Turkey Sets Minimum Age Requirement for Foreigners Applying for Citizenship
- Turkey's government outlined strict eligibility criteria that foreigners must meet before they can apply for citizenship through the general provisions process
- Applicants must have lived continuously in Turkey for five years and demonstrate a genuine intention to settle in the country before their application is considered
- Turkey also set out specific rules around citizenship acquired by birth, including provisions for children born abroad to Turkish parents and foundlings discovered within the country
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Turkey has laid out the conditions under which foreigners and those born to Turkish parents can obtain Turkish citizenship, covering everything from age requirements to language ability and financial stability.
The country's Directorate General of Civil Registration and Nationality (NVI) published the full framework on its official website, detailing three broad pathways: citizenship through bloodline, citizenship based on place of birth, and citizenship acquired through a formal application process.
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Age requirements for citizenship through bloodline, birth
Under Turkish law, a child automatically becomes a Turkish citizen at birth if at least one parent holds Turkish citizenship at that time. The nationality of the other parent is irrelevant to this determination. This applies whether the child is born inside Turkey or abroad.
For individuals who were born abroad to Turkish parents but whose births were never formally registered, there is still a route to inclusion in the family registry. However, this is only available to those who have already turned 18, and the Ministry must first carry out an investigation to confirm the Turkish parentage before any registration can proceed.
Turkey also grants citizenship by birth to children born on its soil who would otherwise have no nationality, for instance because their parents are unknown, stateless, or citizens of a country whose laws do not allow the child to inherit their citizenship. Children found within Turkey's borders who are too young to identify themselves are automatically presumed to have been born there, unless evidence suggests otherwise.
Conditions for Turkish citizenship by application
Foreigners seeking Turkish citizenship through the standard application route must satisfy all of the conditions set out in Article 11 of Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901.
First, the applicant must be of legal age and capable of making reasoned decisions under their own national law, or under Turkey's Civil Code if they are stateless.
They must also have resided continuously in Turkey for at least five years immediately before the date of application, and must have shown a clear intention to remain in the country. Acceptable evidence of that intention includes purchasing property, starting or relocating a business, investing in Turkey, taking up employment under a valid work permit, marrying a Turkish citizen, or completing an educational programme in the country.
Beyond residency, applicants must be in good health, have no communicable disease that poses a risk to public health, and be able to speak Turkish well enough to participate in everyday social life. They must also demonstrate good moral character and have a stable source of income sufficient to support themselves and any dependants.
Finally, there must be no grounds related to national security or public order that would disqualify the applicant from receiving citizenship.
Legit.ng has also published residency years for foreigners who want to become Qatari citizens.
Citizenship: Australia mentions residency years for foreigners
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Australia's Department of Home Affairs outlined the residence requirement foreigners must meet before applying for citizenship.
Applicants must have lived in Australia on a valid visa for a number of years before the date they apply for citizenship.
The rules also specify how much time applicants are allowed to have spent outside Australia during that period.
Source: Legit.ng
