Immigration & Foreigners Law in Antalya, Turkey
Attorney Cennet Kesici Çetinbaş provides legal consultation, representation and case-specific legal assistance for foreign nationals dealing with residence permits, work permits, Turkish citizenship, deportation decisions, administrative detention, entry restrictions and other immigration-related matters in Turkey.
Foreigners living, working, investing or maintaining family life in Antalya may encounter both administrative and judicial procedures. The appropriate legal route depends on the foreign national's current status, nationality, documents, immigration history, the type and notification date of any administrative decision and the legislation applicable to the individual case.
For an overview of other practice areas, see Legal Services in Antalya . You can also learn more about Attorney Cennet Kesici Çetinbaş .
Immigration and administrative procedures may change over time. Application requirements should therefore be checked against current legislation and official guidance rather than relying solely on previously issued permits, another person's application or general information found online.
About Attorney Cennet Kesici Çetinbaş
Attorney Cennet Kesici Çetinbaş graduated from Akdeniz University Faculty of Law in 2014 and has been practising law since 2015. She is registered with the Antalya Bar Association under registration number 4696 and provides legal services from her practice in Antalya.
For education, professional background and legal-practice information, visit the About Attorney Cennet Kesici Çetinbaş page.
Immigration and Foreigners Law Services in Antalya
Immigration matters involving foreign nationals can arise from applications made voluntarily or from administrative decisions issued by Turkish authorities. Common matters include:
Residence Permits
Short-term, family, student and long-term residence permits, extension or transfer issues, permit refusals, cancellations and immigration-status assessment.
Work Permits
Domestic and overseas work permit procedures, employer-side requirements, application criteria, work-permit status and related administrative matters.
Turkish Citizenship
General acquisition, citizenship by marriage, exceptional acquisition and investment-related citizenship procedures according to the applicable statutory route.
Removal / Deportation Decisions
Review of removal decisions, notification dates, administrative-court remedies and immigration consequences under Law No. 6458.
Administrative Detention
Legal review of administrative detention in removal centres and applications to the competent Judge of the Criminal Court of Peace.
Entry Bans & Restriction Codes
Assessment of entry restrictions, immigration restriction codes and the administrative or judicial procedures that may be available according to the specific measure.
Residence Permits in Turkey
Foreign nationals who intend to remain in Turkey beyond the period permitted by their visa or visa exemption generally need an appropriate legal basis for residence, unless a statutory exemption applies.
Law No. 6458 provides six principal residence-permit categories: short-term, family, student, long-term, humanitarian and residence permits for victims of human trafficking.
Short-Term Residence Permit
Short-term residence permits may be available for several statutory purposes, including ownership of qualifying residential immovable property, business or commercial connections, tourism, medical treatment and other grounds listed in Article 31 of Law No. 6458.
Eligibility is not determined by the declared purpose alone. The applicant must also satisfy the applicable statutory and administrative requirements and provide appropriate supporting documents.
Residence Based on Property Ownership
Turkish immigration legislation recognises ownership of immovable property as one possible ground for a short-term residence permit.
According to current Presidency of Migration Management guidance, the property relied upon for this purpose must be residential property and must be used as a residence. Property ownership does not by itself create an automatic right to receive or renew a residence permit.
The title-deed status, nature and use of the property, acquisition records and current administrative requirements should therefore be checked before an application is made.
Family Residence Permit
A family residence permit may be available to qualifying foreign spouses and children where the statutory conditions concerning the sponsor and applicant are satisfied.
The legal status of the sponsor, health insurance, income, address registration and family relationship may be relevant to the assessment.
Student Residence Permit
Foreign nationals enrolled in qualifying educational programmes may need or qualify for a student residence permit according to their programme and current immigration status.
Long-Term Residence Permit
Long-term residence is subject to specific statutory conditions. Current Migration Management guidance states that the applicant must generally have continuously resided in Turkey on qualifying permits for at least eight years.
The eight-year period is not the only requirement. Social-assistance history, sufficient and stable income, health insurance and public-order or public-security considerations are also relevant.
Residence Permit Refusal or Cancellation
A residence-permit refusal, refusal of an extension or cancellation of an existing permit should be reviewed using the actual written decision and its notification details.
Important questions include:
- Which authority issued the decision?
- What legal ground is stated?
- When was the decision officially notified?
- What is the foreign national's current status?
- Does a departure obligation arise?
- Is another legal residence ground available?
- Which administrative or judicial remedies may apply?
There is no universal objection period or remedy that can be assumed to apply to every immigration decision.
Official source: Current residence-permit categories and conditions can be checked through the Presidency of Migration Management .
Work Permits for Foreign Nationals in Turkey
Foreign nationals intending to work in Turkey generally need to comply with the International Labour Force Law No. 6735 and related regulations, unless a specific exemption or alternative legal regime applies.
Work permit applications are evaluated by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security according to the applicable employment, financial, wage, profession and sector criteria.
Domestic Work Permit Applications
Under the Ministry's current general application framework, a domestic work permit application may generally be made for a foreign national who holds a residence permit issued for at least six months and which remains valid on the date of application.
The Ministry also provides exceptions for certain foreigners who are legally present in Turkey, so the six-month rule should not be treated as an absolute rule in every case.
Work Permit Applications from Abroad
An overseas application generally begins with an application by the foreign national to a Turkish embassy or consulate in the country of nationality or lawful residence.
A reference number is then used for the employer-side application to the Ministry in Turkey.
Work Permit Evaluation Criteria
The Ministry applies general and sector-specific evaluation criteria. Under the current general criteria, employment, financial qualification and salary requirements may apply.
For example, the general employment criterion for certain balance-sheet-based workplaces is at least five Turkish citizens for each foreign national for whom a work permit is sought. However, the Ministry provides multiple exemptions and sector-specific rules.
It is therefore incorrect to assume that the same “five Turkish employees” requirement applies identically to every foreign employee, employer or profession.
Official source: Current application procedures and evaluation criteria are published by the Directorate General of International Labour Force .
Employment disputes involving a foreign employee may also raise separate labour-law issues. See our Employment Law in Antalya page for employment-related disputes.
Turkish Citizenship Applications
Turkish citizenship can be acquired through different statutory routes. The applicable conditions depend on the legal basis of the application and should not be treated as a single standard immigration procedure.
General Acquisition of Turkish Citizenship
Under Article 11 of Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901, applicants relying on the general route must satisfy several statutory requirements, including the applicable period of residence in Turkey and other legal conditions.
Meeting the minimum statutory conditions does not mean citizenship is acquired automatically.
Turkish Citizenship by Marriage
Marriage to a Turkish citizen does not automatically confer Turkish citizenship.
A foreign national who has been married to a Turkish citizen for at least three years and whose marriage continues may apply, subject to the additional requirements in Article 16 of Law No. 5901.
These include living within the unity of marriage, refraining from conduct incompatible with that unity and having no obstacle concerning national security or public order.
Family-law issues connected with an international marriage can be reviewed separately on our Divorce & Family Law in Antalya page.
Turkish Citizenship by Investment
Turkish legislation provides several investment-related routes for exceptional acquisition of citizenship.
Under the current official framework, one route involves acquiring qualifying real estate worth at least USD 400,000 or its equivalent and placing the required annotation in the land registry that the property will not be sold for three years.
The investment amount alone does not guarantee citizenship. The transaction, payment structure, land-registry records, eligibility certificate and citizenship application must comply with the applicable legal requirements.
For real-estate-based applications, legal and title-deed due diligence should ideally be completed before the transaction is finalised.
Official sources: Citizenship requirements are published by the Directorate General of Civil Registration and Nationality . Information concerning real-estate transactions for citizenship is also available from the General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre .
Removal and Deportation Decisions in Turkey
A removal decision can have immediate consequences for a foreign national's right to remain in Turkey and may also be connected with administrative detention or an entry restriction.
Removal decisions are governed principally by Articles 52–60 of Law No. 6458.
Important current deadline: According to the current official guidance of the Presidency of Migration Management, a foreign national, legal representative or lawyer may challenge a removal decision before the administrative court within 15 days from notification.
Challenging a Removal Decision
The starting point is the actual removal decision and the date on which it was officially notified.
Current Migration Management guidance states that the administrative-court application must be made within 15 days from notification and that the court decides the application within seven days.
As a general rule, removal is suspended during the period for filing the court case and while a timely judicial challenge is pending, subject to statutory exceptions expressly provided in Law No. 6458.
Because removal matters involve short deadlines and exceptions can materially affect the position of the foreign national, the decision should be reviewed promptly after notification.
Grounds for Removal
Article 54 of Law No. 6458 contains multiple grounds under which a removal decision may be issued. Depending on the circumstances, these can include:
- Certain visa or residence violations
- Working without a required work permit
- Use of false or misleading documents
- Illegal entry or exit
- Entry despite an applicable entry ban
- Certain public-order or public-security grounds
- Other circumstances expressly provided by law
Article 55 and other statutory provisions may restrict removal in particular circumstances. A removal analysis should therefore never be based on Article 54 alone.
Official source: Current removal procedures, appeal periods and administrative detention information are available from the Presidency of Migration Management — Removal .
Administrative Detention and Removal Centres
A foreign national who is subject to a removal procedure may, where the statutory conditions exist, also be placed under administrative detention.
Administrative detention is legally distinct from the removal decision itself. Each measure therefore requires its own legal assessment.
How Long Can Administrative Detention Last?
According to current Migration Management guidance, administrative detention in a removal centre may generally last for up to six months.
Where removal cannot be completed because the foreign national fails to cooperate or fails to provide correct information or documents concerning their country, the period may be extended for a maximum of six additional months.
The necessity of continuing detention must also be reviewed regularly by the governorate.
Judicial Review of Administrative Detention
The detained foreign national, legal representative or lawyer may apply to the competent Judge of the Criminal Court of Peace against the administrative detention decision.
Current official guidance states that the judge should complete the assessment within five days.
If the factual or legal conditions supporting detention later cease to exist or change, a further review may also be sought.
Entry Bans and Immigration Restriction Codes
Foreign nationals may encounter entry bans or administrative restriction codes that affect entry into or continued stay in Turkey.
The appropriate response depends on:
- The exact type of restriction or code
- The authority responsible for the measure
- The legal basis of the restriction
- Whether a separate removal decision exists
- The notification or registration date
- The foreign national's current immigration status
- The factual reason underlying the restriction
There is no single legal procedure that automatically removes every restriction code or entry ban. Depending on the measure, an administrative application, visa procedure, correction request or administrative-court action may need to be considered.
Property Ownership, Investment and Immigration
Property acquisition by a foreign national can involve several distinct areas of Turkish law. A property transaction may be relevant to residence or citizenship planning, but property ownership, residence permission and citizenship are legally separate matters.
Before relying on a property transaction for an immigration or citizenship objective, relevant checks may include:
- Current title-deed ownership
- Mortgages, liens and annotations
- Restrictions affecting acquisition
- Property type and legal use
- Acquisition and payment documentation
- Applicable valuation requirements
- Residence-permit eligibility where relevant
- Citizenship eligibility where relevant
A property purchase should not be completed solely on the basis of a seller's statement that it will automatically produce a residence permit or Turkish citizenship.
What Should You Do After Receiving an Immigration Decision?
When a residence permit refusal, removal decision, entry restriction or another immigration-related administrative decision is received, the first assessment should identify:
- What exact decision was issued?
- Which authority issued it?
- When was it officially notified?
- Which legal provision is relied upon?
- What is the foreign national's current status?
- What procedural deadline applies?
- Which legal remedy, if any, is available?
Do not assume that every immigration decision has the same deadline. The applicable time limit depends on the specific administrative act and governing legislation.
How an Immigration Matter Is Assessed
- Initial Status Review: nationality, passport, current immigration status, entry and exit history and the legal issue are identified.
- Document Review: residence documents, work permits, administrative decisions, notifications, title deeds, employment documents and other relevant records are examined.
- Deadline Assessment: notification dates and any applicable administrative or judicial filing periods are identified.
- Legal Assessment: the applicable provisions of Turkish immigration, administrative, nationality or related legislation are considered.
- Procedure and Representation: where appropriate and legally authorised, an application, administrative request or court proceeding may be prepared and followed before the competent authority.
Official Immigration and Citizenship Resources
Foreign nationals should use official Turkish government sources for current public information on immigration, work permits and citizenship procedures.
Presidency of Migration Management
Residence permits, foreigners law, removal, administrative detention and immigration procedures.
e-Residence System
Official online system for residence permit application procedures.
International Labour Force
Ministry of Labour information concerning foreign employment and work permit procedures.
Citizenship & Civil Registration
Official information concerning statutory routes to acquisition of Turkish citizenship.
Related Legal Services
An immigration matter may overlap with criminal, employment, family or property law. Related issues should be assessed separately where they create independent legal consequences.
Immigration Legal Assistance in Antalya
If you have received an immigration decision or need to assess a residence, work permit, citizenship, removal, detention or entry-restriction matter, the relevant documents and current legal status should be reviewed before determining the appropriate legal procedure.
Frequently Asked Questions About Immigration Law in Turkey
What immigration matters can a lawyer assist with in Antalya?
Legal assistance may concern residence permits, work permits, Turkish citizenship, removal decisions, administrative detention, entry bans, restriction codes and administrative litigation. The applicable procedure depends on the individual foreign national's status and the specific legal issue.
Can a foreign national obtain a residence permit in Turkey?
Yes, where the applicant qualifies under one of the residence-permit categories and satisfies the applicable statutory and administrative requirements. Law No. 6458 provides short-term, family, student, long-term, humanitarian and human-trafficking-victim residence permits.
Does buying property automatically give me a residence permit?
No. Ownership of qualifying residential property can be a statutory ground for a short-term residence permit, but property ownership does not automatically guarantee approval. The property and applicant must satisfy the current legal and administrative requirements.
How many years are required for a long-term residence permit?
Current Migration Management guidance generally requires at least eight years of continuous qualifying residence, together with other statutory conditions concerning social assistance, income, health insurance and public-order or public-security considerations.
Can a foreign national apply for a work permit from inside Turkey?
Under the Ministry's general framework, a domestic application may generally be made where the foreign national holds a residence permit issued for at least six months and still valid on the application date. Exceptions and special rules apply to certain foreign nationals and situations.
Does marriage to a Turkish citizen automatically grant citizenship?
No. Marriage does not automatically result in Turkish citizenship. A foreign national who has been married to a Turkish citizen for at least three years and whose marriage continues may apply, subject to the additional statutory requirements of Article 16 of Law No. 5901.
Can Turkish citizenship be obtained through real estate investment?
Real estate is one of the investment routes provided under the exceptional citizenship framework. Under the current official requirements, qualifying real estate of at least USD 400,000 or its equivalent is required, together with the applicable three-year restriction and other legal conditions. Citizenship is not automatic merely because the financial threshold is met.
How long do I have to challenge a removal decision in Turkey?
According to the current Presidency of Migration Management guidance, a foreign national, legal representative or lawyer may challenge a removal decision before the administrative court within 15 days from notification. Because the deadline is short, the notification date and decision should be reviewed promptly.
Does filing a case automatically stop removal?
As a general rule, the foreign national is not removed during the judicial challenge period or while a timely court case is pending. However, Law No. 6458 contains statutory exceptions, so the specific removal decision and legal ground must be reviewed.
How long can administrative detention in a removal centre last?
Administrative detention generally cannot exceed six months. In specified circumstances where removal cannot be completed because of the foreign national's lack of cooperation or failure to provide correct information or documents, it may be extended for up to six additional months.
Can administrative detention be challenged?
Yes. The detained foreign national, legal representative or lawyer may apply to the competent Judge of the Criminal Court of Peace. Current official guidance states that the judge should complete the assessment within five days.
Can I receive immigration legal consultation while living abroad?
Depending on the matter, an initial consultation and document review may be conducted remotely. Formal applications, court proceedings or representation may require a valid power of attorney and additional procedural documents.
Legal review: Attorney Cennet Kesici Çetinbaş — Antalya Bar Association, Registration No. 4696
Last updated: 29 August 2026
Primary sources reviewed: Presidency of Migration Management, Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Directorate General of Civil Registration and Nationality and General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre.
Legal Information
The information on this page is provided for general legal information purposes and does not constitute legal advice for a specific case. Turkish immigration legislation, administrative practice, application criteria and procedural requirements may change. A particular matter should therefore be assessed according to the current legislation, official decision, notification date, relevant documents and individual circumstances.
For further general information, visit the Legal Guide for Turkey .