Apply to renew a Turkish residence permit through e-ikamet from 60 days before it expires, and always before the expiry date (Law No. 6458, Article 24). The application document lets you stay until the governorship decides, and the renewed permit starts when the old one ends. In 2026 the card fee is 964 TL; the permit fee depends on your nationality and the period requested.
Key takeaways
A Turkish residence permit is granted for a fixed period, and the most common problem we see is not a refusal but a missed deadline. Once the permit has expired without a renewal application, the extension route is closed and the foreigner is in an overstay position. This guide explains when to apply, which documents migration offices ask for in 2026, what the renewal costs and what to do if something goes wrong.
Article 24 of the Law on Foreigners and International Protection (Law No. 6458) sets the rule. Extension applications are made to the governorship, in practice the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management, starting from sixty days before the permit expires and in any event before it expires.
Two further points in the same article matter in practice:
Our advice is to start the online application as soon as the 60-day window opens. Appointment dates in Istanbul, Antalya and Ankara can be several weeks away, and the application only counts once it has been submitted through the system.
The exact list depends on the permit type and on the migration office, but most renewal files are built from the same core documents.
| Document | Notes |
|---|---|
| Signed e-ikamet application form | Printed after the online application |
| Passport and copies | Permits are issued for a period 60 days shorter than the passport's validity (Article 23), so an expiring passport shortens the permit |
| Current residence permit card and copy | The card you are renewing |
| Biometric photographs | Recent, white background |
| Health insurance | Valid for the whole requested period; see our guide to health insurance for foreigners |
| Proof of address | Notarised lease or title deed, and an address registered in the address registration system |
| Proof of sufficient funds | Usually bank statements; amounts are assessed case by case |
| Fee receipts | Permit fee and card fee |
| Documents for your ground | Title deed for property owners, student certificate, marriage certificate for family permits |
Foreign documents must be apostilled or legalised and translated into Turkish by a sworn translator. Missing or out-of-date documents are the most common reason a renewal file is delayed.
A renewal involves two separate payments. The residence card fee is 964 TL for 2026, set under the Accounting General Directorate communiqué published in the Official Gazette of 24 December 2025, and it applies to every nationality. The permit fee is different for each country, because it is set on the basis of reciprocity, and it grows with the period you request. Some nationalities are exempt from the permit fee but still pay the card fee.
Because the permit fee varies so much, we do not quote a single figure. The e-ikamet system calculates the amount for your nationality and requested period before you pay.
| Permit | What to check before renewing |
|---|---|
| Short-term | Granted for up to two years at a time (Article 31). The ground you rely on must still exist, for example the property must still be in your name. |
| Short-term for a Turkish course | Can be granted at most twice |
| Short-term after graduation in Türkiye | Granted once, for up to one year; it cannot be renewed on the same ground |
| Family | The sponsor must still meet the income, housing and insurance conditions; see our family residence permit guide |
| Student | Proof of continuing enrolment for the new academic year; see our student permit guide |
| Long-term | Issued for an indefinite period, so there is nothing to renew; see our guide to long-term residence permits |
Short-term permits based on tourism deserve a separate warning. The law does not limit how many times they can be renewed, but since a 2019 announcement of the migration administration, offices have often refused a further tourism permit to applicants who already held one for a year or more and cannot give a concrete reason. If you have been in Türkiye on a tourism permit for some time, it is worth considering whether another ground fits your situation better.
Under Article 33 of Law No. 6458, a short-term permit is not extended where:
Long periods spent outside Türkiye can also lead to a permit being cancelled; the details are set by the Implementing Regulation. If you travel frequently, check your days abroad before you file the renewal.
If the permit expired before you applied, the extension procedure in Article 24 is no longer available. From that point you are staying without a valid permit, which can lead to an administrative fine when you leave and, depending on the length of the overstay, an entry ban. Our guides to visa violation fines and the 90/180 day rule explain how this is calculated.
Whether a new application can be made from inside Türkiye depends on the facts of each case. Get advice before you book a flight or submit a new form, because the wrong step can turn a short overstay into a ban.
A refusal is an administrative decision and can be challenged before the administrative court. The general time limit for filing is 60 days from notification. Since 2024, Article 31 of Law No. 6458 also contains special procedural rules for cases against refused or cancelled short-term permits, which speed up how the court file is completed. Read the reasons in the decision carefully: many refusals relate to a document that can still be obtained.
We prepare renewal files, check them against the requirements of the migration office handling your address, attend appointments with clients and act in cases against refusals. For an overview of every permit type, see our complete guide to residence permits in Türkiye or our residence permit service. Contact us to describe your situation and request information about the procedure and fees.
From 60 days before the expiry date. The application must be made before the permit expires.
Yes. The document issued when you apply for an extension allows you to stay until the governorship makes its decision, even after the old permit has expired.
No. A renewed permit starts from the expiry date of the previous permit, not from the date you applied.
The card fee is 964 TL for 2026. The permit fee depends on your nationality and on the period requested, and the e-ikamet system shows the exact amount before payment.
Once the permit has expired without an application, it can no longer be extended. You may face a fine on exit and, depending on the overstay, an entry ban, so get advice before taking any step.
