Türkiye · Spouse visas
Türkiye Spouse of a resident
First stay: 3 yrs
Family residence permit (spouse of a foreigner with a residence permit)
First checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Spouse of a resident is a spouse visas route for Türkiye. Checked 2026-10-11 against the official source.
- Government fees
- TRY 964 ≈ $20
- Processing
- Up to 90 days
- First stay
- 3 yrs
Cost, time and long term
To apply: government fee TRY 964 ≈ $20; decision: up to 90 days. No lawyer or agent fee is included.
Government feesTRY 964 ≈ $20
- TRY 964 (≈ $20)Residence permit document fee for 2026, charged to all nationalities; a separate residence duty depends on nationality and permit length.
RenewalRenewable
Issued for up to three years each time and never longer than the sponsor's own residence permit.
Permanent residenceAfter 8 years of residence
Long-term (indefinite) residence needs 8 years of uninterrupted residence in Türkiye on residence permits, no social assistance in the last 3 years, sufficient regular income and valid health insurance.
ProcessingUp to 90 days
Residence permit applications must be decided within 90 days (Law 6458 Art. 21).
What you'll need
Who can apply2
- Applicant is the foreign spouse of a foreigner holding a residence permit, and both spouses are at least 18 years old.
- The sponsor has lived in Türkiye on a residence permit for at least one year.
What you must show1
- The sponsor's total monthly income is at least the minimum wage and at least one third of it per family member.
Documents5
- Residence permit application form, passport copy, two biometric photographs and proof that the permit fee and document cost are paid.
- Marriage certificate, or population register extract showing the spouse, in a certified Turkish translation with apostille if issued abroad.
- Proof of valid health insurance covering all family members for the whole permit period.
- Criminal record certificate for the sponsor showing no conviction for crimes against the family order in the last five years.
- Address registration document and the sponsor's identity or residence permit documents.
Steps1
- Where there is reasonable suspicion of a marriage of convenience, the governorate interviews the spouses separately and together and a provincial commission decides.
After you arrive2
- The permit is granted for up to three years at a time and can never exceed the duration of the sponsor's residence permit.
- After the sponsor dies, the spouse may receive a short-term residence permit without a minimum stay.
When you become tax resident
How Türkiye decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Stay on this route
Up to 3 years at first, renewable
- Tax residence
Income tax residence is separate from immigration status.
- Foreign-source income
New-resident relief (20 years)
Individuals who become Turkish tax residents and had no domicile or tax liability in Türkiye in the preceding three calendar years are exempt from income tax on income and gains earned outside Türkiye for twenty years.
- Special regime
Foreign-source income exemption · 0% tax
All tax rules for Türkiye Tax records checked
What you need to arrange
- Health insurance
Proof of valid health insurance covering all family members for the whole permit period
- Certified translation
Marriage certificate, or population register extract showing the spouse, in a certified Turkish translation with apostille if issued abroad
- Police certificate and civil documents
Marriage certificate, or population register extract showing the spouse, in a certified Turkish translation with apostille if issued abroad
Taken from this route's requirements above. The authority's own list is the one that counts.
Full official text
Residence permit for the foreign spouse of a foreigner who has lived in Türkiye on a residence permit (including long-term) for at least one year; it cannot outlast the sponsor's own permit. 1 2 3 4 5
What you must show and pay
- A fee of TRY 964 (≈ $20) · Residence permit document fee for 2026, charged to all nationalities; a separate residence duty depends on nationality and permit length. 6
Requirements
- Applicant is the foreign spouse of a foreigner holding a residence permit, and both spouses are at least 18 years old. 1 2
- The sponsor has lived in Türkiye on a residence permit for at least one year. 1 3
- The sponsor's total monthly income is at least the minimum wage and at least one third of it per family member. 1 2 4
- Residence permit application form, passport copy, two biometric photographs and proof that the permit fee and document cost are paid. 4
- Marriage certificate, or population register extract showing the spouse, in a certified Turkish translation with apostille if issued abroad. 4
- Proof of valid health insurance covering all family members for the whole permit period. 1 4
- Criminal record certificate for the sponsor showing no conviction for crimes against the family order in the last five years. 1 4
- Address registration document and the sponsor's identity or residence permit documents. 4
- Where there is reasonable suspicion of a marriage of convenience, the governorate interviews the spouses separately and together and a provincial commission decides. 1 3
- The permit is granted for up to three years at a time and can never exceed the duration of the sponsor's residence permit. 1 2
- After the sponsor dies, the spouse may receive a short-term residence permit without a minimum stay. 1 2
Stay
- Issued for up to three years each time and never longer than the sponsor's own residence permit.
- First stay: up to 36 months, decided case by case.
- Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal.
Family
Children of the sponsor or spouse who are minors or dependants can receive a family residence permit; minor children may attend primary and secondary school without a student permit.
Official sources
- Law No. 6458 on Foreigners and International Protection · Grand National Assembly / mevzuat.gov.tr · checked 2026-10-11
- Residence permit types: short-term, family, student, long-term · Presidency of Migration Management, Ministry of Interior · checked 2026-10-11
- Regulation on the Implementation of the Law on Foreigners and International Protection · Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye, Legislation Information System · checked 2026-10-11
- Documents required for family residence permit applications · Presidency of Migration Management (e-Ikamet) · checked 2026-10-11
- 2026 minimum wage set at net TRY 28,075.50 · Ministry of Labour and Social Security · checked 2026-10-11
- Presidency of Migration Management: residence permit document fee and duty amounts · Presidency of Migration Management · checked 2026-10-11
Spouse of a resident and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spouse of a resident | – | 3 yr, renewable | – |
| Spouse of a citizen | – | 3 yr, renewable | – |
| Spouse of a citizen Portugal | – | – | – |
| Spouse of a resident Spain | Needs income of €900+ a month ≈ $1,010 | – | Yes |
| Spouse of a resident Georgia | – | 1 yr, renewable | – |
Questions people ask
How much money do I need for the Spouse of a resident?
A fee of TRY 964 (≈ $20). Residence permit document fee for 2026, charged to all nationalities; a separate residence duty depends on nationality and permit length.
How long can I stay on the Spouse of a resident?
Issued for up to three years each time and never longer than the sponsor's own residence permit.
How long does the Spouse of a resident take to process?
Residence permit applications must be decided within 90 days (Law 6458 Art.
Can I bring my family on the Spouse of a resident?
Children of the sponsor or spouse who are minors or dependants can receive a family residence permit; minor children may attend primary and secondary school without a student permit.
Does the Spouse of a resident lead to permanent residence in Türkiye?
Time on the Spouse of a resident counts toward permanent residence in Türkiye, which the rules allow after 8 years of residence.
Is there a tax break for Spouse of a resident holders in Türkiye?
Foreign-source income exemption for new tax residents (Income Tax Law repeated Art. 20/D): Individuals who become Turkish tax residents and had no domicile or tax liability in Türkiye in the preceding three calendar years are exempt from income tax on income and gains earned outside Türkiye for twenty years. It's separate from the visa and has its own conditions.
Tax
Special regime
Foreign-source income exemption for new tax residents (Income Tax Law repeated Art. 20/D)
0% tax
Details
- On: Foreign-source income and gains (kazanç ve iratlar) earned outside Türkiye
- Who: Natural person treated as resident in Türkiye on or after 1 January 2026
Individuals who become Turkish tax residents and had no domicile or tax liability in Türkiye in the preceding three calendar years are exempt from income tax on income and gains earned outside Türkiye for twenty years.
Taxed on
Foreign-source income and gains (kazanç ve iratlar) earned outside Türkiye.
Who it applies to
- Natural person treated as resident in Türkiye on or after 1 January 2026 (domicile in Türkiye or staying continuously more than six months in a calendar year, Art. 3-4).
- No domicile and no tax liability in Türkiye during the three calendar years before becoming resident.
- Earlier Türkiye-source rental, securities income or capital gains liability does not prevent the exemption; a salary or business taxed in Türkiye in those three years does.
- An exemption certificate must be obtained from the tax office: the application is due by the end of the calendar year in which the person becomes resident, or by the end of February of the next year for those who become resident in November or December. A late application is refused.
Exclusions
- Income earned in Türkiye is not covered.
- Costs and expenses of exempt income are not deductible; foreign taxes paid on exempt income cannot be credited against Turkish income tax.
- No annual return is filed for the exempt income; the exemption is lost with retroactive tax if the conditions were not met.
Tax residence
Applies from 1 January 2026 to persons who become resident; added by Law 7582 of 21 May 2026, published 4 June 2026. The Ministry of Treasury and Finance sets procedures.
Visas
Tax residence arises from presence or domicile, not from a particular residence permit.
Other taxes
Social security, VAT and local taxes are separate.
Checked against official sources on Change log
More in Türkiye
Spouse and partner visas elsewhere
≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
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How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-11 against 6 official sources. Status: verified against the official sources.
Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.
- Law No. 6458 on Foreigners and International Protection · Grand National Assembly / mevzuat.gov.tr · checked 2026-10-11
- Residence permit types: short-term, family, student, long-term · Presidency of Migration Management, Ministry of Interior · checked 2026-10-11
- Regulation on the Implementation of the Law on Foreigners and International Protection · Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye, Legislation Information System · checked 2026-10-11
- Documents required for family residence permit applications · Presidency of Migration Management (e-Ikamet) · checked 2026-10-11
- 2026 minimum wage set at net TRY 28,075.50 · Ministry of Labour and Social Security · checked 2026-10-11
- Presidency of Migration Management: residence permit document fee and duty amounts · Presidency of Migration Management · checked 2026-10-11
Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.