Turkish Citizenship Application

Turkish citizenship can be acquired by birth or at a later stage. Among the ways of acquiring it later, acquisition by decision of the competent authority comes first, and this route covers different types of applications, such as citizenship through the general route, through marriage, and through the exceptional route. A Turkish citizenship application is conducted within the framework of Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901 and its implementing regulation. Because the requirements, the documents requested, and the review method differ for each route, it is important to choose the right type of application from the very beginning.

On this page, we explain the application routes, the requirements, the stages of the process, and the legal remedies available against a rejection decision. For related topics such as residence and work permits, please see our Immigration and Foreigners Law page.

Requirements for Citizenship Through the General Route

Under Article 11 of Law No. 5901, a foreign national who wishes to acquire Turkish citizenship through the general route must meet the following requirements:

• Be of legal age and have the capacity to discern under their national law, or under Turkish law if stateless
• Have resided in Turkey continuously for five years counting back from the application date
• Confirm through their conduct that they have decided to settle in Turkey
• Have no disease that poses a danger to public health
• Be of good moral character
• Be able to speak Turkish at a sufficient level
• Have an income or profession that will provide for themselves and the persons they are obliged to support in Turkey
• Have no circumstances that would constitute an obstacle in terms of national security and public order

The continuous residence requirement is the issue that causes the most problems in practice. Before applying, you should carefully check which types of residence count toward the period, whether there are gaps between residence permits, and whether time spent abroad exceeds the limit set by the law; under Article 15 of Law No. 5901, a total of no more than twelve months may be spent outside Turkey during the residence period.

Citizenship Through Marriage

Marrying a Turkish citizen does not, by itself, grant citizenship. Under Article 16 of Law No. 5901, a foreign national who has been married to a Turkish citizen for at least three years and whose marriage continues may apply if they meet the following requirements:

• Live in a family union
• Not engage in any activity incompatible with the marital union
• Have no circumstances that would constitute an obstacle in terms of national security and public order

In these applications, the administration investigates whether the marriage was entered into for the purpose of acquiring citizenship. Inspections at the address where the spouses live together and separate interviews with each spouse are a frequently encountered method in practice. For this reason, it is important that the documents and statements showing the shared life are consistent.

Citizenship Through the Exceptional Route

Article 12 of Law No. 5901 allows certain foreign nationals to acquire Turkish citizenship by Presidential decision, without the residence and similar requirements sought under the general route. This may include persons who bring industrial facilities to Turkey or who contribute in scientific, technological, economic, social, sporting, cultural, or artistic fields, those who meet certain investment requirements, Turquoise Card holders, and persons accepted as immigrants. The amounts and types of investment required for citizenship by investment are determined by secondary regulations and may change over time; therefore, the current regulation must always be checked when planning an application.

Other ways of acquisition

The law also provides for some special routes beyond these. Persons who previously lost Turkish citizenship by obtaining permission to renounce it, and some of their relatives, may apply to reacquire it without a residence period requirement. A child adopted by a Turkish citizen before reaching adulthood may acquire citizenship under the conditions set out in the law. The rights known as the Blue Card, granted to persons who became Turkish citizens by birth and obtained permission to renounce their citizenship, are a separate status. The documents required and the review method differ for each of these routes.

The Application Process Step by Step

1. Determining the type of application: Preparation is made according to which option, such as the general route, marriage, the exceptional route, or reacquisition, suits the person's situation.
2. Preparing the documents: Documents such as the passport, birth and marital status certificates, records showing residence history, income documents, and a health report are collected, along with certified translations where necessary.
3. Application: Those residing in Turkey apply to the governorship of their locality, and those abroad apply to Turkish diplomatic missions.
4. Review and interview: For applications through the general route and through marriage, whether the requirements are met is determined by the citizenship application review commission established in the provinces under Article 18 of Law No. 5901; a security investigation is carried out.
5. Decision: The file is sent to the Ministry of the Interior. For applications through the general route and through marriage, the Ministry decides; for applications through the exceptional route, the President decides.

Does Meeting the Requirements Guarantee a Right?

Article 10 of Law No. 5901 clearly provides that meeting the required conditions does not give a person an absolute right to acquire citizenship. For this reason, the administration has broad discretionary power in this area. However, discretionary power is not unlimited; it must be exercised in line with the public interest and the requirements of the service, in accordance with the principle of equality, and based on concrete facts. Whether these limits have been exceeded in rejection decisions is subject to judicial review.

Annulment Action Against a Rejection Decision

The rejection of a citizenship application is an administrative act. Under Article 7 of the Administrative Procedure Law No. 2577, an annulment action can be filed before the administrative court within sixty days of notification of this decision. In the case, the court examines the grounds for rejection, whether the security or public order assessment relied upon is based on concrete information, and whether the applicant meets the requirements. If the grounds for rejection stem from a deficiency that can be remedied, it may also be considered to reapply after completing the deficiency instead of filing a lawsuit. Maintaining the validity of your residence permit during the citizenship process is also important; for the path to follow if your residence permit is refused, you can read our article on what to do if your residence permit is rejected.

Our Firm's Support

We support foreign nationals in assessing eligibility for a citizenship application, preparing documents, following the application process, and filing annulment actions against rejection decisions. Every file is unique; it would not be right to make predictions about the outcome of an application without examining the residence history, family situation, and current legislation together.