Studying in Türkiye

What a year costs

Public universities set their own fees for international students, and some now quote them in US dollars. Middle East Technical University (METU) in Ankara, one of the country's leading English-medium universities, charges international undergraduates starting in 2023 or later, in 2026-2027:

• Engineering, architecture and sciences: USD 1,200 a semester
• Social sciences, economics and administration, education: USD 800 a semester
• Graduate programmes: USD 375 a semester

METU converts dollar fees into lira at the Central Bank's selling rate one week before the payment deadline, so what you pay in lira moves with the exchange rate. Students who exceed normal programme length plus two semesters pay 1.5 times the fee. Foundation (private) universities charge far more and set their own prices.

Living costs. METU's international office estimates around €400-700 a month, all inclusive, for incoming students in Ankara, with off-campus housing at about €200-300 and university dormitories at USD 60-200 a month. The page is undated, and Istanbul costs more than Ankara. With high inflation, check current figures with your university before you budget.

The visa

You need a student visa from the Turkish consulate responsible for where you live, then a student residence permit from the Presidency of Migration Management (the Directorate General of Migration Management's successor, known by its Turkish acronym GİB) after you arrive.

Visa. Study in Türkiye's advice is to apply "as soon as you receive your admission letter", because student visa procedures take time. Requirements and fees vary by citizenship; you apply through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' e-Konsolosluk system. We could not verify a single student visa fee because there is none: check the fee for your nationality there.

The money. The migration authority's official checklist for student residence permits does not require bank statements or set a minimum amount. What it asks for is:

• the online application form from e-İkamet
• a student certificate from your university
• health insurance covering the whole permit period, or proof that you have applied for Türkiye's general health insurance (students may register for it within three months of enrolment)
• proof of payment of the residence permit card fee: TRY 964 in 2026, set by a communiqué published on 24 December 2025

Consulates can ask for evidence that you can support yourself when you apply for the visa. Carry bank statements or scholarship letters regardless.

Applying through your university. Since a protocol that took effect on 29 November 2023, higher education students can hand their residence permit documents to their university's student affairs office, which submits them. Ask your international office how and when it collects them.

Working while you study

The rules come from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security's work permit criteria:

• Associate and bachelor's students may work part-time only, and only after completing their first year.
• Master's and PhD students are not subject to those restrictions and may work from their first year, part-time or full-time.
• In every case you need a work permit, applied for through the Ministry of Labour. A student residence permit alone does not let you work. Granting a work permit does not cancel your student residence permit.

The Ministry's criteria do not publish a weekly hour figure for "part-time"; it is defined under Labour Law No. 4857. Some sectors are closed to foreign students. In practice, few undergraduates obtain work permits: do not plan your budget around a job.

After you graduate

Law No. 6458 on Foreigners and International Protection, Article 31(1)(i): foreigners who complete higher education in Türkiye can apply for a short-term residence permit of up to one year, provided they apply within six months of graduating. Article 31 was amended in November 2024 by Law No. 7533, but this provision was not substantively changed.

This is a residence permit, not a work permit. To work you still need an employer to obtain a work permit for you.

Language

Most degrees at public universities are taught in Turkish. English-medium universities and programmes exist, METU and Boğaziçi being the best known, and many universities teach selected programmes partly or fully in English. Programmes taught in Turkish usually require a Turkish proficiency certificate, and many universities run a one-year Turkish preparatory course for students who arrive without it.

Even on an English-taught programme, daily life, landlords, government offices and most jobs run in Turkish.

When to apply

Two main routes:

• Direct application to universities through their international student quota. Public universities accept TR-YÖS, the exam for foreign students run by ÖSYM, or recognised international qualifications such as the IB or Abitur. TR-YÖS was held in 88 centres across 60 countries in 2025, in six languages. Each university sets its own calendar, mostly in spring and early summer for September entry.
• Türkiye Scholarships (Türkiye Bursları), the fully funded government scholarship: the general application period for 2027 runs 10 January to 20 February 2027, with interviews April to June and results in early August.

The academic year starts in September. Leave at least two to three months for the visa once you have an admission letter.

What to watch out for

Currency and fee changes. Fees quoted in dollars or euros protect the university against inflation, not you. Fees quoted in lira can rise sharply from one year to the next. Check the current fee schedule for your start year and every year after.

The residence permit timetable. Your visa only lets you enter. Your residence permit application must be made through e-İkamet and backed by a student certificate and insurance. Missing the window leaves you in the country unlawfully, which can lead to fines and entry bans. Ask your university's international office for the exact deadline on day one.

Work is not a funding plan. Undergraduates cannot work at all in their first year, and afterwards only part-time with a work permit that an employer must apply for.

Degree recognition at home. Before you enrol, check that your home country recognises degrees from your chosen Turkish university and programme, particularly for regulated professions such as medicine and law.

Where these numbers come from

Rules change, sometimes at short notice. Every figure above carries the date we checked it. Check the official source before you rely on it, and confirm the visa fee for your nationality on e-Konsolosluk, because it is not a single published figure.