The family residence permit
The family permit is granted to the spouse, the minor child and the dependent child of a Turkish citizen or of a foreigner holding a valid residence or work permit. It runs for up to three years per grant and never beyond the sponsor's own permit where the sponsor is a foreigner. The conditions in Article 35 attach to the sponsor — income at least the minimum wage plus a share per household member, suitable accommodation, health insurance, and no conviction for offences against the order of the family in the last five years.
At a glance
- Legal basis
- Law No. 6458, arts. 34–37
- Duration
- Up to three years; not beyond a foreign sponsor's own permit
- Who qualifies
- Spouse, minor child, dependent child
- Conditions fall on
- The sponsor, not the applicant
- Counts toward citizenship
- Full rate
- At eighteen
- A child must move to a category of their own
This is the widest category in the statute and the one where the paperwork burden sits somewhere other than where applicants expect.
Who it covers
- The spouse of a Turkish citizen, of a Blue Card holder, or of a foreigner with a valid residence or work permit.
- Minor children of the sponsor or of the sponsor's spouse.
- Dependent children of the sponsor or of the sponsor's spouse.
Where there is more than one spouse, only one may be the basis for a family permit; children of the others may still be covered.
What the sponsor must show
| Condition | Evidence that works |
|---|---|
| Monthly income not below the minimum wage, and not below a defined share of it per person in the household | Payslips plus an SGK service record; tax registration and a certified income statement for the self-employed |
| Accommodation meeting health and safety standards | Title deed, notarised lease, or a notarised undertaking from the owner |
| Health insurance covering all family members | SGK dependent cover, or a compliant private policy |
| No conviction for offences against the order of the family in the last five years | Checked directly |
| Address registration | Address-based population registration system |
The requirement that a sponsor has already lived in Türkiye for at least a year applies to foreign sponsors and not to Turkish citizens. That difference is the practical advantage of a Turkish citizen sponsor.
Where the spouse is married to a Turkish citizen
The permit is the same, but the file attracts an additional and decisive layer: an assessment of whether the marriage is genuine, conducted through address verification, neighbourhood enquiry and interviews with the spouses separately as well as together. That assessment — and the citizenship application that follows three years later under Article 16 — is covered in the firm's guide for foreign spouses of Turkish citizens rather than here, because it is a field of its own.
Children turning eighteen
A child covered by a family permit does not keep it indefinitely. On reaching majority the child must move to a category in their own right — most often a student permit or, if they qualify, a short-term permit. Families reliably discover this in the month it happens rather than the year before. Diarise it at sixteen.
If the relationship ends
The permit rests on a family relationship. Where that relationship ends, the basis changes and the permit can be cancelled — but Law No. 6458 provides for a short-term permit for the divorced foreign spouse of a Turkish citizen who has held a family permit for at least three years, and dispenses with that qualifying period where the marriage ended through court-established domestic violence. The application has to be made; nothing converts automatically.
Frequently asked questions
Who can get a family residence permit in Türkiye?
The spouse, minor children and dependent children of a Turkish citizen, a Blue Card holder, or a foreigner holding a valid residence or work permit.
How long is a family residence permit valid?
Up to three years per grant, and never longer than the sponsor's own permit where the sponsor is a foreigner.
Who has to meet the income requirement — me or my sponsor?
The sponsor. Article 35 places the income, accommodation, insurance and criminal-record conditions on the person supporting the application, not on the applicant.
What happens when my child turns eighteen?
The family permit no longer covers them and they must move to a category in their own right, most commonly a student or short-term permit. Plan the transition well before the birthday.
Related reading
- Turkish residence permit types comparedAll six categories under Law No. 6458 plus the work permit, side by side: conditions, duration, renewal and how each counts toward naturalisation.
- Keeping status unbroken: renewals, gaps and continuityThe quiet failure mode of this whole field — a gap nobody notices until the years are counted, and by then it cannot be repaired.
- The long-term residence permit (Article 42)Indefinite, granted after eight uninterrupted years, and the right destination for anyone who wants to stay without pursuing nationality.
Sources & legal references
- Law No. 6458, art. 34 — family residence permit; up to three years
- Law No. 6458, art. 35 — conditions relating to the sponsor
- Law No. 6458, art. 34/5 — short-term permit after divorce for the spouse of a Turkish citizen