Conditions for Applying for Turkish Citizenship by Marriage

Marrying a Turkish citizen does not directly grant Turkish citizenship to the foreign spouse. In order to apply for Turkish citizenship through marriage, the marriage must have been going on for at least three years and the other conditions specified in the law must be met together. About the relevant aspect of the process What Should Foreigners Whose Turkish Citizenship Application Has Been Rejected Do? There is detailed information on the page.

Completion of the three-year period only gives the right to apply. The competent authorities also examine the authenticity of the marriage, whether the spouses live in family unity and whether there are security obstacles to the applicant.

Three Years of Marriage Alone Is Not Enough

Four basic conditions stand out in the application for citizenship by marriage:

To be married to a Turkish citizen for at least three years,
The marriage must be ongoing on the date of application,
To live in family unity,
Not to engage in an activity incompatible with marriage and not to have obstacles in terms of national security or public order.

The duration of marriage is calculated from the date of marriage. The time spent in engagement, cohabitation or religious marriage is not added to the three-year legal period.

How to Examine the Condition of Living in Family Unity?

Citizenship authorities can investigate whether the marriage was established solely for the purpose of obtaining citizenship. Although it is important that the spouses are registered at the same address, it is not definitive proof of real family life on its own. In connection with this topic Citizenship Law You can also review the content titled.

In the examination, the following issues can be evaluated according to the nature of the file:

Whether the spouses actually live together,
Whether they know each other's family, work and daily life information,
Whether there is a common residence and family order,
Whether communication and togetherness continue throughout the marriage,
Whether there is a reasonable reason for the spouses to live apart for a long time.

Being temporarily in different cities or countries for work, education, health or essential travel is not an automatic reason for refusal. However, the reason for living apart and the continuation of the marital relationship must be explained with documents.

Which Situations Pose a Risk in the Application?

Status	Possible Evaluation
Spouses living at separate addresses for a long time	It can be investigated in detail whether the family unity continues.
Spouses not knowing basic information about each other	There may be doubts about the authenticity of the marriage.
Continuation of the divorce case	It is examined whether the marriage and family unity continue.
Difference in name or marital status in the documents	Additional documents, corrections or name equivalence may be requested.
There is a criminal investigation or conviction against the applicant	The acceptance of the file and the evaluation of public order may be affected.
Findings that the marriage was made for citizenship purposes only	The application may be rejected.

Is There a Requirement to Reside in Turkey?

There is no five-year uninterrupted residence requirement for citizenship by marriage, which is sought in the general citizenship application. If the foreign spouse lives abroad with his/her Turkish citizen spouse, he/she can apply after completing the three-year marriage period. Also The Importance of Lawyer Support in Turkish Citizenship Application should be evaluated together with the concrete case.

An up-to-date residence permit document may be requested from the applicant living in Turkey. Those living abroad can apply to the authorized Turkish foreign representative.

The presence of a residence permit can indicate the continuation of the marriage and the legal status in Turkey; however, it does not provide citizenship on its own.

Documents Required for Application

Although the list of documents may vary depending on the person's citizenship and family status, the basic file usually includes the following documents:

Application form for citizenship by marriage VAT-6,
Applicant's passport and its notarized Turkish translation,
Birth or identity certificate showing all identity information,
A copy of the identity register of the Turkish citizen spouse,
Marriage registration and, if necessary, marriage certificate,
If residing in Turkey, current residence permit,
Biometric photographs,
Final court decisions, if any,
Receipt showing that the citizenship application service fee has been paid.

Birth, marital status and similar official documents obtained from a foreign country must be duly approved. Depending on the country where the document is issued, apostille or consular certification may be sought.

Non-Turkish documents must be translated and necessary notarizations must be completed. Any differences in name, surname or date of birth on the passport and birth certificate must be clarified before applying.

Where and How to Apply?

The foreign spouse living in Turkey applies to the Provincial Directorate of Population and Citizenship through the governorship where the place of residence is located. Those living abroad apply to the Turkish embassy or consulate general.

After the application is accepted, the file is not evaluated only on the documents. Administrative investigation and citizenship commission review can be carried out.

Spouses may be called for an interview and may encounter questions about how their marriage began, their family order, their common life and their knowledge of each other. It is important that the answers given are compatible with the address, population and other records in the file.

How Does the Process Proceed After the Application?

Application documents are submitted and a preliminary examination is made.
The duration of the marriage, population and identity records are checked.
Research is carried out in terms of family unity and public order.
The applicant and the Turkish citizen spouse may be invited to the commission interview.
The file is sent to the competent authority for a decision.

There is no definite period that can be applied to everyone for the conclusion of the application. Waiting for documents from the foreign country, additional research or registration discrepancies may prolong the process.

If the Turkish Citizen Spouse Dies After the Application

If the marriage ends due to the death of the Turkish citizen spouse after the application is submitted, the application is not automatically dropped. In this case, the condition of living in family unity is not required.

However, if the death occurred before the citizenship application was made, a new application cannot be made through marriage as the ongoing marriage requirement cannot be met.

What happens if there is a divorce at the time of application?

If the marriage ends with divorce before the application is finalized, the ongoing marriage requirement in the law disappears. For this reason, it may not be possible for the file to be concluded positively through marriage.

The fact that the divorce case has been filed but has not yet been concluded is also evaluated in terms of the condition of living in family unity. The fact that only the official marriage continues may not always be considered sufficient.

Does Divorce After Citizenship Lose Citizenship?

If citizenship is acquired through a duly and real marriage, subsequent divorce does not automatically terminate citizenship. Things to Consider in Turkish Citizenship Application its content explains other legal points related to this stage.

On the other hand, if it is determined that the citizenship application was falsely stated, important information was concealed, or the marriage was actually established for the purpose of obtaining citizenship, the annulment of the citizenship decision may come to the fore.

Final Check Before Application

Has the three-year marriage period been completed?
Does the marriage continue de facto and legally on the date of application?
Are the address and population records of the spouses up-to-date?
Are the apostille and translation processes of foreign documents complete?
Is there a name, date or marital status discrepancy in the documents?
Is there a record that needs to be disclosed in terms of punishment or public order?

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a foreigner who marries a Turkish citizen become a citizen immediately?

The marriage must have been going on for at least three years and other legal conditions must be met.

Does having a child remove the three-year period?

The presence of common children may support the authenticity of the marriage, but it does not eliminate the three-year period.

Is it necessary to have lived in Turkey for five years?

The five-year residence requirement on the way to general citizenship is not required for application through marriage.

Will the application be rejected if the spouses are at different addresses?

It is not automatically rejected. The reason for living apart and the continuation of the family unity are evaluated specifically for the file.

Should a Turkish citizen attend the spouse interview?

As part of investigating the authenticity of the marriage, both spouses may be called for a commission interview.

Does a three-year marriage guarantee citizenship?

Three years only gives the right to apply; family unity, activities contrary to marriage and security conditions are also examined.

Legal information: This content has been prepared for general information purposes. The result of the application; It may vary according to the reality of the marriage, family unity, the suitability of foreign documents and the administrative review about the applicant.