Do you need a visa?
A visa or a visa exemption never covers more than 90 days. To study, you then need a student residence permit.
| Your passport | To enter |
|---|---|
| Turkish passport | No visa, no permit. If you went to secondary school in Türkiye or Northern Cyprus, you enter university through the national YKS exam.YÖK — Yükseköğretime giriş |
| Any other passport | The official Study in Türkiye portal, run by YÖK (the Council of Higher Education), and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ask for a study visa from a Turkish consulate. You must use it within 6 months of issue; the consulate has 90 days at most to decide.Study in Türkiye (YÖK) — Visa and residence; Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Türkiye — General information about Turkish visas; Göç İdaresi — Vize sıkça sorulan sorular |
| Passport eligible for the e-Visa | The e-Visa is for tourism or business only. To study, you go through the consulate.Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Türkiye — Visa information for foreigners |
Whatever your passport, staying more than 90 days requires a residence permit. Apply for it within the time your visa or exemption covers.
Mevzuat — Kanun 6458, Yabancılar ve Uluslararası Koruma Kanunu
Not verified
The official pages disagree for a student whose passport is visa-exempt: the YÖK portal and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs speak of a study visa from a consulate, while the Presidency of Migration Management and the regulation let you apply for the student permit in Türkiye after entering without a visa. Check with the Turkish consulate for your passport. No up-to-date official page gives the price of a study visa.
The student residence permit
You apply online on e-İkamet, once your pre-registration at the university is done.
- Residence card
- TL 964
- Göç İdaresi — Belge bedeli ve harç miktarı (2026)
- since 1 January 2026 (TL 810 in 2025); no nationality is exempt
- Residence duty (harç)
- none
- Göç İdaresi — İkamet sıkça sorulan sorular
- for a student enrolled at a Turkish institution
- Appointment
- no charge
- Göç İdaresi — İkamet sıkça sorulan sorular
- miss it and your file is not processed
- Address
- to register within 20 working days of approval
- Göç İdaresi — e-İkamet, öğrenci ikamet izni başvurusu
For a student permit, your own statement is enough unless the office asks for documents. No official page read sets an amount of money to prove.
Since 29 November 2023, an agreement between YÖK and the Ministry of Interior lets you hand your file to your university’s international office, without waiting for the appointment.
| Your situation | Your permit |
|---|---|
| Open education, distance learning or special-student status | No student permit.Göç İdaresi — İkamet sıkça sorulan sorular |
| You freeze your registration | The permit ends on the freeze date.Mevzuat — Yabancılar ve Uluslararası Koruma Kanununun Uygulanmasına İlişkin Yönetmelik |
| Turkish preparatory class | Permit until the start of the next academic year.Göç İdaresi — İkamet sıkça sorulan sorular |
| Renewal | From 60 days before expiry, and always before it expires.Göç İdaresi — İkamet sıkça sorulan sorular |
Not verified
The number of biometric photos: two on the document list, four in the migration office’s questions and answers. Bring what your e-İkamet appointment asks for. The length of the first permit for a bachelor’s is not published.
Getting a place
There is no national platform: you apply directly to the university you choose, and it makes the selection.
- Secondary school outside Türkiye
- Direct application to the university
- YÖK — Yükseköğretime giriş
- with the TR-YÖS, the SAT, the Abitur, the International Baccalaureate or the exam the university sets
- Secondary school in Türkiye, whatever your nationality
- National YKS exam
- YÖK — Yükseköğretime giriş
- since 2026; embassy schools and a few programmes excepted
- Master’s and PhD
- Direct application to the university
- Study in Türkiye (YÖK) — Turkish higher education system
- each university sets its own requirements
- Higher-education institutions
- 208
- YÖK — Bülten 2025-2026, sayı 6 (27 Mart 2026)
- 2025-2026, YÖK bulletin
- Programmes taught in English
- marked “(İNGİLİZCE)”
- YÖK — 2026 yurtdışından öğrenci kontenjanları, lisans
- in the tables of places open to applicants from abroad for 2026
The TR-YÖS is the entrance exam for international students. It runs 2 times a year, in 6 languages: Turkish, German, Arabic, French, English and Russian. You do not need to speak Turkish to sit it. A result is valid for 2 years; a school-leaving diploma such as the Abitur or the International Baccalaureate has no time limit.
Source: Study in Türkiye (YÖK) — TR-YÖS; YÖK — Yurtdışından öğrenci kabulüne ilişkin esaslar; ÖSYM — TR-YÖS, kılavuz 2026-TR-YÖS/2
- Exam fee
- TL 3,700, TL 1,650 or TL 1,150
- ÖSYM — TR-YÖS, kılavuz 2026-TR-YÖS/2
- by country of the exam centre: high rate in Türkiye, France, Germany, the United States or Egypt; middle in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia or Pakistan; low in Senegal, Nigeria, Kenya or Bangladesh
Universities usually open applications in February or March, some until May. Dates, fees and requirements are published by each university.
Source: Study in Türkiye (YÖK) — TR-YÖS; YÖK — 2026 yurtdışından öğrenci kontenjanları, lisans
For a programme taught in Turkish, the university assesses your level. You can learn the language in Türkiye, at Ankara University’s TÖMER, present in six cities.
Source: YÖK — Yurtdışından öğrenci kabulüne ilişkin esaslar; Study in Türkiye (YÖK) — Learning Turkish
Dual national or former Turkish citizen who did all of secondary school abroad: you can apply for the places open to applicants from abroad, but in teaching, law, medicine, dentistry and pharmacy this group cannot exceed 10% of those places.
Not verified
The 2027 TR-YÖS calendar, an official count of English-taught programmes and the number of international students in Türkiye appear on no official page read. YÖK’s rules mention a financial guarantee when you apply, with no amount.
The Türkiye Bursları scholarship
The Turkish government scholarship, open to students from every country, except Turkish citizens and former Turkish citizens.
- 2026 applications
- 10 January 2026 to 20 February 2026
- Türkiye Bursları — 2026 applications
- a single window, for every country
It also pays tuition, a year of Turkish lessons, housing, health insurance and a flight on arrival and on departure.
| Level | Requirements |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s | Under 21, at least 70% average (90% for medicine, dentistry and pharmacy).Türkiye Bursları — Scholarship programmes |
| Master’s | Under 30, at least 75% average.Türkiye Bursları — Scholarship programmes |
| PhD | Under 35, at least 75% average.Türkiye Bursları — Scholarship programmes |
In 2025, the scholarship received 125,668 applications from 171 countries.
Not verified
The 2027 dates are not published yet: the 2026 ones give the benchmark. The housing allowance for master’s and PhD scholars is printed twice, with two different amounts, on the same official page.
From place to permit
- Get your placeApply directly to the university. The Türkiye Bursları scholarship is a separate application.Study in Türkiye (YÖK) — Turkish higher education system
- Get your visaFrom the Turkish consulate, if your passport needs one. Use it within 6 months.Göç İdaresi — Vize sıkça sorulan sorular
- Pre-register at the universityThen the permit application goes in on e-İkamet, made by you or by your university.Mevzuat — Yabancılar ve Uluslararası Koruma Kanununun Uygulanmasına İlişkin Yönetmelik
- Pay for the card and file your documentsTL 964; passport valid 60 days beyond the permit, health insurance, proof of address, student certificate.Göç İdaresi — e-İkamet, öğrenci ikamet izni başvurusu
- Get the decisionWithin 90 days at most. Then register your address within 20 working days.Göç İdaresi — İkamet sıkça sorulan sorular
- Ask for public health insuranceWithin 3 months, or take private insurance.Mevzuat — Kanun 5510, Sosyal Sigortalar ve Genel Sağlık Sigortası Kanunu
- RenewFrom 60 days before your permit ends.Göç İdaresi — İkamet sıkça sorulan sorular
Not verified
No official page read says how long before the start of term you can apply for the visa or the permit.
Tuition fees
At a public university, the State sets a minimum for students admitted from abroad: twice what a student costs per year. Each university then sets its price, with no maximum.
- Medicine
- TL 230,870
- Resmî Gazete — Karar 11625, katkı payları ve öğrenim ücretleri 2026-2027
- minimum per year; cost per student: TL 115,435
- Dentistry and pharmacy
- TL 83,282
- Resmî Gazete — Karar 11625, katkı payları ve öğrenim ücretleri 2026-2027
- cost per student: TL 41,641
- Engineering, architecture, computing
- TL 45,406
- Resmî Gazete — Karar 11625, katkı payları ve öğrenim ücretleri 2026-2027
- cost per student: TL 22,703
- Law, economics, business, political science
- TL 34,310
- Resmî Gazete — Karar 11625, katkı payları ve öğrenim ücretleri 2026-2027
- cost per student: TL 17,155
- Education, theology, health, social sciences, tourism
- TL 30,498
- Resmî Gazete — Karar 11625, katkı payları ve öğrenim ücretleri 2026-2027
- cost per student: TL 15,249
- Associate degree at a vocational school
- TL 22,860
- Resmî Gazete — Karar 11625, katkı payları ve öğrenim ücretleri 2026-2027
- cost per student: TL 11,430
- Master’s and PhD
- TL 15,962
- Resmî Gazete — Karar 11625, katkı payları ve öğrenim ücretleri 2026-2027
- cost per student: TL 7,981
These minimums are worked out here from the decree: twice the cost per student set for 2026-2027. Those costs rose 20% on 2025-2026. Your university publishes the real price of your programme.
Source: Resmî Gazete — Karar 11625, katkı payları ve öğrenim ücretleri 2026-2027; Resmî Gazete — Karar 10042, katkı payları ve öğrenim ücretleri 2025-2026
| Your situation | Fees |
|---|---|
| Foundation university (private, non-profit) | Its board sets its own fees; its programmes are marked “(ÜCRETLİ)”, fee-paying.Study in Türkiye (YÖK) — Turkish higher education system; YÖK — 2026 yurtdışından öğrenci kontenjanları, lisans |
| Türkiye Bursları scholar | Fees paid by the scholarship.Türkiye Bursları — Full-time programmes |
| Country bound to Türkiye by reciprocity | No tuition fee.Resmî Gazete — Karar 11625, katkı payları ve öğrenim ücretleri 2026-2027 |
| Secondary school in Türkiye, entry through the YKS | The rules for Turkish students, not the minimum for students admitted from abroad.Resmî Gazete — Karar 11625, katkı payları ve öğrenim ücretleri 2026-2027 |
| Student from Gaza | Fees covered by the State in 2026-2027.Resmî Gazete — Karar 11625, katkı payları ve öğrenim ücretleri 2026-2027 |
A university may charge less than the minimum to at most 10% of its foreign students. Fees are paid per semester, half of the yearly amount each time.
Source: Resmî Gazete — Karar 11625, katkı payları ve öğrenim ücretleri 2026-2027
| Student residence card | TL 964 |
|---|---|
| Tuition, minimum set by the State | TL 45,406 |
| At the very least, before rent, insurance and daily life | TL 46,370 |
In medicine, the tuition minimum alone is TL 230,870. A programme taught in a foreign language costs one and a half times the rate; the decree does not say how this combines with the minimum.
Source: Göç İdaresi — Belge bedeli ve harç miktarı (2026); Resmî Gazete — Karar 11625, katkı payları ve öğrenim ücretleri 2026-2027
Not verified
The real price of each programme at public universities and the range at foundation universities are not published nationally. The list of countries whose students pay the single cost, not double, under an agreement with YÖK was not found.
Health
| Your situation | Your cover |
|---|---|
| You ask for public insurance (GSS) within 3 months | Turkish social security covers you. Premium: about TL 1,321.20 a month in 2026. The whole year is paid within a month of your GSS registration.Mevzuat — Kanun 5510, Sosyal Sigortalar ve Genel Sağlık Sigortası Kanunu; SGK — Prime esas kazanç miktarları 2026 |
| You let the 3 months pass | You lose that right: you need private insurance for your permit.Mevzuat — Yabancılar ve Uluslararası Koruma Kanununun Uygulanmasına İlişkin Yönetmelik |
| Türkiye Bursları scholar | Your insurance is paid by the scholarship agency (YTB).Resmî Gazete — Karar 11625, katkı payları ve öğrenim ücretleri 2026-2027; Mevzuat — Kanun 5510, Sosyal Sigortalar ve Genel Sağlık Sigortası Kanunu |
| Private insurance | Accepted for the residence permit.Göç İdaresi — e-İkamet, öğrenci ikamet izni başvurusu |
How the premium is worked out: the law sets it at 12% of one third of the monthly contribution floor, so 12% of TL 33,030 divided by 3, about TL 1,321.20. No official page prints this amount for students.
Source: Mevzuat — Kanun 5510, Sosyal Sigortalar ve Genel Sağlık Sigortası Kanunu; SGK — Prime esas kazanç miktarları 2026
Not verified
When the 3 months start: the current law counts from the start of the academic year, the regulation and the social security pages from your first registration. Counting from your first registration is the safest. How many months are paid in advance for a year is not stated.
Working while you study
| Your level | Work allowed |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s or associate degree | With a work permit, after your first year of study, part-time.Mevzuat — Kanun 6735, Uluslararası İşgücü Kanunu; Çalışma ve Sosyal Güvenlik Bakanlığı — Çalışma izni değerlendirme kriterleri |
| Master’s or PhD | With a work permit, from the start.Mevzuat — Kanun 6735, Uluslararası İşgücü Kanunu |
| Compulsory internship in your programme | No work permit needed.Study in Türkiye (YÖK) — Work opportunities |
Your student residence permit does not give you the right to work: you need a separate work permit.
Study in Türkiye (YÖK) — Work opportunities; Mevzuat — Kanun 6735, Uluslararası İşgücü Kanunu
A work permit does not end your student residence permit. For a Türkiye Bursları scholar, the Ministry of Labour asks the scholarship agency for its opinion.
Source: Mevzuat — Kanun 6735, Uluslararası İşgücü Kanunu; Çalışma ve Sosyal Güvenlik Bakanlığı — Çalışma izni değerlendirme kriterleri
Not verified
The 24-hour weekly cap often quoted appears in no official text read: the law only says part-time.
Bringing your family
Your student permit only lets you bring your spouse and your children. Your parents and other relatives get no right from it.
Source: Göç İdaresi — İkamet izni çeşitleri; Mevzuat — Kanun 6458, Yabancılar ve Uluslararası Koruma Kanunu
To bring them, you must have lived in Türkiye for at least 1 year on a residence permit, and have an income of at least the minimum wage in total (TL 33,030 gross a month in 2026) and at least a third of that wage per family member. You also need health insurance for everyone, suitable housing and a record with no conviction for offences against the family over 5 years.
Source: Mevzuat — Kanun 6458, Yabancılar ve Uluslararası Koruma Kanunu; SGK — Prime esas kazanç miktarları 2026
Your family’s permit lasts 3 years at most each time, and never longer than your own permit.
Source: Göç İdaresi — İkamet izni çeşitleri; Mevzuat — Kanun 6458, Yabancılar ve Uluslararası Koruma Kanunu
Not verified
Whether a scholarship or money sent by relatives counts as income: no official page read says.
After your degree
Your student permit ends on the day you graduate. You have 10 days to apply for a new permit.
- Permit after the degree
- 1 year
- Göç İdaresi — İkamet izni çeşitleri
- once, if you apply within 6 months of graduating
- Work permit
- apply within a year of graduating
- Mevzuat — Kanun 6735, Uluslararası İşgücü Kanunu
- assessed under rules set for graduates
- After 8 years on residence permits
- no more employment or salary criteria
- Çalışma ve Sosyal Güvenlik Bakanlığı — Çalışma izni değerlendirme kriterleri
- for the work permit; years on a student permit count; in force since 3 August 2026