Moving to Turkey
Turkey is a country in Asia. Its capital is Ankara and its largest city is Istanbul. The language of most people in this country is Turkish, and Kurdish and Arabic are also spoken in some regions.
Turkey, with a population of 80 million, has attracted the attention of many applicants to immigrate abroad. The lower cost of living in Turkey compared to other countries has made moving to Istanbul for Foreigners a good option.
Living conditions in Turkey have improved significantly in the last two decades. The Turkish government has taken significant measures to improve the quality of life. Therefore in recent years, many people have invested in turkey by buying an apartment or office for sale in Istanbul or other big cities.
Also, this country’s low cost of living is of great interest to immigrants. You can decide on moving to Istanbul for Foreigners in 4 usual ways. These four ways should be chosen according to each person’s abilities and situation.
4 ways of moving to Istanbul for Foreigners
1) Immigrate to Turkey through education
Studying in Turkey has attracted the attention of many students due to its low cost. According to statistics, 54 thousand foreign students study in Turkey. Studying in Turkey is possible at all levels and there are the following ways to immigrate to Turkey to study.
- Erasmus student exchange programs
- Undergraduate courses
- Masters’ courses
- Technical courses
- Ph.D. courses
- short-term courses
54 thousand international students studying in Turkey are from 93 different countries. The largest universities in Turkey are as follows
- Istanbul University
- Gazi University
- Marmara University
It is not possible to obtain a study visa inside Turkey. You must first get admission to the university and then go to the nearest Turkish consulate. Then, the students can apply for a study visa through the acceptance letter and the visa application form for moving to Istanbul for Foreigners.
The visa-issuance process usually takes 8 weeks and the study visa stamp is placed in your passport. A Turkish study visa is possible as long as you are registered in educational institutions.
2) Immigrate to Turkey by working
One of the ways to immigrate to Turkey that has more fans is the work method. This method is especially important for immigration to Istanbul. Note, that all foreigners who intend to work in Turkey need a work permit before being employed in Turkey.
It is illegal for a Turkish employer to hire a foreigner without a work permit. To obtain a Turkish work visa, you must apply to the Turkish embassy.
There are two common ways of moving to Istanbul for Foreigners through working depending on the type of residence:
Foreigners who have a valid residence permit (tourist, medical, sports, etc.) and its validity is at least 6 months, can apply for a work permit to the Turkish Ministry of Labor. Student visas are excluded from this case.
If the foreigner does not have a residence permit, he must refer to the relevant Turkish consulate of the country of residence.
3) Immigrate to Turkey through investment
There are many ways for moving to Istanbul for Foreigners through investment (including company registration, entrepreneurship, buying property, buying shares, etc.), the best and easiest way to immigrate to Turkey is by buying property.
When a person has a residence in a country, it means that he is legally present there (there is a condition of presence). But when a person receives the citizenship of a country, he can vote and use other citizenship rights.
There are two investment-based ways to immigrate to Turkey, which are:
- entrepreneurship and starting a business
- buying property
The method of buying property is also divided into two categories: buying a property for less than 400 thousand dollars and more than 400 thousand dollars.
The difference between the two is that by buying a property worth less than 400 thousand dollars, a person will only receive residency. And by buying a property above this amount, a Turkish passport will be given to them.
It should be noted that with the amount of 400,000 dollars, it is also possible to invest in high-level countries such as Canada. However, the main reason to buy property for sale in Istanbul is to get a passport.
Because by receiving a Turkish passport, they will be able to live and work in this country and travel freely.
4) Immigrate to Turkey through marriage
One of the ways for moving to Istanbul for Foreigners is through marriage. If people immigrate to Turkey in this way, they should be familiar with the legal conditions of marriage in Turkey and the legal conditions of obtaining residence this way.
The marriage must be legally registered, the marriage is real and stable, and one of the parties has the conditions to pay the living expenses in Turkey. The legal conditions of marriage that apply to all people living in Turkey are as follows:
- The age of marriage in Turkey is 18.
- a 17-year-old person, whether a boy or a girl, must get married with the permission of their parents or legal guardian.
How much does it cost to live in Turkey?
Undoubtedly, one of the most important parameters that applicants consider moving to Istanbul for Foreigners is the cost of living in this country.
Since Turkey’s economy has suffered a crisis in recent years, the overall economic situation and purchasing power of people in Turkey have decreased recently. But if we want to provide you with general statistics on the cost of living in Turkey, it should be said that:
- Turkey is the second cheapest country in East Asia.
- The cost of living in Turkey is 22% lower than the cost of living in its neighboring countries.
- Turkey is the fourth cheapest country in the world.
- The cost of living in Turkey for a family of 4 is about 14029 Turkish lira.
The best and fastest way for moving to Istanbul for Foreigners
According to what we reviewed, it can be said that the best and fastest way to immigrate to Turkey is different according to the conditions of the applicants. Everyone should choose the most suitable one depending on their financial ability, educational conditions, age, work experience, language level, and other characteristics.
Sometimes the fastest method may not be the most appropriate method. But in general, it can be said that the method of buying property is the best way of moving to Istanbul for Foreigners. You can have advantages such as getting a passport as soon as possible, getting permission to work and live in Turkey, and permission to bring a companion.
Buying a property is one of the easiest ways to obtain Turkish citizenship, and it will bring you a Turkish passport in a short time after the purchase. For this purpose, the value of your purchased property must be at least 400 thousand US dollars (according to the 2022 rules).
After buying the property, a Turkish passport will be issued to you within 70 days and you will have all the rights of citizenship. Of course, note that after buying your property, you will not have the right to sell it for three years.
If the property you are buying is less than 400 thousand dollars; In this case, you will be given a two-year stay and you can extend your stay as long as the property is in your name.
Of course, for people who don’t have high financial resources, other options are available. Be sure to talk to experienced consultants in this field and use their opinions and experiences before choosing the most suitable method. Our team, City Realty Turkey, will help you move to Istanbul for Foreigners In 2022.
We will give you all the necessary information on the legal part of moving. With us, your moving process will be as easy as possible.
Conclusion
Moving to Istanbul for Foreigners has increased greatly due to economic and industrial progress. The increase in demand for immigration to Turkey from neighboring countries such as Iran, Russia, Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, etc is far more than in other countries. Many of these applicants have chosen Turkey as their destination in search of a better life with different goals.
This country is indeed less strict than other European countries, but in any case, it also has its conditions that we need to be aware of for immigration. Be sure to check Turkey’s immigration department site
Some of these conditions are the same among all immigration methods to Turkey, and others are different for each immigration method. If you have doubts and uncertainty about any part of moving to Istanbul for Foreigners, be in touch with the City Reality Turkey expert team.