Job Discussion Forums

randomgirl · Joined: 30 May 2008 Posts: 8

hi :)
i have an ikamet that i've had renewed once before, but my school took care of all the paperwork and everything.
This time around I probably won't be working anywhere yet when my ikamet expires, so I'll have to renew it all on my own... only I don't know how!
can anyone tell me where to find the paperwork and instructions on what i need to do?
And if i originally got my ikamet in istanbul do i need to renew it there or can i renew it somewhere else if i'm in a different city when it expires?
thanks for your help and advice :)

FGT · Joined: 14 Sep 2003 Posts: 762 Location: Turkey

You can renew it yourself but without the school or another employer to support your application you won't get a work permit.

You need proof of address, proof of financial means of supporting yourself, a tax (vergi) number and the usual loads of photos.

Go to your local Emniyet Mudurluğu and be prepared to wait, beg and possibly bribe but you should end up with a new residence permit. You choose the length of time it's valid for, it costs about 500ytl per year.

teacherdude · Joined: 13 Sep 2004 Posts: 260

This is not true.

My friends and I have renewed our Ikamet for years usually without any assistance from our respective schools.

Get yor application form in advance. Have yoru photos, passport and all relevant documents. If you get it typed out in advance of the application, this will save you major time on the day that you go. However, many ppl have it filled out on the day that they go.

Make sure and ask where you should go when you come with the filled out documents. You used to go to the back of the bilding on the second floor (opposite the men's toilet). However, I went in March and they just sent you directly to the final desk. I was finished in less than an hour. Of course I showed up an hour before they opened Laughing

Have money in your bank acct, at least 250 dollars for every month that you want to stay. If you come from a well respected country, eg. the US, Canada, Belgium etc, it should be a piece of cake. I and others have been doing it for the last five years.

If you are unware of all the docs you should have, just ask.

TD

randomgirl · Joined: 30 May 2008 Posts: 8

do you mean i should ask about the documents at the emniyet? I agree it would be better to have them filled out in advance, that's why i was hoping i'd be able to find what i need online somewhere. but maybe it is better to go to the emniyet and ask, just to be up-to-date.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Smile sweetly and ask for guidance on the True Path. Can't fail.

Nargile57 · Joined: 05 Nov 2006 Posts: 42 Location: Istanbul

Things changed again last month.
Before you needed to show a turkish bank account with 300 dollars for each month you required - this meant getting a tax number first - it took me 3 minutes in Silivri. You also needed a number of photographs - 5 i think.
You needed a petition in turkish and to fill out with a computer or typewriter a coloured form - available on the internet from the yabanci sube site.
Once everything was organised I was in and out in 30 minutes with a two year permit.
However, now to get a bank account, you need a resi permit - go figure.

teacherdude · Joined: 13 Sep 2004 Posts: 260

I went to the emniyet recently and was a little shocked. There was no information desk and now there's a sitting area. Everyone seemed to have a number and was just waiting to be called.

Even more surprisingly, they actually seemed to be following the number order.

Has anyone experienced this new change. I kinda liked talking to an officer and being told where to go, as things are always changing there.

Is this system better/worse than the previous. With a lot of ppl sitting, the place didn't seem to be as crowded.

TD

tarte tatin · Joined: 02 Mar 2007 Posts: 247 Location: Istanbul

Yes I went last Friday and was shocked at the lack of chaos. It was nice to sit in comfort and watch TV (two screens, one Turkish language, one English) but I think it actually took longer than it used to (probably because my husband couldn't push in as he normally does Embarassed

).

We had all the stuff done before we got there, but once called the officer we saw took ages to process the paperwork, seemed to keep stopping for chats with his mates. I think it is luck who you get to deal with.

Also you used to have to wait about a week before you could go and pick up the ikamet but I was told it would be ready on Monday (yesterday). So in other words a wait of just one working day.

teacherdude · Joined: 13 Sep 2004 Posts: 260

Curious TT....what time did you arrive? How long did you have to wait?

TD

tarte tatin · Joined: 02 Mar 2007 Posts: 247 Location: Istanbul

We arrived at 8 am on the dot. Obviously not early enough as we were number 86 in the queuing system. It was nearly 10 am before we were called and then it took more than another half an hour for our paperwork to be processed, to pay etc.

Last time we also arrived at 8 but I seem to remember we were out by about 9.30. I think there were more staff actually on duty.