Enter Turkey with an Entry Ban: Special Annotated Visa

For a foreigner who is banned from entering Turkey, the meşruhatlı vize (special annotated visa) is a way to enter Turkey legally, for a specific purpose and a specific period, while the ban is still in force. It is not the only route: the ban may run out, an application may be made to the Göç İdaresi Başkanlığı (Presidency of Migration Management) to lift the ban, and an annulment action (iptal davası) may be filed. In this guide we explain the legal basis of the annotated visa, who can apply, the documents, the timeline and what to do if it is refused, with article numbers.

What Is a Special Annotated Visa (Meşruhatlı Vize)?

As a rule, no visa is issued to a foreigner who is banned from entering Turkey (Yabancılar ve Uluslararası Koruma Kanunu – Law on Foreigners and International Protection, hereafter YUKK, Art. 15/1-b). The law makes two exceptions to this rule:

• Visa with the Minister's approval: A visa may be issued, with the approval of the Minister, to persons who fall among those not to be issued a visa but whose admission is considered beneficial (Art. 15/2).
• Time-limited entry permission: The Presidency of Migration Management (called Genel Müdürlük in the Law) may allow the foreigner to enter Turkey for a specific period, with the entry ban remaining in place (Art. 9/6).

What is called a "meşruhatlı" or "özel meşruhatlı vize" (special annotated visa) in practice rests on these exceptions. The meşruhat is the annotation entered on the visa, that is, the purpose of entry.

Annotated Visa vs. Regular Turkish Visa

In no case does a visa grant an absolute right to enter Turkey (Art. 11/3).

Who Can Apply for an Annotated Visa Despite an Entry Ban?

The law does not list the grounds one by one; permission is at the discretion of the administration. The main grounds that strengthen an application are:

• Family: a spouse or child who is a Turkish citizen, or a spouse or child legally residing in Turkey.
• Medical treatment: treatment that must be received in Turkey.
• Education: enrolment at a higher education institution in Turkey.
• Essential legal and business matters: a court hearing, a title deed (tapu) or inheritance transaction, or company matters that require you to be present in person.

A warning about coming to work: A çalışma izni (work permit) application by a foreigner who is reported to be subject to an entry ban is rejected (Uluslararası İşgücü Kanunu – International Labour Force Law No. 6735, Art. 9/1-f). To obtain a work permit, the foreigner must not fall within the scope of YUKK Art. 7 (YUKK Art. 27/2). A foreigner who wants to return in order to work must first have the ban lifted.

When an Application Is Likely to Fail

The ground for the ban decides the fate of the application. Where the ban is based on public order or public security (records such as G-87), where there is a history of forged documents, or where there is a conviction for a serious crime, permission is very hard to obtain. In these files, an application to lift the ban or an annulment action should be considered first. See: G-87 tahdit kodu (G-87 restriction code).

Documents Required for an Annotated Visa

The documents vary by consulate and by purpose; ask the consulate concerned for its current list before you apply. The situations the law lists as grounds for refusing a visa also show what a complete file must demonstrate (YUKK Art. 15/1):

• Passport: it must be valid for at least sixty days longer than the requested visa period (Art. 15/1-a).
• Health insurance: it must cover the period of stay (Art. 15/1-e).
• Proof of purpose: the purpose of entry must rest on justified reasons (Art. 15/1-f), for example marriage and civil registry records, a hospital admission letter, a school enrolment certificate, or correspondence with a court or the land registry (tapu).
• Financial means: sufficient and regular financial means for the period of stay must be shown (Art. 15/1-g), for example bank statements or the inviting person's proof of income.
• Debts: no visa is issued to a person who does not agree to pay amounts owed as a result of a visa violation or a previous ikamet izni (residence permit) (Art. 15/1-ğ). If there is an unpaid fine, it should be paid and the receipt added to the file.
• Criminal record certificate: consulates usually ask for it; documents obtained from a foreign country need an apostille or consular legalisation and a sworn translation.
• Documents on the entry ban: if available, the sınır dışı kararı (deportation order), the notification of the entry ban and the fine receipts.

How to Apply at a Turkish Consulate, Step by Step

1. Find out what your record says. You cannot apply correctly without knowing the type, duration and ground of the ban. The record can be obtained by applying to the il göç idaresi (provincial migration directorate) or to the consulate, in person or through a lawyer.
2. Settle your debt. An unpaid idari para cezası (administrative fine) can block not only the visa but also entry itself (YUKK Art. 9/7).
3. Prepare the documents. Have foreign-language documents translated by a sworn translator; obtain an apostille or consular legalisation for official documents.
4. Apply to the right consulate. A visa application is made to the Turkish consulate in the country of which you are a citizen or in which you are legally present (YUKK Art. 11/1). Because the right of legal stay in a country where you are only a tourist is short-term, the place of application should be confirmed with the consulate.
5. Wait for the decision. Applications made to consulates are decided within ninety days (Art. 11/4). Files that require a security review may run close to the end of this period.
6. Use the visa within its validity. The visa's validity period and number of entries are written on the visa sticker in your passport; the visa must be used within that period.

Annotated Visa Refused? Your Legal Options

The YUKK provides no special objection period against a visa refusal. As a rule, the administrative judicial route is open: an action against the refusal can be filed with the idare mahkemesi (administrative court) within 60 days from written notification (İdari Yargılama Usulü Kanunu – Code of Administrative Judicial Procedure, İYUK, Art. 7). The 7-day period applies only to actions against a deportation order (YUKK Art. 53/3). If the ground for refusal is a deficiency that can be remedied, a new application can also be made.

Common reasons for refusal are:

• missing, expired or uncertified documents,
• a purpose of entry that is not sufficiently documented,
• an unpaid administrative fine or other public debt (kamu alacağı),
• a ban based on public order or public security,
• failure to show sufficient financial means.

After You Enter Turkey on the Visa: What to Do

• Do not overstay. Exceeding the period of stay granted by the visa creates a new violation. A deportation order is issued for a foreigner who overstays the visa by more than ten days (YUKK Art. 54/1-e).
• If you need to stay on, apply for a residence permit. The application must be made before the legal stay granted by the visa expires. A residence permit application from inside Turkey is possible only in the cases listed in Art. 22; which permit to apply for should be planned before entry. For the spouse of a Turkish citizen, see aile ikamet izni (family residence permit).
• Register your address. Address registration is made at the nüfus müdürlüğü (civil registry directorate) within twenty working days (Nüfus Hizmetleri Kanunu – Civil Registration Services Law No. 5490, Art. 50/3).
• Ask separately for the ban to be lifted. Entering with an annotated visa does not by itself remove the entry ban record. To have the record removed, an application to the Presidency (Art. 9/6) or an annulment action must be pursued separately.

Common Mistakes in Annotated Visa Applications

• applying without knowing the type and ground of the record,
• applying before paying an unpaid fine,
• describing the purpose of entry without documents or in general terms,
• trying to return through a work permit while the entry ban is still in force,
• overlooking the period of stay and the residence plan after entry.

For a directly related topic, see our article How a Deported Foreigner Can Return to Turkey.