At a glance
- Easiest and cheapest today: student residence. Our admission service is free, and so is filing the residence if you register through us.
- Have a job offer: work permit through the employer, TRY 16,000 with ATIELIT.
- Want your own business: company registration (USD 1,200–1,500) plus a work permit through it (about USD 1,000).
- Tech founders: the Tech Visa startup route, USD 3,000 in total, about 4 months, no Turkish hires.
- Investors: a residential property worth at least USD 200,000 by official valuation.
1. Student residence: the easiest and cheapest
Currently, student residence is the easiest and least expensive route, and it suits people who are coming to Türkiye for the first time. You need admission and registration at a Turkish university; there is no general age limit for a bachelor's degree, and no monthly social-security premium. Our admission service is free, and if you register through us we file the student residence application for free too. You pay the government fees, insurance and the card.
2. Work permit through an employer
If you have found a job and the company in Türkiye hires you, the permit is applied for on the basis of that job. Our fee for the paperwork is TRY 16,000, and it usually takes about a month. For most jobs, speaking Turkish matters a great deal.
3. Work permit through your own company
No employer needed: you register a limited company (USD 1,200–1,500, about 2–4 days) and apply for the work permit through it (about USD 1,000 on top, about a month). Plan for running costs too: an accountant from about TRY 7,500 a month and self-employment insurance of about TRY 11,000 a month once you hold the permit. Turkish-employee rules apply: five per foreign partner if you have never held Turkish residence, one if you have.
4. The Tech Visa startup route
For tech professionals and startup founders, the Tech Visa gives a work permit of up to three years with no Turkish hires required. With ATIELIT the startup route costs USD 3,000 in total and takes about four months, including the company, the residence, the project write-up and interview preparation.
5. Residence by property, and the Turquoise Card
Buying a residential property worth at least USD 200,000 by an official SPK-licensed valuation, fully in your name, brings residence; USD 400,000 in property can bring citizenship. The Turquoise Card gives unlimited work and residence rights to skilled professionals, investors and researchers, with their family, but its points-based assessment is stricter.
How we choose your route
To say which route fits you, we need two things: your age and your last degree. Tell us those in a free 15-minute phone consultation and we will name the safest route for your situation, with its real cost and timeline.
Common questions
What is the easiest way to get residence in Turkey?
Currently, student residence: it is the simplest and cheapest, with no monthly social-security premium. With ATIELIT, admission and the residence application are free when you register through us.
What is the cheapest residence permit in Turkey?
Student residence. You pay only the government fees, health insurance and the residence card when you register through ATIELIT.
Can I get residence in Turkey without a job?
Yes: through student residence, through your own company, through the Tech Visa startup route or by buying property worth at least USD 200,000.
How much does a work permit in Turkey cost?
With ATIELIT, TRY 16,000 through an employer, or about USD 1,000 through your own company on top of the company registration.
This article is general guidance and doesn't replace a review of your own case. Rules and figures can change, and no one can guarantee a residence or visa approval.