Foreigner Identification Number (Yabancı Kimlik Numarası) in Türkiye
The Yabancı Kimlik Numarası is an eleven-digit foreigner identifier assigned automatically when a residence permit is approved.
The number itself is free of charge; only the underlying permit carries fees. The Nüfus ve Vatandaşlık directorate issues the number, and Göç İdaresi Başkanlığı prints it on the residence-permit card delivered by PTT.
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.
What You Need
Tap to check off items as you gather them
Additional Items
- The foreigner identification number is eleven digits with a leading 9 reliably signalling a foreigner-issued number. Per the Göç İdaresi Başkanlığı Foreigners Communication Centre, the 99-range has been exhausted and 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.
- The eleven-digit foreigner-identification format predates Law No. 6458. The format was introduced via the central population administration system (MERNİS) established by Act No. 3080 in the year 2000. Law No. 6458 — Yabancılar ve Uluslararası Koruma Kanunu — was adopted on 4 April 2013 and published in Resmî Gazete No. 28615 on 11 April 2013, consolidating the legal regime for foreigners and routing issuance through the migration authority that now feeds the Nüfus directorate with status decisions.
- Retail bank-account opening rests on a vergi kimlik numarası (tax identification number) as the strict statutory identifier; the foreigner identification number is accepted by banks as the foreigner's identifier and reduces documentation friction for residents. Foreigners who need a tax identifier before the residence-permit approval lands may obtain a potential tax identification number through the Revenue Administration's dedicated online channel.
- Tax registration, social-security enrolment, property registration, and marriage registration accept the foreigner identification number once issued. Work-permit holders are auto-enrolled in SGK with the work-permit number functioning as the foreigner identifier. The Land Registry (Tapu ve Kadastro) and notary systems require the number before title-deed transfer. Municipal evlendirme dairesi (marriage offices) accept the number as the foreign party's identifier in marriage registration.
- Verification routes through two canonical Nüfus services hosted at tckimlik.nvi.gov.tr — the Yabancı / Mavi Kartlı Kimlik No Doğrulama (validate against surname and birth year) and the Yabancı Kimlik No Sorgulama (query by passport details). A third lookup service queries by birth year combined with residence-permit number. All three are public and free. The e-Devlet portal surfaces the same services through the Nüfus service catalogue at turkiye.gov.tr.
- An e-Devlet password unlocks the e-Government Gateway for downstream interactions — address-change declarations, tax filings, Nüfus services, and PTT tracking. The password is issued in person at any PTT branch on presentation of the residence-permit card and the foreigner identification number.
Step-by-Step
- 1
Pre-arrival or post-arrival — file the ikamet izni application via the e-ikamet portal
İkamet İzni Başvurusu
Expat New Arrival- (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.
- 2
Before the appointment — pay the residence-permit card fee and harç
Expat New Arrival- (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
⚠️ Watch out: 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
Expat New Arrival- (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
Expat New Arrival Resident- (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
⚠️ Watch out: 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
Expat New Arrival Resident- (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.
- 6
After receipt — verify the foreigner identification number online through Nüfus services
Expat Resident- (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.
- 7
Optional — activate an e-Devlet account for downstream civic interactions
Expat Resident- (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.
What Could Go Wrong
Missing the 30-day post-arrival application window: Law No. 6458 sets a 30-day window after entry into Türkiye for the residence-permit application. Late applications can trigger overstay treatment and complicate the appointment booking.
Recovery: File the e-ikamet application as soon as possible. Provincial migration offices vary in how they treat short delays; document the cause of delay and bring supporting evidence to the appointment.
Address mismatch between the application and the residence-permit card: The residence-permit card is dispatched by PTT to the address on the application. If the applicant moves before delivery, the card may be returned to the Göç İdaresi office.
Recovery: Update the address through the e-ikamet portal before approval where possible. After approval, contact the İl Göç İdaresi Müdürlüğü (Provincial Migration Office) that handled the application; an address-change notification and a re-dispatch request typically follow.
Card fails to arrive within the expected window: Approved residence-permit cards normally reach PTT delivery within one to two weeks of approval. Longer delays can indicate a dispatch issue or a returned envelope.
Recovery: Track the dispatch through PTT using the consignment reference issued by the Göç İdaresi office, and contact the provincial office if PTT records show return-to-sender. e-Devlet's Nüfus catalogue can confirm the foreigner identification number has been assigned even before the card arrives.
Verification service returns a mismatch: The Yabancı Kimlik No Doğrulama service validates the eleven-digit number against surname and birth year. Transliteration variants between the passport and the Nüfus record can produce a mismatch.
Recovery: Use the Yabancı Kimlik No Sorgulama query service at tckimlik.nvi.gov.tr to retrieve the recorded surname spelling, or visit any Nüfus office to verify the registered record and request a correction.
Costs
| Item | Amount | Payment | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreigner identification number issuance | ₺0 | No payment required | 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 | Paid at a Vergi Dairesi (tax office) or via the Revenue Administration's online payment channel; receipt presented at the appointment | 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 | Paid at a Vergi Dairesi or via the Revenue Administration's online channel | 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 | ₺2,232.3 | Paid at a Vergi Dairesi or via the Revenue Administration's online channel | 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 | ₺9,376.4 | Paid at a Vergi Dairesi or online before the appointment | 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. |
- Payment:
- No payment required
- Notes:
- 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.
- Payment:
- Paid at a Vergi Dairesi (tax office) or via the Revenue Administration's online payment channel; receipt presented at the appointment
- Notes:
- 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.
- Payment:
- Paid at a Vergi Dairesi or via the Revenue Administration's online channel
- Notes:
- 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.
- Payment:
- Paid at a Vergi Dairesi or via the Revenue Administration's online channel
- Notes:
- Indicative figure from the Presidency of Migration Management harç schedule. Multiplied by the number of months requested beyond the first.
- Payment:
- Paid at a Vergi Dairesi or online before the appointment
- Notes:
- 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.
FAQ
General
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.
After This Process
- → Open a Turkish bank account — request a vergi kimlik numarası (tax identification number) first, then present the Yabancı Kimlik Numarası and the residence-permit card to the bank
- → Enrol in SGK (Sosyal Güvenlik Kurumu) — work-permit holders are auto-enrolled with the work-permit number functioning as the foreigner identifier; other residents enrol via the SGK provincial office once the eligibility window opens
- → Register property at Tapu ve Kadastro — the foreigner identification number is the required identifier for the title-deed transaction
- → Schedule a calendar reminder for the residence-permit expiry — extension applications run through the e-ikamet portal under the Uzatma track ahead of the expiry date
- → Apply for the e-Devlet password at any PTT branch — the password unlocks downstream services tied to the foreigner identification number
Sources
- Göç İdaresi Başkanlığı — Düzenlenecek Belgeler (goc.gov.tr ↗)
- Göç İdaresi Başkanlığı — Geçici Koruma Yabancı Kimlik No (goc.gov.tr ↗)
- Nüfus ve Vatandaşlık — Yabancı / Mavi Kartlı Kimlik No Doğrulama (tckimlik.nvi.gov.tr ↗)
- Nüfus ve Vatandaşlık — Yabancı Kimlik No Sorgulama (tckimlik.nvi.gov.tr ↗)
- e-ikamet — residence-permit application portal (e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr ↗)
- e-Devlet — NVİ service catalogue (turkiye.gov.tr ↗)
- Revenue Administration — potential tax identification number for foreigners (dijital.gib.gov.tr ↗)
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6 sources cited last accessed 2026-05-25
T1 official portal · T2 embassy/consulate · T3 news · T4 community — higher tier wins on conflict. methodology →
- T1Göç İdaresi Başkanlığı (Presidency of Migration Management) — Düzenlenecek Belgeler 2026-05-25
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.
goc.gov.tr - T1Göç İdaresi Başkanlığı — Geçici Koruma Yabancı Kimlik No 2026-05-25
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.
goc.gov.tr - T1Nüfus ve Vatandaşlık İşleri Genel Müdürlüğü (NVİ) — Yabancı / Mavi Kartlı Kimlik No Doğrulama 2026-05-25
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.
tckimlik.nvi.gov.tr - T1Göç İdaresi Başkanlığı — e-ikamet application portal 2026-05-25
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-ikamet.goc.gov.tr - T1e-Devlet (Türkiye'nin Dijital Kapısı) — NVİ service catalogue 2026-05-25
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.
turkiye.gov.tr - T1Gelir İdaresi Başkanlığı (Revenue Administration) — Yabancılar İçin Potansiyel Vergi Kimlik Numarası Başvurusu 2026-05-25
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.
dijital.gib.gov.tr