If you are considering living in Turkey, you may wonder about the differences between a Turkey residence permit and a Turkish citizenship. As you may already guess, there are many differences between a residence permit and a citizenship. Depending on your goals, you may decide to get one of these. In case you want to stay in Turkey beyond what is possible for a tourist, you will need a residence permit or become a citizen of Turkey. Now let’s start learning about the differences between Turkish citizenship and Turkish residency permit.
Types of Turkish Residence Permits
There can be many different reasons why you may be wanting to stay in Turkey. So there are many different types of Turkish residence permits. To be specific, there are six different types of residence permits in Turkey. These are, short term, family, student, long term, humanitarian residence permits and the residence permit for human trafficking victims. Depending on the situation, one of these types of residence permits can be given. And they have different requirements and limitations.
What You Get with a Turkish Citizenship and How to Acquire It
With a Turkish citizenship you get the rights of a Turkish citizen. This includes staying in Turkey for an indefinite amount of time. As there can be many ways to become a Turkish citizen, it may be worth considering if you are interested in getting a Turkish citizenship. Turkey has a citizenship by investment program which you can use to become a Turkish citizen. Moreover, it is also possible to become a Turkish citizen by marriage, by naturalization or some other means. But remember that certain requirements must be met for all these methods.
Turkish Residence Permits Have More Limitations Than a Turkish Citizenship
As you can already guess, with a residence permit you get more limitations. While there are six different residence permit types in Turkey, they have many more limitations compared to becoming a citizen of Turkey. With a Turkish residence permit, foreigners can stay in Turkey for a certain amount of time. In contrast, when you acquire a Turkish citizenship, you get the rights of a Turkish citizen. However, getting Turkish citizenship can be more difficult than getting a Turkish residence permit.
You Can Stay in Turkey Permanently with Turkish Citizenship
Just as we have stated previously in this post, with a Turkish citizenship you can get the rights of a Turkish citizen. As this includes staying in Turkey for an indefinite amount of time, you may find this idea attractive. If you want to stay in Turkey for a certain amount of time, you may also consider getting a residence permit. Getting a Turkish residence permit or a Turkish citizenship can have their own difficulties. So remember to pick one according to your goals.
Conclusion
A Turkish citizenship and Turkish residence permit have many differences to consider. Basically, a residence permit is more limited than a citizenship. Also in Turkey, there are many different types of residence permits. If you are planning to stay in Turkey for a long time, don’t forget to get the necessary documents that are suitable for you.