Citizenship: Turkey States How Many Years Foreign Spouses Must Live in Country Before Applying
- Foreign spouses must be married to a Turkish citizen for at least three years before applying for citizenship in the country
- Marriage to a Turkish citizen does not automatically grant anyone the right to citizenship or a passport
- The three-year rule is set out under Article 16 of Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901 which was officially published online
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Turkey's government clarified that marriage to a Turkish citizen does not automatically grant the foreign spouse citizenship.
The Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901 outlined a specific timeline as the main eligibility period before acquiring citizenship.
Source: UGC
Turkey Sets 3-Year Marriage Requirement for Citizenship Applications
Foreign spouses must have been married to a Turkish citizen for at least three years before they can apply.
According to the National Civil Registration System of Turkey, Article 16 of Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901 governs this process.
A foreign spouse becomes eligible to apply only after three years of continuous marriage to a Turkish citizen, provided the marriage is still ongoing at the time of application.
What Happens to Applications if the Marriage Ends
The law also accounts for circumstances where a marriage ends after an application has already been submitted.
If the Turkish spouse passes away following the application date, the application process can still proceed.
Where a marriage is later declared null and void, a foreign national who acquired Turkish citizenship through that union may retain it, but only if they can demonstrate that they acted in good faith at the time of the marriage.
In such cases, the question of whether citizenship should be maintained is referred to the relevant Ministry through the Governorate.
Turkey speaks about entry with national ID card
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Turkey's Ministry of Foreign Affairs published a list of 21 countries whose nationals can enter the country using only a national ID card.
Most countries on the list are European nations, with Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and Moldova also included among the exempted states.
Source: Legit.ng
