The Directorate of Souls of the Turkish Ministry of Interior announced the possibility of submitting foreigners who meet the conditions and wish to obtain Turkish citizenship through the use of the government portal "e-Devlet", where a special link has been added on the portal that allows submitting an initial application form for Turkish citizenship and following it up later.
This step will facilitate the procedures for applying for Turkish citizenship by shortening it in time and effort, as well as reducing the number of documents and documents that were previously requested, as the electronic portal works interconnectedly with all Turkish ministries and bodies.
This step is part of the Turkish government's plans to achieve the goals of Vision 2023, which aims to digital transformation within Turkish ministries in order to reduce bureaucracy and provide a quick, more effective and efficient service to citizens and foreigners residing on its territory, and digital transformation has helped during the past two years to achieve savings of 251 Million TL by reducing the number of required documents by 52%.
Certain categories are entitled to apply through the online portal
Applying for citizenship through the online portal is only for people who meet the requirements for naturalization within one of these categories:
- Obtaining a work permit for a period of 5 continuous years, with no leave to leave for more than 6 months during the entire period.
- Marriage to a Turkish citizen or a Turkish citizen.
.- Invest a minimum of $500,000 USD or its equivalent in foreign currencies for a period of 3 years.
- Buying a property with a value of no less than $250,000, and a pledge not to sell it during the first 3 years.
- Adoption, as Turkish law grants the Turkish family the right to adopt a foreign citizen who is not an adult, and accordingly, an application can be submitted for a foreign minor to obtain citizenship.
- Turkish asset owners.
- There is a provision for residents of the Northern Cyprus.
Syrians holding a temporary protection card are not entitled to apply through the online portal, as well as exceptionally people applying for Turkish citizenship.