Published: 29 October 2026 · Reading time about 8 minutes
As a foreign national in Türkiye, almost every official matter begins with the same question: what is your identity number? A bank account, insurance, a title deed, a telephone line, a school enrolment, logging in to e-Devlet and a residence permit extension all depend on this number.
This article explains who the number is given to, at which moment it comes into being, where it is used, its relationship with the tax number, and what those who do not yet have one can do.
What the number looks like
The foreign identity number has eleven digits and begins with 99. It is written on the identity card.
Numbers beginning with 98
The sources do not agree about numbers beginning with 98. Some sources say that these are the numbers given to people under temporary protection, while others state that new numbers begin with 98 because the 99 series has been used up. We do not state anything definite; the practical result is this: it is not right to infer status from the first two digits of the number.
Who is given the number
The Law lists two groups: foreign nationals within the scope of the Law on Foreigners and International Protection, and foreign nationals who apply to a public institution or to a diplomatic mission, where they so request. A person given a number is recorded in the register of foreigners. Members of diplomatic missions fall outside the scope.
The ninety-day condition that has been removed
There is an important change here, and a good many sources have not yet been updated. The earlier version of the article tied the number to the condition of a residence permit of at least ninety days. That threshold was REMOVED from the text by the amendment made in 2018.
Why it still says ninety days
Old copies of the law still sitting on institutions' websites, and the articles that copy from them, continue to repeat the figure of ninety days or six months. The current text prevails; even so, it is right to confirm the practice of the institution you are dealing with in advance.
Administrative detention and penal institutions
There is one further separate provision: foreign nationals who are in a penal institution or under administrative detention and have no identity number may be given a number without the residence permit condition being required.
Where the number is used
- Logging in to e-Devlet and official applications
- Social security registration and health services
- Opening a bank account
- Telephone line and subscription procedures
- Title deed and notary procedures
- Vehicle procedures
- School enrolment
- Residence permit extension and citizenship application
Does it take the place of a tax number?
It does. Under the General Communiqué on the Tax Identification Number published in 2010, foreign natural persons who have a foreign identity number use that number as their tax identification number, and since that date only the foreign identity number is used in these procedures.
Some sources write that the two numbers are separate; the text of the legislation is as set out above. There is a misunderstanding about the date too: this provision dates from 2010.
For those without a number: the potential tax identification number
A person who does not yet have a foreign identity number — someone who has to carry out a procedure in Türkiye before the residence permit process has begun, for example — is not left in limbo. A ten-digit potential tax identification number can be obtained. It can be obtained online through the Revenue Administration's digital system by uploading the photograph page of the passport, and it can also be obtained from a tax office. It is used for a bank account, a title deed, setting up a company, subscriptions and notary procedures.
Does the number change?
It does not. The Law provides that the identity number is given to a person once and cannot be changed. Even if the type of residence permit changes, or the permit ends and is obtained again, the number stays the same. When the status comes to an end the number is not deleted, but no procedure can be carried out with it.
Checking the number
The enquiry service on e-Devlet, the identity verification screen of the Directorate General of Civil Registry and Citizenship, YİMER 157 and the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management can all be used. For those under temporary protection, Migration Management has its own enquiry screen.
Two problems we come across often
The first is the spelling of the name: where the spelling in the passport does not match the spelling in the Turkish records, this causes problems in every procedure the number is tied to, and it comes up most often with banks and the land registry. The second is delay between institutions: once the number has been created, it takes time to appear in some systems, so this should be expected when planning the order of procedures.
When we see your documents, we work out together which number is needed for which procedure and in what order. The initial consultation is free of charge.
Legal basis
The foreign identity number is regulated in article 8 of the Population Services Law No. 5490. That article was replaced in full in 2018 by Law No. 7148. The rule that the number is given once and cannot be changed is in article 46 of the same Law.
Legislation and administrative practice may change. The information on this page is for general guidance only; an assessment specific to your case requires a consultation.