Job Discussion Forums

teacher07 · Joined: 17 Mar 2012 Posts: 8

Hi all

My tourist visa expires on Monday, I booked an appointment for my ikamet a month ago but it isn't until June. My work permit has been approved and it will arrive next week however the job is in a different area of Turkey. So what happens now? Will my appointment printout be ok to show to the police when I am applying for my new residence permit in a different area since my tourist visa will have expired or will i have to do a visa run since I have an old tourist visa!! Please help im very confused.

misskismet · Joined: 10 Sep 2011 Posts: 26

teacher07 · Joined: 17 Mar 2012 Posts: 8

Yes it is very confusing. All I know is that my workpermit has been approved. I had an old residence permit which was sent off with the application so who knows if thats the reason!!

misskismet · Joined: 10 Sep 2011 Posts: 26

I'd suggest going to your local police station, with a Turkish speaker if you don't speak good Turkish, explain the situation and ask them. Waiting times for new residence permits in Istanbul are huge, but I imagine in other cities they are not so bad. Maybe you can get a new one in another place.

coffeespoonman · Joined: 04 Feb 2005 Posts: 512 Location: At my computer...

Hi teacher07,

Well it's Monday, so you've probably made a decision, but here's how I see it.

If your work permit is approved by YOK (the ministry of education) and not the ministry of labor (which it will have been because, as your name states, you're a teacher), you won't necessarily need a residence permit in order to get your work permit. Essentially, your work permit will be a page in a NEW residence permit that comes FREE of charge. That means that, if everything works out the way it should (not guaranteed in Turkey), you'll be getting a new residence permit next week, good for the duration of your work permission, so you won't have to be applying anywhere else, no matter where you're working.

Regardless, I wouldn't trust that piece of paper for an appointment in June to be a substitute for a residence permit in this case, because it's SO far in the future (a week or two would be ok, I'm sure). I'd go to the emniyet with a Turkish speaker and tell them that your work permit / residence permit arrives next week. As long as they have a record, they should give you a receipt for it which will keep you legal in Turkey until it arrives.

Good luck!

teacher07 · Joined: 17 Mar 2012 Posts: 8

just thought id let you know what happened. i went to the police station to get my residence permit with my approval letter and there were no problems. they did mention that my tourist visa had expired but said that it was ok as i had applied for a work permit before the 90 days was up.
thanks for the advice.