Foreign National Student Residence Permit (or Student Residence Permit for Foreign Nationals)

It is your responsibility to know and abide by the rules regarding the residence permit. Therefore, please be careful to follow the rules so as not to face serious legal problems or monetary fines in the future. In case you experience any problems, please contact the Directorate of Migration Management.

International students, after completing their student registration at Balıkesir University, must start their Residence Permit application process by filling out the 'Residence Permit Application Form' online at https://e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr/. Without waiting for the appointment date given by the system, the Residence Permit Application Form and the necessary documents specified on this form must be submitted not to the Balıkesir Provincial Directorate of Migration Management, but to the Student Affairs Office of Balıkesir University Edremit Vocational School.

The documents submitted by students to the Student Affairs Office of Balıkesir University Edremit Vocational School will be sent to the International Relations Office and then forwarded to the Balıkesir Provincial Directorate of Migration Management at certain intervals.

After the student's submitted documents are forwarded to the Balıkesir Provincial Directorate of Migration Management by the International Relations Office, the International Relations Office will be informed by the Balıkesir Provincial Directorate of Migration Management if any document/information is missing. In this case, the International Relations Office will contact you and provide information via your Balıkesir e-mail address or the phone number you provided in the application. It is the student's responsibility to follow up on the emails/calls daily and to act according to the information provided in the sent emails/calls.

If you have a problem or question regarding your residence permit, you must first call 157 to obtain correct information directly from the Directorate of Migration Management. If you need assistance even after this, you can contact us via the communication channels:

Although the involvement and intensity of our university's International Student Office in the residence permit process have increased with the new protocol, the responsibility for following the necessary procedures, rules, and implementation principles regarding the residence permit process still belongs to the student. Furthermore, the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management remains the sole authorized body for evaluating and concluding residence permit applications. For this reason, apart from collecting your documents and delivering them to the Balıkesir Provincial Directorate of Migration Management, the university has no involvement, responsibility, or authority in the residence permit procedures.

Required Documents:

1. Residence Permit Application Form

You can access the online application form at https://e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr/. After filling out the form, download it in PDF format, print it out, and sign the signature field on the first page.

You must write your university registration date as the start date of your education at Balıkesir University. As the end date of your education, you can write any date in August of the year you are expected to graduate.

On the application form, you must fill out two address fields: one for the university's address and the other for your permanent residence address.

2. Original and photocopy of a valid passport (After submitting your documents to the Student Affairs Office of Balıkesir University Edremit Vocational School, an "original is accurate" stamp will be applied. Please do not forget to bring your original passport and photocopies.) (The original must be with you.)

3. Document showing your student status (wet signature)

4. 4 biometric photographs (white background, size 3.5x4.5cm)

5. Health Insurance (Although there are two health insurance options for students: General Health Insurance (GSS) run by the Social Security Institution and private health insurance, GSS is not an option for students applying for a residence permit for the first time as it requires a valid foreign ID number. For this reason, students applying for a residence permit for the first time must obtain private health insurance to complete their residence permit application. Students who wish to can also apply for GSS after obtaining their residence permits. Students who have health insurance in Turkey under bilateral agreements and students under the age of 18 do not need to purchase insurance. Detailed information about health insurance can be found at this address. Students studying with a Türkiye Scholarship do not need to get additional health insurance.)

6. Written document showing address information: * (i) If staying in your own house, a photocopy of the title deed (For extension applications, a "residence certificate and, if possible, one utility bill in your name" is sufficient.) * (ii) If staying with a rental contract, a notarized copy of the rental contract (For extension applications, a "residence certificate and, if possible, one utility bill in your name" is sufficient.) * (iii) If staying in a hotel or similar accommodation, a document proving stay in these places. * (iv) If staying in student dormitories, a document proving stay in the dormitory. * (v) If staying with a sponsor, a notarized commitment from the person you are staying with (If the sponsor is married, also a notarized commitment from their spouse, along with a photocopy of the committing person's ID.) * (vi) If staying in a student apartment, a petition from the apartment owner confirming the situation, a copy of the apartment tax plate, and the Apartment signature circular.

7. Residence Permit card fee receipt (565 TL) (Visit https://dijital.gib.gov.tr/ and select "Harç ve Değerli Kağıt Bedeli" (Duty and Valuable Paper Fee) and then "Göç İdaresi İkamet Tezkeresi Harcı Ödeme" (Migration Management Residence Permit Fee Payment) and enter the Accrual Number you received after your online residence permit application. You can then make your payment and get your receipt.) (Payment must be made at the Kurtdereli Tax Office.)

8. For those under 18 years of age as of the application date made on the e-ikamet site (These documents are not required for those coming with a student visa from our foreign representatives): * Document containing parent/guardian information (birth certificate, family document, etc. - with a notarized Turkish translation) * Consent letter given by the parent/guardian/legal representative - (with a notarized Turkish translation) * In addition, a notarized Turkish translation of the Apostille must also be submitted.

Important Information:

Legal action will be taken if the relevant procedures are not followed.

1. 1-As long as your residence permit is valid, you do not need a visa to enter Turkey. For example, when you go to your country for the semester break and return to Turkey, you can enter with your residence permit. If your residence permit is nearing its expiration date, it is recommended that you consult with the authorized units and confirm your situation before your trip to avoid a last-minute problem at the airport.

2. 2-The Directorate of Migration Management takes the online application date into account. Therefore, the online application must be made under all circumstances before the visa or residence permit expires.

3. 3-The address you provide when applying for a residence permit must be correct and complete.

4. 4-In cases such as name/surname change, passport change, change of marital status, address change, or department/program change, the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management must be informed without delay.

5. 5-No deletions or erasures should be made on your residence permit. In case the residence permit card is lost, you must immediately apply to the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management.

6. 6-Information of registered/unregistered students, students on leave (frozen registration), and students who receive a suspension penalty due to a disciplinary offense is sent to the relevant institution every semester. Information of students whose connection is cut, who sever their connection voluntarily, and who graduate is sent within one week from their departure date. For this reason, you need to closely follow your residence permit process in these situations.

7. 7-Regardless of the validity date written on your Student Residence Permit card, remember that your residence permit is only valid as long as you are an actively enrolled student. If you (i) cancelled your registration voluntarily, (ii) did not complete your semester registration, or (iii) took a semester leave, even if the validity date specified on your card has not yet arrived, your residence permit will be cancelled by the Directorate of Migration Management.

8. 8-As stated above, the residence permits of students who are on leave (frozen registration) or have not completed their semester course registration (excluding students on leave for exchange programs, international joint degree programs, and TÖMER courses) are cancelled by the Directorate of Migration Management. Please keep this in mind. Students who will stay in Turkey for any reason in this situation must apply for a short-term residence permit. (Please make the online application for the residence permit transition immediately after submitting your leave request to your department, without waiting for your leave information to be processed in the system.)

9. 9-If you plan to stay in Turkey without being registered in any program (for reasons such as a graduation ceremony, postgraduate application, etc.), you must apply for a short-term residence permit before your residence permit expires.

10. 10-According to the information received from the Directorate of Migration Management as of January 2023, if the validity period written on your card is after your graduation date, you can stay in Turkey until the beginning of the next academic semester (For undergraduate students, the graduation date is the date the grades are announced. For postgraduate students, the graduation date is the date the printed thesis is submitted to the institute). Students who plan to stay for any reason after this date must apply for a short-term residence permit as mentioned above. For example, if you graduate in June 2024 and your student residence permit card is valid until February 2025, you can stay in Turkey until September 2024 with your current residence permit. If your student residence permit is valid until July 2024, you can only stay in Turkey until July 2024. The statements in this article represent information regarding the general rules obtained from the Directorate of Migration Management. Students are advised to contact the Directorate of Migration Management regarding their own situation and get the most accurate/up-to-date information (157 call center, balikesir@goc.gov.tr). This is because these general rules may change over time and/or your exceptional situation may create a change. The information expressed here is only intended to share the information received from the Directorate of Migration Management with the students.

11. 11-The residence permit does not provide the student's parents or other relatives with any right to obtain a residence permit.

12. 12-If you want to leave Turkey while your residence permit application is under evaluation by the Directorate of Migration Management, you can only do so for a maximum of 15 days and by obtaining an exit permit document from the Directorate of Migration Management. If you leave the country without this document, your current residence permit application may be adversely affected, and you may have to make a new application.

It is your responsibility to know and abide by the rules regarding the residence permit. Therefore, please be careful to follow the rules so as not to face serious legal problems or monetary fines in the future. In case you experience any problems, please contact the Directorate of Migration Management.

The procedures regarding the residence permit are carried out by the Provincial Directorates of Migration Management. Therefore, in case of any changes/updates to the rules, please keep in touch with the institutions whose contact information is below and follow their websites.

For your questions: Balıkesir Provincial Directorate of Migration Management Atatürk Mahallesi, 10020 Karesi / BALIKESİR E-mail: balikesir@goc.gov.tr Phone: 0 (266) 241 23 50 Foreigners Communication Center (YİMER) Phone: 157