Russian nationals who moved to Turkey in recent weeks have been denied residence permits, independent Russian-language media outlet Current Time reported on Monday.
According to the report, since December 26, Russian citizens who left Russia following the invasion of Ukraine and military mobilization have been denied short-term tourist residence permits in several cities.
“[We were told that]anything is fine [documents] What we offer is that residence permits are not currently issued to Russian nationals,” Ekaterina, who moved with her husband from Moscow to the Turkish city of Fethiye, told Current Time.
Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry and the country’s immigration authorities have not yet commented on the issue.
Last year, 153,000 Russian citizens received temporary residence permits for Turkey, making them the largest group by nationality to receive this document. According to the Turkish Immigration Department, about 86% of the permits Russians received were for a period of up to one year.
A short-term residence permit for tourism purposes allows visitors to stay in Turkey for up to one year and move back and forth freely. Russian nationals without a residence permit are allowed to stay in Turkey only as tourists, meaning a maximum of 60 consecutive days within 6 months, after which they can leave Turkey and re-enter. There is an obligation.
A residence permit also gives its holder the right to open a bank account and enroll children in local schools.
