Many Russians have been buying property abroad for many years, and the Turkish coast is especially popular because of its cheapness and favorable climate. Most of the girls leave for a permanent job, mainly in the tourism sector, and subsequently get married.
Each type of life in Turkey has its own form of legalization, which leads to the naturalization and acquisition of Turkish citizenship. How do people make out and get the coveted kimlik?
Citizenship Options
Once upon a time, Turkish citizenship could be obtained very easily, for example, after marriage he was issued just the next day, until the number of fictitious marriages exceeded the real ones, read "for love." Today it is a rather complicated process, which takes place in several stages. But what conditions must be met in general for the authorized employees of the Ministry of the Interior to decide to grant Turkish citizenship to a Russian?
First of all, the type of legalization on the basis of which a person lives in the country is always considered. So, a Russian can apply for Turkish citizenship if:
- Married to a citizen of the Republic of Turkey.
- I bought real estate (moreover, in this paragraph there are two options for naturalization - quick and long).
- Works on a work visa or work permit.
- Holds his business.
Who will not be given citizenship?
All official residents of Turkey who wish to live according to the law of this state are required to apply for a residence permit for a long stay. However, in the past few years, the Republic of Turkey has decided that ordinary tourists without the presence of the above items in their "baggage" after the end of the visa-free period may apply for an annual or two-year residence permit. Only this option is not suitable for the subsequent submission of documents for obtaining Turkish citizenship.
Despite the similar validity periods of the residence permit, one of the main documents by which the application for naturalization is considered, an ordinary tourist cannot apply for full civil rights of the Republic of Turkey.
It is also a mistake to assume that Turkish citizenship is accessible to Russians if their child is already a citizen of this country. Moreover, being a simple student or student, a person will also not be able to naturalize himself in Turkey. Hence the absence of such rights from an accompanying person, for example, a mother who received a residence permit due to the training of her son a foreigner in one of the schools in Turkey.
Obtaining citizenship by marriage
The most popular way to obtain Turkish citizenship for Russians is to marry a Turkish citizen. By and large, this option is more popular among the female half. Under modern law, a foreign citizen after marriage to a Turkish citizen has the right to issue a family residence permit for a period of three years.
You can become a “Turkish woman” after these three years, however, not everything is as simple as it seems and, most likely, you will have to do a residence permit extension, due to the long wait for a response from the inspection structures. The procedure for obtaining citizenship consists of three stages: the submission of documents, the police checking the place of residence of the spouses, conducting an interview to identify the fictitious marriage, receiving or refusing.
Denial of marriage citizenship
First you need to figure out what gives Turkish citizenship to a foreign wife? Firstly, a guarantee of security. Of course, a foreign wife with a residence permit can also apply for help from the state in case of critical situations in the family, for example, related to violence and so on. However, having become a citizen, a woman (we will consider female options, since there are more of them) with a possible divorce process, has more rights when dividing property, the same in the case of the death of a spouse. Moreover, her citizenship makes it more likely that the children will remain with their mother, if any, in the family.
They can refuse for various reasons, starting from the dark past of a foreigner recorded in Turkey, ending with the presence of a criminal record with a spouse - a Turkish citizen. Sometimes it’s impossible to understand the reason for the refusal, but it definitely is. For example, neighbors can influence a decision. Sometimes the police check not only the apartment of the spouses, but also interviews the neighbors, reveals inconsistencies in the words of the spouses, and so on. There will be a clear rejection if the spouses do not live together. However, if suddenly a foreign citizen is faced with such a situation - there is no need to panic. You should immediately hire a lawyer and file an appeal. Ninety percent of the protested denials ultimately end in a positive decision towards the applicant.
Documents for registration of citizenship by marriage
And now we will determine what documents must be provided in order to obtain a second citizenship. Turkey is requesting a rather impressive list and this is due not only to suspicions of a fictitious marriage, but also due to the unstable domestic political situation. That is, the authorities can take a foreign wife even for a spy and so on.
In order to apply for citizenship, a person must contact the regional office of Nufus (the city where he lives) and provide:
- A notarized and translated copy of the passport with an apostille.
- A notarized and translated copy of the birth certificate with an apostille.
- International Marriage Certificate Aile cuzdanı. If the marriage took place abroad, then it is necessary not only to transfer it, but also to legalize it.
- Any documents confirming the joint residence of the spouses. For example, a rental agreement, or an open bank account.
- Two biometric photographs taken no later than six months ago.
- Application drawn up in the form of VAT-3.
- A copy of the document on which the foreign spouse resides in Turkey. This is usually Ikamet or a residence permit.
- Certificate of absence or criminal record. After three years of living in Turkey, you can get it without leaving your home country.
- Medical certificate.
- A copy of Kimlik (ID card in Turkey) of the Turkish spouse on both sides.
- Receipt of payment of duty. The actual amount is best to know before going to the Civil Affairs Office.
Real Estate Citizenship
When buying real estate, Turkish citizenship is guaranteed to a foreigner in two versions: if he has been living in the country for five years (the possibility of leaving 180 days for the entire period), or if he purchases real estate worth one million dollars. Consider both options.
Naturalization in the presence of real estate is possible if a Russian proves his desire to recognize Turkey as his only homeland, since dual citizenship between Russia and Turkey is unacceptable (not to be confused with second citizenship). Accordingly, the Turkish side may ask first to withdraw from the citizenship of the Russian Federation.
Despite the fact that a Russian citizen is not allowed to have dual citizenship with Turkey, many found loopholes in the laws and somehow retained Russian and received Turkish. By the way, it might be easier for someone, but obtaining Russian citizenship for Turkish citizens is very difficult, so some do not even try to do this.
Obtaining citizenship after investing in the Turkish economy
The second option for obtaining Turkish citizenship in real estate is to purchase real estate worth one million dollars or invest in the country's economy two million dollars with confirmation from the Ministry of Economy.
Real estate for a million you can buy either one or several, for example, a couple of solid villas. The property can be in a new building, in development plans or bought second-hand. The acquisition transaction is necessarily confirmed by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Urban Planning. At the same time, a person who has bought real estate for a million and applies for citizenship cannot sell it in the next three years.
The same topic concerns the creation of a deposit in a Turkish bank with a total account of three million dollars without the right to withdraw or recalculate within three years and the opening of one’s own company with organizations of at least one hundred jobs.
Documents for obtaining real estate citizenship
To deal with the paperwork for obtaining Turkish citizenship in the presence of real estate, a foreigner must collect the appropriate package of documents:
- Copies of passport and birth certificate. They must be translated into Turkish and certified by a notary with an apostille.
- 4 biometric photos.
- A copy of the residence permit, issued in accordance with all the rules relating to owners of real estate.
- Medical certificate.
- Certificate of Turkish proficiency.
- Supporting documents on the existence of a permanent income.
- Documents on the presence of a spouse or children (certificate).
- If there are Turkish relatives, copies of their personal documents and address of residence are attached.
The naturalization procedure in the presence of Tapu, or a certificate of ownership of the property, is similar to the previous one, only first, having arrived at Nufus, the resident alien will be counted the days of actual stay in Turkey and issue a relevant certificate. It also needs to be attached to the rest of the documents.
Work Visa Citizenship
Yes, having a work visa, a foreigner has the right to apply for citizenship. It will be issued on a common basis, as with real estate. The conditions are almost the same, however, in this option, the applicant must have a continuous work visa for five years.
The documents here are required the same, including a medical certificate. The state must be sure that the newly made citizen is not a carrier of dangerous diseases, such as tuberculosis or AIDS. By the way, a big plus for a working foreigner in Turkey is the execution of state insurance, which provides him with a pension in the future. This is surprising, but the Republic of Turkey provides an opportunity to retire even to stateless foreigners, although this is a completely different story.
Citizenship for a child
If a child is born in a family where the marriage is officially registered, and one of the spouses already has local citizenship, then the second spouse will automatically become a Turkish citizen. If the child was born out of wedlock, but from a Turkish citizen, the latter must officially recognize him, or as they say in common people, "write on himself" in order to obtain Turkish citizenship for the child. The same story with children from first marriages, whose fathers and mothers are not citizens of the Republic of Turkey.
A big plus in mixed marriages is the assignment of two nationalities to a child. In this case, citizenship of the Russian Federation for Turkish citizens occurs without giving up the first, since Turkey at the legislative level accepts the second citizenship, but not dual. It should be noted that the practice of refusals is carried out in cases where there is no special agreement between the countries.
Citizenship for ethnic migrants
The practice of issuing citizenship to the Turkish immigrants was started a long time ago, but the whole procedure took a very long time, and the citizens needed to collect a bunch of documentation on time. Now the procedure is carried out according to a simplified version. This mainly applies to Akhysok Turks, who once lived in the territory of modern Georgia, which was part of the Ottoman Empire, and after being evicted from their territories to the countries of the USSR. Many of them have already returned to their historical homeland in Turkey and have long received local citizenship.
Terms of consideration
The timing of consideration of applications for citizenship varies greatly, it all depends on which of the above options a foreigner claims to be.
The last word always remains with the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the country. Some after the interview, they expect from two months to a year or more, and from this the whole term of registration takes two years. A positive answer may come to others within a year, and a categorical rejection to a third after a three-year wait.