Some of you, our dear readers, are probably highly interested in knowing the process to follow in order to get a student visa for Turkey. With an estimated number of 48,000 foreign students in the course of the 2015/2016 academic year, we can confidently say that the educational appeal of Turkey is indubitably growing, especially since the number of international students who chose to study in Turkey has more than doubled in the last 10 years! Yet, as attractive as Turkey is becoming on the academic stage, and even though it represents an important partner for the European Union, Turkey is not a member of the EU and therefore nationals of EU countries will, as well as other nationals, need to acquire a visa to study in Turkey.
So, if you are motivated in joining the international youth which have already chosen to pursue their academic path within a Turkish university, here is the process to go through :
1- First thing first, it is imperative for you to get your student visa before arriving to Turkey because it will NOT be issued upon your arrival in the country! That is why, in order to obtain your student visa, you will need to reach the nearest Turkish Consulate in your country and bring over there the followings :
- Your "letter of Acceptance" from a Turkish university certified by the Ministry of Education.
- Your valid passport (with an expiration date at least 60 days beyond your “duration of stay).
- A fully completed visa application form.
- A proof that you are able to financially support yourself for the duration of your stay (at least £3000 for 6 months stay). If you do not have the resources of your own and have a sponsor, you will need to provide a letter signed by your sponsor, bank statements and passport copy of the sponsor.
- A visa fee.
- One passport photo.
2 - Once you will have managed successfully this step, you will be allowed to enter Turkey for your academic purpose. However, one more step will remain for you to stay legally within the country. Indeed, it is very likely that the duration of your study in Turkey will naturally exceed 90 days and this is why, in order to be able to stay and live in the country, you will be asked to obtain a student residence permit. This permit will be the opportunity for you to freely travel in and out of Turkey without having to re-apply for an additional visa. This residence permit is a mandatory condition to keep studying in Turkey. Thus, in the first month following your arrival in the country, you must register and get your residence permit from the Foreign Relations Department at the local police headquarters.
For detailed information about the residence process you would have to do, please check our "residence permit" section.
Note : As a foreigner in Turkey you normally need to obtain a work permit if you want to legally find a job in the country. Yet, since quite recently, foreign students are now having the opportunity to work in Turkey with the limitation of not exceeding 24 hours of work per week.