What is a residence permit?

   Foreigners who will stay in the TRNC for more than the period granted by the visa or visa exemption, or for more than ninety days, are required to obtain a residence permit unless they are otherwise legally allowed.

  Work permits and business establishment permits issued in accordance with the Law on Work Permits for Foreigners, and permanent residence permits issued in accordance with the Law on Permanent Residence Permits, are considered residence permits for the purposes of this regulation and do not need to obtain a separate residence permit.

  A residence permit is issued if foreigners who want to stay in the TRNC for more than ninety days make an application and meet the requirements for the relevant type of residence permit.

What should be the validity period of the passport in order to obtain a residence permit?

• Citizens of countries that do not have an embassy, ​​consulate or representative office in the TRNC and citizens of countries other than the European Union countries can be granted a visa upon entry with a passport valid for at least six months .
• Citizens of countries with embassies, consulates or representations in the TRNC and citizens of European Union countries are required to enter with a passport valid for at least two months .
• Work permit Visa; It is given to people who have come to the country with a preliminary permit in accordance with the Law on Work Permits for Foreigners, for a period of thirty days. Citizens of countries that do not have an embassy, ​​consulate or other representation in the country to be able to issue such a visa depend on entering with a passport valid for at least two years .
• The validity period of the passport is important, as the residence permit will be issued for a period of sixty days shorter than the validity period of the passport or passport substitute .

What are the obligatory conditions to obtain a Certificate of Exemption from the Residence Permit?

Persons married to a citizen of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and   persons determined to be stateless by the Director are exempt from residence permit and must apply to the Office within forty days after the expiry of their legal leave in the country and obtain a certificate of exemption from residence permit. Persons exempt from residence permit are required to obtain a residence permit exemption certificate within one year from the date of publication of the residence permits and visas regulation in the official gazette. Those who have not obtained an exemption certificate within this period are deemed to have been in the country without permission from the competent authorities as of the expiry of the one-year period and the fines in the Law are imposed on them.

(Other conditions exempted from the obligation to obtain a residence permit can be found in Article 12 of the Residence permits and visas regulation.)

Is it obligatory for foreigners who are over the age of sixty and stay in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus without a legal permit to obtain a permit?

Foreigners who have attained the age of sixty before the residence permits and visa regulations come into force and who are in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus without a legal permit,

(1) If they obtain a residence permit in accordance with the rules of this regulation within one year from the date of entry into force of the regulation, or

 (2) If they leave the country within one year from the date of entry into force of the regulation, they are deemed to have been on leave from the competent authorities in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus during the period after the age of sixty and before obtaining such a residence permit or before leaving the country, and they are deemed to have been on leave of absence for this period. a fine is not applied.

What should be done by people who are able to obtain a residence permit but have not obtained a permit before the date of entry into force of the Residence permits and visas regulation?

1. Spouses and children of persons with legal leave, who are in a position to obtain a residence permit but have not received such permission
2. Parents who are able to obtain a residence permit due to the fact that their child is a citizen , but who have not ,
3. Persons who are able to obtain residence permit due to their mother or father being citizens , but who have not
4. Persons who are able to obtain a residence permit due to the fact that their spouse or child has a student permit , but who have not,

If they apply within one year from the effective date of the regulation and prove that they were able to issue a residence permit in the past, according to the rules of the relevant date in the past , they can obtain a residence permit covering the period they proved.

How does the residence permit application process proceed?

• Residence permit applications are made to the Immigration Department of the District Police Department, which is responsible for the region where the applicant’s residence address is located, within thirty days at the latest from the beginning of the visa period granted upon entry to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus .
• Applications for the renewal of an ongoing residence permit are made at the earliest sixty days before the expiry of the current residence permit, and at the latest twenty days before.
• The applications made are first evaluated by the Immigration Department of the District Police Department and delivered to the Department within ten days at the latest, including the reasoned opinion on the appropriateness of granting a residence permit.
• After the application is delivered to the Department, the applicant’s positive medical report is sent to the Department and, if no further examination is required, a residence permit is issued on that date.
• If the applicant does not receive the positive medical report to the Department within thirty days at the latest from the date of application, a text message is sent to the applicant stating that his application has been rejected and that he must leave within five days. Foreigners who do not leave the country within five days are deemed to have been in the country without permission from the competent authorities as of the fifth day, and the fines in the Law are imposed on them.
• The information and documents required for each type of residence permit are determined by the Department and published on the corporate website.
• If the opportunity to apply through the official website of the Department is given, applications will be made in this way.