compiled from articles in Zaman Online:

AS expatriates spend more and more time in Turkey, many subjects related to Turkish law naturally gain importance for them and, for some, even Turkish citizenship becomes an issue. So do you need to do to obtain Turkish citizenship.

The highest legal body containing regulations governing Turkish nationality is the Turkish Constitution. In Article 66 it can be found that "the child of a Turkish father or a Turkish mother is a Turk," which means that Turkish nationality is usually handled according to the principle of blood ties. This is the case in many European countries.

However, according to the constitution, citizenship can also be acquired by foreigners "under the conditions stipulated by law," which is, in this respect, the Turkish Nationality Act No. 403 (1964). This law has been amended four times, with the last amendment having made in 1995.

A selection of the most essential information has been translated by the Turkish Embassy in Washington: www.turkishembassy.com


A common question posed by a British Citizen:

“Please clarify the point about residing in Turkey without interruptions? Does this mean that you should not have left Turkey in the five-year period? We tend to visit the UK for one month every Christmas but have had continuous residency here since 2004, currently due to be renewed in 2010."

Q: What does the law say?

A: Article 6 of the Turkish Nationality Code states the following as requirements to acquire Turkish nationality (in the most common method):

- Be of the age of consent according to his/her own national legal system (usually 18).
- Have resided in Turkey for the last five years without any interruptions and you must have the "intention of settling in Turkey." Such an intention can be proven by, for instance, acquiring immovable property..
- Prove that s/he has sufficient financial resources to support herself/himself and his/her family in Turkey.
- Speak an adequate level of Turkish.
- Be of good moral character.
- Not carry any disease that may affect the general health of society.

In order to reside in Turkey, police departments issue residency permits, the duration of which depends on your intention to be in Turkey and your nationality. The law classifies countries into "Group A" and "Group B" and residency permit requirements and regulations differ depending on what group your country is in. As a foreigner from a Group A country, you will be granted a five-year temporary residency permit that can be renewed for five years each time. Citizens of Group B countries are initially granted a one-year residency permit, which on the second and third renewal can be extended to two years.

During the extension period you have six months to renew the permit. If you fail to renew your residency permit within six months or if you spend more than six months outside of Turkey, you will be considered in breach of this requirement. You should also have a residency permit valid for at least six months before applying for Turkish citizenship.

However, these conditions are not applicable to those who are married to a Turkish national.

Everyone who has been married to a Turkish citizen for at least three years (and has been actually living together with his or her spouse) will be given citizenship as well.

Moreover, a foreign woman marrying a Turkish man acquires Turkish nationality automatically in the course of the marriage, if she so wishes.

On the other hand, a foreign man marrying a Turkish woman cannot enjoy this opportunity and is subject to the three-year rule mentioned above.

Children born in Turkey do not have a claim to Turkish citizenship unless one of the parents is also a Turkish citizen.

Finally, there are some exceptional ways of obtaining Turkish citizenship in which all conditions of acceptance to citizenship are essential except the five-year residence period and an indication of the will to remain in Turkey.

This right applies to children of full age of those who have lost Turkish citizenship (for example, through emigration), those that are of Turkish origin, as well as their spouses and children of full age (for example, Turkish minorities in the Turkic states) and those that will bring into Turkey new economic, scientific, technological or artistic developments.

In all these cases, your application can be made through the Turkish Republic's consular section in your home country or, when already in Turkey, through the NVİ office in your district of residence.

These authorities will transfer your dossier to the Turkish Interior Ministry, which in turn will consider and process the applications. A list of the documents required follows this article.

Is dual citizenship a choice?

Dual citizenship, is also possible according to Turkish law. However, you have to take account that each country has its own laws regarding nationality, so you may have dual nationality by choice or automatically under different and sometimes conflicting laws.

Some countries don't allow double citizenship at all. In this case you will lose your original citizenship automatically when you choose the Turkish one. Be sure to do your homework about such regulations in your home country.

Documents for applying for Turkish citizenship
1 -- Passport
2 -- Birth certificate
3 -- If married to a Turkish national, the official documents confirming the identities and family ties of the spouse and all underage children.
4 -- Certification of applicant's ability to speak Turkish (a certificate will be issued by Turkish consular section upon a successful interview of the applicant)
5 -- A medical certificate confirming the applicant's good health (can be obtained at any hospital).
6 -- Several photographs
7 -- Completed application forms


(prepared on 21/10/08 by WIT)