Applying for a residence permit (ikamet) in Turkey
Note 2. Plan well if you wish to use your passport to temporarily leave Turkey. You must deposit it for 10 days.
The procedure is what you do after your arrival in Turkey. It is not explaining the entry visa that you need to obtain in your home country before your departure to Turkey.
As I had experienced in other countries, Japan, Finland, and Estonia, I had to register myself in a local office within 30 days from my entry. In Turkey, the office in charge was the police department that is the largest one in Izmir.
Location: İzmir Emniyet Müdürlüğü (Izmir Police Department), Vilayet Blokları F Blok - Konak--İZMİR, Tel: 0 232 489 05 00
As always, it's not fun to wait in a queue for a long time. My longest wait was 6 hours when I was renewing my work visa in Finland. Moreover, you can never prepare it enough, when you visit a government office. Call the office beforehand to know which document to bring. Even though you think you know them, you could always miss something.
At the police department, after pulling a number ticket, I waited outside for 50 minutes, which gave me time to finish this post. I thought the system in Turkey was more reasonable than the one in Finland, until I got my photocopy issue (see below).
Here are what you must bring to the office (the official site in English):
+ Photocopies of your passport pages with your photo and your entry visa
It sounds silly that a government office asks you to photocopy them by yourself. Don't they have a photocopier? No, not in Turkey. Don't they have a shop in the same building? No, not in Izmir. I had to go out to find a camera shop and went through all the security checks on my way back. Sorry, wait. Yeah. The official site does say to bring photocopies.
+ A letter from university stating your work and period
Its recipient should refer to Izmir emniyet müdürlüğüne. The letter is not what is simply explained on the website. This sent me home for nothing on my first visit.
+ 4 passport photos for renewing (2 photos for renewal)
+ Passport
+ Previous Residence Permit Card (for renewal only)
+ Approx. 130 TL cash (22$ for renewal)
We will never know why the fee is listed in USD. Check the fee on the phone.
+ (on site) 2 forms called Declaration For Residence Permit and İl Emniyet Müdürlüğü
You have an hour to kill. Fill them out during the time. You can even finish a post on your Blog like I did.
+ Your correct home address
I brought my rent contract that indicates my home address. It was written in a new format only with a street name and building number. But, the police department later called me to know it as the former format of my address: street name and number, building number, etc. It is pity that the staffs in the department do not recognize their own new address system.
After the first document examination, you need to bring them to the downstairs to collect another stamp and to pay the fee. We will never know why the stamp should be taken from the second different booth. The third booth for the fee payment is located at the other side of the place.
If you've read this post and brought your photocopies, you can return to the first booth. If not, please have extra patience for your sake. Go for the photocopies. Keep in mind that you really need the residence permit.
After drifting around all the booths, you will finally get a small piece of paper as a receipt of your application. Today in Izmir, the policeman told me to come back in 10 days.
In Izmir, the view above is what you could savor in front of the police department.
Good luck,
Minkee
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