Looking for an Immigration lawyer in Istanbul

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@Scot in Istanbul

Welcome to the Turkiye

Rule for short term touristic permit are, shall I say, "Ambiguous"

If you look at GOC website, all you need to show is that you have sufficient funds and place of residence (outside of restricted areas) for the duration of the stay.

For real world experience I suggest you visit Turkish Living Forum. The site is maintained by Brits and their experience will directly relate to your situation. Look at DocMartin file for details regarding filling first time application.

You don't need a lawyer. The application is filled online and you appear in person alone (without any legal help). Based on my personal experience, approval is very discretionary.

@Scot in Istanbul

Hi.

Your girlfriend is definitely right.

Go to Cyprus with the money you give to the lawyer, have fun, come. You will already automatically stay for 90 more days.

I often get a residence permission to my wife because of marriage. Therefore, I have quite experience. You should get a short -term residence permit for tourism purposes. I read the conditions on the internet. The conditions and procedures seem to be quite difficult and long.

My advice is to go to the migration office of your province with your girlfriend and talk to the police. Find out the terms and costs (health insurance, fees, taxes, etc.). You can make a decision accordingly. Probably it will be easier to get 90 days extension by going to Turkish Cyprus and back. I done it and they have extended duration time of my wife automatically another 90 days without any question.  Asked it to police  in immigration office. Sure they will say , yes.

in worst case, If you do not do any of these, you can pay a penalty at the exit for every day you have violated 90 days. However, since you are Scottish, they do not receive such a penalty fee or maybe they get very little. I don't know. ) Good luck.

Hiring an attorney for this would honestly be a waste of money—the process is straightforward enough to manage on your own or through an agency. That said, obtaining a residence permit in Istanbul carries a high risk of rejection, especially for single applicants. Istanbul is also generally less favorable toward retirees.

Your better options are either to apply in Antalya, where approval rates are higher, or to get married and then apply for a family residence permit in Istanbul.

The total cost, including taxes and health insurance, typically ranges between 10,000 and 15,000 TL, plus the exempt visa fee of 7,882 TL, depending on your age as your a British.

In my experience, the procedure for foreigners to marry Turkish citizens is also very difficult and quite expensive. The same procedures apply for a residence permit. Ultimately, you'll need to submit almost the same basic documents and follow them yourself at the immigration office, regardless of the type of residence permit you're applying for. The fees, taxes, health insurance, and other costs are the same. I can only recommend applying through a specialized agency in your province. They review your documents and fill out your application form according to the type of residence permit you require. It's recommended that you apply through a recommended agency in your province.

@CUCUJUJU Actually, getting married in Türkiye is much easier than people think. In many provinces, it can be completed in a single day. The government fee is around 10,000 TL, and most nationalities only need one document from their home country, which must be apostilled or authenticated by their embassy. After that, you obtain a health report and blood test from the local public hospital, plus a few other small formalities. Overall, the process is simple and not expensive.

Another option is registering online through a U.S. state, which can be done in 10–15 minutes. They send you an apostilled marriage certificate within 7–10 days by courier.

As for residence permits, the requirements remain straightforward and haven’t significantly changed in over a decade, except for the reintroduction of mandatory bank statements and the UETS number. The rest of the process remains practically the same.

While marriage registration and the basic residence permit steps remain relatively straightforward, the approval landscape has changed considerably over the past year. Approval rates have dropped, and first-time applications are now subject to far more discretion, particularly for retirees and single applicants. Some provinces have reintroduced two-year permits, while others only accept short-term residence permit applications from select categories.

That said, renewals remain far simpler. As long as you remain compliant, maintain valid health insurance, and can demonstrate sufficient financial means, extensions are usually processed without major issues.