Foreigner Identification Number Turkey: A Student Guide

Your foreigner identification number is the eleven digit number that identifies you in every official system in Turkey, from your residence permit card to your university student record. The foreigner identification number Turkey gives you, often called the yabanci kimlik numarasi (the foreigner identity number), is created the moment your first residence permit application is approved, and it stays the same for as long as you hold legal residence. If you have just registered at a Turkish university and are waiting for yours, this guide explains where the number comes from, when it arrives, and what you can and cannot do before it reaches you.

What Is the Foreigner Identification Number Turkey Issues?

The foreigner identification number Turkey issues is an eleven digit number that begins with 99 and marks you as a foreign national living in the country. It is the counterpart of the T.C. kimlik numarasi, the national identity number carried by Turkish citizens, and it does the same job. The number links you to a single record across the migration system, the tax office, the health system and your university.

It is generated automatically when the Directorate General of Migration Management (Goc Idaresi, the authority that handles residence permits) approves your first application, so there is no separate form for the number on its own. Once it exists, the number is printed on your residence permit card, and it does not change while your residence stays unbroken.

When Do Students Receive This ID Number?

Most students receive their number within a few weeks of submitting a complete residence permit application, once Goc Idaresi has processed the file. You arrive in Turkey on a student visa, enrol and register at your university, and then apply for a student residence permit through the e-ikamet system, the online portal for residence permit applications. The number appears on the approval and is printed on the card that is posted to your address.

In practice there is often a gap of several weeks between applying and holding the physical card. The exact timing depends on your province and the time of year. As of the time this article is written, several weeks is a realistic expectation, so plan for the wait rather than assuming it is immediate. Because the permit follows registration, the number does too, and it is not something you can arrange before you arrive. Our guide to the student arrival and registration process in Turkey sets out the steps that lead up to this point.

How Do You Get a Foreigner Identification Number in Turkey?

You get the number by completing a residence permit application, not by making a separate request for the number itself. If you are searching for how to get a foreigner identification number in Turkey, the honest answer is that you do not request it directly, because it is issued to you as part of the permit decision. The practical route for how to get a foreigner identification number in Turkey runs entirely through the residence permit application, which for a student usually looks like this:

1. Enter Turkey on a valid student visa and complete your university registration.
2. Create an application on the e-ikamet online system and book an appointment.
3. Prepare the required documents, including your passport, student certificate, biometric photographs and proof of address.
4. Attend the appointment or submit the file as instructed for your province.
5. Wait for the approval, which carries your number, and then for the card to be delivered.

The yabanci kimlik numarasi for students works in exactly the same way it does for any other foreign resident. There is no student-only shortcut and no faster track, so the number simply follows a correctly filed permit.

Where Your Number Appears on the Residence Permit Card

Your number is printed on the front of your residence permit card, usually labelled as the yabanci kimlik no. It is eleven digits long and starts with 99, which is how you can tell it apart from a Turkish citizen's number at a glance.

Before the card arrives, the number also appears on the approval document you can view or download from the e-ikamet system, so you are not completely without it during the wait. Write it down somewhere safe and keep a photograph of the card, because you will be asked for it constantly and some offices will not proceed without it.

What Is the Foreigner Identification Number Used For?

The foreigner identification number is used for almost every official transaction you make in Turkey. A common question is what is the foreigner identification number used for, and the answer is that it is tied to nearly everything you do as a resident. Common uses include:

• completing your full enrolment at the university,
• opening a bank account,
• getting a Turkish mobile line in your own name,
• registering for state health insurance,
• signing a rental contract,
• and later applying to renew your residence permit.

When a university asks for the yabanci kimlik numarasi for students on its registration portal, this is the number it means. Without it, many of these steps stall, which is why the weeks between arrival and receiving the number are worth planning around.

How Does the Foreigner ID Number Differ From the Tax Number?

The foreigner identification number and the tax number are two different numbers that often overlap in use. The tax number (vergi numarasi) is issued by the tax office and is usually the first number a new arrival can obtain, because you can get one quickly and even before your permit is approved. Once you hold a residence permit, your identification number generally serves as your tax number as well, so the two align. The table below sets out the difference.

For a fuller walk-through of the early paperwork, see our post on nufus and tax number registration for students, which covers how these records fit together.

Why Does the Foreigner Identification Number Turkey Issues Matter?

The foreigner identification number Turkey issues matters because it is the single key that unlocks the rest of your life as a student in the country. Almost no official system will treat you as a full resident until it can record this number against your name.

Your university needs it to complete your enrolment record, the bank needs it to open an account that receives your scholarship or family transfers, and the health system needs it to register you for cover. In our experience advising applicants, the students who settle in fastest are the ones who filed a complete residence permit application early, so the number arrived before term was fully under way.

Keeping Your Number Through Renewals and Changes

Your foreigner identification number after residence permit approval is permanent for the life of that residence record, even as the card itself expires and is renewed. Students often ask whether the foreigner identification number after residence permit renewal changes, and the usual answer is that it does not. You keep the same eleven digits for as long as your residence in Turkey is continuous.

If you leave the country for a long period, let your permit lapse, and later return and apply again, the migration authority decides how your record is handled, so keep your documents and never assume a lapsed permit simply resumes. When anything about your status changes, such as moving city, switching university or extending your stay, you update the record under the same number rather than starting a new one.

In short, the foreigner identification number Turkey assigns you is the backbone of your legal and academic life here, and it is issued through the residence permit process rather than on its own. Register at your university, file a complete permit application promptly, and the number will follow. Keep it safe once it does, because almost every office you deal with will ask for it.

Planning to Study in Turkey?

Turquoise Education is an Istanbul based university admission consultancy that has helped international students apply to Turkish universities since 2019. We advise on choosing a university and a programme, prepare and submit the application, and support you through the student visa and the residence permit. To talk through your own plans, call or message us on WhatsApp at +90 532 676 35 11, email contact@university.com.tr, or visit us at Merkez Mahallesi Hasat Sokak No:12A, Sisli, Istanbul, Turkey. Contact us for guidance on your application.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to get a foreigner identification number in Turkey?

It usually takes a few weeks from the day you submit a complete residence permit application, though the exact time depends on your province and the season. The number is confirmed when Goc Idaresi approves the file, and the physical card follows by post. Apply as soon as your university registration is done so the wait does not overlap with the start of term.

Is the foreigner identification number the same as the residence permit number?

No, they are not the same. The identification number is your permanent eleven digit identity number that starts with 99, while the residence permit has its own document number that is specific to that card. When a form asks for your yabanci kimlik no, it wants the eleven digit identity number.

Does my foreigner identification number change when I renew my permit?

No, it stays the same for as long as your residence in Turkey is continuous. You keep the same number across renewals and when you move city or change university. A new number would only come into question if your residence record were broken and later restarted, which the migration authority decides case by case.

Can I open a bank account without a foreigner identification number?

In most cases you need the number first, because banks record it against the account. Some banks will open a limited account using a tax number while your permit is pending, but the full account and card usually wait for the identification number. Ask the branch directly, as practice varies between banks.

What is the difference between the foreigner ID number and a tax number?

The tax number is issued by the tax office and can be obtained quickly, often before your permit, mainly for financial and tax steps. The identification number is issued with your residence permit and identifies you across every official system. Once you hold a permit, the identification number generally works as your tax number too.

About Turquoise Education

Turquoise Education, part of Turquoise Education Group, is a university admission consultancy based in Sisli, Istanbul. Since 2019 we have guided international students through admission to Turkish universities at bachelor's, master's and PhD level, across state and private institutions in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Bursa, Antalya and other cities. Our services cover university and programme selection, the application file, the acceptance letter, the Turkish student visa, the Turkish language course visa and the student residence permit. You can browse Turkish universities and degree programmes on our site, or reach our advisors at contact@university.com.tr and +90 532 676 35 11.

Turquoise Education advises and assists with university applications in Turkey. Admission decisions belong to the universities, and visa and residence permit decisions belong to the Turkish authorities. This article is general information, current as of the time it was written. Requirements, fees and deadlines change, so confirm the details for your own case with the university's official website or with our advisors before you act on them.