Erasmus+

Visa

Exchange students are advised to acquaint themselves with the necessary formalities in connection with their entry to and residence in Turkey. Students can find travel information on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Consular Procedures of Republic of Turkey. If you need further information, please contact the foreign representation (embassy/consulate) of Turkey in your home country. See here for the contact data of the relevant foreign representation.

Please note that incoming students are responsible for applying for a visa themselves. Erasmus Office is not involved in the application process. As processing a visa application may take a long time, you are advised to file your application as soon as possible.

Visa Exemption

Some exchange students who are citizens of EU/EEA countries may not require a visa for Turkey. Please check the webpage for visa informaation for foreigners of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for further information.

Please note that special conditions of visa/residence may apply non-EU/EEA country citizens, even if they have a residence permit from a European country.

Those who have visa exemption are obliged to apply for residence permit since they will stay more than 90 days in Turkey. For the residence permit, the applicants must hold a valid passport at least 60 days longer than their intended period of stay. In order to prevent any problems they might have, the incoming students are required to submit a valid passport copy in their online Erasmus application. Therefore, the ID card is not a valid document type for Erasmus application.

Supporting Document from the University

Students might need an acceptance or a confirmation letter to apply for visa. Students receive their letter of acceptance after their application is approved by the relevant academic department at Istanbul Okan University.

Turkish Citizens Living Abroad

Turkish citizens living abroad and holders of Mavi Kart only require a valid passport or ID card to enter Turkey. They do not apply either for visa or residence permit. If you are a Turkish citizen, please send us the copy of your Turkish national ID or Turkish passport or Mavi Kart for your Erasmus application.

RESIDENCE PERMIT

The residence permit application procedure is determined by the Directorate General of Migration Management under the Ministry of Interior. Universities and Erasmus offices do not have authority over application documents, procedures, and evaluation processes. Students can directly contact the Directorate General of Migration Management for questions regarding these matters.

When to Apply?

For mobilities longer than three months (90 days), all foreign students need toapply for a residence permit for studies within the legal period regardless of theircitizenship.For the extension application, students must apply 2 months (60 days) before theexpiration of the old residence permit.

APPLICATION STEPS

The steps of the residence permit application are as follows:

** Until students receive their residence permit cards, they should regularly check the information sent to the email addresses provided during online application and/or phone SMS notifications. Moreover, students can track their application status at e-ikamet.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS FOR RESIDENCE PERMIT APPLICATION

1. Residence permit application form (to be downloaded and signed by the student after filled in at e-ikamet)
2. Passport (original and the copy of the bio-data, visa, stamped pages)
3. Student certificate (enrolment letter)
4. 4 biometric photos
5. Valid health insurance covering the whole mobility period
6. Document indicating the address of stay
   1. If staying at one's own residence, a copy of the title deed (a "residence certificate" is sufficient for extension applications)
   2. If staying with a lease agreement, a notarized copy of the lease agreement
   3. If staying in hotels or similar places, a document indicating the stay
   4. If staying in a student dormitory, a document indicating residence in the dormitory
   5. If staying with a sponsor, a notarized commitment from the sponsor (if the sponsor is married, also a notarized commitment from the spouse)
   6. Receipt confirming the payment of the residence permit fee
7. Photocopy of Residence Permit Card (ONLY for extension applications)

More information about the documents can always be found at here (you can change the language of the webpage on the top-right corner).