Getting a residence permit in Kusadasi....
When you initially enter Turkey you will have purchased a 3 month tourist visa. This visa is intended for short visits and covers you for up to 90 days.
The financial penalties for overstaying a visa have recently been reviewed and now charged cumulatively ie. the longer the breach of visa the higher the penalty.
If you intend to stay longer you have 2 options to remain legal....
1. Leave the country and re-enter and buy another tourist visa, or
2. Get a residence permit.
The first option is used by many people to renew their visas.
Some take a day trip to Samos by ferry and buy a new visa when they arrive back in Turkey.
The residence permit is my preferred method of making a longer term stay legal - and of course this is reflected in the prices charged! However, having residence does allow you to place your child in the Turkish state education system, be buried in Turkey and get discounted medical treatment in some private hospitals.
Getting the residence permit is easier if you know how. Some people use their estate agent or pay someone else to do it for them. However, you can do the whole process in a day if you start at the right place and have transport - a basic grasp of Turkish is required so maybe take a Turkish friend with you!
So, lets get a folder together - heres the list of things you need before you set out to make the application.
16 passport size photos
3 complete copies of your passport - you must make sure you have enough time left on your passport for the number of years of residence you are applying for otherwise you will be limited to the period left till expiry on your passport.
Bank statements to prove that you have enough money to live in Turkey. (For anyone who is ever planning to move to Turkey in the future, it is prudent to open a Turkish bank account and deposit a little money now and then - it goes down well with the application process).
If you have your own house here, a copy of the Tapu or rental contract.
Your passport and old residence permit if you are renewing.
Enough Turkish money to pay the fees etc.
The current Resident Permit fees are:
1 Year 456YTL
2 Year 888YTL
3 Year 1320YTL
5 Year 2184YTL
This must be paid in Turkish ok.
Finally, 2 reams of A4 paper, a box of pens and any other stationery items you might want to donate to ensure a swift application - Yes, we will come to this later!
Once we have all this together we can start our application!
Bear in mind all the offices that you will be dealing with are open from 9:00 am to 12:00 and 1:00 pm to 5.00 pm Monday to Friday.
There is an office in Kusadasi that deals with residence permit applications (Emniyet) however, applications to this office are sent to Aydin for processing. We will be dealing direct with Aydin to ensure a swift application ok.
I highly recommend you take a Turkish friend with you - it will make everything so much easier.
Step by Step....
Go to your local Muhtar (The Muhtar is a locally elected representative with certain administrative responsibilities for communities) and register that you live in your property if you haven't already.
He will need two of your photographs and a copy of your passport plus a bottle of Raki if you want him to execute the form swiftly! He will complete a registration document and give you a copy of this. You must take this with you to the passport police
You now need to drive to Aydin. Take the motorway and upon exit turn right which will take you into Aydin town centre. On the run into Aydin, about 1km from the motorway exit on your left you will see a large official building littered with military police (just before the Shell petrol garage) The Emniyet Offices. Bear this in mind because we will be visiting here later.
ok. As you continue into Aydin, you will come to a roundabout with a McDonalds on your right hand side - take a left at the roundabout (leave McDonalds till later ok!) and continue into Aydin Central.
1-1/2km ahead, you will come to a set of traffic lights and you should see a Garanti Bank on your left. Continue straight ahead up the hill. Another set of lights - go past these till the next set and turn right. Continue till you come to a small bridge with a river passing underneath. Park your car somewhere around here ok.
With the river in front of you, just before the bridge, to your left you will see a group of outdated office buildings. This is the Maliye offices.
Go to the Maliye office first floor and visit the desk on the right. Ask to pay the fee for the residence visa. They will print off a form which you must take to the cash desk on the second floor and pay the relevant fee for the period of residency you are applying for.
They will stamp it paid. Take this back to the desk on the first floor that gave you the form and hand them the receipt. They will then issue you with a formal receipt.
If you do not already have a Turkish Tax Number (Vergi Kimlik) now would be a good time to get one from these buildings. It is non essential for the residency application, but its free and only takes a few minutes to obtain. You will almost certainly need this card in the future).
ok, so now we can leave Maliye and make our way back to the Emniyet - the official police building we saw as we first left the motorway.
Take the road back to McDonalds and turn right - go past the hospital and look out for the Shell garage. I suggest you park somewhere near the garage as there is a complete parking exclusion zone for about 1000m surrounding the Emniyet building.
Make sure you have all your documents and other bits together and go to the Emniyet. As you enter you will be searched and bear in mind DO NOT SMOKE, big penalty for anyone caught smoking in this building. Dont even think about smoking outside the main entrance either - you will get arrested.
Look or ask for the Turkish Passport applications desk and the small office that deals with residency applications is on the left hand side.
Please try a little Turkish.... Merhaba etc iyi gunler, it will be appreciated by the staff.
Ask for a residence application form.
Complete the form and hand over
8 passport sized photographs
The 2 copies of your passport
The copy of your bank statement
The copy of your deed/tapu or rental contract
The receipt from the Maliye
Your existing residence permit if applicable
The Muhtar registration document.
When the time is right, and the person dealing with your application has checked all your papers, hand over the reams of paper, pens and pencils, box of chocolates etc. It will work a treat. Explain that you are planning to go for a tour of Turkey in the next couple of days and you would be very grateful if you can get your application processed for the next day.
It really shouldnt be a problem - Aydin can move mountains and a little persuasiveness on your part should see your residence permit available for collection the next working day.
And thats it!
So off to McDonalds and back to collect your new residence permit the following day or two.
Merv!
Linear Mode
