Frequently Asked Questions
Application Procedures for International Protection
Persons entering Turkey with a visa or visa exemption may legally stay in Turkey until the end of the prescribed periods. Also, persons with a work permit or work permit exemption, residence permits as regulated in Law no. 6458, blue card holders, temporary protection identity card holders, stateless person identity card holders, international protection applicant identity card and status card holders may also remain in Turkey throughout the date of validity specified on their cards.
Applications for international protection are made to the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management located in the province where the applicant resides in. In case of that province being closed to international protection, then application is made to the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Interior Directorate General of Migration Management. Applicants are settled into satellite cities in case of the application being accepted.
International protection applications must be carried out personally by the person requesting protection. A lawyer or legal representative cannot apply for international protection on behalf of the applicant. The applicant could also apply on behalf of accompanying family members whose applications rely on the same grounds.
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Rights and Obligations
International protection applicants are settled into satellite cities found appropriate. In case of wanting to change province due to reasons such as health or kinship, applications could be made to the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management located where the applicant is registered.
Persons under international protection could lodge a letter of application to the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management requesting a change of province. Supporting documents related to work, security justifications, health and kinship relations that show the applicant’s reasons for requesting a change of province must also be submitted to the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management. These requests are assessed by the Directorate General of Migration Management and a transfer document is prepared. Travel permit documents could be obtained by applying online through e-government.
Employers of international protection applicants and conditional refugees may apply to the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Services for a work permit after 6 months of the date of the international protection application.
According to Law no. 6458 on Foreigners and International Protection, the international protection status shall terminate in cases where the person;
- a) Voluntarily re-avail themselves of the protection in their country of citizenship,
- b) Voluntarily regain the citizenship that they have been deprived of,
- c) Acquires a new nationality and enjoys the protection of the country of their new nationality,
ç) Voluntarily returns to the country from which they have fled or stayed outside of due to fear of persecution,
- d) Avail themselves of the protection of the country of citizenship as the circumstances on which the status was granted no longer apply,
- e) Having been a stateless person, is able to return to the country of former habitual residence as the circumstances on which the status was granted no longer apply,
- f) (Amendment made to article 86 of law no. 7196 on 6/12/2019) without prejudice to the provisions set out in article 84; voluntarily leaves Turkey, benefits from the protection of a third country, is accepted into a third country for humanitarian reasons or re-settlement, exits to a third country or in the event of death.
For traveling procedures, a request may be created by way of an online application via e-government. Persons in question shall be entitled to travel within the period of time specified in the travel permit document to be issued. Prior to the expiration of the legal period, persons in question should return to the provinces, where they have been registered, and inform the relevant Provincial Directorates of Migration Management of their return.
Following the online application via e-government, the notification indicating that the relevant application has been submitted for evaluation shall be delivered to the person concerned through e-government as well. Notifications as to whether or not the application submitted has been accepted by the Provincial Directorates of Migration Management shall be sent via SMS to mobile phone numbers indicated on the application. Foreigners, whose applications have been accepted, shall be entitled to travel to the provinces permitted together with their travel permit documents to be printed out from their e-government accounts without having to apply to the Provincial Directorates of Migration Management. Information of the travel permit documents that will be issued with QR codes shall be shared with security units and their follow-up shall be ensured during in road checks.
In accordance with Law no. 6458 on Foreigners and International Protection, international protection and status holders may benefit from primary and secondary school education, social aid and services and health services.
The applicant or conditional refugee may apply for a work permit six months after the date of the international protection application. A refugee or holder of subsidiary protection status may work independently or dependently after obtaining status.
All children in Turkey, including foreigners, have the right to benefit from primary and secondary education free of charge. Those under international protection could register in public schools in Turkey. Persons under international protection who want to attend university could register to universities by passing the YÖS International Students Examination and submitting the necessary documents.
In case of not fulfilling your signature duty 3 times without a valid reason, your international protection application will be considered as implicitly withdrawn and the assessment will be suspended. You can appeal to the International Protection Evaluation Commission of the Directorate General of Migration Management in 10 days or you can lodge a case before the Administrative Court in 30 days.
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Application Procedures for Temporary Protection
Citizens of Syrian Arab Republic having come from the Syrian Arab Republic after 2011, refugees from a third country or stateless persons are entitled to file an application for temporary protection with the Provincial Directorates of Migration Management located in their respective provinces.
Following the filing of an application with the relevant Provincial Directorates of Migration Management, a 30-day valid registration certificate shall be issued. Temporary protection identity cards shall be issued to those who are found eligible to be granted temporary protection as a result of the inquiries conducted. No fee shall be charged for the application or the identity card. The identity card grants the right to stay legally in Turkey.
Rights and Obligations
Persons under temporary protection shall be entitled to benefit from the rights and services such as education, health, social assistance, psychological support, interpretation support and access to labour market.
For their requests for change of province, persons under temporary protection may file a petition with the relevant Provincial Directorates of Migration Management. In addition, supplementary documents indicating their reasons for requests for change of province such as occupation, education, security reasons, kinship relationship etc. should also be submitted to the relevant Provincial Directorates of Migration Management. The requests in question are evaluated by the Directorate General of Migration Management, and the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management issues a transfer document in respect of those whose requests have been approved. In this process, travel permit documents may be obtained by way of an online application via e-government.
All children in Turkey have the right to benefit from primary and secondary education services free of charge. Children under temporary protection are entitled to enrol public schools in Turkey. Among persons under temporary protection, those who wish to receive university education may register to universities upon successfully passing the International Students Examination (YÖS) and submitting the documents required.
After 6 months from the date on which the temporary protection identity card was issued, an application for work permit or exemption from work permit may be filed with the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Services.
Registration procedures of Syrian children living in the camps/temporary shelters shall be carried out by officials in charge in the camps. It is required to apply to the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management of registration with a birth certificate issued by the relevant hospital in case of delivery at a hospital, or a document, which has been issued by the mukhtar (Neighborhood/village based elected local authority representative) and indicates that there has been a childbirth, in case of delivery in a place other than a hospital. Parents should have their temporary protection identity cards with them.
In the event that an emergency medical assistance is required, it is possible to have access to medical care through emergency services of hospitals.
For their requests for change of province, persons under temporary protection may file a petition with the relevant Provincial Directorates of Migration Management. In addition, supplementary documents indicating their reasons for requests for change of province such as occupation, education, security reasons, kinship relationship etc. should also be submitted to the relevant Provincial Directorates of Migration Management. The requests in question are evaluated by the Directorate General of Migration Management, and the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management issues a transfer document in respect of those whose requests have been approved. In this process, travel permit documents may be obtained by way of an online application via e-government.
Temporary protection identity card holders shall be entitled to benefit from the services provided at state-run hospitals located within the borders of their respective provinces of residence. As regards the primary and emergency healthcare services, as well as treatments and medications administered in this scope, patient share may be required to be paid in proportion to the amount or rate determined by the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Health. Among temporary protection identity card holders, those who want to undergo treatment at university hospitals may receive such treatment by submitting referral documents to be issued in their names.
Among persons under temporary protection, those who wish to get married may apply to the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management located in their respective provinces of residence to obtain “a certificate of legal capacity to marry” and may register their marriage pursuant to the Turkish Civil Code with the certificate in question.
Employers of the workers may file an application for exemption from work permit with the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Services on the condition that the workers are in possession of a document indicating that they have been granted temporary protection status, that they are international protection applicants or that they have been granted conditional refugee status, as well as their respective foreigner identification numbers; and that a temporary protection period of at least six months has expired or that an application for international protection has been lodged at least six months ago.
With a certificate of exemption from work permit, it is possible to work in the relevant provinces of registration. Those who wish to work in a different province are obliged to apply to the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management and obtain a travel permit document. Being in possession of a certificate of exemption from work permit, on its own, is not sufficient to leave the province of registration.
Registration procedures of Syrian children living in the camps/temporary shelters shall be carried out by officials in charge in the camps. It is required to apply to the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management of registration with a birth certificate issued by the relevant hospital in case of delivery at a hospital, or a document, which has been issued by the mukhtar (Neighborhood/village based elected local authority representative) and indicates that there has been a childbirth, in case of delivery in a place other than a hospital. Parents should have their temporary protection identity cards with them.
Sexual and Gender-Based Violence
Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) is violence committed against a person because of his or her sex or gender. It is forcing another person to do something against his or her will through violence, coercion, threats, deception, cultural expectations, or economic means. Although the majority of victims and survivors of SGBV are girls and women, boys and men can also be harmed by SGBV.
If you are exposed to any type of violence, you can apply and report violent incident to the nearest police station, provincial gendarmerie command, chief public prosecutor’s office, district governorship, governorship, family courts or Violence Prevention and Monitoring Centres (ŞÖNİM). Moreover, you can also report incidents by calling ‘Alo 183’ hotline and ‘YİMER 157’ (Foreigners Communication Centre-FCC 157) hotline free of charge. These hotlines receive detailed information about the incidents and forward the incident reports to police or gendarmerie units through phone.
Within the scope of the Law no. 6284 on Protection of Family and Prevention of Violence against Women, decisions for protective and preventive measures are issued. For instance, decisions for protective measures such as woman’s placement under protection, provision of shelter, provision of temporary financial assistance, provision of nursery support if she has a child or children, concealment of identification information, or decisions for preventive measures such as having the spouse barred from home or hand over his/her weapon, if any, to law enforcement officers could be issued.
Police Emergency Line - 155
FCC- 157 (Arabic, Farsi, English, French, German)
Gendarmerie Emergency Line - 156
Emergency Medical Service – 112
‘Alo 183’ (Social Services Counselling Line for Families, Women, Children and Persons with Disabilities)
Bar Association Women’s Rights Centre Hotline (Alo Baro Kadın Hakları Merkezi Hattı)– 444 26 18
Data Update
You could update the changes in information such as name-surname, address and marital status by applying to the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Interior Provincial Directorates of Migration Management located in your respective provinces of residence within 20 work days. Persons under Temporary Protection may conduct the required procedures upon making an appointment at data update centres located in the provinces where the project on data update is being implemented. Data update procedures are conducted free of charge.
The Association for Solidarity with Asylum Seekers and Migrants (ASAM)
ASAM’s main purpose is to deal with the problems of asylum seekers, refugees and migrants, and to provide assistance to people by producing solutions to these problems. Providing the applicants with services in respect of numerous matters such as legal counselling, social and psychological counselling, clothing support and health services, ASAM enhances its fields of work and the services it offers in line with the applicants’ requests and problems.
Any and all services provided by ASAM are free of charge.
You could find the address and contact information of ASAM offices at: https://sgdd.org.tr/where-we-work/
