Turkey digital nomad visa (2026)

Who can apply

Only citizens of the countries listed on the official GoTürkiye digital nomad platform.

• Aged 21 to 55
• University degree
• Employee or freelancer working for companies outside Türkiye
• Income of at least USD 3,000 a month or USD 36,000 a year
• Citizen of one of the listed countries

Income requirement

You need to show at least USD 3,000 per month (or USD 36,000 per year). Income can be shown as USD 3,000 a month or USD 36,000 a year; no family add-on is published.

Documents you need

• Passport valid at least 6 months from arrival
• University diploma
• Employment or freelance contract with a non-Turkish company
• Proof of income
• Biometric photo
• At the consulate: police certificate, proof of lodging, flight booking, bank statement and travel health insurance (Los Angeles list)

How to apply, step by step

1. Register on the GoTürkiye digital nomad platform and upload documents
2. Receive the Digital Nomad Identification Certificate
3. Apply online at visa.gov.tr and book a consulate appointment
4. Attend the interview with original documents and pay the visa fee

Where and how to apply

Three different bodies are involved. First, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism's GoTürkiye digital nomad platform checks your eligibility online and issues the Digital Nomad Identification Certificate. Second, a Turkish consulate (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) handles the visa: you start the application on konsolosluk.gov.tr, upload documents, print and sign the generated form, and then attend an interview appointment at the consulate with paper originals. Consulates only accept applicants living in their jurisdiction; the Miami consulate, for example, also asks for proof of legal status in the host country. Third, if you want to stay beyond the visa period, the residence permit is decided by the Presidency of Migration Management through its provincial directorates. Residence permit appointments are booked free of charge on e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr, and the Presidency warns applicants not to pay third parties who charge for appointments.

Timeline

1. Get the identification certificate Online; no official processing time published
   Create an account on the GoTürkiye digital nomad platform and upload passport, diploma, work contract, photo and income proof. If the platform finds the file sufficient, it assigns the certificate.
2. Consulate pre-application After the certificate is issued
   Fill in the visa application on konsolosluk.gov.tr, upload the documents and book an interview at the consulate for your area of residence.
3. Interview and visa Consulate-dependent; Miami says it cannot expedite
   Bring paper originals in full size. If you speak neither Turkish nor English, bring an interpreter or the appointment is rescheduled.
4. Arrive in Türkiye Visa allows up to 90 days' stay
   The Miami consulate states the digital nomad visa gives a maximum 90-day stay; a residence permit is needed to remain longer.
5. Apply for a residence permit Before the visa period ends
   Book an e-ikamet appointment and hand in the full document set at the provincial migration directorate on the appointment day.
6. Register your address Within 20 working days of approval
   On a first permit, address registration must be completed within 20 working days after the permit is approved.
7. Start using the permit Within 6 months of issue
   Under Law 6458, a residence permit lapses if it is not used within six months.
8. Extend if staying on From 60 days before expiry, and before it expires
   Extensions are filed with the governorship; while the request is pending you receive a document that lets you stay even if the old permit has expired.

Proving your income

At the eligibility stage, GoTürkiye asks for proof of the income threshold together with an employment contract or, for the self-employed, a business contract with a company outside Türkiye. At the consulate, the Miami checklist adds a work certificate approved by the employer (or the project contract for self-employed applicants) and bank statements for the last three months. If you pay your own way, the account should show at least USD 50 per day for the planned stay; if someone else funds you, their bank statements and a letter of financial guarantee are needed. Screenshots are refused; documents must be printed at original size. For the residence permit, the Presidency asks for a document or declaration showing sufficient and regular means for the whole stay. Its general rule for tourism-based short-term permits treats 'regular' as income shown over at least the last three months, with 1.5 times the net minimum wage for a single applicant and at least one minimum wage per family member when applying together; no official page confirms which short-term category a digital nomad is filed under. Foreign-issued civil documents need an apostille (or consular legalisation) plus a notarised Turkish translation.

Bringing your family

The official digital nomad pages describe the certificate and visa only for the main applicant, who must personally meet the age, degree and income rules; no dependant route is published. The general Law on Foreigners allows a family residence permit for a foreign resident's spouse, minor children and dependent children, for up to three years at a time and never beyond the sponsor's own permit. The sponsor must have monthly income of at least the minimum wage in total and at least one-third of the minimum wage per family member, housing suitable for the family, health insurance covering everyone, a clean record on family-related offences for five years, registration in the address system, and at least one year of residence on a permit. That one-year rule means a newly arrived nomad cannot usually sponsor family straight away; relatives would need their own visa or short-term permit until then. Children on a family permit may attend primary and secondary school without a student permit. A residence permit does not give the right to work in Türkiye for anyone in the family.

Health insurance

For the visa, the Miami consulate requires international health insurance with at least USD 35,000 cover for urgent medical costs and repatriation after an accident or sudden illness, valid for the whole visa period; international travel health insurance is accepted. For the residence permit, the insurance must cover the entire permit period you ask for. Accepted forms are a private health policy (bring the first page with the policy number), a document from the Social Security Institution (SGK) confirming coverage under a bilateral social security agreement, an SGK provision document, or proof of an application to join Turkish general health insurance. Under Law 5510, foreign residence permit holders who are not insured under another country's system fall into Turkish general health insurance once they have lived in Türkiye for a year, subject to reciprocity.

Cost and processing time

The fee is set by each consulate (e.g. US$60 single or US$180 multiple entry at the Miami consulate). Processing takes up to 30 days after the consulate interview (Los Angeles consulate). Budget extra for translations, certified copies and health insurance.

After you arrive

• Apply for a residence permit on e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr before your 90-day visa stay ends; bring every document on the appointment day, because incomplete files are not evaluated.
• Complete address registration within 20 working days of your first permit being approved; for a rental, the Presidency asks for a notarised copy of the lease.
• Arrange a Turkish tax number with the Revenue Administration (GİB) or a tax office if you need one for a lease, utilities or banking; the exact current procedure for foreigners was not confirmed on an official page.
• Before any extension or change of permit, obtain an up-to-date residence document (Yerleşim Yeri Belgesi) from e-Devlet and a National Electronic Notification System (UETS) address from a main PTT branch.
• Keep health insurance running for the full permit period and renew it before filing an extension.
• File extensions from 60 days before expiry; absences of more than six months in a year can be treated as a break in residence.

Tax

Under the Income Tax Law (Law 193), a person is treated as settled in Türkiye, and taxed on worldwide income, if their legal domicile is in Türkiye or if they stay continuously for more than six months in a calendar year; short trips abroad do not break that period. The same law says that certain foreigners are not treated as settled even after six months, including those who come for a specific temporary task or job, or for study, treatment, rest or travel. The official sources do not say whether a digital nomad falls under this exception, and no special tax regime for digital nomads was found on official pages. Social security: there is no nomad-specific rule; foreign residents without coverage from another country are brought into Turkish general health insurance after one year of residence, which carries a premium. Get a written opinion from the Revenue Administration (GİB) or a Turkish tax adviser if you will stay more than six months.

Does it lead to permanent residence?

Time on residence permits can count. The Law on Foreigners grants a long-term (indefinite) residence permit after at least eight years of uninterrupted residence on permits, provided you have not received social assistance in the last three years, have sufficient regular income and health insurance, and pose no security risk. Short-term permits count in full (student permits count by half). Residence is treated as interrupted if you spend more than six months in total outside Türkiye in a single year, or more than one year in total over the last five years. For citizenship by naturalisation, the Turkish Citizenship Law requires five years of uninterrupted residence immediately before applying, plus adequate Turkish, a means of living, good character and no public-order objections. No official page confirms how the post-visa digital nomad permit is classified, so check that it is a permit type that counts.

Why applications get refused

• Ineligible profile at the first stage: nationality not on the GoTürkiye list, age outside 21-55, no university degree, or a contract with a company in Türkiye.
• Applying to a consulate outside your area of residence, or (in the US) without proof of legal status there.
• Documents missing, shown as screenshots, or not at original size; the Presidency says incomplete documents on the appointment day stop an application from being assessed.
• Health insurance that does not cover the whole requested permit period, or a passport that is not valid at least 60 days longer than the permit requested.
• Purpose of stay not supported by evidence, or the permit used for another purpose such as working for a Turkish employer without a work permit (grounds for refusal or cancellation under Law 6458, Article 33).
• An existing deportation order or entry ban, or false statements, which can also lead to sanctions.

Cost of living in Istanbul

1-bedroom rent

About TRY 40,000–65,000 per month in the city centre and TRY 25,000–45,000 outside it (Numbeo, updated 12 November 2026)

Coworking desk

From about TRY 2,000 per person per month; listed desk offers have a median near TRY 11,300 (Workin.space Istanbul listings, checked November 2026; tax treatment not stated)

Numbeo lists home broadband of 60 Mbps or more at about TRY 650–1,000 a month (November 2026); prices in lira change quickly with inflation.

Good to know

• Work for Turkish companies is not covered
• The Los Angeles consulate requires the appointment within 30 days of the pre-application
• The Los Angeles consulate's own list also includes Australia, which the GoTürkiye list does not

Visiting first? Entry rules for popular passports

96 passports can enter Turkey visa-free for a short stay, a common way to try the country before applying. Check Turkey visa requirements for your passport.

Official source

GoTürkiye Digital Nomads (Ministry of Culture and Tourism)

Not yet confirmed on an official source: renewal, fee, tax. Check these with the consulate before you apply.