8 Istanbul Districts Closed for Foreign Residency Permits

By Justin Mays:

During the migration evaluation meeting in Istanbul, held on the 14th of October 2022, Turkey's Interior Minister, Suleyman Soylu, indicated that eight more districts had been closed for residence permits in Istanbul. 

The districts are Avcilar, Basaksehir, Kucukcekmece, Bagcilar, Bahcelievler, Sultangazi, Esenler and Zeytinburnu. Previously, Fatih and Esenyurt were also closed for residency permit. Please note that this information has not been published in the Turkish Official Gazette yet. 

The number of foreigners in Istanbul is approximately 1.271.279, including including Ukrainians and Russians who recently migrated to the city. However, in April, the number was 1.309.394, which indicates a decline.  

However, some people can still get residence permits in these districts. "If they are students in Turkey and attend a university in that district or have bought a house as an investment. There is also the matter of sickness," said the Minister. 

There is diversity in Istanbul, and anyone can quickly fit in. Turkey has taken many strides to take care of refugees in the country to integrate smoothly. "The number of Syrians in Turkey is 3,646,278; these are those who came here due to the internal conflict in Syria, which we describe as 'under temporary protection," he added.

When the number of foreigners in the district exceeds 25%, the neighbourhoods in that district are closed for new foreigners. In February, a total of 781 neighbourhoods were closed in the country. 

Turkey adopted the open door policy where the country welcomes people who are fleeing conflict from their countries. The government does this by offering them temporary protection status. Turkey hosts more than 4 million refugees, a huge number compared to any other country. 

Please visit our website for more information on districts open and those closed for residence permit and Turkish citizenship. 

For further reading: 

Istanbul Real Estate | How to Find Your Home

Becoming a Turkish Citizen Through Real Estate Investment

6 Best Cities to Retire to in Turkey

9 Tips on Moving to Turkey from the UK