STUDENT VISAS AND RESIDENCE PERMITS

Visa

International exchange students wishing to study in Türkiye need to have a passport valid at least six months longer than the expiry date of the student visa. Before travel you will need to obtain a student visa from a Turkish Embassy/Consulate in your home country. As visa regulations may change quite frequently, please contact the nearest Turkish Embassy or Consulate in your country for the most up-to-date and detailed information. Student visas cannot be obtained within Türkiye.

For more visa information, please visit Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ official website:

http://www.mfa.gov.tr/sub.en.mfa?cc4e437c-6769-4d79-9017-10b63c651224

What may l need for a student visa?

The following documents may be requested from the Turkish Embassy / Consulate for visa application:

• Passport
• Visa application form taken from the Turkish Embassy/Consulate
• 1 Passport Photograph
• Proof of student status in home country (Official paper taken from the home university Registrar's Office)
• The letter of acceptance sent by Ondokuz Mayıs University

  It takes around eight weeks from the time you submit your application until you receive your visa. The visa will be stamped in your passport. When you receive your visa check to see that it is a "student visa".

   

• How long is a student visa valid?

  Although a time limit will be stamped on your visa, the student visa will be valid as long as you are enrolled in the school.

   

• What is a Residence Permit?

  If you have a valid visa, you do not need a Residence Permit up to 90 days. If you are staying in Türkiye more than 90 days you will need a Residence Permit, regardless of status. You will need to apply for a Residence Permit from the «Samsun Valiliği, İl Göç İdaresi Müdürlüğü». For a residence permit you will need the following documents:

  - A student certificate provided by the International Relations Office

  - A document stating that you are an Exchange student provided by the International Relations Office

  - 4 Coloured Passport size Photographs

  - Passport

  - Health Insurance Policy Statement

  - Fee: 89 TL

  For more detailed information please visit:

• https://en.goc.gov.tr/

• https://e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr/ 

  It may take up to 90 days for the issue. Your Residence Permit will be mailed to the address of your residency in Türkiye.  In Türkiye, you may at any time be required to show your Residence Permit. Ondokuz Mayıs University International Relations Office also requires a copy of your Residence Permit.  

  Please click for Frequently Asked Question

• When must a student apply for a Residence Permit?

  Students must register within one month after entering Türkiye. However, sometimes students cannot complete all the procedures required within that month. If you don’t take your residence permit before the deadline, you will be in a fugitive position in Türkiye. In this context, you may be deported and be obliged to pay a fine.

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• How long is the Residence Permit valid and how are they extended?

  Students enrolled in an exchange program at Ondokuz Mayıs University are usually given residence permits that are valid for the exchange period as indicated in the student visa.

  If the Student Visa is valid for six months, then the residence permit will be for 6 month. Such students can extend their residence permit if they extend their enrolment at Ondokuz Mayıs University. Extension requires the same procedures as applying for a new residence permit with one exception, 2 Coloured Passport Photographs.

• In case of lost passport and /or residence permit...

  If you lose your passport while in Türkiye you must report it to your country’s Embassy / Consulate in Türkiye (they are mainly situated in Ankara and Istanbul). They will issue you an emergency passport. If you lose your residence permit, you must first report this to the closest police station at the place of the incident. (Please do not forget to get a copy of the report that the police holds about this incident).  You then need to report this to the International Relations Office at OMU. The office will provide you another document for the application of a new residence permit.

   

• Changes in address

  If you change the address that you initially gave to the International Relations Office, you must inform the Migration Office and the International Relations Office about this change within 2 days (48 hours).