Residence Permits and Diploma Equivalence for Foreign Students

Published: 14 September 2026 · Reading time approximately 7 minutes

Foreign nationals who will study in Türkiye face two separate processes. The first is the student residence permit: it allows you to stay in the country lawfully. The second is the equivalence or recognition certificate: it makes a diploma obtained abroad valid in Türkiye. The two are handled by different institutions and require different documents.

Who is granted a student residence permit?

Foreign nationals who will pursue associate, bachelor's, master's or doctoral studies at a higher education institution in Türkiye apply for this permit. For foreign nationals attending secondary education the law provides a separate arrangement. As a rule the permit is issued for the duration of the studies ; if the period of study is shorter than one year, the permit period cannot exceed the period of study either.

An important detail: the student residence permit does not, for the student's mother, father and other relatives, automatically create a right of residence.

Application and documents requested

1. 1

   Enrolment and student certificate

   Final enrolment at the university is completed; the basis of the application is an up-to-date student certificate obtained from the institution.

2. 2

   Application through e-Residence

   An appointment is booked and the form is filled in. The information declared must match the documents exactly.

3. 3

   Health insurance

   Valid insurance covering the permit period requested is required. A mismatch in cover or dates is one of the most frequent grounds for refusal; our health insurance page explains the conditions.

4. 4

   Address declaration and proof of accommodation

   A dormitory certificate or a tenancy agreement is requested; if you are staying in a dormitory, a document from the dormitory administration is sufficient.

5. 5

   Passport and translations

   The passport and the documents coming from abroad, together with their notarised translation are added to the file.

Because the official fee and card charges are updated every year, we do not give amounts here; we calculate the current cost together with you at the time of application.

Can students work?

A student residence permit does not on its own confer the right to work. Associate and bachelor's students after completing the first year of their studies and provided they stay within the weekly hour limit set by the legislation may apply for a work permit. For master's and doctoral students and for research assistants this restriction applies differently. In any event, working without a permitexposes both the student and the employer to administrative sanctions and may lead to cancellation of the residence permit.

Equivalence and recognition certificates

For a higher education diploma obtained abroad to be usable in Türkiye, an application is made to the Council of Higher Education (YÖK). There are two separate documents:

• Recognition certificate: shows that the institution that issued the diploma is a recognised higher education institution.
• Equivalence certificate: determines which degree and field in Türkiye the diploma is deemed equivalent to. This is the document required for admission to a profession, entry into public service and postgraduate applications.

For secondary school (high school) diplomas, the equivalence procedure is carried out through the provincial directorates of the Ministry of National Education or through overseas representations.

Documents typically requested in an equivalence application

• The diploma and transcript originals.
• On the documents, an apostille; consular certification if the country is not a party to the Hague Convention.
• For the diploma and transcript, a sworn translation and notarisation. Translating course titles and credits correctly has a direct effect on the equivalence assessment.
• The passport and, where available, records of entry into and exit from Türkiye during the period of study.

Academic translation is a service that exists precisely for these files: course titles, the grading system and credit equivalents on a transcript demand technical consistency.

The most frequently made mistakes

• The spelling of the name differing across documents. The spelling in the passport should be taken as the basis and all translations should follow it.
• Skipping the apostille. A diploma whose certification chain is incomplete is not taken into assessment.
• Translating the transcript incompletely. Translating the diploma alone is not enough for equivalence.
• The insurance not covering the permit period. The policy's end date must not fall before the end of the permit period requested.
• Failing to renew your status after graduation. When student status ends, the basis of the residence permit ends with it; a transition to a short-term residence permit or a work permit should be planned in advance.

To handle the studies, the equivalence and the subsequent change of status as a single file, see our consultancy for foreign students page.