It is legally possible to obtain citizenship by marriage in Turkey, although there can be a lot of steps involved in this process. In short, you can manage to gain citizenship this way by staying married to a citizen of Turkey for over 3 years. However, this practice involves a lot more than that. Naturally, there are some nuances to the practice of obtaining Turkish citizenship by marriage. In this article, we are going to go over the details of how such a practice can be done in the legal sense.
Marriage to a Turkish Person
If you are considering marriage to a person of Turkish nationality but you do not know how to deal with the citizenship process, we are here to help you. Obtaining citizenship by marriage to a Turkish individual is one of the most favored means of gaining Turkish citizenship, but this does not mean that the practice is easy.
Firstly, three years of marriage might not be an easy condition to be met for all couples. Furthermore, there can be a lot of paperwork involved. However, you can always get help from an experienced marriage lawyer in Turkey when you are dealing with all the paperwork.
Some of the rights that you can enjoy by becoming a Turkish citizen by marriage are:
- Standard health insurance provided to all Turkish families
- Free-of-charge education
- Eligibility for social services
- Obtaining a Turkish passport with which you can enjoy traveling like every other Turkish citizen
- Owning and inheriting property
- Seeking protection from the Turkish government while traveling abroad
In return for the services that you have the right to obtain from the government, you are expected to fulfill certain responsibilities like respecting the Turkish authority and not disrupting the peace of the nation. If you are ever found guilty of certain charges like the disruption of national security, your Turkish citizenship might be terminated.
Requirements for Obtaining Turkish Citizenship by Marriage
As stated in Article 16 of the Act of Acquisition of Turkish Citizenship by Marriage, three major requirements for obtaining Turkish citizenship by marriage are as follows:
- The couple must be living together as a family unit. This means that you legally cannot obtain Turkish citizenship by marriage if you and your spouse are not living together like a proper family. As proof of living together, a lease or a shared bank account is needed.
- There can be no violations of the marriage union. In other words, if the couple lives together as a family, they cannot act in ways that betray the family unit, like cheating or partaking in prostitution.
- The applicant within the marriage must not threaten Turkey’s national security or engage in the type of behavior that is deemed unethical for a marriage union.
If these conditions are flawlessly met by couples who have been married for three or more years, then the foreigner in the relationship can apply for Turkish citizenship. What’s more, in the case of the Turkish husband or wife dying after the citizenship application, then the first requirement, which is to stay as a family union is no longer needed. The remaining conditions, however, are still in place.
On the other hand, applicants who have not been married for three years cannot be eligible for Turkish citizenship by marriage. Furthermore, to be eligible to apply, the applicant must have lived in Turkey for at least two years without long breaks in between. Those who fail to demonstrate a good understanding of the Turkish language are also among those whose applications are most probably going to fail.
Documents Required for Citizenship in Turkey Through Marriage
In the case of meeting all the requirements required for acquiring citizenship by marriage, there are certain documents that the spouses need to bring to apply for citizenship.
Some of the documents that are required for this practice are as follows:
- The citizenship application form
- Turkish translation of the passport, approved by the notary
- Turkish translation of the birth certificate of the applicant, approved by the notary
- Identification document for the applicant
- Marriage certificate to demonstrate the legality of the marriage
- Turkish residence permit
- A lease or a bank account to prove that the couple meets the requirement of living together as a family unit
- Biometric images
Since the process can differ for each case, it is important to consult a professional Turkish citizenship lawyer beforehand. For instance, if there is proof of a crime that the applicant has committed in his/her home country, then another type of document might be needed. Furthermore, it is crucial to note that the required documents can be obtained with the help of an expert who is experienced in Turkish legal paperwork.
Application for Turkish Citizenship by Marriage
In short, there are a few key points that you must be careful about if you are planning to apply for Turkish citizenship by marriage. The first one of these key points is that your situation must be eligible for the application. In other words, you must stay together with your spouse as a family unit without betraying it, you must not behave in ways that disrupt the safety of the Turkish nation, and you must stay married for at least three years.
Provided that you are eligible, you must fill out certain documents to apply for citizenship by marriage. These documents can be obtained either from Turkey's legal authorities or your home country. If the documents are in a different language than Turkish, it is required that these documents are translated and approved by the notary. The application process might also require a good understanding of the Turkish language. This means that you might have to take a government-approved language test or must provide proof that you know the language by other means.
After you have completed all the steps required to acquire Turkish nationality, you must wait for approval from the government. The application's approval process can take a bit long, depending on your situation. If, for instance, some of the documents you have sent to apply for citizenship by marriage are deemed not eligible, then these documents can be sent back for you to provide the necessary ones.
Moreover, if the authorities prove it that your marriage has been done without the intention of having a family union, then the citizenship application can be dropped. Hence, it is important that you do not get married specifically to be a Turkish citizen.
How Strong is the Turkish Passport and Turkish Citizenship
With the help of a Turkish passport, you can travel to more than 100 countries accross the world without the requirement for a visa. Some of the countries that you can travel to by acquiring citizenship by marriage are as follows:
- Albania
- Argentina
- Bahamas
- Brazil
- Japan
- Peru
- Singapore
- Serbia
- South Africa
- Tunisia
By acquiring Turkish nationality, you can enjoy the rights to free health care as well as education and a work permit. What’s more, you have the right to participate in the political atmosphere either by voting or running for public office. You can also inherit and own property as a Turkish citizen.
Reach Us to Apply for Turkish Citizenship by Marriage
The application for Turkish citizenship by marriage can take a long time. Furthermore, it might be impossible to understand where to begin without proper knowledge of Turkish citizenship laws. If you need some professional help with your application for Turkish nationality, you can always book an appointment with us.
Thanks to the professional Turkish family attorneys and citizenship lawyers at Istanbul Lawyer Firm, you can make sure that your application process goes as smoothly as possible. We have experience in this field, and we are happy to be by your side as well. All you need to do to benefit from our services is reach us at our contact addresses on our website.
We will provide you with important information about the process and help you fill out forms and obtain certain required documents. In short, to help you during your application for Turkish citizenship by marriage, we are always at your service.
FAQ About Turkish Citizenship by Marriage
Why Could an Application Be Rejected?
An application for Turkish citizenship by marriage can be rejected if it is decided that the marriage is not done in good faith, or if it is detected that the applicant is somehow disrupting the national order.
How Long Do You Have to Reside in Turkey to Get Citizenship?
Turkish law states that you must have lived in Turkey for at least half a year for five years. It is also stated that the residence should not be interrupted by long breaks.
How Long Does It Take to Achieve Turkish Citizenship Through Marriage?
To become a Turkish citizen, you must stay married to a Turkish person for at least three years. After three years, you can make your application.
How Long Does It Take to Get Married in Turkey?
A civil marriage can be performed in only a few weeks by way of submitting the necessary paperwork to the civil registry office. In the case of international marriages, the process can take a bit longer since there are more documents involved.
