Temporary Protection in Turkey: Kimlik, Travel and Residence

Last updated: 8 October 2026. This guide is based on the current text of the Geçici Koruma Yönetmeliği (Temporary Protection Regulation) as published on mevzuat.gov.tr (last amended by Cumhurbaşkanı Kararı [Presidential Decision] No. 10658, in force since 1 January 2026), on the 6458 sayılı Yabancılar ve Uluslararası Koruma Kanunu (Law No. 6458 on Foreigners and International Protection) and the 6735 sayılı Uluslararası İşgücü Kanunu (International Labour Force Law No. 6735), on the temporary protection frequently asked questions of the Göç İdaresi Başkanlığı (Presidency of Migration Management, PMM), and on court decisions.

Temporary protection is the protection granted under Article 91 of Law No. 6458 to foreigners who were forced to leave their country, arrived in Turkey in a mass influx and whose applications cannot be assessed one by one. In Turkey, this protection applies to Syrian nationals, stateless persons and refugees who have come from Syria since 28 April 2011 (Temporary Protection Regulation, provisional Art. 1). The geçici koruma kimlik belgesi (temporary protection identification document, usually just called the "kimlik") gives you the right to stay in Turkey; however, it is not an ikamet izni (residence permit), it gives no right to move to an uzun dönem ikamet izni (long-term residence permit), its duration is not added to your total residence time and it does not give you the right to apply for citizenship (Art. 25). The protection is tied to obligations such as living in the assigned province, reporting when required and notifying a change of address within twenty working days (Art. 33). If you leave Turkey of your own will, the protection ends for you (Art. 12/1-a).

Temporary protection kimlik: what it gives you and what it does not

Once registration is complete, the identification document is issued free of charge by the valilik (governorship), and its holder is given a foreigner identification number (Art. 22/1-3). The document itself is not a residence permit; it is proof of your status. The table shows the rights and limits people ask about most often, together with their legal basis.

Your registration data is updated after events such as birth, death, marriage, divorce and voluntary return (Art. 21/4). According to the PMM, the person whose data is to be updated books an appointment through randevu.goc.gov.tr and attends it in person; nobody else can have the procedure done on their behalf.

Temporary protection travel permit: going to another city and changing address

A foreigner under temporary protection must live in the province where they are registered and must obtain a yol izin belgesi (travel permit document) before going to another province. The legal basis is the obligation to reside in the assigned province (Art. 33/2-a); the permit is issued by the il göç idaresi müdürlüğü (provincial directorate of migration management, PDMM) of the province where you are registered.

The PMM states that a travel permit is issued, if found appropriate, to people with a reasonable justification such as work, education, health or family ties, and that with this document the person can apply to the PDMM of the province they travel to. On e-Devlet (Turkey's e-Government Gateway), the PMM offers the services "Yabancılar İçin Yol İzin Belge Başvurusu" (Travel Permit Application for Foreigners) and "Yol İzin Belgesi Doğrulama" (Travel Permit Verification); the Çalışma ve Sosyal Güvenlik Bakanlığı (ÇSGB, Ministry of Labour and Social Security) also says that temporary protection holders who will work in another province can obtain their travel permit through e-Devlet or from the PDMM. A work permit does not remove this obligation: according to the PMM, a temporary protection holder with a work permit must also obtain permission to travel between provinces.

Travelling without a travel permit does not only affect you. Law No. 6458 provides for an administrative fine for anyone who enables a foreigner without a valid travel permit or a document such as a residence permit to travel, shelter or stay, and for anyone who rents a home to such a foreigner (Art. 102/2). This is why bus companies and landlords ask for documents.

Permanently changing your registered province is a separate request. The PMM asks people who hold an identification document to apply to the PDMM for a change of province. Starting to live in another province without changing your registered province breaches the obligation in Art. 33/2-a; if this continues despite a warning, rights other than education and emergency health care may be restricted (Art. 35/2).

1. Document your reason: an employment contract, school enrolment, a hospital appointment or proof of family ties.
2. Apply to the PDMM of your registered province or through the travel permit application on e-Devlet.
3. If the permit is granted, travel with the document; for a permanent move, apply to the PDMM of the province you go to.
4. Notify your new address within twenty working days (Art. 33/2-d).

Moving within the same province does not require a permit, but it does require notification. Changes such as address, marital status, birth and death are notified within twenty working days (Art. 33/2-d), and temporary protection holders are registered in the address registration system (Art. 21/5). Changes in your employment status, and your income and immovable property, are notified within thirty days (Art. 33/2-c, ç). We have covered separately, for residence permit holders, the consequences of not notifying in our article on failing to notify the PMM of an address change.

Can temporary protection holders work? The work permit

A foreigner granted temporary protection may apply for a work permit or a work permit exemption six months after the date their identification document was issued; the permit requires a favourable opinion from the İçişleri Bakanlığı (Ministry of Interior) (6735 Art. 17/1-2). Working without a permit is prohibited (Geçici Koruma Sağlanan Yabancıların Çalışma İzinlerine Dair Yönetmelik [Regulation on Work Permits of Foreigners Granted Temporary Protection] Art. 4/1), and a foreigner found to be working without a permit falls under the grounds for deportation in the Law (6458 Art. 54/1-ğ). The main rules in this Regulation are as follows:

• The employer applies through e-Devlet; a person entitled to work independently applies in their own name (Art. 5/2-3).
• The permit is granted on the basis of the province where you are allowed to stay (Art. 7/1).
• The number of temporary protection holders at a workplace cannot exceed ten percent of the number of Turkish citizen employees; at a workplace with fewer than ten employees, at most one temporary protection holder may work. If the employer documents through the provincial directorate that no Turkish citizen with the same qualifications could be found in the last four weeks, the quota may not be applied (Art. 8).
• Wages below the minimum wage cannot be paid (Art. 10/1).
• Seasonal agricultural and livestock work falls within the exemption (Art. 5/4). According to the ÇSGB, an exemption information form for up to three months may be requested for such work outside the registered province, and the person travels to that province with a travel permit.
• Temporary protection holders reported to the system by the Ministry of Interior benefit from a work permit exemption within the scope and for the period stated in that notification (Uluslararası İşgücü Kanunu Uygulama Yönetmeliği [Implementing Regulation of the International Labour Force Law] Art. 48/1-ş).

The work permit is tied to temporary protection. Its duration cannot exceed the duration of temporary protection, it does not replace a residence permit (Temporary Protection Regulation Art. 29/4-5), and if the protection ends or is cancelled, the work permit is cancelled as well (6735 Art. 17/5-b). The ÇSGB states that the back of these permit documents says, in Turkish and Arabic, that they do not replace a residence permit. For the application steps and what to do after a refusal, see our work permit guide.

Why is a temporary protection kimlik cancelled or deactivated?

The word "pasif" (inactive) does not appear in the Temporary Protection Regulation; in practice, this is what people call a kimlik that the system no longer processes. Legally, one of three different situations may lie behind it: restriction of rights (Art. 35), the end of protection for the individual (Art. 12/1) or the cancellation of protection (Art. 8, Art. 12/2-3). A restriction is a measure that can be applied to people who do not comply with an obligation despite a warning; ending and cancellation, by contrast, are separate administrative acts that remove your status. The table lists the situations in the order in which they appear in the Regulation.

When protection ends, the identification document loses its validity and is taken back (Art. 22/5); the work permit is also cancelled (6735 Art. 17/5-b). People who fall within the exclusion grounds may be accommodated in temporary accommodation centres or in places designated by the governorship until their return to their country is arranged, even without an idari gözetim (administrative detention) decision (Art. 8/3).

How to reactivate your kimlik and challenge a cancellation in court

First find out your status and the act itself, then calculate the deadline. Ending or cancellation is an administrative act; the competent court is the administrative court. The time limit for filing a case is 30 days from notification of the act: the special time limit in subparagraph (ç) of paragraph 1 of Article 80 of Law No. 6458 also applies to the temporary protection acts regulated in the same part of the Law. The Danıştay İdari Dava Daireleri Kurulu (İDDK, Plenary Session of the Administrative Law Chambers of the Council of State) definitively resolved the 30-day / 60-day divergence between regional administrative courts in this direction (E. 2025/13, K. 2025/34, T. 14.05.2025). If the notification document does not state any time limit for filing a case, the general time limit applies (Danıştay İçtihatları Birleştirme Kurulu [Grand Chamber for the Unification of Case Law of the Council of State], E. 2021/2, K. 2022/1); do not rely on this exception, and calculate the time limit on the basis of 30 days.

1. Check your registration status through the e-Devlet service "Geçici Koruma Kişisel Bilgi Sorgulama Sonuçları" (Temporary Protection Personal Information Query Results) and with the PDMM where you are registered.
2. Ask for a written copy of the act, its date and which governorship issued it. You, your legal representative or your lawyer may examine the documents in your personal file and obtain copies; only documents relating to national security, public order and intelligence are withheld (Art. 51/2).
3. If the cause is a restriction, complete the missing obligation: notify your address, book an appointment and attend the data update in person.
4. If the cause is cancellation or ending, file an action for annulment within 30 days of notification (6458 Art. 80/1-ç). This time limit is hak düşürücü (preclusive: once it expires, the right to sue is lost) and does not stop on its own. Instead of trying to extend the time limit through an administrative application, file the case within these 30 days.
5. File the case in the right place. The competent court is the administrative court where the authority that issued the act is located (2577 sayılı İdari Yargılama Usulü Kanunu [İYUK, Administrative Procedure Law No. 2577] Art. 32/1). In a case filed in Mardin against a cancellation decision issued by the Rize Valiliği İl Göç İdaresi Müdürlüğü (Rize Provincial Directorate of Migration Management) on the ground of the reporting obligation, the Danıştay (Council of State) held that the Rize İdare Mahkemesi (Rize Administrative Court) was competent (Danıştay 10. Daire [10th Chamber], E. 2024/4608, K. 2024/3270).
6. If you asked by petition to be taken under temporary protection again or to have your kimlik reactivated and no answer comes within 30 days, the request is deemed rejected; you can file a case within 60 days from that date (İYUK Art. 10/2). By majority vote, the Danıştay İDDK decided that the general 60-day time limit applies to cases against the implied rejection of an application requesting temporary protection or a kimlik (E. 2025/12, K. 2025/35, T. 14.05.2025). If your application is expressly rejected and the rejection letter is served on you, the safe course is to rely on the 30-day time limit; the Plenary Session treated temporary protection acts as falling under 6458 Art. 80/1-ç.

One first-instance decision stresses that the administration must show the ground it relies on in concrete terms. The İstanbul 16. İdare Mahkemesi (Istanbul 16th Administrative Court) held that the administration must establish concretely that one of the cancellation grounds exists, that if the ground leading to cancellation is shown to be wrong by a court decision the person may apply again, and that the administration must then make a new assessment. The court annulled the refusal that had sent an applicant, whose deportation order had been annulled, to another province for registration (E. 2023/1363, K. 2024/5544). The outcome of this decision at the istinaf (appeal) stage could not be verified.

An istinaf appeal to the bölge idare mahkemesi (regional administrative court) is available against the first-instance decision. In a temporary protection kimlik cancellation case that reached the Danıştay, the regional administrative court's appeal decision was treated as final and could not be taken further to the Danıştay (Danıştay 10. Daire, E. 2024/3439, K. 2024/3319). This is why all evidence and documents proving your excuse must be submitted in full at first instance. If a deportation order was served together with the cancellation, a separate and shorter time limit runs for it; details are in our guide to stopping a deportation order.

Can you switch from temporary protection to a residence permit?

It is possible, but it is not a right to switch; it is a residence permit application subject to the general rules. As of 8 October 2026, no transition arrangement specific to temporary protection holders could be found that works automatically after a certain period or eases the requirements. The PMM states that temporary protection holders who meet the necessary requirements may apply for a residence permit to the PDMM in the province where they are.

Before applying, you need to know three limits. First, the years spent under temporary protection are not added to your residence period and give no right to move to a long-term residence permit (Art. 25; Implementing Regulation Art. 26/8). Second, once you gain the right to stay with a residence permit, temporary protection ends automatically (Art. 12/1-d); the PMM also lists the move to a residence permit among the cases of individual ending. Third, for permits other than the humanitarian residence permit, a passport or passport substitute document valid for at least sixty days longer than the requested permit period is required (6458 Art. 21/2). For someone without a passport, this requirement is an obstacle in itself.

An example from practice: in a case examined by the Anayasa Mahkemesi (Constitutional Court), a temporary protection holder married to a Turkish citizen was told that a valid residence permit was needed for a citizenship application, and was granted a humanitarian residence permit. However, the person was then told that the citizenship application could not continue on this permit and that a family or short-term residence permit was needed; the application was removed from processing, the administrative court dismissed the case and the Constitutional Court found the application inadmissible (B. 2020/34394, 02.10.2024).

The reverse direction does not work automatically either. The Regulation's transitional provision states that Syrians who obtained a residence permit after 28 April 2011 and whose permit was not extended or was cancelled will be taken under temporary protection if they ask for protection, subject to Art. 8 (provisional Art. 1/3). No official explanation could be found of how this provision is applied today. So before leaving temporary protection, work out whether the permit you obtain can be extended. For the requirements of each permit type, see the residence permit guide, the humanitarian residence permit and the family residence permit.

Travelling to Syria and back: voluntary return and re-registration

If you leave Turkey of your own will, your temporary protection ends (Art. 12/1-a). The PMM states clearly that, even for temporary protection holders with a work permit, temporary protection cards are cancelled on departure abroad other than with official permissions obtained from the PMM. Leaving with the intention of only a short visit does not change this result by itself.

Voluntary return is a planned procedure. According to the PMM, an appointment showing the exit border gate is booked through randevu.goc.gov.tr, the procedures are completed at the PDMM, and a travel permit valid for fifteen days is issued for travelling to the province where the border gate is located. As reported by the Constitutional Court, Circular No. 2017/10 of the Ministry of Interior provides that the voluntary return request form is also signed, besides the returning person, by a representative of the BMMYK (Birleşmiş Milletler Mülteciler Yüksek Komiserliği, UNHCR) or, if there is none, by an official of a national civil society organisation (B. 2019/24388, 02.05.2023). The Constitutional Court held that a return not recorded with this form cannot be accepted as having been made with the person's consent and full awareness (B. 2020/5730, 12.06.2024).

Whether temporary protection will be applied again to a person who comes back is decided individually by the PMM (Art. 13/1). According to the PMM, the person applies to the PDMM of the province where they are and is interviewed about why they came back. Re-entering irregularly, on the other hand, amounts to a breach of the rules on legal entry, which the Law lists among the grounds for deportation (6458 Art. 54/1-h).

In some cases, first-instance courts did not treat compulsory and short departures as a final return. For people who stayed in Syria briefly for reasons such as a relative's funeral or their wife giving birth and then came back, they annulled the cancellation of the kimlik or the refusal of the request for renewed protection, on the grounds that the departure could not be treated as a voluntary return or that the administration had not assessed the request (İstanbul 1. İdare Mahkemesi [Istanbul 1st Administrative Court], E. 2020/1273, K. 2021/11; E. 2020/985, K. 2021/454; E. 2020/933, K. 2020/2514). The outcomes of these decisions on appeal could not be verified; it cannot be said that the same reasoning will be accepted in every case.

Can you be deported while under temporary protection?

Yes, temporary protection is not an absolute guarantee against deportation; but no one can be sent to a place where they would be subjected to torture or inhuman or degrading treatment, or where their life or freedom would be under threat (6458 Art. 4/1; Regulation Art. 6/1). The grounds for deportation in the Law (Art. 54) can also be applied to temporary protection holders. Public order and security grounds are, in addition, grounds for cancelling protection under Art. 8.

The time limit for filing a case against a deportation order is seven days from notification, and the administrative court's decision is final. Unless you consent, you will not be deported during the time limit for filing a case or until the case is concluded (Art. 53/3). In the case of a Syrian temporary protection holder, the Constitutional Court found a violation of the prohibition of ill-treatment, stating that it must be shown with concrete data and assessments that the risk is no longer current or that there is no risk of ill-treatment for the person concerned (B. 2020/20131, 04.10.2023). Under this standard, the assessment looks both at the person's own situation and at whether the risk in the country of origin is still current.

For all the cases in which a person cannot be deported, see our article on Article 55 of the YUKK (Law No. 6458); if you have been placed in administrative detention, see our article on getting out of a removal centre. While temporary protection continues, individual international protection applications by Syrians are not processed (Art. 16/1; provisional Art. 1/1). For the process for non-Syrians, see our articles on the international protection application and, for applications made in detention, on international protection applications and administrative detention.

Common mistakes about temporary protection

• "I have a work permit, so I can leave my province without permission." According to the PMM, a temporary protection holder with a work permit must also obtain permission to travel between provinces.
• "The years under temporary protection count towards a long-term permit or citizenship." They do not; the document also gives no right to move to a long-term permit or to apply for citizenship (Art. 25).
• "Going to Syria and back for a short visit does not affect the kimlik." On departure abroad without the PMM's official permission, the card is cancelled; on return, protection again depends on an individual assessment (Art. 12/1-a, Art. 13/1).
• "If the kimlik has been cancelled, nothing can be done." Cancellation and ending are administrative acts; a case can be filed at the administrative court within 30 days of notification (6458 Art. 80/1-ç; Danıştay İDDK, E. 2025/13, K. 2025/34).
• "If I get a residence permit, temporary protection stays in reserve." Once you gain the right to stay with a residence permit, temporary protection ends (Art. 12/1-d).
• "A temporary protection holder can sponsor a family residence permit for their spouse." They cannot; temporary protection holders cannot be sponsors (Implementing Regulation Art. 30/1-ç).

Legal basis and sources

• 6458 sayılı Yabancılar ve Uluslararası Koruma Kanunu (Law No. 6458 on Foreigners and International Protection) Art. 4/1, Art. 21/2, Art. 46/1, Art. 53/3, Art. 54/1-ğ, h, Art. 55/1-a, Art. 91, Art. 102/2
• Geçici Koruma Yönetmeliği (Temporary Protection Regulation; Council of Ministers Decision [BKK] 13.10.2014, 2014/6883; Resmî Gazete [Official Gazette, RG] 22.10.2014, No. 29153; amendments 2016/8722, 2018/11208, Presidential Decision [CK] 1851 RG 25.12.2019/30989, CK 10658 RG 28.11.2025/33091, in force 01.01.2026) Art. 3, 6, 8, 11, 12, 13, 16, 21, 22, 25-29, 31, 33, 35, 44, 51, 53, provisional Art. 1
• Geçici Koruma Sağlanan Yabancıların Çalışma İzinlerine Dair Yönetmelik (Regulation on Work Permits of Foreigners Granted Temporary Protection; BKK 2016/8375; RG 15.01.2016, No. 29594) Art. 4/1, Art. 5, Art. 7/1, Art. 8, Art. 10/1, Art. 13/3
• 6735 sayılı Uluslararası İşgücü Kanunu (International Labour Force Law No. 6735) Art. 17
• Uluslararası İşgücü Kanunu Uygulama Yönetmeliği (Implementing Regulation of the International Labour Force Law) Art. 48/1-ş
• Yabancılar ve Uluslararası Koruma Kanununun Uygulanmasına İlişkin Yönetmelik (Regulation on the Implementation of the Law on Foreigners and International Protection) Art. 20/1-ı, Art. 26/8, Art. 30/1
• 2577 sayılı İdari Yargılama Usulü Kanunu (Administrative Procedure Law No. 2577) Art. 7, Art. 10/2, Art. 11, Art. 32/1
• Göç İdaresi Başkanlığı: Geçici Koruma Sıkça Sorulan Sorular (Presidency of Migration Management: Temporary Protection FAQ)
• Çalışma ve Sosyal Güvenlik Bakanlığı: Yabancılara Düzenlenen Belgeler (Ministry of Labour and Social Security: Documents Issued to Foreigners)
• e-Devlet Kapısı (e-Government Gateway), Göç İdaresi Başkanlığı services: Geçici Koruma Kişisel Bilgi Sorgulama Sonuçları; Yabancılar İçin Yol İzin Belge Başvurusu; Yol İzin Belgesi Doğrulama
• Anayasa Mahkemesi (Constitutional Court), individual application, B. 2020/34394, T. 02.10.2024
• Anayasa Mahkemesi (Constitutional Court), individual application, B. 2020/20131, T. 04.10.2023
• Anayasa Mahkemesi (Constitutional Court), individual application, B. 2020/5730, T. 12.06.2024
• Anayasa Mahkemesi (Constitutional Court), individual application, B. 2019/24388, T. 02.05.2023
• Danıştay 10. Daire (Council of State, 10th Chamber), E. 2024/4608, K. 2024/3270, T. 23.09.2024
• Danıştay 10. Daire (Council of State, 10th Chamber), E. 2024/3439, K. 2024/3319, T. 24.09.2024
• İstanbul 16. İdare Mahkemesi (Istanbul 16th Administrative Court), E. 2023/1363, K. 2024/5544, T. 12.09.2024
• İstanbul 1. İdare Mahkemesi (Istanbul 1st Administrative Court), E. 2020/1273, K. 2021/11, T. 08.01.2021; E. 2020/985, K. 2021/454, T. 22.02.2021; E. 2020/933, K. 2020/2514, T. 24.12.2020