Obtaining a student visa before departing your home country is a requirement for formal registration as a student at a Turkish university. Therefore, students who come to Turkey without a student visa will neither be allowed to register as a student at the university nor receive a residency permit once in the country.

Student visas must be obtained from a Turkish consulate, generally the one nearest your place of residence in the country of your nationality. Student visas CANNOT be issued from within Turkey. You must take or mail a copy of your “Letter of Acceptance” from a Turkish university and a completed visa application form to the appropriate Turkish Consulate. Consulate staff can provide you with an application form upon request. Please note that it generally takes around eight weeks from the time you submit your application until you receive your visa. The student visa will be stamped in your passport.

Although a time limit will be indicated on your visa, your student visa remains valid as long as you are enrolled at school.