Six Month Residency Permit for Tourists

March 9, 2012

Recently the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs notified the U.S. Embassy of the following regulation:

U.S. citizens who enter Turkey with a tourist visa obtained at a Turkish Consulate or who buy a tourist visa stamp at an airport or other port of entry or who are exempt from getting tourist visas, are now able to get a residence permit for tourism purposes for a maximum period of six months by applying at the Foreigner’s Police Office.

Foreigners who have overstayed their visas, residence permits, or visa exempt periods and are subject to a fine can also benefit from the residence permit procedure as long as they pay the related fines.

When the new regulations allowing foreigners to stay in Turkey for a maximum of 90 days within a 180 day period became effective on February 1, 2012, it also became officially possible for foreigners who come to Turkey as tourists to get a six month valid residence permit. According to these regulations U.S. citizens who wish to stay in Turkey for tourism purposes longer than 90 days, and who apply at the appropriate Foreigner’s Police Office, will be allowed to stay legally in Turkey for up to a total of 9 months.

Contact information for the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Turkey:

The U.S. Embassy in Ankara is located at 110 Ataturk Boulevard, tel: (90)(312) 455-5555, fax (90)(312) 468-6131.  

The U.S. Consulate General in Istanbul is located at Uçsehitler Sokagi No. 2, 34460, Istinye, Sariyer, tel: (90) (212) 335-9000, fax (90) (212) 335-9102.  Istanbul-specific information can also be accessed via the Consulate's web site.

The U.S. Consulate in Adana is located at Girne Bulvari No. 212, Guzelevler Mahallesi, Yuregir, Adana, Turkey. tel: (90)(322) 346-6262, fax (90)(322) 346-7916.

The Consular Agency in Izmir can be reached at tel:(90) (232) 464-8755, fax (90) (232) 464-8916.