The road to Türkiye, one calm step at a time
Who this is for
Students living outside Türkiye who need a visa and apply to a full bachelor’s, master’s or PhD programme. Exchange semesters, Turkish courses on their own and people already living in Türkiye follow other rules.
Read this first
This page is a map, not legal advice. Some official sites could not be read when this path was checked, so it says less than the other paths: follow the links for the current rules. Every fact links to the official page it comes from; dates, fees and required amounts change each year and differ by university, and the official page always wins.
At a glance
Five rules that shape the whole road. Each is explained in its step.
- Where you apply
- Directly to each university: there is no central admissions service for students from abroad Source: YÖK: the system.
- The exam
- Each university says which exams it accepts, such as TR-YÖS, SAT, Abitur or the IB Source: YÖK: TR-YÖS.
- The scholarship
- Türkiye Scholarships, open to citizens of all countries, applied for online and free of charge Source: Türkiye Scholarships: criteria Source: Türkiye Scholarships: how to apply.
- The visa
- A student visa from a Turkish embassy or consulate; the e-visa is not for study Source: Foreign Ministry: by country.
- After you arrive
- Apply on e-ikamet for a student residence permit before the stay your visa allows ends Source: YÖK: questions.
Step 1
Choose a university and a programme
What it is
There is no central admissions service for students from abroad: each university admits its own international students, and you apply to it directly Source: YÖK: the system Source: YÖK: admission. YÖK’s Study Finder searches programmes by level, language of teaching, type of university (state or foundation) and city Source: Study Finder. Turkish is the main language of teaching at most universities, and some teach in English Source: YÖK: Turkish; the language of each programme, and whether it has a preparatory class, are published on YÖK’s website with the yearly quotas Source: YÖK principles Source: YÖK: admission.
- How long it takes
- A bachelor’s degree usually takes four years, with five for dentistry, veterinary medicine and pharmacy and six for medicine; a master’s with a thesis takes two years and one without a thesis one to one and a half years; a PhD usually takes eight semesters Source: YÖK: the system.
- If you finished school in Türkiye
- From 2026, candidates who studied at or graduated from a secondary school in Türkiye enter its universities only through the national exam (YKS), not the quota for students from abroad, with some exceptions Source: YÖK: admission.
Why it matters
Each university sets its own methods of admission and minimum scores, in a directive that YÖK approves Source: YÖK principles, so the university you choose decides your exam, your language proof and your dates.
Common mistakes
- Waiting for a central application: you apply to each university directly Source: YÖK: the system.
- Assuming a programme is taught in English: Turkish is the main language of teaching at most universities Source: YÖK: Turkish.
- Relying on last year’s rules: YÖK says the rules in its quota tables can change, and that it is worth checking its website often Source: YÖK: quotas.
Step 2
Plan the costs and Türkiye Scholarships
What it is
At state universities the lowest and highest tuition for students from abroad are set each year by Presidential Decision, and foundation universities set their own; each university announces its fees Source: YÖK principles. Türkiye Scholarships (Türkiye Bursları) is the government-funded scholarship run by the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB) Source: Türkiye Scholarships: about. It is open to citizens of all countries except Turkish citizens and people who have lost Turkish citizenship, for associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees Source: Türkiye Scholarships: criteria Source: Türkiye Scholarships, and unlike other scholarships it also places you in a university and a programme Source: Türkiye Scholarships: why.
For students from Gaza
A YÖK news item of 9 April 2026 reports that, by a decision of the Council, university students from Gaza studying in Türkiye are exempted from tuition Source: YÖK news. This path cannot say whom it covers, for which academic years, or whether it continues: ask your university.
- What it covers
- A monthly stipend, tuition, health insurance, accommodation, a Turkish course and flight tickets; the current amounts are on its own page Source: Türkiye Scholarships: about Source: Türkiye Scholarships: why.
- Who can apply
- On the criteria page today: under 21 for an associate or bachelor’s degree, under 30 for a master’s and under 35 for a PhD, with a minimum achievement of 70% for associate and bachelor’s candidates, 75% for graduate candidates and 90% for medicine, dentistry and pharmacy Source: Türkiye Scholarships: criteria.
- How you are chosen
- Applications are checked against the basic criteria and assessed by experts; undergraduate candidates also take a test, there is an interview, and a committee decides Source: Türkiye Scholarships: selection.
- Turkish for awardees
- Awardees without a C1 Turkish certificate, including those placed in English-taught programmes, attend a one-year Turkish course and must reach C1 by its end Source: Türkiye Scholarships: how to apply.
Why it matters
Applying is free and done online, on the Türkiye Scholarships Information System (TBBS) Source: Türkiye Scholarships: how to apply Source: YTB. Universities also have scholarships of their own, listed on their websites Source: YÖK: scholarships.
Common mistakes
- Paying someone to apply for you: the application is free Source: Türkiye Scholarships: how to apply Source: YTB.
- Missing the yearly window: Türkiye Scholarships takes applications in one period a year Source: Türkiye Scholarships: calendar Source: Türkiye Scholarships.
- Counting on free tuition everywhere: state universities’ fees are set each year, and foundation universities set their own Source: YÖK principles.
Step 3
The admission exam and your language
What it is
For a bachelor’s degree, each university says which exams or diplomas it accepts and the scores it asks, such as TR-YÖS, SAT, Abitur or the IB Source: YÖK: TR-YÖS Source: YÖK: admission. TR-YÖS is the exam for international students that ÖSYM runs twice a year, in Turkish, German, Arabic, French, English and Russian, and you do not need Turkish to sit it Source: YÖK: TR-YÖS. State universities no longer use an exam of their own, while foundation universities may also use theirs Source: YÖK principles Source: ÖSYM: TR-YÖS guide. A TR-YÖS result counts for 2 years from the exam date, but it is not a place: you still apply to each university Source: ÖSYM: TR-YÖS guide Source: ÖSYM: TR-YÖS/2 guide.
- The Tawjihi
- YÖK’s rules name the Tawjihi among school-leaving exams whose results have no time limit Source: YÖK principles. Each university decides which school certificates and exams it accepts, and with what grade: ask it.
- Turkish
- Each university decides how it assesses your Turkish Source: YÖK principles. Many universities admit students who do not know Turkish yet and offer a Turkish preparatory course, with an exam at its end before the programme starts Source: YÖK: Turkish. The Yunus Emre Institute’s Turkish Proficiency Exam (TYS) is held three times a year in Türkiye and abroad Source: YÖK: Turkish.
- English
- For a programme taught in English, the university sets the tests and scores it accepts; at one state university, students who do not reach its minimum score attend a one-year English preparatory class Source: METU.
- Master’s and PhD
- The senate of each university sets the admission rules for foreign applicants to graduate programmes Source: Graduate regulation; one university, for example, looks at ALES, GRE or GMAT and an English score Source: METU: graduate.
Why it matters
The exam and your language decide whether you start your programme at once or after a preparatory year Source: YÖK: Turkish, so they shape your whole timeline.
Common mistakes
- Treating a TR-YÖS result as an admission: ÖSYM places nobody at a university Source: ÖSYM: TR-YÖS/2 guide.
- Assuming every university takes the Tawjihi: each decides which exams it accepts Source: YÖK: TR-YÖS.
- Sitting an exam your university does not list: check its accepted exams first Source: YÖK: TR-YÖS.
Step 4
Your certificates and their recognition
What it is
For a bachelor’s degree, a university may ask for an equivalence certificate (denklik) for your school certificate. School equivalence is a matter for the Ministry of National Education, not YÖK Source: YÖK: equivalence questions Source: YÖK: questions: ask the university what it wants and where to get it, and read the ministry’s page on the procedure Source: Ministry of National Education. For a master’s or a PhD, YÖK says foreign nationals do not need a YÖK equivalence to apply, except for health programmes with clinical practice; they can apply with YÖK’s recognition letter for higher education institutions Source: YÖK: equivalence.
- Recognition and equivalence
- Recognition means YÖK accepts that a foreign university and programme may award degrees; equivalence means YÖK finds a foreign associate, bachelor’s or master’s degree equal to a Turkish one Source: YÖK: equivalence questions. YÖK’s portal links its university recognition inquiry Source: YÖK: recognition.
- Without your documents
- The ministry’s rules provide a level-placement exam for people who cannot present their school documents because of war, disaster or asylum Source: Ministry of National Education. Whether a university accepts its result for admission is not stated on the pages we read, so ask the university.
Why it matters
Universities set their conditions within YÖK’s principles Source: YÖK principles, and some ask for the equivalence certificate among the registration documents Source: Ankara University: call.
Common mistakes
- Asking YÖK for the equivalence of a school certificate: that is the Ministry of National Education’s field Source: YÖK: equivalence questions.
- Applying for a YÖK equivalence you do not need for a master’s or a PhD outside the clinical health fields Source: YÖK: equivalence.
- Leaving the papers until registration: ask early what the university wants.
Step 5
Apply to each university
What it is
You apply directly to each university concerned, which evaluates your application Source: YÖK: admission Source: YÖK: quotas. Its dates, fees and other conditions are on its website Source: YÖK: quotas, and the documents vary by university and programme Source: Study in Türkiye. For a master’s or a PhD you apply to the university directly too, and its senate sets the rules for foreign applicants Source: YÖK: the system Source: Graduate regulation.
- Who can apply
- For a bachelor’s degree you must be in the last year of secondary school or have finished it Source: YÖK principles.
- The acceptance letter
- A university that admits you issues an acceptance letter carrying a YÖKSİS ID Source: YÖK principles, and you apply for the student visa once you have it Source: YÖK: visa.
- A financial guarantee
- YÖK’s principles ask universities to include a financial guarantee among their conditions, so that students from abroad can afford to continue their studies; each university sets what it asks Source: YÖK principles.
Why it matters
The university makes the selection Source: YÖK: the system, and its acceptance letter is what the visa needs Source: YÖK: visa.
Common mistakes
- Missing a university’s own deadline: each university sets its window Source: YÖK principles.
- Sending one standard file everywhere: the documents vary by university and programme Source: Study in Türkiye.
- Overlooking the financial guarantee in the call: universities include one in their conditions Source: YÖK principles.
Step 6
Apply for the student visa
What it is
Holders of an ordinary Palestinian passport need a visa to enter Türkiye, and the e-visa is only for tourism and business: for study, visas are issued by Turkish embassies and consulates Source: Foreign Ministry: by country. Apply for the student visa as soon as you receive your acceptance letter Source: YÖK: visa. You start on the Pre-Application System for sticker visas, then go to the mission, or the visa application centre it uses, with your signed application form and your passport Source: Foreign Ministry Source: Foreign Ministry: pre-application.
If you live in Palestine
The Turkish Consulate General in Jerusalem says its area covers West and East Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip Source: Consulate General: about, and that visa applications are made through the offices of a visa service company in Jerusalem, Ramallah, Nablus and Hebron Source: Consulate General, Jerusalem. No official statement was found on how a resident of Gaza applies for the visa. Contact the Consulate General before you plan anything; its contact details are on its page Source: Consulate General, Jerusalem. The pages of the Consulate General that we read give no list of documents for a student visa, so ask it for one.
- Health insurance
- Every applicant needs medical insurance valid for the whole stay in Türkiye Source: Foreign Ministry.
- Your passport
- It must be valid for at least 60 days beyond the stay that your visa, visa exemption or residence permit allows Source: Foreign Ministry.
- The fee
- There is a visa fee, and it is not refunded if the visa is refused Source: Foreign Ministry.
Why it matters
Without a student visa you cannot come to study, because an e-visa is not valid for study Source: Foreign Ministry: by country Source: YÖK: visa.
Common mistakes
- Coming on an e-visa to study: the e-visa is only for tourism and business Source: Foreign Ministry: by country.
- Leaving the visa to the last weeks: the ministry recommends applying at least one month before you travel Source: Foreign Ministry.
- A passport that expires too soon Source: Foreign Ministry.
Step 7
Arrive, register and arrange health insurance
What it is
You register at the university in the dates it announces, with the originals it lists; one state university’s call, for example, gives the registration dates later Source: Ankara University: call. International students must have health insurance throughout their official residence Source: YÖK: health, and the residence permit asks for insurance that covers the whole length of the permit Source: e-ikamet: the form.
- General health insurance
- SGK registers international students for general health insurance (GSS) if they ask in writing at the social security centre within three months of first registering at their school; a student who misses that window is not registered for the rest of the studies, and the student pays the premium Source: SGK Source: SGK: the notice Source: YÖK: health. The SGK notice dates from 2014, so check it with your university’s international office in your first week.
- Private insurance
- A private policy counts for the residence permit if it carries the wording the migration authority prescribes Source: e-ikamet: first applications; YÖK warns that their cover is limited and that they are valid only at the insurer’s contracted hospitals Source: YÖK: health.
- Scholarship holders
- Türkiye Scholarships covers the health insurance of its students Source: Türkiye Scholarships: why.
Why it matters
The residence permit asks for valid health insurance covering its whole length Source: e-ikamet: the form, and the three months for GSS start on your first registration Source: SGK.
Common mistakes
- Letting the three months pass without asking for GSS: you are not registered for the rest of your studies Source: SGK: the notice.
- Buying a private policy without the wording the migration authority asks for Source: e-ikamet: first applications.
- Missing the registration dates your university announces Source: Ankara University: call.
Step 8
Apply for your student residence permit
What it is
To stay for your studies you need a residence permit Source: YÖK: questions. You apply online on the official e-ikamet system before the stay your visa or visa exemption allows ends Source: YÖK: questions. Then you hand the registration form and its documents to your university’s student affairs or international student office as soon as possible, without waiting for the appointment date Source: e-ikamet: the form Source: YÖK: visa.
- The documents
- The signed form, a copy of your passport, four biometric photos, a statement on the form that you have enough money for your stay, the receipt for the residence permit card fee, valid health insurance and proof of your address Source: e-ikamet: the form. Some papers issued abroad, such as a parent’s consent for a student under 18, need an apostille (or consular legalisation for countries outside the apostille convention) and a notarised Turkish translation Source: e-ikamet: explanations; ask your international office whether any of yours do.
- Your address
- A notarised rental agreement, a document from your dormitory, or a notarised undertaking from the person you stay with Source: e-ikamet: the form Source: e-ikamet: documents. If you move, you inform the migration directorate and the population directorate of your province within 20 working days Source: e-ikamet: explanations Source: YÖK: questions.
- Work
- A residence permit does not give you the right to work: you need a work permit, applied for online at the Ministry of Labour and Social Security Source: YÖK: work Source: Ministry of Labour Source: e-ikamet: the form. Ask your university’s international office before you take a job.
- Only a Turkish course
- If you are enrolled only in a Turkish course, you cannot apply for a student residence permit and must apply for another kind Source: e-ikamet: first applications.
Why it matters
The permit is what lets you stay for your studies Source: YÖK: questions, and the e-ikamet form tells you to report to the migration directorate any change of faculty, department or university Source: e-ikamet: the form.
Common mistakes
- Waiting until the visa’s stay is almost over: the application must be made before it ends Source: YÖK: questions.
- Keeping the form until the appointment: hand it to the university as soon as possible Source: e-ikamet: the form.
- Working without a work permit: criminal and administrative action is taken Source: Ministry of Labour.
Your own roadmap
Turn this road into your checklist
Add the universities you are applying to, and HumanProse builds your roadmap: each step with its documents, your deadlines, a clear next step and reminders through Applications. It is free and costs no words.
Build my roadmapFree with a HumanProse account.
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from one of these official pages, checked in November 2026. University pages are examples; your own university’s page is the one that counts.
- YÖK, Study in Türkiye: the Turkish higher education system studyinturkiye.gov.tr
- YÖK: entry to higher education, students from abroad (in Turkish) egitim.yok.gov.tr
- YÖK, Study in Türkiye: Study Finder, the programme search studyinturkiye.gov.tr
- YÖK, Study in Türkiye: learning Turkish studyinturkiye.gov.tr
- YÖK: principles on the admission of students from abroad, the 2026 text (in Turkish) egitim.yok.gov.tr
- YÖK: quotas for students from abroad, 2026-2027, preliminary information (in Turkish) egitim.yok.gov.tr
- Council of Higher Education (YÖK): Study in Türkiye, apply in 5 steps studyinturkiye.gov.tr
- Türkiye Scholarships (YTB): about the programme turkiyeburslari.gov.tr
- Türkiye Scholarships (YTB): criteria and programmes turkiyeburslari.gov.tr
- Türkiye Scholarships (YTB): the 2026 call, the latest published turkiyeburslari.gov.tr
- Türkiye Scholarships (YTB): why Türkiye Scholarships (the current amounts are here) turkiyeburslari.gov.tr
- YÖK news, 9 April 2026: universities and students of Gaza (in Turkish) yok.gov.tr
- Türkiye Scholarships (YTB): application in 5 steps and the required documents turkiyeburslari.gov.tr
- Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB): international students ytb.gov.tr
- YÖK, Study in Türkiye: scholarships studyinturkiye.gov.tr
- Türkiye Scholarships (YTB): application calendar turkiyeburslari.gov.tr
- Türkiye Scholarships (YTB): evaluation and selection turkiyeburslari.gov.tr
- YÖK, Study in Türkiye: TR-YÖS and the exams universities accept studyinturkiye.gov.tr
- ÖSYM: 2026 TR-YÖS/1 guide (in English) dokuman.osym.gov.tr
- ÖSYM: 2026 TR-YÖS/2 guide (in Turkish) dokuman.osym.gov.tr
- ÖSYM: the 2027 exam calendar, with the TR-YÖS sessions (in Turkish) dokuman.osym.gov.tr
- Middle East Technical University: English proficiency (one university’s example) iso.metu.edu.tr
- YÖK: graduate education regulation (in Turkish) egitim.yok.gov.tr
- Middle East Technical University: graduate applications of international students (one university’s example) oidb.metu.edu.tr
- YÖK, recognition and equivalence department: frequently asked questions (in Turkish) denklik.yok.gov.tr
- YÖK, Study in Türkiye: frequently asked questions (undated) studyinturkiye.gov.tr
- Ministry of National Education: the equivalence regulation, July 2024 (in Turkish) meb.gov.tr
- YÖK, recognition and equivalence department: equivalence applications (in Turkish) denklik.yok.gov.tr
- Ankara University: call for international students, 2026-2027 (one university’s example) isoidb.ankara.edu.tr
- YÖK, Study in Türkiye: recognition and equivalence studyinturkiye.gov.tr
- YÖK, Study in Türkiye: visa and residence studyinturkiye.gov.tr
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Türkiye: visa information for foreigners, country by country mfa.gov.tr
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Türkiye: general information about Turkish visas mfa.gov.tr
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Türkiye: the pre-application system for sticker visas mfa.gov.tr
- Turkish Consulate General in Jerusalem: about the Consulate General jerusalem-cg.mfa.gov.tr
- Turkish Consulate General in Jerusalem: contact jerusalem-cg.mfa.gov.tr
- YÖK, Study in Türkiye: healthcare services studyinturkiye.gov.tr
- Presidency of Migration Management, e-ikamet: the student residence permit form, with notes in English e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr
- Social Security Institution (SGK): notice on general health insurance for international students (dated 2014, in Turkish) sgk.gov.tr
- Social Security Institution (SGK): the same notice in full, as a PDF (dated 2014, in Turkish) sgk.gov.tr
- Presidency of Migration Management, e-ikamet: documents for first applications (in Turkish) e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr
- Ministry of Labour and Social Security: questions on work permits (in Turkish) csgb.gov.tr
- Presidency of Migration Management, e-ikamet: explanations on applications and documents (in Turkish) e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr
- Presidency of Migration Management, e-ikamet: documents for a student residence permit (in Turkish) e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr
- YÖK, Study in Türkiye: work opportunities studyinturkiye.gov.tr