Many fear that a move to Turkey will result in lots of difficulties and hassle because the country is not part of the European Union, however, the visa, residence and work and permit process are all straight forward and it is worth bearing in mind that around 25,000 Brits alone already call Turkey their permanent home. There are three different types of visa available and they each depend on your nationality, the intended stay here and your reasons for being in the country.
Tourist Visas
Most visitors to turkey have to get a tourist visa just to holiday here, however citizens from EU and EEA countries as well as those from Australia, Canada, Iceland, New Zealand, and the USA can apply at the port or airport of entry. A tourist visa can last up to three months and costs in the region of 11 Euros. If you are not a national from one of the above listed countries you have to apply for a visa at your local Turkish embassy or consulate offices before you leave. If you are thinking of buying a holiday home here then the tourist visa will suffice unless you intend on staying longer than three months. There are exorbitant fines calculated according to the number of days over the visa limit for anyone who outstays their tourist visa and they are always imposed.Residence Visas
If you are planning to live in Turkey on a permanent basis then you need a residence visa and possible a work permit if you want to earn a living here. Don’t listen to anyone who tells you not to bother with these documents! There is a loophole n the system whereby you can exit the country and then re-enter for example by sailing to one of the Greek Islands or crossing over to Bulgaria, however, this is not a satisfactory way to ensure your rights as a resident here and given that the permit process is very straight forward it is not advisable.
If you do not have a job here or own your own property, you must apply for a Tourist Residence Permit, which will cover your stay in Turkey for between 6 and 12 months. It will cost around 165 Euros and must be renewed when it expires otherwise you will face some hefty fines.
If you have bought a property here and want to ship over your personal effects, you need to apply for a full residence visa. You should do this when your three month tourist visa expires because trying to apply for one from your home country proves to be more expensive. You can apply whilst your tourist visa is valid by visiting the foreign nationals section of your local police station. You will need to engage the services of a translator to help you through the application process. You will have to prove that you have enough money to support yourself and your family whilst staying here, so take an official bank statement from your Turkish bank, which should show you have around 1,100 Euros or 2,370 Turkish Lira and / or details of your pensions or other assets from which you receive a regular income. You will also need to provide six passport photos and reproduce your application form in triplicate along with a letter of application in Turkish. You must also show notarised copies of your passport, the deeds to your property or the contract of sale if it is still going through. Don't forget to take the originals with you and hand over the copies to the authorities. The application process varies in time according to the region you live in so it is wise to start it as son as you arrive in Turkey rather than leave it until your tourist visa is about to expire. Do not ship your personal effects into the country until you have your residence visa otherwise you will face some steep taxes and difficulty obtaining an import license.
Work Permits
If you want to work whilst you are in Turkey then you will need a work permit. You will need your future employer to provide you with an official job offer. You must apply for a work permit from the Turkish consulate in your home country if you do not have a residence permit, which means that you will have to go home to make your application if you do not have one. Your future employer will apply for permission to employ you from the Department for Work Permits for Foreigners at the Ministry of Labour and Social Security in Turkey and this must be done within three days of you making your application or vice versa. If you have already received a job offer before moving here it is easy to apply for a work permit from your home country. Some professions are not allowed to employ foreigners. It will take around eight weeks before your work permit is granted and many people start work before it is through. If you are resident in Turkey you can apply to the same office as your employer for a work permit. A work permit costs around 77 Euros for an indefinite period. There are actually several categories of work permit and if you are going to be self employed running your own business then you also need to apply for a work permit and you will need a lawyer and a translator to guide you through this process. Without a valid work permit, you will not be able to operate your business legally.
More information for British citizens can be found at http://www.turkishconsulate.org.uk/
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