Study in Turkey from Jordan: How to Apply to Turkish Universities

You can study in Turkey from Jordan by choosing a university and a programme, having your Jordanian high school diploma recognised, meeting the entry requirement (often the YOS exam, the SAT or your Tawjihi results), and then applying online before you travel. Turkey is a short flight from Amman, hosts hundreds of thousands of international students in both Turkish and English as of the time this article is written, and accepts the Jordanian General Secondary Education Certificate (Tawjihi) for undergraduate admission. This guide walks a Jordanian applicant through the whole path, from picking a programme to the student visa and the residence permit, so you know what to prepare and in what order.

How Do Jordanian Students Apply to Turkish Universities?

Jordanian students apply directly to each Turkish university through its own online portal, because Turkey has no single national application system for international applicants. In practice you shortlist a few universities, read each one's international admission page, and submit a separate application to each. Applying to more than one university is normal and sensible, since offer conditions and intake dates differ from one institution to the next. Applying to Turkish universities from Jordan begins with that shortlist and a clear idea of your field and level.

The usual order looks like this:

1. Decide on your field and level, whether a bachelor's, master's or PhD, and draw up a shortlist of universities and programmes.
2. Check each university's entry requirement, which may be the YOS exam, the SAT, your Tawjihi average or a combination.
3. Prepare your documents and start your diploma equivalence early.
4. Submit each online application inside that university's intake window.
5. Accept an offer, receive your official acceptance letter, then apply for the student visa in Amman.

In our experience advising applicants, the students who start early and apply to several programmes have the smoothest run. Our university admission service handles the shortlist, the file and the submissions for you. The route is similar for applicants across the region, and our guide on how students apply to Turkish universities from Uzbekistan covers the same steps from another angle.

What Documents Do You Need to Study in Turkey from Jordan?

The core documents you need are your General Secondary Education Certificate (Tawjihi), its official transcript, a valid passport, passport photographs and, for most programmes, proof of language ability. Getting these ready in advance, translated and notarised, is the single biggest thing that keeps an application on schedule.

• Your Tawjihi certificate and detailed transcript, translated into Turkish or English and notarised.
• A passport valid well beyond your intended period of study.
• Recent passport sized photographs that meet the university's format.
• Proof of English, such as IELTS or TOEFL, for an English-taught programme, or a Turkish level certificate for a Turkish-taught one.
• An entrance exam result where the university asks for one, such as the YOS or the SAT.

Requirements vary between universities and between programmes, so treat this as a starting checklist and confirm the exact list on each university's own admissions page before you submit.

Do You Need the YOS Exam to Study in Turkey from Jordan?

You do not always need the YOS exam to study in Turkey from Jordan, because universities set their own admission routes and many accept the SAT or your Tawjihi average instead. The YOS (Yabanci Ogrenci Sinavi, the Foreign Student Examination) is a maths and logic test that several universities run or accept, and a strong score widens the programmes open to you. Others admit undergraduate applicants on high school results alone.

Which route suits you depends on your grades and your target programmes. Competitive fields such as medicine and engineering usually expect a higher standard than others. You can read what the test involves in our guide to the YOS exam for foreign students, then decide whether to sit it or focus on universities that admit on the SAT or the Tawjihi.

How Do You Get Your Jordanian Diploma Recognised in Turkey?

Your Jordanian diploma is recognised in Turkey through denklik, the high school equivalence certificate that confirms your Tawjihi is equal to a Turkish secondary school diploma. For a school leaving certificate this equivalence is issued by the Ministry of National Education, not by YOK (the Council of Higher Education), which handles university degree recognition. Without denklik a university cannot complete your enrolment, so it is one of the first things to arrange, not the last.

You apply for equivalence at the education office of a Turkish consulate, such as the mission in Amman, or at a provincial directorate of national education once you arrive, and you can read the official guidance on the Ministry of National Education website. In our experience the most common cause of a delayed file is a transcript that was translated but never notarised, so handle the translation and notarisation of your Tawjihi early and keep several certified copies.

How Much Does It Cost for Jordanians to Study in Turkey?

The cost depends mostly on whether you choose a state university or a private (vakif) university, with state tuition usually a fraction of private tuition. On top of tuition you plan for living costs, which are far higher in a large city like Istanbul than in a smaller university town in Anatolia. Many Jordanian students in Turkey pick a mid sized city to keep rent and daily costs down.

Funding can soften the total. Options include university scholarships that reduce tuition and Turkiye Burslari, the government scholarship run by YTB (the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities). You can compare the ranges and see what a realistic budget looks like in our guide to tuition fees before you commit to a shortlist.

How Do Jordanian Students Get a Turkish Student Visa?

Jordanian students get a Turkish student visa by applying at the Turkish consulate in Amman once they hold an official acceptance letter from a Turkish university. The Turkish student visa for Jordanian students is the entry document that lets you travel to Turkey to register and then apply for your residence permit. You cannot enrol on a tourist entry, so the acceptance letter comes first, then the visa, then travel.

Book the consulate appointment as soon as your acceptance letter arrives, because slots fill up before each intake. Our Turkish student visa service prepares the consulate file so it matches what the mission asks for and reduces the risk of a return trip for a missing paper.

The Student Residence Permit After You Arrive

After you arrive in Turkey you must apply for a student residence permit, which replaces your entry visa and lets you stay legally for the length of your studies. You apply through the e-ikamet system of Goc Idaresi (the Directorate General of Migration Management), normally within the first weeks after you register at your university. Missing that window causes problems later, so treat it as part of enrolment rather than an afterthought.

Most universities have an international students office that walks each new intake through the residence permit steps, and you renew the permit each year while you remain enrolled.

A Realistic Timeline for Jordanian Applicants

A realistic timeline for a Jordanian applicant runs from about a year before your intended start to the weeks just after you land. Starting early gives you room to sit the YOS if you need it, to fix any document problem, and to compare offers rather than accept the first one.

• Twelve to nine months before: shortlist universities and programmes, and check each entry requirement.
• Nine to six months before: sit the YOS or the SAT if required, and prepare and notarise your documents.
• Six to three months before: submit applications and begin the diploma equivalence.
• Three to one months before: accept an offer, collect the acceptance letter and apply for the student visa in Amman.
• On arrival: register, then apply for the student residence permit.

How can Jordanian students study in Turkey without stress? By working backwards from the intake they want and keeping every document ready before it is asked for.

Studying in Turkey from Jordan is a realistic, well organised path when you start early, get your diploma equivalence moving and apply to more than one university. From your Tawjihi and the YOS or SAT, through the acceptance letter, the student visa and the residence permit, each step follows the last. To study in Turkey from Jordan with less guesswork, plan the whole file around the intake you want and confirm each requirement at its official source.

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 can Jordanian students study in Turkey?

Jordanian students study in Turkey by shortlisting universities, meeting each one's entry requirement, having their Tawjihi recognised through denklik, and applying online before they travel. Once a university sends an acceptance letter, you apply for the student visa at the Turkish consulate in Amman and then register in person.

Do Jordanian students need to speak Turkish to study in Turkey?

Not necessarily, because many Turkish universities offer English-taught programmes that accept IELTS or TOEFL instead of Turkish. If you choose a Turkish-taught programme, you usually need a Turkish level certificate, and universities often provide a one year Turkish preparatory class for students who need it.

How long does the Turkish student visa for Jordanian students take?

The Turkish student visa for Jordanian students is processed by the Turkish consulate in Amman, and timing varies by season and by how complete your file is. Apply as soon as your acceptance letter arrives, because appointment slots and processing both get busier close to each intake.

Can Jordanian students work while studying in Turkey?

Jordanian students in Turkey can work under conditions set by Turkish law, with rules that differ for undergraduate and postgraduate students. Confirm what your permit and your programme allow before you take any job, and check the current rules with your university's international office.

Is applying to Turkish universities from Jordan expensive?

Applying to Turkish universities from Jordan need not be expensive, since costs depend on the universities you choose and whether you win a scholarship. State universities charge far less than private ones, and options such as university scholarships and Turkiye Burslari can reduce tuition significantly.

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.