Then, since you presumably don't have access to e-devlet because you don't have a TCKN yet, you'll need to go to the population control office and have them print a piece of paper (the Yerleşim Yeri Belgesi) that says you live where you say you live. Hopefully you can do that in one trip. Enjoy.

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u/Abject-Leave-3105 2d ago

This is really helpful, thank you so much. I would have never known that the yerleşim yeri belgesi is different to a lease/rental contact.

I’m confused about ‘registering’ — no I haven’t done that and will look into it asap, hopefully it can be done online. When going to the population control office, do I just take my lease?

It’s so impossible to know any of these things when no information is provided. For example, if I knew I needed this piece of paper, I would have taken it to my appointment!! But of course it wasn’t on the list of documents

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u/SecondPrior8947 2d ago

It can be done online but only if you have a TCKN which you don't. It's a vicious circle of bureaucracy. Just go to the local population control office of the district in which you live. With your lease. Say you've just moved and you need to register your ikamet address. (This needs to be done within 20 days of the move, or else there are fines / penalities. Whether they pursue them is a different story. I haven't defaulted so I don't know.) Once you're registered in the system, get a print out of the whatever belgesi for your residence permit. They're used to it.

2

u/SecondPrior8947 2d ago

And yea, they don't tell you anything. And try to shoo you away at appointments because they can't be bothered to do their job. I went with my husband to his first ikamet application back in the day with every single piece of paper required and the guy was telling me our application was incomplete. I fought back relentlessly and wasn't taking no for an answer. You have to know your $hit unfortunately and be willing to get fierce when needed. Such is the Turkish way, sadly. I have developed two personas leaving here, my 'Turkish' one and my regular foreign one.

1

u/Abject-Leave-3105 2d ago

Just saw this sorry — sounds awful. My partner is in the same situation. I grew up in Australia so my Turkish is very basic, and I can just get by with all of the back and forth bs. Can’t imagine how a foreigner would manage without assistance. Funny thing is, my dad (citizen but moved to Aus at 6 years old, so broken Turkish) is visiting me to help out, and both of us are shooed by staff in the same way you described. No information is provided yet you are scoffed at for asking questions. Not to mention being hung up on by helplines, ignored emails, and all the extra hurdles. I understand why you say you have split personas haha. Brutal system & so off-putting (I mean I shouldn’t be surprised) :/

1

u/SecondPrior8947 2d ago

Yea. It's rough, even for me who's partially Turkish. I just don't operate or communicate the way most people do here. And I don't "like" my Turkish persona. But it's crucial to survive. You'll find out soon enough if you haven't already that kindness is perceived as weakness here. If people aren't rude to you outright, they'll try to take advantage of you in ways decent people can't even wrap their head around. Obviously not everyone. I have had the fortune to come across genuinely good and honest people. But navigating the rest is exhausting.
I noticed someone (or more) downvoted you ... god forbid we share legit experiences that are unsavory. SMH.

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u/Abject-Leave-3105 2d ago

Thanks again. I’m in Antalya and they’re closed till Monday so I will have to go then. It’s been more than 20 days so I might have to cop that fine (which is crazy unfair, how was I to know?). I’m grateful for your help.

1

u/SecondPrior8947 2d ago

Let's just hope it's a fine. Who knows what they're doing these days. This system is so centralized it's ridiculous. Big brother much.

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u/Abject-Leave-3105 2d ago

It’s also a bizarre requirement given my lease is signed and notarised by all parties

2

u/SecondPrior8947 2d ago

It is. It's all about control. The level of bureaucracy is absurd. People think it's normal because (I assume) they haven't lived in other places that have more reasonable requirements.

1

u/Certain-Zucchini-293 2d ago

1) If you live in Türkiye, where do you live? Submit a documentation as a proof such as title deed, rental agreement+taahutname. 2) You can download "Yerleşim Yeri Belgesi" from your edevlet.

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u/Certain-Zucchini-293 2d ago

If you're still stuck then you need a lawyer.

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u/Abject-Leave-3105 2d ago

I can’t get onto e-devlet because I don’t have my citizenship or ikamet izni yet… unless there is another way?

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u/SecondPrior8947 2d ago

I just replied exactly what you need to do. Are you not looking at replies?

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u/Abject-Leave-3105 2d ago

Sorry, I was typing :)

1

u/Training_Yogurt8092 2d ago

Are you naturalizing or are you Turkish by birth already?

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u/Abject-Leave-3105 2d ago

Naturalising, both parents Turkish. Born in Australia, acquiring citizenship after 18

1

u/Training_Yogurt8092 2d ago

If parents had hold Turkish passports at the time of birth. You are Turkish, you don’t need to naturalize.

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u/Abject-Leave-3105 2d ago

Sorry, I believe I used the term wrong. I am Turkish by descent. Still need to go through the citizenship process

2

u/Training_Yogurt8092 2d ago

Can’t you just register the birth with birth certificate at consulate? You will pay a fine for late registration and that’s it, if you have never been registered. If you are registered, you can find your Turkish ID number online using your parents’ e government account

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u/Abject-Leave-3105 2d ago

First time I am hearing about this. Both parents never had an e devlet account. My dad downloaded the app a week ago, mum can’t because she’s in Australia and can’t verify her identity without a Turkish number

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u/Training_Yogurt8092 2d ago

Find a “nüfus kayıt örneği” with “aile(family)” registy document from your dad’s account. It should show you as well if your birth were registered at a consulate

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u/Training_Yogurt8092 2d ago

As I know, you can’t be issued a residence permit since you are a citizen. They will reject your application

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u/Embarrassed-Eye-4197 2d ago

Seems like you didn't pay your fair share of bribe to the agencies.

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u/LesPaul3419 2d ago

You are getting downvotes, but I do confirm this is 100% true. I used to be staying here on a work permit that my former employer obtained through such an agency. Upon my official first visit to the consulate abroad I was welcomed by the consul herself (!!) who essentially just checked my passport and didn't ask for any document, the application was handled in a couple of days instead of several weeks and the work permit was renewed every year even tho none of the compulsory documentation had ever been provided. My address, phone number, email address etc in edevlet have remained empty for 5 years.