A student residence permit is a type of visa issued for students from abroad who wish to come to Turkey to study. This permit allows the student to study in Turkey and is usually valid for the duration of the student’s studies. In order to apply for a student residence permit, the student must be enrolled in the educational institution and submit the necessary documents for studying.
Who is granted a Student Residence Permit?
Student residence permits are issued to students from abroad who wish to come to Turkey to study. This permit allows students to complete school, university, master’s or doctoral programs in Turkey. They must be enrolled in the educational institution specified in the application and provide the necessary documents for the training. The student residence permit application must also verify that the student has the financial resources and health insurance to stay in Turkey.
Documents Required for Student Residence Permit in Turkey
Documents required for a student residence permit application may include the following:
- Document showing that you are registered at the educational institution (education contract, registration certificate, etc.)
- Document describing the study program (brochure of the school, university or program)
- A document showing the level of language knowledge required for education (TOEFL, IELTS, etc. exam results)
- Documents showing financial resources (bank statements, certificate of deposit, etc.)
- Document showing that health insurance has been taken out
- Photocopy of a valid passport or identity card
- The application form must be completed and signed
- Application fee must be paid
Conditions for studying in Turkey
The first step for foreign students who want to study in Turkey is to take the Foreign National Student Examination if they are going to study in a public school. The exam takes place once a year and each school’s exam must be registered separately. This exam tests your abilities in language, science and social sciences and is used as an evaluation criterion for the department you wish to apply to. The criteria of the department to which you will apply are specific and it is not possible to evaluate students only according to foreign student scores.
A Statement of Prior Education is required when enrolling in a higher degree program such as an associate’s, master’s, doctorate, or an older program such as elementary, middle or high school. Transcripts documenting the success and content of the schools attended and the trainings received are taken. Since this document is in a foreign language, it must be notarized before being submitted to schools in Turkey. These documents and previous diplomas, if any, should be submitted for equivalence evaluation.
Student Residence Permit Duration
As can be seen from the Law No. 6458 on the Granting of Student Residence Permit, the duration of the student residence permit for foreigners varies according to the number of years the foreigner is studying.
If the student residence permit applicant’s study period is less than one year, the duration of the permit is the maximum study period and cannot exceed one year of study. Likewise, if the parents of primary and secondary school students under the age of 18 agree, the duration of leave is 1 year. The permit can be renewed and extended, in which case it is determined whether the person fulfills the conditions specified in the initial application.
If Student Residence Permit Denied
The rejection of a student residence permit request may be due to deficiencies in the documents submitted by the applicant, the documents do not reflect the truth, or the applicant does not have the financial resources to stay in Turkey. In the event that the student residence permit request is denied, the applicant may take the necessary steps to complete the missing documents or remedy the deficiencies by learning the reasons for the decision to deny the permit. It is also possible to appeal the decision to refuse a student residence permit. In this case, the documents required for the examination of the objection and the reasons for the objection must be submitted.