The German visa sections in Turkey explicitly caution against using the services of visa agencies and non-official websites. Please only use the official information on our website and the websites that we refer to there. Our only partners are the iDATA company and the International Organization for Migration (IOM-FAP).

How can I start working in Germany?

Germany welcomes international skilled workers from all over the world. We are happy to advise you on your opportunities to work and live in Germany. Find out more about professions in demand, the recognition of your qualifications, starting a business, research and job search on Make-it-in-Germany.

When can I apply as a non-Turkish citizen in Turkey?

You can apply for a national visa at the German visa sections in Turkey without Turkish citizenship if your permanent residence is in Turkey. This means that the main focus of your life is in Turkey. It is not sufficient to have a Turkish residence permit or shares in a Turkish company and live elsewhere. Permanent residence is usually established by living in Turkey uninterruptedly for at least 6 months without longer stays in another country at the date of your visa application. Permanent residence is also established without a stay of 6 months minimum if you have a long-term right of residence in Turkey (i.e. as a registered refugee or with a residence permit for family reunion). The Turkish short-term residence permit („Kisa Dönem / Short Term“) – even if issued for 6 months or longer - does not establish permanent residence. In this case, the directive mentioned above for a stay of 6 months minimum applies. Please provide proof of permanent residence in Turkey when applying for your visa.

Syria and Afghanistan:
Applicants whose permanent residence is in Syria can apply for a national visa at the visa section in Istanbul as the German Embassy in Damascus is closed. Syrian nationals whose permanent residence is outside of Syria or Turkey must apply for a visa at the German visa section responsible for their country of residence. Nationals of Afghanistan can apply for visa for family reunion even if their permanent residence has not yet been established in Turkey as soon as they are in Turkey. For applying for other types of visa (i.e. studies, work visa), please only contact the German visa sections in Islamabad and New Delhi.

Which German visa section in Turkey is responsible?

The visa section in Ankara is responsible for the following provinces: Adana, Adıyaman, Ağrı, Aksaray, Amasya, Ankara, Ardahan, Artvin, Bartın, Batman, Bayburt, Bingöl, Bitlis, Çankırı, Çorum, Diyarbakır, Elazığ, Erzincan, Erzurum, Gaziantep, Giresun, Gümüşhane, Hakkari, Hatay/Antakya, İçel (Mesin), Iğdır, K’maraş, Karabük, Karaman, Kars, Kastamonu, Kayseri, Kilis, Kırıkkale, Kırşehir, Konya, Malatya, Mardin, Muş, Nevşehir, Niğde, Ordu, Osmaniye, Rize, Samsun, Şanlıurfa, Siirt, Sinop, Şırnak, Sivas, Tokat, Trabzon, Tunceli, Van, Yozgat, Zonguldak.

The visa section in Istanbul is responsible for the provinces: Balıkesir, Bilecik, Bolu, Bursa, Çanakkale, Düzce, Edirne, Eskişehir, İstanbul, Kırklareli, Kocaeli, Tekirdağ, Sakarya, Yalova. Syrian nationals can only apply for a national visa in Istanbul, irrespectively of their residence in Turkey. The same applies for all non-Turkish nationals who want to apply for a visa for family reunion and whose family member in Germany was granted a protection status (residence permit according to section 25 or 26 of the German residence law, §§ 25 or 26 AufenthG). This group of applicants also can only apply in Istanbul.

The visa section in Izmir is responsible for the provinces: Afyon, Antalya, Aydın, Burdur, Denizli, Isparta, Izmir, Kütahya, Manisa, Muğla, Uşak.

How can I book an appointment?

If your family member in Germany has subsidiary protection status (subsidiärer Schutz): Please register for family reunion here. Currently, due to the high demand waiting times of more than one year arise. Please wait for the International Organisation for Migration (IOM-FAP) to contact you.

If you have only Syrian citizenship and your family member in Germany holds German citizenship, refugee status, long-term residence permit („Niederlassungserlaubnis“) or another residence permit not based on subsidiary protection, please register for family reunion online with our external service provider iDATA here.

For all other cases, please call iDATA:
For calls from abroad: +90 212 970 84 93, for calls from Turkey: 0850 460 84 93, Mon – Fri 08:30-13:00 / 13:30-17:30 (Turkish time). Waiting times can arise depending on the current demand. Please wait for iDATA to assign your appointment. The call center staff can take your call in German, Turkish or English. For the appointment booking, iDATA charges a fee of 7,80 euros. The fee can be paid by credit card or advance deposit at every YapıKredi Bankası in Turkey.

Which documents do I need?

The required documents depend on the purpose of your planned stay. There are many sub-categories of national visas with different prerequisites. If you are not sure for which of these categories you should apply, you can try our Visa Navigator

Family

Work

Education

Re-entry

Other

For work visas as an artist or au-pair, for a voluntary service, internship, recognition of your foreign qualifications, self-employment or research and all other national visa categories please prepare your documents according to the information sheets on national visas for Turkish citizens (German/Turkish).

Where and how do I apply for the visa?

In most cases you can only submit your application directly at the visa section. Please come on time and in person to your appointment. Each family member applying for a visa must be there in person. The staff at the visa section speaks Arabic, English, German or Turkish. If you do not speak any of these languages very well, you must bring an interpreter with you.

It has also become possible to submit your visa application for certain visa purposes directly with our external service provider iDATA. Applicants for family reunion visas with persons of subsidiary protection status (subsidiärer Schutz) in Germany submit their applications directly at IOM-FAP Istanbul.

You will receive the information where to file your application after booking an appointment. If you can submit your application at iDATA or IOM-FAP, you will pay the visa fee (and for iDATA a service fee additionally) and submit all documents there. Your application will be forwarded to the visa section. iDATA or IOM-FAP do not have any influence on the decision of any visa application.

How long do I have to wait?

After the visa section has undertaken a first check of your application and if all documents are complete (otherwise you will be informed), the necessary authorities in Germany will be consulted, depending on the planned visa purpose. The visa section cannot influence the processing periods at these authorities. The table below provides an overview of the usual processing periods:

As soon as we have taken a decision regarding your application, you will receive your passport together with all original documents you submitted and the final decision.

Information how to pick up your passport or how to have it sent back to you will be available during your visa appointment. If your application had to be denied, you will receive a written notification explaining the main reasons for this decision together with your passport. The rejection letter will also contain information on possible legal rights of appeal.

Can I apply for asylum?

The German missions abroad are not authorized to grant asylum. An application for asylum can only be filed with the responsible authorities in Germany.