Turkey Student Visa Requirements
Students from India and Pakistan need a student visa (a visa sticker in your passport) to study in Türkiye (Turkey). You apply through a visa centre in your home country. After you arrive, you apply for a student residence permit (ikamet).
Conditions for a Turkey student visa
You must meet all of these.
- An acceptance letter from a Turkish university.
- Copies of your past certificates.
- India: your own bank statements for the last 3 months, and a tuition fee receipt.
- Pakistan: a balance that covers one year of tuition, the air ticket, housing, and food and drink.
India: insurance for at least your first 4 months.
Pakistan: at least EUR 30,000 or USD 50,000, for your whole stay. Either amount is fine.
Pakistan: a polio vaccination certificate less than 1 year old.
In Türkiye you need health insurance again for your residence permit.
Immigration Status
- India: Delhi and North India apply to the Embassy of Türkiye in New Delhi. West and South India, except the states below, apply to the Consulate General of Türkiye in Mumbai. Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha apply to the Consulate General of Türkiye in Hyderabad. All use Gateway.
- Pakistan: apply through Anatolia Travel Services or Gateway Management Logistics visa centres.
Good to know
- The student visa covers your first entry only, up to 90 days.
- To stay longer, apply for a student residence permit on e-ikamet (the government website for residence permits) before your visa ends.
- Visa fees are not paid back if you are refused.
Papers for a Turkey student visa
The papers you need for a student visa from India and from Pakistan.
Keep a copy of everything you hand in.
India: add copies of the first and last pages of your passport.
Pakistan: bring the hotel booking, or an invitation letter from the person you will stay with in Türkiye, signed in front of a notary.
- White background.
- India: 2.5 x 2.5 inches, taken in the last 6 months, full face with ears and all hair showing, no shadow.
- Pakistan: 5 x 5 cm, recent and in colour.
| Document Name | Description | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Visa application form | India: fill in by hand in capital letters with a blue or black pen. Stick 1 photo on it and sign. Pakistan: fill in the online pre-application form, print it and sign it. | Required |
| Cover letter | Signed by you. India: it must name your university, course, travel dates, passport number and address. | Required |
| Document Name | Description | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Passport | India: issued less than 10 years ago, valid at least 6 months after your planned stay in Türkiye ends, with 2 blank pages. Pakistan: valid at least 6 months from the day you arrive in Türkiye, with copies of old visa pages. | Required |
| Photos | India: 2 passport-style photos, 2.5 x 2.5 inches, white background, taken in the last 6 months. Pakistan: 2 colour photos, 5 x 5 cm, white background. | Required |
| Document Name | Description | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Acceptance letter | From the Turkish university where you will register. | Required |
| Certificates | India: copies of all your certificates from primary school up, stamped by a notary (an official who confirms signatures). Pakistan: copies of your diplomas. | Required |
| India: tuition fee receipt | The original receipt, or a copy stamped as true by the bank. | Required |
| Document Name | Description | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Bank statements | India: your own bank statements for the last 3 months, original or copies stamped by the bank. If your parents pay, add their last 3 months of statements and a notarised sponsorship letter. Pakistan: 3 months of signed and stamped statements and a bank letter that shows your balance. | Required |
| Pakistan: sponsor and tax papers | A sponsor affidavit (a signed paper from the person who pays for you) on stamp paper with income proof. Also tax papers from the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), such as your National Tax Number (NTN) certificate. | Required |
| Document Name | Description | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Travel health insurance | India: it must cover at least your first 4 months in Türkiye. Pakistan: at least EUR 30,000 (euros) or USD 50,000 (US dollars), either amount is fine, for your stay, including the cost of sending you home. | Required |
| Flight booking | India: a one-way flight booking (reservation). Pakistan: a booking only, do not buy the ticket. | Required |
| Pakistan: polio certificate | From a government hospital or approved lab. It must be less than 1 year old. | Required |
| Document Name | Description | Status |
|---|---|---|
| India: police clearance certificate | From your local police station or the passport office. | Required |
| Pakistan: family and reference papers | Your Family Registration Certificate from the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), and a letter with the names of 2 people at home who know you. | Required |
| Under 18: parents' consent | A consent letter from both parents on stamp paper, signed in front of a notary (an official who confirms signatures). | Required |
Important Document Guidelines
Which visa do you need?
Pick the visa by why you come. A degree always needs a student visa.
Key Features
For a degree or a Turkish language course at a Turkish university.
India: hand in your application at a Gateway visa centre. Pakistan: hand it in at an Anatolia or Gateway visa centre.
The application is checked by offices in Türkiye, so it takes longer than a tourist visa.
Eligibility Requirements
- An acceptance letter from a Turkish university.
- Enough money for your studies and stay.
Restrictions
- It is valid for your first entry only, up to 90 days.
- It does not let you work. A job needs a separate work permit.
| Feature | Student visa | e-visa |
|---|---|---|
| What it is for | Study at a Turkish university | Tourism or business only |
| How long it lasts | First entry, up to 90 days. Then a residence permit. | Single entry, valid for 1 month |
| Where to apply | India: Gateway visa centre. Pakistan: Anatolia or Gateway visa centre. | Online |
| Who can get it | Students with a university acceptance letter | Only holders of a valid visa or residence permit for the Schengen area (most European countries), the USA, the UK or Ireland |
Apply for a student visa before you travel. The e-visa is for tourism and business only, so you cannot use it to come and study.
Show that you come to study
The embassy checks that your papers are complete and real.
- Your acceptance letter from a Turkish university.
- India: a cover letter that names your university, your course, your travel date and why you chose it.
- Your own bank statements for the last 3 months, original or copies stamped by the bank.
- If your parents pay: their last 3 months of bank statements and a sponsorship letter signed in front of a notary.
- India: a police clearance certificate from your local police station or passport office.
The embassy may call you for an interview.
Pakistan: the visa centre gives you an interview form to fill in.
Common Red Flags to Avoid
Key to Success
The embassy will not ask you for missing papers after you apply. Check every paper against the list first.
Questions students ask
Answers to common questions and useful links.
Embassy of Türkiye in New Delhi
Embassy of Türkiye in Islamabad
Presidency of Migration Management (PMM)
Get your acceptance letter. Collect your papers.
India: book a time with Gateway. Pakistan: fill in the online pre-application form, print and sign it, then go to an Anatolia or Gateway visa centre.
Your application is checked in Türkiye.
Travel, then apply for your student residence permit online before your visa ends.
Need More Help?
Your university's international office can help with the residence permit after you arrive. Ask them early.
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