What does a sponsor need for a Turkish family residence permit for a spouse or children?

Checked on 2026-10-25

Turkish law lets a Turkish citizen or a foreign resident sponsor a foreign spouse and minor or dependent children. The sponsor needs monthly income of at least one third of the minimum wage per family member (at least one minimum wage in total), health insurance for everyone, suitable housing, a clean record and, usually, one year's residence.

Key facts

What	The law says	Source
Who can sponsor	Turkish citizens; people under art. 28 of Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901; foreigners holding a residence permit; refugees; subsidiary protection holders	Law 6458, art. 34(1)
Who can join	The foreign spouse; the sponsor’s or spouse’s minor foreign child; the sponsor’s or spouse’s dependent foreign child	Law 6458, art. 34(1)
Sponsor’s income	Monthly income of at least one third of the minimum wage per family member, and at least the minimum wage in total	Law 6458, art. 35(1)(a)
Housing and insurance	Housing suitable for the family’s size that meets general health and safety standards; health insurance covering all family members	Law 6458, art. 35(1)(b)
Criminal record	No conviction for crimes against the family order in the five years before the application, shown by a criminal record certificate	Law 6458, art. 35(1)(c)
Sponsor’s residence	At least one year with a residence permit, and registered in the address system	Law 6458, art. 35(1)(ç), (d)
No one-year wait	Sponsors with a scientific research permit or work permit, people under art. 28 of Law 5901, and foreigners married to Turkish citizens	Law 6458, art. 35(2)
How long	At most three years each time, never longer than the sponsor’s permit	Law 6458, art. 34(1)

Conditions for the family member

The person joining the sponsor must show the family relationship, show that they live or intend to live with the sponsor, not have married to obtain the permit, be at least 18 (for each spouse), and not fall under art. 7 (refusal of entry) (art. 35(3)). If the sponsor has more than one spouse, only one spouse can get a family permit, though children of the other spouses can (art. 34(2)). For a child, the consent of a parent abroad who shares custody is required (art. 34(3)).

The law lets the governorship investigate whether a marriage was made only to get the permit, before granting or renewing it and afterwards (art. 37). A permit obtained this way is refused or cancelled, and the time does not count toward later permits.

What the guidance adds

The Presidency of Migration Management’s FAQ says:

the criminal record certificate is required from the sponsor only;
two married foreigners cannot both receive a family permit at the same time, because one of them must be the other’s sponsor (with at least one year of residence or a work permit).

Moving on from a family permit

The law lets you switch to a short-term permit in these cases (art. 34(5)–(7)):

you reach 18 after at least three years on a family permit;
you divorce a Turkish citizen after at least three years on a family permit (no three-year rule if a court has found you were a victim of domestic violence);
the sponsor dies (no time requirement).

Children on a family permit can attend primary and secondary school until 18 without a student permit (art. 34(4)).

Sources

Law No. 6458 on Foreigners and International Protection, arts. 34–37 (consolidated text, mevzuat.gov.tr) checked 2026-10-25
Presidency of Migration Management: residence permit types (İkamet İzni Çeşitleri), family residence permit section checked 2026-10-25
Presidency of Migration Management: residence FAQ (İkamet Sıkça Sorulan Sorular), family permit questions checked 2026-10-25

Change history

2026-10-25: Page created

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