---
title: Foreigner Identification Number (Yabancı Kimlik Numarası) in Türkiye
country: turkey
service: "foreigner-kimlik-numarasi-residence-permit-issuance"
category: identification
difficulty: moderate
estimated_time: "Statutory decision window up to 90 days from the in-person appointment; smaller provinces typically two to four weeks, while Istanbul and Antalya commonly run sixty to ninety days. The residence-permit card arrives by PTT one to two weeks after approval."
cost_range: "The foreigner identification number itself is free; only the underlying *ikamet* izni carries fees — a residence-permit card fee plus a monthly harç that varies by nationality."
last_verified: 2026-05-25
canonical: https://publicservices.guide/turkey/foreigner-kimlik-numarasi-residence-permit-issuance/
status: current
confidence: low
tags:
  - identification
  - "foreigner-id"
  - "yabanci-kimlik"
  - "residence-permit"
  - ikamet
  - "migration-presidency"
  - nvi
  - "new-arrival"
sources:
  - https://www.goc.gov.tr/duzenlecek-belgelerbelge
  - https://www.goc.gov.tr/gecici-koruma-yabanci-kimlik-no
  - https://tckimlik.nvi.gov.tr/Modul/YabanciKimlikNoDogrula
  - https://e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr/
  - https://www.turkiye.gov.tr/nufus-ve-vatandaslik-isleri-genel-mudurlugu
  - https://dijital.gib.gov.tr/foreigners/kimlikNoBasvuru
---

# Foreigner Identification Number (Yabancı Kimlik Numarası) in Türkiye

**Country:** 🇹🇷 Turkey  
**Last verified:** 2026-05-25  
**Estimated time:** Statutory decision window up to 90 days from the in-person appointment; smaller provinces typically two to four weeks, while Istanbul and Antalya commonly run sixty to ninety days. The residence-permit card arrives by PTT one to two weeks after approval.  
**Cost:** The foreigner identification number itself is free; only the underlying *ikamet* izni carries fees — a residence-permit card fee plus a monthly harç that varies by nationality.

## Required documents

- **Valid passport** *(Pasaport)*
  - Required: Original passport with validity extending at least sixty days beyond the duration of the residence permit requested.
  - Cost: Already issued
  - _Note:_ Carried to the in-person appointment at the İl Göç İdaresi Müdürlüğü (Provincial Migration Office) alongside the e-ikamet application printout.
- **e-ikamet application form** *(İkamet İzni Başvuru Formu)*
  - Required: Generated by the e-ikamet portal after the online application is submitted. Printed and signed before the appointment.
  - Cost: Free
  - _Note:_ The form is portal-generated for the chosen permit subtype — short-term, family, student, long-term, humanitarian, or victim-of-trafficking — and lists the supporting documents the appointment requires.
- **Biometric photographs**
  - Required: Four biometric photographs taken within the last six months.
  - Cost: Photographer fee — typically modest at provincial photo studios
  - _Note:_ Specifications follow the Presidency of Migration Management biometric standard. Studios near provincial migration offices generally know the format on sight.
- **Proof of residence address** *(İkametgâh Belgesi)*
  - Required: Notarised rental contract, tapu (title deed) for owner-occupiers, or a hotel or dormitory letter for short-term housing.
  - Cost: Notarisation fee at any Noter (Notary)
  - _Note:_ The address listed becomes the dispatch address for the residence-permit card sent by PTT.
- **Health insurance**
  - Required: Turkish private health insurance valid for the full requested permit period, or SGK (Sosyal Güvenlik Kurumu) enrolment for work-permit holders.
  - Cost: Premium varies by age and insurer
  - _Note:_ Some permit subtypes accept private insurance only; others require SGK. The portal's İstenen Belgeler workflow lists the accepted insurance type for the chosen subtype.
- **Proof of sufficient financial means**
  - Required: Bank statements, a scholarship letter for students, or an employer letter for work-permit holders.
  - Cost: Bank-statement issuance fees vary
  - _Note:_ Threshold and accepted documents vary by permit subtype and are listed on the e-ikamet portal's İstenen Belgeler page for the chosen track.
- **Permit-subtype supporting documents**
  - Required: Students supply an enrolment certificate from the institution. Family-permit applicants supply apostilled and translated marriage and birth certificates.
  - Cost: Apostille and certified translation fees vary
  - _Note:_ Certified Turkish translation through a noter-approved translator is required for non-Turkish civil-status documents.
- **Fee and tax payment receipts**
  - Required: Receipts for the residence-permit card fee (belge bedeli) and the harç (residence-permit tax), paid in advance at a Vergi Dairesi or online via the Revenue Administration's payment channel.
  - Cost: See the costs table for the underlying ikamet fees
  - _Note:_ The card fee and harç apply to the residence permit itself, not to the foreigner identification number, which the Presidency of Migration Management page explicitly marks Ücretsizdir.

## Costs

- **Foreigner identification number issuance:** 0 TRY — The Presidency of Migration Management's Düzenlenecek Belgeler page marks the residence-permit and protection identity documents containing the foreigner identification number Ücretsizdir (free of charge); no separate application or fee applies to the number itself.
- **Residence-permit card fee (belge bedeli):** 964 TRY — Indicative figure from the Presidency of Migration Management provincial fee circulars. Card-fee amounts have fluctuated and applicants verify the current figure on the e-ikamet portal before paying.
- **Residence-permit tax (harç) — first month, minimum:** 653.7 TRY — Per the Presidency of Migration Management harç schedule. The first-month figure ranges by nationality up to approximately ₺3,359.90; applicants verify the exact figure for their nationality on the e-ikamet portal.
- **Residence-permit tax (harç) — each additional month:** 2232.3 TRY — Indicative figure from the Presidency of Migration Management harç schedule. Multiplied by the number of months requested beyond the first.
- **Single-entry visa fee where applicable:** 9376.4 TRY — Applies only to applicants whose entry into Türkiye did not include a visa, where the Presidency of Migration Management procedural workflow requires a visa-fee equivalent at the residence-permit stage.

## Steps

### 1. Pre-arrival or post-arrival — file the ikamet izni application via the e-ikamet portal *(İkamet İzni Başvurusu)*

- (Applicant) Visit e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr and select İLK KEZ İKAMET İZNİ BAŞVURUSU YAPIYORUM (first-time residence permit application)
- (Applicant) Choose the permit subtype that matches the route — short-term (kısa dönem), family (aile), student (öğrenci), long-term (uzun dönem), humanitarian (insani), or victim-of-trafficking
- (Applicant) Register a portal account, complete the form, upload the documents listed on the İstenen Belgeler workflow, and book an appointment at the İl Göç İdaresi Müdürlüğü (Provincial Migration Office) for the chosen province
- (Applicant) Print and sign the portal-generated application form to bring to the appointment

> **Tip:** The e-ikamet portal interface is available in Turkish, English, Arabic, and Russian. The portal lists the İstenen Belgeler (required documents) for the chosen permit subtype — review the list carefully before booking, as missing documents block the appointment outcome.

_Links:_
- [e-ikamet portal — first-time residence-permit application](https://e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr/)

### 2. Before the appointment — pay the residence-permit card fee and harç

- (Applicant) Calculate the harç total — first-month minimum at the nationality-specific rate plus the additional-month figure multiplied by the requested permit months
- (Applicant) Pay the residence-permit card fee (belge bedeli) and the harç at a Vergi Dairesi (tax office) counter or through the Revenue Administration's online payment channel
- (Applicant) Retain the official receipts — these are presented at the in-person appointment alongside the application form

> **If this fails:** Harç amounts fluctuate; the figures on the e-ikamet portal supersede older provincial circulars. If receipts are short of the current schedule, the appointment outcome may require a top-up payment before approval.

### 3. At the appointment — submit biometrics and present originals at the provincial migration office *(İl Göç İdaresi Müdürlüğü Randevusu)*

- (Applicant) Attend the appointment in person at the İl Göç İdaresi Müdürlüğü on the booked date
- (Applicant) Present the passport, the portal-generated application form, biometric photographs, proof of residence address, proof of financial means, health insurance documentation, permit-subtype supporting documents, and the fee and harç receipts
- (Provincial Migration Office) Capture biometric data and review the document set
- (Applicant) Confirm the dispatch address for the residence-permit card and collect the appointment reference for status tracking

> **Tip:** The statutory application window after entry into Türkiye is 30 days. Missing this window can complicate the appointment outcome; book the appointment as soon as the e-ikamet portal allows.

### 4. After the appointment — wait for the decision under the statutory 90-day window

- (Provincial Migration Office) Process the application; the statutory maximum decision period under Law No. 6458 is 90 days from the appointment
- (Applicant) Monitor SMS and email for status notifications; smaller provinces commonly decide within two to four weeks, while Istanbul and Antalya typically run sixty to ninety days
- (Applicant) Check the e-ikamet portal periodically for status changes

> **If this fails:** If the provincial office requests additional documents after the appointment, respond promptly through the e-ikamet portal — extended request windows pause the 90-day clock.

### 5. After approval — receive the residence-permit card carrying the foreigner identification number *(İkamet İzni Belgesi)*

- (Nüfus ve Vatandaşlık directorate) Assign the eleven-digit Yabancı Kimlik Numarası automatically when the migration authority approves the permit
- (Presidency of Migration Management) Print the residence-permit card with the foreigner identification number on the card face and dispatch the card by PTT to the registered address
- (Applicant) Receive the card by PTT, typically one to two weeks after approval; sign for delivery and store the card safely

> **Tip:** The Presidency of Migration Management's Düzenlenecek Belgeler page marks the residence-permit and protection identity documents Ücretsizdir (free of charge); no separate fee applies to the foreigner identification number itself — only the underlying ikamet fees paid before the appointment.

_Links:_
- [Göç İdaresi — Düzenlenecek Belgeler (identity documents and fee status)](https://www.goc.gov.tr/duzenlecek-belgelerbelge)

### 6. After receipt — verify the foreigner identification number online through Nüfus services

- (Applicant) Open the canonical Yabancı / Mavi Kartlı Kimlik No Doğrulama service at tckimlik.nvi.gov.tr/Modul/YabanciKimlikNoDogrula
- (Applicant) Enter the eleven-digit number, surname, and birth year — the service confirms whether the data matches the Nüfus record
- (Applicant) Alternatively, use /Modul/YabanciKimlikNoSorgula to query by passport details or /Modul/DogumYiliveIkametTezkereNoSorguModulYbKimlikNo to look up the number by birth year and residence-permit number

> **Tip:** All three verification and query services on the Nüfus portal are public and free. The same services are surfaced through the e-Devlet portal's Nüfus service catalogue at turkiye.gov.tr/nufus-ve-vatandaslik-isleri-genel-mudurlugu.

_Links:_
- [Nüfus — Yabancı / Mavi Kartlı Kimlik No Doğrulama](https://tckimlik.nvi.gov.tr/Modul/YabanciKimlikNoDogrula)
- [e-Devlet — NVİ service catalogue](https://www.turkiye.gov.tr/nufus-ve-vatandaslik-isleri-genel-mudurlugu)

### 7. Optional — activate an e-Devlet account for downstream civic interactions

- (Applicant) Visit any PTT branch in person with the residence-permit card and the Yabancı Kimlik Numarası
- (PTT branch) Issue the e-Devlet password against the foreigner identification number on the card
- (Applicant) Sign in to turkiye.gov.tr using the foreigner identification number and the password to access address-change declarations, Nüfus services, and Revenue Administration interactions

> **Tip:** The e-Devlet account unlocks one-stop access to a wide catalogue of public services, including the Nüfus verification and query services without re-entering credentials each time.

## FAQ

### Is the foreigner identification number itself free?

Yes. The Presidency of Migration Management's Düzenlenecek Belgeler page lists the three identity documents containing the Yabancı Kimlik Numarası — Uluslararası Koruma Başvuru Sahibi Kimlik Belgesi, Uluslararası Koruma Statü Sahibi Kimlik Belgesi, and Geçici Koruma Kimlik Belgesi — and marks each Ücretsizdir (free of charge). The underlying residence permit carries a card fee plus a harç that varies by nationality; those fees apply to the permit, not to the identification number assigned automatically by the Nüfus directorate when the permit is approved.

### Do I need to apply separately for the foreigner identification number?

No. The Presidency of Migration Management identity-document page describes the residence and protection cards as containing the Yabancı Kimlik Numarası; no separate application step or fee is listed. The number is assigned to the central population administration system by the Nüfus ve Vatandaşlık directorate when the migration authority approves the permit, and is printed on the residence-permit card delivered by PTT to the registered address.

### Does the foreigner identification number always start with 99?

It carries a leading digit 9, but the historical 99-range has been exhausted. Per the Presidency of Migration Management's Foreigners Communication Centre, rolling assignment is now proceeding through 98 and 97. Citizen T.C. Kimlik numbers issued through the same central population administration system never begin with 9, so a leading 9 reliably signals a foreigner-issued number — but the specific prefix depends on when the number was assigned.

### Can I open a bank account with only the foreigner identification number?

A vergi kimlik numarası (tax identification number) is the strict statutory requirement for retail bank account opening. Banks accept the Yabancı Kimlik Numarası as the foreigner identifier and it reduces documentation friction once issued, but the tax identification number is the underlying account-opening anchor. Foreigners who need a tax identifier before the residence-permit approval lands may obtain a potential tax identification number through the Revenue Administration's online channel at dijital.gib.gov.tr/foreigners/kimlikNoBasvuru.

### How long does it take to receive the residence-permit card and identification number?

Law No. 6458 sets the statutory maximum at 90 days from the in-person appointment. Provincial throughput varies — smaller provinces commonly decide within two to four weeks, while Istanbul and Antalya typically run sixty to ninety days. Status notifications arrive by SMS and email. After approval, the residence-permit card is dispatched by PTT to the registered address, generally one to two weeks later, with the Yabancı Kimlik Numarası printed on the card.

### How do I verify a foreigner identification number?

The Nüfus directorate hosts the canonical verification service at tckimlik.nvi.gov.tr/Modul/YabanciKimlikNoDogrula, which validates a known eleven-digit number against the holder's surname and birth year. A companion query service at /Modul/YabanciKimlikNoSorgula looks up the number by passport details. The e-Devlet portal at turkiye.gov.tr surfaces both services through the Nüfus service catalogue. All routes are public and free.

### Is the foreigner identification number the same as the older pre-2013 system?

The format predates the 2013 reform. The eleven-digit foreigner identifier and the central population administration system (MERNİS) that underpins it were established by Act No. 3080 in the year 2000, before the Law No. 6458 reform. The 2013 Law on Foreigners and International Protection consolidated the legal regime for foreigners and standardised issuance routing through the migration authority; it did not introduce the number format itself.

## Sources

- [Göç İdaresi Başkanlığı (Presidency of Migration Management) — Düzenlenecek Belgeler](https://www.goc.gov.tr/duzenlecek-belgelerbelge) — accessed 2026-05-25 — _T1_ — Procedural anchor for the issuance route and the no-fee status of the identity documents containing the foreigner identification number. The Presidency of Migration Management lists the three identity documents it issues — Uluslararası Koruma Başvuru Sahibi Kimlik Belgesi (International Protection Applicant Identity Document), Uluslararası Koruma Statü Sahibi Kimlik Belgesi (International Protection Status Holder Identity Document), and Geçici Koruma Kimlik Belgesi (Temporary Protection Identity Document) — and describes each as yabancı kimlik numarasını içeren (containing the foreigner identification number). All three are marked Ücretsizdir (free of charge). Issuance authority cites Articles 85–86 of Law No. 6458 on Foreigners and International Protection.
- [Göç İdaresi Başkanlığı — Geçici Koruma Yabancı Kimlik No](https://www.goc.gov.tr/gecici-koruma-yabanci-kimlik-no) — accessed 2026-05-25 — _T1_ — Confirms the historical leading-digit-9 prefix structure of the eleven-digit foreigner identification number assigned by the Nüfus ve Vatandaşlık directorate via the central population administration system. The Presidency of Migration Management's Foreigners Communication Centre has confirmed that the 99-range has been exhausted; rolling assignment is proceeding through 98 and 97. Citizen identification numbers issued by the same system begin with even digits and never with a leading 9, so a leading 9 reliably signals a foreigner-issued number.
- [Nüfus ve Vatandaşlık İşleri Genel Müdürlüğü (NVİ) — Yabancı / Mavi Kartlı Kimlik No Doğrulama](https://tckimlik.nvi.gov.tr/Modul/YabanciKimlikNoDogrula) — accessed 2026-05-25 — _T1_ — Canonical verification service for the foreigner identification number. The Nüfus ve Vatandaşlık portal hosts the Yabancı/Mavi Kartlı Kimlik No Doğrulama (Foreigner / Blue Card Identification Number Verification) e-service, which validates a known eleven-digit number against the holder's surname and birth year. Companion lookup services at /Modul/YabanciKimlikNoSorgula (query by passport details) and /Modul/DogumYiliveIkametTezkereNoSorguModulYbKimlikNo (lookup by birth year plus residence-permit number) are publicly accessible and free.
- [Göç İdaresi Başkanlığı — e-ikamet application portal](https://e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr/) — accessed 2026-05-25 — _T1_ — Canonical entry point for residence-permit applications, which trigger automatic foreigner identification number assignment. The portal opens three application tracks — first-time (İLK KEZ İKAMET İZNİ BAŞVURUSU YAPIYORUM), extension (Uzatma), and transition (Geçiş) — and is available in Turkish, English, Arabic, and Russian. Applicants select the permit subtype (short-term, family, student, long-term, humanitarian, or victim-of-trafficking), register an account, upload required documents, and book an appointment at the relevant İl Göç İdaresi Müdürlüğü (Provincial Migration Office). Statutory application window after entry into Türkiye is 30 days.
- [e-Devlet (Türkiye'nin Dijital Kapısı) — NVİ service catalogue](https://www.turkiye.gov.tr/nufus-ve-vatandaslik-isleri-genel-mudurlugu) — accessed 2026-05-25 — _T1_ — Confirms the cross-portal availability of identification-number services through the e-Devlet aggregator. The Nüfus ve Vatandaşlık service catalogue surfaces the Yabancı Kimlik No Doğrulama (verification) and Yabancı Kimlik No Sorgulama (query) services alongside other civil-registration tracks (e-Başvurular, e-Sorgulamalar, e-Doğrulamalar). Both services route to the canonical tckimlik.nvi.gov.tr endpoints. e-Devlet access requires an e-Devlet password obtained in person at any PTT branch.
- [Gelir İdaresi Başkanlığı (Revenue Administration) — Yabancılar İçin Potansiyel Vergi Kimlik Numarası Başvurusu](https://dijital.gib.gov.tr/foreigners/kimlikNoBasvuru) — accessed 2026-05-25 — _T1_ — Confirms the differentiation between the foreigner identification number and the vergi kimlik numarası (tax identification number) prerequisite for retail bank account opening. The Revenue Administration provides a Potansiyel Vergi Kimlik Numarası Başvurusu (Potential Tax Identification Number Application) for foreigners, which can be obtained before residence-permit approval. Once a Yabancı Kimlik Numarası is issued, the eleven-digit number itself serves as the tax identifier for natural persons in downstream tax interactions.

---

Verification pending — see the canonical page for the latest trust state.
Canonical: https://publicservices.guide/turkey/foreigner-kimlik-numarasi-residence-permit-issuance/