Turkish residence permit card
A Turkish document, so it is never translated for use here. The translation question only arises when a foreign authority asks you to prove where you have been living.
In brief
- Document category
- Nüfus ve aile
- Apostille
- Depends on the case
- Validity
- Valid for the period printed on the card
The card issued to a foreigner authorised to reside in Türkiye. It carries an identity number, the permit type and the period of validity, and it is asked for in almost every file you open here.
⭐ Never translated for Turkish use
It is a Turkish document. Banks, notaries, the land registry, tax offices and the social security institution all read it as issued.
Requests to have it translated for use inside Türkiye are simply misunderstandings, and it is worth asking why before paying for one.
When translation does arise
When a foreign authority asks you to evidence lawful residence in Türkiye — for a visa application, a pension claim, a tax residence question or a family procedure abroad.
Then the chain runs outward: the document is Turkish, the apostille comes from the Turkish authority, and the translation is into the receiving country’s language.
⚠ What the card does not show
It shows a permission and its period. It does not show your history of entries and exits, and foreign authorities asking about continuity of residence usually want that instead.
The entry and exit record is a separate Turkish document obtained electronically, and it is often the document actually needed.
The identity number
The number on the card is what ties your records together across Turkish institutions. Use it consistently, and keep the card and its number recorded somewhere safe: replacing a lost card is a procedure, and the number appears on files you will need to trace later.
Expiry and renewal
The card is valid for the period printed on it. Renewal is applied for within a window before that date, and the file for it is described on renewing a residence permit.
Related Turkish documents
Address registration and the population registry extract are the two documents most often requested alongside it, and neither is translated for Turkish use either — see population registry extract.
If the card is lost
A lost or damaged card is replaced through the migration authority, and the identity number stays the same. Keep a photograph or a note of the number separately from the card itself, because it is what lets you trace files and appointments while a replacement is pending.
Frequently asked questions
Not for use in Türkiye. It is a Turkish document.
When a foreign authority asks you to evidence residence here; then it also needs a Turkish apostille.
No. It shows a permission and its period; continuity is shown by the entry and exit record.
It ties your records together across Turkish institutions. Keep it recorded safely.
Renewal is applied for within a window before that date.
It is replaced through the migration authority and the identity number stays the same.