Türkiye
At a glance
- Living index rating
- Affordable
- Monthly rent
- Dorms from about ₺3,000; private dorm or shared flat ₺12,000 – ₺25,000 (Istanbul)
- Monthly food
- ₺7,000 – ₺12,000
- Other monthly expenses
- ₺3,000 – ₺6,000 (transport, phone, insurance, personal); prices rise fast
- Visa processing time
- Visa usually 2 – 4 weeks; residence permit 30 – 90 days after applying
- Family allowed for students
- Yes
Visa requirements
- Student visa from a Turkish consulate (if your nationality needs one), then a student residence permit (ikamet) applied for online at e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr after arriving
- Acceptance letter and student certificate from your university
- Passport, photos, health insurance and proof of address
- Submit your documents to the migration office (often via your university) by the given deadline
- Bachelor's and associate students can work part-time with a work permit after their first year; master's and PhD students can work from the start
Work permit after studies
- Graduates of Turkish universities can apply for a one-time short-term residence permit (up to 1 year) after graduating
- Working needs an employer-sponsored work permit from the Ministry of Labour
Citizenship route
- Long-term residence after 8 years of uninterrupted residence
- Citizenship after 5 years of continuous legal residence (no more than 180 days abroad in total); student years count only if you then switch to a work or other residence permit
- Turkish language, integration and income requirements
Family details
- A spouse and children can get family residence permits linked to your student residence
- You must show enough income, health insurance and housing for them
- Family members need a work permit to work
Universities in Türkiye
Top-ranked
Istanbul Technical University (ITU) · Istanbul
QS #279THE 651–700ARWU 801–900
Famous for: Engineering, Architecture, Naval architecture and ocean engineering
Middle East Technical University (METU / ODTÜ) · Ankara
QS #305THE 326–350ARWU 901–1000
Famous for: Engineering, Architecture, Computer science
QS #329THE 326–350ARWU 701–800
Famous for: Business, Medicine, Engineering
Boğaziçi University · Istanbul
QS #345THE 401–450
Famous for: Economics, Engineering, Business administration
QS #357THE 376–400
Famous for: Engineering and natural sciences, Business (Sabancı Business School), Social sciences
THE 801–1000ARWU 601–700
Istanbul University · Istanbul
THE 1001–1200ARWU 601–700
University of Health Sciences · Istanbul
THE 1401–1600ARWU 601–700
Bilkent University (İhsan Doğramacı Bilkent University) · Ankara
THE 651–700
THE 1201–1400ARWU 701–800
Abdullah Gül University · Kayseri
THE 801–1000
THE 801–1000ARWU 801–900
All other universities and colleges (190), A–Z
Acıbadem University · Istanbul
THE 1601–1800
Adana Alparslan Türkeş Science and Technology University · Adana
THE 1801–2000
Adıyaman University · Adıyaman
THE 2001+
Afyon Kocatepe University · Afyonkarahisar
THE 2001+
Afyonkarahisar Health Sciences University · Afyonkarahisar
THE 2001+
Ağrı İbrahim Çeçen University · Ağrı
THE 1601–1800
THE 1201–1400
THE 2001+
Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University · Antalya
THE 1801–2000
Altinbas University · Istanbul
THE 1801–2000
THE 2001+
Anadolu University · Eskişehir
THE 1001–1200
Ankara Haci Bayram Veli University · Ankara
THE 2001+
Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University · Ankara
THE 1801–2000
Artvin Çoruh University · Artvin
THE 1801–2000
THE 1801–2000
Aydın Adnan Menderes University · Aydın
THE 1801–2000
Bahçeşehir University · Istanbul
THE 1001–1200
THE 2001+
Balıkesir University · Balıkesir
THE 2001+
Bandırma Onyedi Eylül University · Balıkesir
THE 1601–1800
THE 1201–1400
THE 2001+
THE 2001+
Bezmiâlem Foundation University · Istanbul
THE 1401–1600
Bilecik Şeyh Edebali University · Bilecik
THE 1801–2000
THE 1201–1400
THE 1001–1200
Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University · Bolu
THE 1801–2000
Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University · Burdur
THE 2001+
Bursa Technical University · Bursa
THE 2001+
Bursa Uludağ University · Bursa
THE 1801–2000
Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University · Çanakkale
THE 2001+
THE 1001–1200
Çankırı Karatekin University · Çankırı
THE 2001+
THE 1601–1800
THE 2001+
Dokuz Eylül University · Izmir
THE 1401–1600
THE 1401–1600
THE 1401–1600ARWU 801–900
THE 1001–1200ARWU 901–1000
Erzincan Binali Yıldırım University · Erzincan
THE 2001+
Erzurum Technical University · Erzurum
THE 1601–1800
Eskişehir Osmangazi University · Eskişehir
THE 1601–1800
Eskişehir Technical University · Eskişehir
THE 2001+
THE 1201–1400
THE 1201–1400ARWU 801–900
Gaziantep Islam Science and Technology University · Gaziantep
Gaziantep University · Gaziantep
THE 1601–1800
Gebze Technical University · Kocaeli
THE 1001–1200
THE 2001+
Gümüşhane University · Gümüşhane
THE 1801–2000
THE 1801–2000
Hasan Kalyoncu University · Gaziantep
THE 1201–1400
Hatay Mustafa Kemal University · Hatay
THE 2001+
THE 2001+
THE 1201–1400
Isparta University of Applied Sciences · Isparta
THE 2001+
Istanbul Aydın University · Istanbul
THE 1601–1800
Istanbul Beykent University · Istanbul
THE 2001+
Istanbul Bilgi University · Istanbul
THE 1801–2000
Istanbul Gelişim University · Istanbul
THE 1201–1400
Istanbul Medeniyet University · Istanbul
THE 1601–1800
Istanbul Medipol University · Istanbul
THE 1001–1200
Istanbul Nişantaşı University · Istanbul
THE 801–1000
Istanbul Okan University · Istanbul
THE 1801–2000
Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa · Istanbul
THE 1201–1400ARWU 801–900
THE 801–1000
Izmir Institute of Technology (IZTECH) · Izmir
THE 1201–1400
Izmir Kâtip Çelebi University · Izmir
THE 2001+
Izmir University of Economics · Izmir
THE 1601–1800
THE 1601–1800
Karadeniz Technical University · Trabzon
THE 1401–1600
Karamanoğlu Mehmetbey University · Karaman
THE 1601–1800
Kastamonu University · Kastamonu
THE 1601–1800
Kırıkkale University · Kırıkkale
THE 2001+
Kırşehir Ahi Evran University · Kırşehir
THE 1801–2000
THE 1801–2000
Konya Technical University · Konya
THE 1801–2000
Kütahya Dumlupınar University · Kütahya
THE 2001+
Kütahya University of Health Sciences · Kütahya
THE 2001+
Malatya Turgut Özal University · Malatya
THE 1801–2000
Manisa Celal Bayar University · Manisa
THE 2001+
Mardin Artuklu University · Mardin
THE 1601–1800
THE 1601–1800ARWU 801–900
THE 1801–2000
Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University · Muğla
THE 2001+
Nevşehir Hacı Bektaş Veli University · Nevşehir
THE 1801–2000
Niğde Ömer Halisdemir University · Niğde
THE 1801–2000
Ondokuz Mayıs University · Samsun
THE 1601–1800
THE 2001+
THE 801–1000
Pamukkale University · Denizli
THE 2001+
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University · Rize
THE 1201–1400
THE 1201–1400
Sakarya University of Applied Sciences · Sakarya
THE 1601–1800
THE 1201–1400
THE 1801–2000
Sivas Cumhuriyet University · Sivas
THE 1801–2000
Süleyman Demirel University · Isparta
THE 1001–1200
THE 1601–1800
Tekirdağ Namık Kemal University · Tekirdağ
THE 2001+
TOBB University of Economics and Technology · Ankara
THE 1401–1600
Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa University · Tokat
THE 1801–2000
Türkiye International Islamic, Science and Technology University · Istanbul
THE 2001+
THE 2001+
Van Yüzüncü Yıl University · Van
THE 1601–1800
THE 2001+
THE 1401–1600
Yeditepe University · Istanbul
THE 1401–1600
Yıldız Technical University · Istanbul
THE 801–1000ARWU 901–1000
Yozgat Bozok University · Yozgat
THE 1801–2000
Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University · Zonguldak
THE 1801–2000
No universities match your search.
This guide is for general information. Visa and immigration rules change often, so always check the official government website before you apply. Last updated 6 October 2026.