General Information About the Turkish Passport
Turkish passport is issued by the Turkish police and is valid for a period of 10 years from the date of issuance. It is carried by Turkish citizens and foreigners who acquired Turkish citizenship within special criteria.
Recently, after the amendments issued by the Turkish government to grant Turkish citizenship to foreigners, foreign investors showed interest in obtaining citizenship in order to benefit from the advantages of the Turkish passport.
In 2020 only, about 10 thousand foreign investors in Turkey obtained a Turkish passport by applying for Property Based Turkish citizenship, investing or employing 50 Turkish people.
What are the steps to apply for a Turkish passport, actually it is summarized as follows:
First of all, an appointment must be booked on the Turkish Personal Status Department website, meantime, before appointment's time, the cost of obtaining the passport must be paid through the Turkish Post Center PTT and the payment receipt must be maintained until appointment date.
The documents required to obtain a Turkish passport must also be prepared, which are:
A copy of the ID card
2 Biometric photos
Payment receipt from the PPT
Residence proof document
Filling out the personal information on the application form
All documents must be applied to the Turkish Personal Status Department on the specified date, after which the passport is sent to the address that was provided within a maximum period of one month.
Turkish Passport Visa-Free Countries
One of the fundamental benefits of the Turkish passport is the visa-free entry to 77 countries out of 199 , in addition to 40 other countries that grant the passport holder a visa upon the arrival at the airport , or even facilitate the process of obtaining a visa in addition to a specific period of residence without a visa in accordance with the agreement between the both countries.
Firstly: What are the Turkish passport visa-free countries :
Iraq, Jordan, Palestine, Tunisia, Albania, Morocco, Qatar, Lebanon, Sultanate of Oman, Libya,, Malaysia, Ukraine, Belarus, Thailand, Singapore, Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Costa Rica, Georgia, Brazil, Kyrgyzstan, Guatemala, Honduras, Philippines, Iran, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Japan, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Bolivia, Macedonia, Venezuela , Botswana, Mongolia, Panama, Peru, Kosovo, Nicaragua, Chile, Colombia, Moldova, Serbia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Haiti, North Korea, Mauritius, Montenegro, Paraguay, South Africa, Uruguay, Estonia, Indonesia, Fiji, Peru, Belize, Barbados, Micronesia, Cambodia, Macau, the Bahamas, Gambia, Sao Tome, and Principe, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Vanato, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Moldova, Paraguay, Swaziland, Antigua and Barbuda, Brunei, Dominica.
Secondly: Countries that grant visas to Turkish citizens upon their arrival at the airport or grant them an e-Visa:
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Sultanate of Oman, Bangladesh, Benin, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Comoros, Ivory Coast, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Madagascar, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Palau, Rwanda, Samoa, Senegal, Seychelles, Somalia, Tajikistan, Tanzania, East Timor, Togo, Tonga, Tuvalu, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Sudan.
Thirdly : Special Cases:
Regarding Egypt: In general, Turkish citizens are requested to get a visa, but it may not be needed if the travel is in a group of 10 tourists. And a visa on arrival for Turkish people under 20 years old or over 45 years old.
Thailand: A maximum of two visits per year are allowed without a visa
Sudan: A visa is granted upon the arrival of Turkish citizens coming from Turkey exclusively
Russia: Turkish citizens are granted an e-visa for a period of up to 8 days for (Amur Oblast), (Chukukta), (Kamchakta), (Khabarovsk Krai), (Primorye) and (Sakhalin) regions in the Russian Far East for tourism, business and humanitarian purposes.
Romania: a visa is not required if there is a valid visa for Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus or a Schengen member state.
Pakistan: Visa on arrival for work is valid for 30 days and visa on arrival for 30 days if there is a valid visa or residence permit for the United States, the United Kingdom or a Schengen member state.
Myanmar: electronic visa for tourism only.
Mexico: 180 days without a visa if holding a valid visa to enter Canada, Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom or one of the Schengen member states.
Ways to Obtain Turkish Citizenship
As the Turkish citizenship has become one of the most important nationalities that attract people and investors from many nationalities due to the development the Turkish Republic witnessed in all fields during the last decade. Turkey was ranked the sixteenth in terms of global economic power with a domestic product of nearly $800 billion. It is also the eighth largest producer of foodstuffs in the world and the sixth most popular tourist destination, in addition to the intensity and diversity of industrial production, the volume of capital and the enormous export capacity of neighboring countries and European countries. Turkey is also one of the most beautiful countries in the world , Therefore, Turkey has become one of the most countries attracting foreign investments, especially from the Arab countries, where the sectors of industry, general trade, agriculture and food, health care and medicines, real estate, automobile industry, communications and information, advertising design are considered And publications, financial services, tourism and many other areas are the most important areas in which foreign investors work.
The Turkish government pursues a policy of granting its citizenship to foreigners in the following cases:
1- Residence in the Turkish territory.
2- Those who have documents confirming their Turkish origins.
3- Getting married to a Turkish citizen.
4- Naturalization by adoption.
5- Granting exceptional citizenship by a government decision. Here is the detail:
First - Granting citizenship by residing on Turkish territory:
There are a set of requirements for granting citizenship by residing on Turkish lands, but these requirements are necessary but do not mean obtaining Turkish citizenship. Because only the Turkish government that decides to grant or withhold citizenship.
1- The law specifies the period of residence 5 continuous years on the Turkish lands, as it allows to leave for a period not exceeding six months during that. The required period increases to eight years if the student's study period is calculated in case the student continues to live in Turkey and obtains a job.
2- Confirmation the need for actual and permanent residence in Turkey. The Turkish authorities infer this desire from the following evidence:
Buying a property in Turkey
Establishing or licensing any business or investment in Turkey
Transferring business activities to Turkey.
Obtaining a work permit in Turkey.
Getting married to a Turkish citizen.
Submit an application for citizenship for the entire family at once
The presence of ((father, brother, mother or son)) of the applicant who has Turkish citizenship.
Completion of university education in Turkey.
3- The person is free from communicable diseases (according to reports issued by hospitals approved by the government)
4- Possessing good morals and good conduct (a security study is conducted to investigate the behavior of the person from the neighborhood and his places of residence during the five-year period)
5- Familiarity with the Turkish language with the middle borders, enough to meet his needs, and this condition is flexible and undisciplined because the law requires a minimum level of language proficiency.
6- The owner of a profession or work that enables him to support himself and his family.
7- Not to be a threat to national security or public security.
8- If the national law requires the applicant to be stripped of his nationality and allows him to do so without hindrance: then this condition becomes obligatory. But in this case, the Turkish government is obliged to grant him citizenship fearing of falling into statelessness., Noting that the Turkish government is not permitted to stipulate that on the party married to a Turkish husband or wife..
9- The absence of any ruling issued by the Turkish judiciary against the applicant for citizenship, especially in the areas of tax evasion, forgery, smuggling and various criminal cases that are criminalized by Turkish criminal laws.
And let us always remember: (A clean criminal record is a basic requirement of the Turkish authorities when studying the application for naturalization)
Secondly - to be from a Turkish descent( Ottoman ):
Where he applies for citizenship after presenting the documents that prove that, and they must be translated and certified by the notary , then from the residing office or the authority of the valuation department. Also, consulates and embassies abroad can receive citizenship applications attached to documents, without the person's presence in Turkish territory.
Third - Marriage to a Turkish citizen:
Obtaining Turkish citizenship through marriage is a common matter .... and it is easier than other methods because the only condition is surviving of marriage for a period of three years: where the foreign party is entitled to a non-married person, without a Turkish spouse accept it necessarily!! Because the Turkish government is keen and certifies that the marriage will continue for a stable period of three years and that it was established with the intention of creating a family not for other aims and that the spouses did not take any action that would indicate otherwise... The government also makes sure that the marriage does not pose any threat to Turkish national security.
- If the death of the Turkish wife or husband occurs after submitting the application for citizenship: (The Turkish government does not investigate the condition of proving that the marriage is a foundation for the foundation of the family)
However, if a judgment of divorce or separation is issued after obtaining citizenship, the intention of the foreign party is considered here. If the marriage is built with the intention of establishing and continuity of the family, the foreign party shall retain the Turkish citizenship that he obtained.
Fourth: Obtaining Citizenship by adoption:
Turkish law allows adoption, and accordingly, if a Turkish citizen (or a Turkish family) adopts a non-adult foreigner and it has been proven that this adoption does not pose any threat to national security, and public security: the gender of the child is excluded from all of this. adoption.
Fifth - Granting exceptional citizenship by a government decision:
The Turkish Nationality Law allows the executive authority and the Council of Ministers to grant any foreigner Turkish citizenship if he does not pose a threat to national security or public security and is one of the following cases:
A-Those who think that they will provide great services to Turkey in the field of industry, science, technology, economic, social, sports, cultural and artistic
B - Who thinks that it is necessary to obtain Turkish citizenship?
T - counted as an immigrant if he is classified as such.
It is no secret that the Turkish government enjoys, in all these cases, an absolute discretion over its decisions. However, the naturalization applicant may appeal the rejection decision before the magistrate’s court specialized in nationality issues, if it turns out that the executive authority was arbitrary in its decision and its decision was not based on the decision’s severance of reasons.
- that of achieving the conditions of any of the previous cases can apply to the circle of souls for citizenship where the study of the accompanying documents file it before the relevant committee, and have to make sure conditions are met raise the file to the Council of Ministers, which makes the final decision, and sometimes asks foreign . To relinquish his original citizenship to be granted Turkish citizenship. This is not necessarily considered an obstacle for the executive authority to approve the application.
As a result, obtaining Turkish citizenship is one of the gains that many holders of other nationalities dream of, and it is based on the principle of citizenship and proving the actual intention to live and build in Turkish society above all.
Turkish Passport Types
Turkish passports are four kinds, depending on a specific category of people, and these types are:
Red or Public Passport:
In Turkish Umuma Mahsus Pasaport, meaning a passport intended for the public, this kind of passports consists of 60 pages and is valid for 10 years or less. Furthermore, the red passport is granted to those who are entitled to the passport in general and ordinary citizens who are not employed in a government department, not diplomats, do not hold a military rank. Also it is given to foreigners who recently obtained Turkish citizenship by purchasing a property worth 250 thousand USD.
Green or Special Passport:
In Turkish Hususi Pasaport or the Green Passport as it is called by public. It consists of 52 pages. This type of passport is given to retired members of the Turkish parliament, ministers, state employees who are at still working or retired from them, also for retirees from Inspection Organization and banking regulation in addition to their wives .
Black or Diplomatic Passport:
In Turkish Diplomatik Pasaport or the black passport in general, this passport is given to diplomats, judges, members of the Turkish parliament, members of the judiciary from the president of the court and prosecutors, generals of the Turkish army, governors, mayors, in addition to their wives and children.
Service or Gray Passport:
Hizmet Pasaport in Turkish or the gray passport and it consists of 28 pages,. This kind is given to those who did not grant a black or green passport from state employees at homeland and abroad, and it is also given to employees in international organizations in which Turkey is a member such as the Red Crescent, in addition to their wives, and their sons and daughters under 25.
Turkish Passport Fees
The Turkish government and the Personal Status Department have divided the Turkish passport fees as follows:
Passport fees:
There are variety of options for the validity of the passport that a Turkish citizen can determine according to his need, and the fees are calculated according to the validity period of the passport as follows:
The validity period of the passport and the cost
6 months 309 TL
One year 452 TL
Two years 1048 TL
3 years 1294 TL
4 - 10 years 1714 TL
The Cost of the Passport Book:
The Turkish passport applicant is required to pay an amount of 180 TL for the passport book, and this value of cost increases every year, according to the Turkish tax law.
Additional costs:
It means the costs of the documents and photos required for submission, and generally it does not exceed 300 TL.
Totally, obtaining a Turkish passport valid for 10 years costs about 1000 TL.
Turkish passport Advantages
After the amendments issued by the Turkish government over Property Based Nationality Law for foreigners, Turkey has become the destination of many foreign especially Arab investors, in order to benefit from the developing of the Turkish economy as well as its strategic location, in addition to taking advantage of the Turkish passport.
Since Turkey has started to boost its relationships with other countries, the Turkish passport has improved, according to the Henley Global Passport Assessment Site, the Turkish passport has become among the top 30 most powerful passports in the world, as it ranked 39 in 2020 after it was in Rank 40 out of 199 , as the Henley Site assets passports according to the visa-free countries, the price of the passport for compared to other countries based on the average income of individuals in the country.
One of the most important advantages of the Turkish passport is that it allows the passport holder to enter nearly 77 countries without a visa, or at least it grants an e-visa provided at the airport, the visa-free countries:
Qatar, Oman, Albania, South Korea, Palestine, Malaysia, Morocco, Tunisia, Iraq, ... and others
Moreover, the Turkish passport facilitates entry to 26 European Schengen countries.
Among the other advantages of the Turkish passport is the validity of 10 years. Furthermore, Turkish Passport holder has the opportunity to obtain to free education and easier procedures for paying university tuition fees, also the passport holder also grants full medical and civil rights.
It is worth mentioning that the Turkish passport is granted to the holder of Turkish citizenship regardless of the period of his residence, as the citizenship obtaining is enough to apply for the passport.
