Stages & Steps of Naturalization in Turkey

There are many questions about the stages and steps of naturalization in Turkey and the follow-up of the naturalization file, whether through multiple types of investment, marriage, Ottoman origins, exceptional nationality, or other aspects. No matter how different the reasons for nominating your name to obtain Turkish citizenship are, you must know that the stages of naturalization in Turkey are the same and do not differ from one person to another.

In this article, we try to clarify the matter for those interested in the stages of naturalization in Turkey, follow up on the naturalization file, the link to the stages of naturalization in Turkey, and the most important details related to this topic, with some detail that is not insignificant or misleading.

What are the stages of naturalization in Türkiye 2024?

All naturalization files in Turkey are united by the seven stages they go through, from the moment of registration on the application until the file owner is notified that he has passed all stages. However, the matter differs between investors of all types and other holders of Turkish citizenship files, exceptional ones or others, in the speed of passing these stages.

1. The first stage: The application is registered and approved

The stages of applying for Turkish citizenship begin from the date the initial application is registered and approved by the Immigration Department, during the initial interview.

Some of the papers required for submission differ depending on the status of the applicant, while some of the basic papers are the same, as the papers are submitted to the state Civil Civil Service Administration and are subject to review and scrutiny before being sent to the General Civil Civil Directorate in Ankara.

2. The second stage: sending the file to the relevant directorate

The application file for Turkish citizenship is sent to the General Directorate of Civil Status in Ankara for review and study before transferring the file to the third stage.

3. The third stage: initial audit of the file

This is the stage when the citizenship file reaches the General Directorate in Ankara and undergoes scrutiny and review of all its papers, before sending it to the relevant authorities specialized in conducting an extensive search for the person.

4. The fourth stage: extensive auditing and archiving

It is the stage of examination, research and scrutiny, and it is considered the most sensitive stage among the seven stages of Turkish citizenship, and it is one of the critical stages for the file holders, as an extensive search is carried out for the nominated file holder and an investigation is conducted about him in the security, foreign affairs, financial and intelligence directorates... and in the event that any party objects to the holder of the file. The relationship or any violation appears against him, the application may be frozen and the file rejected.

5. The fifth stage: sending to the Council of Ministers for approval

If the study of files, examination and research procedures in the fourth stage of the application for Turkish citizenship from the relevant authorities are completed, the candidate’s name will be included in the list that will be submitted to the competent authority for signature.

6. The sixth stage: making the final decision regarding the matter

This is the penultimate stage, which means that the citizenship application has reached the responsible authority and is awaiting its signature to grant the file holder citizenship status.

7. The seventh stage: Notifying the result via the entity through which the application was submitted

This is the last stage, in which the person concerned is informed by a congratulatory letter that the file holder has become a Turkish citizen, enjoys full citizenship rights, and must review the Civil Affairs Administration to receive the naturalization decision.

After receiving the naturalization decision, the Turkish ID must be applied for at the Civil Registry to which he belongs.

What is the duration of the naturalization stages in Türkiye 2024?

The duration of each stage of naturalization in Turkey varies according to the case. In cases of real estate ownership in Turkey that took place through Imtilak Real Estate Company, crossing these stages was mostly quick, as the waiting period until the complete stages were completed did not exceed 90 days, and in Other cases extended for a little more than that, from the date of submitting the citizenship papers until the date of obtaining them and receiving the ID card.

As for cases of exceptional citizenship or citizenship through marriage or work permit... the seven stages usually extend to more than 9 months at the minimum, and many other cases took approximately two years at the maximum.

Does the duration of the naturalization stages differ depending on the nomination method?

We previously pointed out that the period required for a candidate to pass through the stages of citizen