Registration & Status

Syrian nationals as well as refugees and stateless persons from Syria who have arrived in Turkey en masse or individually are granted temporary protection status. Thus, the Temporary Protection Regulation covers not only Syrian nationals but also refugees, including Palestinians and other stateless persons coming from Syria.

In addition, the amendment introduced to the Temporary Protection Regulation on 7 April 2016 states that Syrian nationals who irregularly crossed to the Aegean Islands after 20 March 2016 and were subsequently readmitted to Turkey may also be granted temporary protection status. 

The temporary protection regime establishes a safeguard against the return of individuals with temporary protection status to Syria against their will. The regime also grants legal residence, as well as access to fundamental rights and entitlements, including health care services and education, to those registered with Turkish authorities.

The Directorate General of Migration Management is the main body responsible for registration of all individuals under the temporary protection regime. The Directorate General of Migration Management is a specialized government institution with offices throughout Turkey. The headquarters of the Directorate General of Migration Management are in Ankara and there are Provincial Directorate of Migration Management offices across Turkey.

To complete your temporary protection registration, you should approach the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management office in your city of residence. Please be informed that new registrations may be suspended in the province you would like to be registered in. As registration procedures may vary, it is best to consult the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management office in your city of residence for further details.

During registration, the authorities will request your basic demographic details, such as your name and surname, and your date and place of birth. If you have any identification documents, it is important for you to present them during registration. Please be advised that this is not a requirement for registration, and individuals who do not possess an identity document are still entitled to register. In such cases, your statements will suffice for the completion of registration. During registration, the competent authorities will also record your biometric data.

Please be informed that the authorities will also require you to present documents (such as utility bills, a certificate of residence, or a rent contract) to verify your contact details and address. The authorities will treat all information and data with strict confidentiality.

If you are unable to communicate with the officials in Turkish or in any other common language, you have the right to an interpreter during both the registration interview and the personal interview stages. As a rule, notifications at all stages of the temporary protection procedure should be communicated in a language that you can understand. The interpretation services provided by authorities are free of charge.

The information and documents you share with the officials of the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management shall be kept and treated as strictly confidential and cannot be shared with any third persons, other agencies, or the authorities of your country of origin. The fact that you have made an application for asylum in Turkey will also be kept confidential and will not be shared with the authorities of your country of origin.

Upon the completion of your registration, the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management authorities will issue a Temporary Protection Identity Document. This document is free of charge and will include your photo and basic identification information. This identity document will also contain your foreigner ID number starting with ‘99’.

The Temporary Protection Identity Document legalizes your presence in Turkey, and the foreigner’s ID number on this card is necessary to access fundamental rights and services such as health care and education. Moreover, you may enter into contracts, including for services such as telecommunications (i.e. cellular phone, internet) with your Temporary Protection Identity Document.

Please note, the Temporary Protection Identity Document is not a substitute for a residence permit or any other equivalent document. This document also does not allow its bearers to obtain long-term residence permits.

First and foremost, registering with the Turkish authorities enables you to stay legally in Turkey. Once you are registered, you will also be able to access public services granted under the temporary protection regime, such as health services and education. If you have arrived to Turkey irregularly or do not have a valid travel document or a residence permit, and if you wish to travel outside of Turkey, including for resettlement or family reunification, you will need an exit permit, which is only attainable if you are registered. Finally, all persons seeking temporary protection are required to register, according to the Temporary Protection Regulation.

Registration does not impose any restrictions on you. You do not have an obligation to go to temporary accommodation centers or camps after being registered. However, please be informed that as a rule, you will only be able to benefit from rights and services in the province where you completed your temporary protection registration.

The document which contains a foreigner ID number starting with ‘98’ is officially known as the Foreigner’s Identity Document. This document demonstrates that you have registered with the Turkish authorities and therefore legally reside in Turkey. However, this document is no longer valid and to avoid any difficulties in accessing rights and entitlements, you are required to obtain a foreigner ID number starting with ‘99’. To do this, please approach the office of the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management in the province of your registration. Depending on the province in which you are registered, you may need to book an appointment in advance of your application to the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management.

If you have lost your Temporary Protection Identity Document, you should immediately report to the nearest Provincial Directorate of Migration Management office, which will note your declaration and give you a new identity document. You may follow the same procedure for damaged or worn-out identity documents.

In accordance with the temporary protection regime, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees does not register or adjudicate asylum claims of individuals under temporary protection. Thus, you are not required to register with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Your family members can register with the competent authorities in the same manner. As registration is carried out individually, it is important for your family members to be personally present at the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management office at the time of their registration appointments.

Please be informed that the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management in your city may have suspended new registrations and family members who wish to be registered in the same province as you may not be able to apply for temporary protection due to such restrictions. If that is the case, it is important to notify the authorities at the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management about the special circumstances which require your family member to reside in the same province as you. You may be required to submit a petition for this purpose. The authorities may evaluate your request and register your family member on account of your special needs or may refer your family member to another province for registration purposes.

Individuals who have completed their temporary protection registration have the right to bring a claim for family reunification. As per the Temporary Protection Regulation, you can only make these claims for a spouse, minor children or dependent children of any age. You should apply to the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management for family reunification. The Directorate General of Migration Management is the main body responsible for receiving and assessing the claim. Where necessary, the Directorate General will cooperate with other relevant institutions. For further information, you may approach the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management office in your city of registration.

It is the duty of the mother, father, or legal guardian of a child to register his or her birth with the Population and Civil Registry Department in the province where the birth took place. The registration must be done within thirty days of the birth. Please be aware that failure to comply with this requirement may result in an administrative fine.

It is important to present the original birth report provided by the hospital or the health center and other relevant documents in your possession. However, if you do not have any of these documents or if the birth did not take place in a hospital or health center, you are still entitled to register your newborn. In some cases, particularly if the birth took place at home, the Population and Civil Registry Department authorities may order a verification.

Please also note that you are required to register your newborn with the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management of the city you in which are registered. Following the registration, your newborn will also be issued a Temporary Protection Identity Document. 

Finally, please note that registering your newborn shall not directly confer Turkish citizenship to your child or to you.

If you gave birth at home and the birth was supervised by a medical professional, the medical professional will produce a written report to be reviewed by the District Directorate of Health (İlçe Sağlık Müdürlüğü). This report will be reviewed in five days and the birth report will be given to you upon confirmation from the Provincial Directorate of Health (İl Sağlık Müdürlüğü). To complete the registration of your newborn, you should approach the district office of the Population and Civil Registry Department (İlçe Nüfus Müdürlüğü) with the birth report. After you finalize these procedures, you should apply to the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management in the province that you are registered and notify the authorities about the newborn. Upon notification, the authorities will issue a temporary protection ID for your child.

If you gave birth at home and the birth was not supervised by a medical professional, you should notify the authorities at the district office of the Population and Civil Registry Department (İlçe Nüfus Müdürlüğü) about the birth. We advise you to do this at the earliest convenience. The Provincial Directorate of Health (İl Sağlık Müdürlüğü) would then examine the veracity of your notification and the civil registration of the newborn will be carried out by the district office of the Population and Civil Registry Department (İlçe Nüfus Müdürlüğü). After you finalize these procedures, you should apply to the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management in the province that you are registered and notify the authorities about the newborn. Upon notification, the authorities will issue a temporary protection ID for your child.

According to the Temporary Protection Regulation, unaccompanied minors, persons with disabilities, elderly persons, pregnant women, a single mother or a single father with an accompanying child, and persons who have been subjected to torture, rape, or other types of serious psychological, physical or sexual violence are recognized as persons with special needs.

If you or other individuals in your family have a condition matching with the list above, please disclose this condition during registration. The authorities may decide to give you priority in registration. Moreover, the Temporary Protection Regulation specifically states that individuals recognized as persons with special needs shall be given priority in accessing rights and procedures, including the right to access health care services.

In case you have failed to disclose your special condition during registration, or if these conditions have arisen afterwards, you may also approach the registration authorities and request that your registration status to be revised accordingly.

Unaccompanied minors are recognized as persons with special needs. All protection measures and services provided to these persons are regulated under the Child Protection Law. Unaccompanied or separated minors can be accommodated either at state-run shelters or special units within camps.

According to Turkish law, it is essential to uphold the best interest of the child in every procedure. Therefore, if you are an unaccompanied minor or know any person in this situation, please approach our office to receive more detailed information and assistance.

There is no barrier to leaving the camps. You should approach the camp management and communicate your decision to leave the camp. However, you should be aware that there is currently no rent subsidy, social housing or any other form of state-sponsored accommodation, so you will have to rely on your own resources for your accommodation.

Please also be aware that you are legally required to provide the relevant authorities with your new address within twenty days of leaving the camp.

If you want to change your city of registration to reunite with your close family members who are registered and thus legally residing in another province or to benefit from education or health care services elsewhere or for other reasons, you need to submit a petition to the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management in your city of residence.  This request will be assessed by the authorities and may be accepted or rejected.

If you are granted a positive response, you must approach the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management office or apply through e-Devlet and request  travel permission. Travel permission documents are usually given for a period of fifteen days and you are required to approach the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management office of the new province and notify them about this change in city of residence. Please be advised that you will need to present documents (such as utility bills, a certificate of residence, or a rent contract) to verify your contact details and address during this notification process.

To be able to travel to another city, persons under temporary protection are required to secure a travel permission document from the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management office where they are registered or through e-Devlet. As stated before, a travel permission document is usually given for a period of fifteen days. You are also required to report your presence to the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management upon returning to your city of registration.

Please be informed that if you need to be outside of your city of registration for a period longer than fifteen days, you may apply to the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management office and request an extension. This extension may be granted for up to fifteen additional days. It is important to make your request for extension before your travel permission document expires.

To obtain a travel permission document which you are required to secure before you travel outside of the city of your registration, you must approach the office of the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management in your city of registration or apply online via e-Devlet. If you apply online, you will be notified about the result of your application via SMS. If you are granted a travel permission, you can print the document yourself without having to go to the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management.

According to the applicable legislation, all foreigners who wish to remain in Turkey beyond the duration of a visa or a visa exemption, or for longer than ninety days, should obtain a residence permit. A residence permit allows you to stay legally in Turkey within the period of its validity.   

If you have entered Turkey with a valid passport and in a regular way, it is possible to apply for a residence permit. However, there are certain requirements for getting a residence permit. Please visit the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management office to inquire about these requirements and to apply for a residence permit.

If you have already obtained a residence permit, this will allow you to legally reside in Turkey within the period of its validity. Thus, if you have a valid residence permit, you are not obligated to register under the temporary protection regime. However, please be advised that, if you have a residence permit, you will not be able to benefit from the rights and entitlements granted to persons under temporary protection.

Yes, you may voluntarily return to Syria. The Temporary Protection Regulation states that the government of Turkey may provide support for voluntary returns to Syria. However, please be informed that voluntary departure from Turkey is one of the grounds for cessation of your temporary protection status.

If you are certain about your decision to voluntarily return to Syria, you are required to approach the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management office in your city of registration and complete a Voluntary Return Form. Upon the completion of this process, you will be provided a copy of this document along with a travel permission document. You will then be able to travel to the appropriate border crossing point and leave Turkey. Please be informed that authorities will take your Temporary Protection Identity Document away at the border. 

Should you later decide to return to Turkey and re-apply for temporary protection, the Directorate General of Migration Management has discretion to grant or deny this request.

There are certain conditions under which the temporary protection status of an individual ceases. If the temporary protection beneficiary;

• Leaves Turkey voluntarily,
• Avails him or herself of the protection of a third country,
• Is admitted to a third country on humanitarian grounds or resettled to such a country or leaves for a third country,
• Is deceased,
• Benefits from another type of right to legal stay as recognized by law (for example, a residence permit),
• Obtains Turkish citizenship,

his/her individual temporary protection status ceases.

Your temporary protection status ceases upon voluntary return to Syria. If you return to Turkey, it is possible to re-apply for temporary protection. However, an examination that would consider your individual circumstances will be made if you re-apply.

In such a situation, you must apply to the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management in the province you were registered before returning to Syria. It may be asked of you to submit a petition that would explain the circumstances under which you returned to Turkey and decided to seek asylum again. If in your possession, you may provide additional supporting documents. The authorities may interview you to better understand the circumstances of your return to Turkey. As a result of this individualized assessment process, a positive or negative decision will be made for your temporary protection application.

During the re-application process, you may seek the assistance of NGOs or contact the bar association in the province you would like to re-apply in and request to benefit from legal aid services.

If you are not registered under temporary protection in Turkey but would like to return to Syria, you may approach the office of the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management in your city of residence and notify the authorities about your request. After filling out a Voluntary Return Form, you will be provided a travel permission document which would facilitate your access to the relevant border crossing.

Please be informed that the granting of exit permits and relevant procedures may vary depending on your individual circumstances. Therefore, we advise you to consult a lawyer or an NGO before you take any action.

Please be informed that the granting of exit permits and relevant procedures may vary depending on your individual circumstances. Therefore, we advise you to consult a lawyer or an NGO before you take any action.

Persons benefiting from temporary protection in Turkey may benefit from resettlement, humanitarian admission or other admission programs.  These options are only available to the most vulnerable individuals and the available spots for these individuals are limited. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Turkey office cooperates with the Turkish authorities and other countries to facilitate this process. Please be informed that the final decision is not taken by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, but by the offices of admitting countries.

All procedures in relation to resettlement are free of charge. We therefore strongly advise you to not believe persons who promise resettlement in return for money or any other financial benefits. These practices are clearly fraudulent.

Another possibility for going to a third country is through family reunification. Applications for family reunification should be directly made to consular representatives of these countries in Turkey. Procedures of family reunification differ for each country. Many countries require that the family member in the third country initiate the process, and most of them only accept nuclear family members (meaning your spouse and children below the age of eighteen).

Finally, if you have a valid travel document and a valid visa, you may also travel to a third country. Being registered under temporary protection is not a barrier to travel, provided that you have valid documents.

However, if you do not have a valid travel document, or if you have entered Turkey through irregular channels, you will need to obtain an exit permit from the Turkish authorities before you depart from Turkey for the purpose of resettlement, family reunification, or through similar channels.

According to the Temporary Protection Regulation, all persons under temporary protection are required to obtain an exit permit from the Directorate General of Migration Management, should they wish to leave Turkey either permanently or temporarily. All individuals who do not have a valid travel document and a valid visa  who wish to travel to a third country should obtain an exit permit. You may approach the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management office and present your documents demonstrating your resettlement or other official forms of entry to the third country, to apply for and obtain an exit permit.

Attempting to leave Turkey in an irregular manner constitutes one of the grounds for deportation. You may also be detained for this reason. Applicable legislation as well as international agreements to which Turkey is a party require Turkish authorities to not deport persons who are in need of international protection. This is known as the principle of non-refoulement and means that it is prohibited to send a person to any place where he/she may be at risk of serious human rights violations. If you are detained for an irregular attempt to exit Turkey and would like to receive information, you may call ​the ​Detention Hotline of Refugee Rights Turkey ​at +90 507 218 62 85. Our Detention Hotline operates during weekdays (Monday to Friday) between 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM. You may also seek the assistance of the bar association in the city where you are being held and request to benefit from legal aid services.