What's a Kısa Dönem İkamet İzni and what's its maximum duration?
General information, not legal advice. For high-stakes decisions, confirm with the official institution in the next-step below, or consult a qualified Turkish lawyer.
Pending expert review. This fact is sourced but has not yet been reviewed by an independent legal expert. Treat as a starting point.
The Kısa Dönem İkamet İzni (Short-Term Residence Permit) is Türkiye's catch-all permit category. It's issued under 14 distinct sub-categories defined in Law 6458 Article 31, and the sub-category determines what you can do with it.
The 14 sub-categories are: scientific research, real-estate ownership (konut), business set-up or commercial connection, in-service training, bilateral student exchange (Erasmus, Mevlana, Farabi), tourism, medical treatment (if no public-health-threat condition), court or administrative order, conversion from a lapsed family permit (after 3 years and age 18), Türkçe language course (TÖMER), public-institution training/research/internships, post-graduation 6-month stay after finishing higher education in Türkiye, major investors and their dependants, and KKTC (Northern Cyprus) citizens.
Maximum duration: 2 years per issuance, renewable. The two exceptions are sub-category 13 (major investors) and sub-category 14 (KKTC citizens), which can be issued for up to 5 years per issuance.
Two sub-categories matter most for foreign students: the post-graduation 6-month stay (sub-category 12) is the bridge between your student permit ending and your next legal status — this is where the 10-day Kısa Dönem window comes from. The tourism sub-category (sub-category 6) is sometimes proposed as a workaround during status gaps, but it's not the right tool — see the watch-outs.
Watch-outs
- Each sub-category has its own qualification rules. What qualifies you for one (say tourism) does not carry over to another (say work). Treat each as a separate permit type with its own application.
- The permit must be used for its stated purpose. Using a tourism permit to enrol in studies, or a TÖMER permit to take up paid work, can lead to cancellation — and a cancellation flag on your record affects future applications.
- The post-graduation 6-month sub-category cannot be used to extend an expired student permit retroactively. The application must be filed before the student permit lapses, or within the 10-day post-graduation window. After that, the route is harder.
- The medical-treatment sub-category requires a verified treatment plan from a Türk hospital. It is not a route around other permit refusals.
Next step
Identify which sub-category fits your situation. The documentation requirements differ by sub-category — check the specific list on the Göç İdaresi page for your case before booking your e-randevu appointment. For post-graduation, the 10-day clock is short, so prepare documents before your status changes, not after.
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