Moving to Türkiye from Canada

Visa-Free Entry & Passport Validity

• Visa-free tourist stay: Canadian ordinary passport holders can enter Türkiye visa-free for up to 90 days within any 180-day period, for tourism or business.
• Passport validity: Turkish border authorities and most airlines expect at least 6 months of remaining passport validity on arrival. Separately, if you go on to apply for a residence permit, Law No. 6458 requires your passport to stay valid for at least 60 days beyond the permit's end date.
• No local work rights: tourist entry or a standard residence permit allows legal stay, but strictly forbids working for a local Turkish employer. Working locally requires an official Work Permit (Çalışma İzni) under International Labor Force Law No. 6735.

Applying for a Residence Permit (e-İkamet)

If you plan to stay in Türkiye longer than 90 days, you'll need a formal Short-Term Residence Permit (Kısa Dönem İkamet İzni). Register and book your appointment exclusively via the official government portal at e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr — official appointments are 100% free.

Core document checklist:

• Printed and signed Residence Permit Application Form (İkamet İzni Başvuru Formu)
• Copies of your passport's bio-data page, photo page, and entry stamps
• 2 to 4 recent biometric photos (white background, taken within the last 6 months, ICAO compliant)
• Official stamped receipt for the residence card fee (İkamet İzni Belge Bedeli)
• Address Certificate (Yerleşim Yeri Belgesi) via e-Devlet, plus a recent utility bill or notarized rental contract
• Valid health insurance — an approved private policy or a Social Security Institution (SGK) provision document
• Criminal Record Certificate (Adli Sicil Kaydı) from Turkish authorities (via e-Devlet) and Canadian authorities (apostilled, with a notarized Turkish translation)
• Proof of sufficient financial means — see Cost of Living below for the current 2026 threshold

A note on UETS: the National Electronic Notification Address (UETS) certificate from a PTT post office is not required for your first application. Per the Directorate General of Migration Management's own guidance, it only becomes mandatory when you apply to renew or extend your permit.

Budget roughly C$250–$600 for the permit and insurance combined, with processing typically taking 2–8 weeks. Never overstay — it triggers a fine and a re-entry ban, and blocks any future permit application.

Canadians tend to land in Istanbul's Kadıköy (Moda, Bostancı) for the Asian-side pace, or Beşiktaş/Şişli on the European side for proximity to coworking. A furnished 1-bedroom runs roughly C$700–$1,200/month in Istanbul.

The kefil (guarantor) requirement that many landlords ask for is the main friction point for newcomers — plan to pay 6 months' rent upfront, or use a guarantor company, as a workaround. Once you've moved in, register your address at the Nüfus Müdürlüğü within 20 days.

• Property Residence threshold: if you're buying real estate to secure a Property Residence Permit (Taşınmaz İkameti), the residential property needs an official appraisal valuation (Ekspertiz Raporu) of at least $200,000 USD.
• Closed neighborhoods (Kapalı Mahalleler): certain densely populated districts in major cities are closed to new foreign residence-permit registrations because of foreign-population caps.
• Property insurance obligations: homeowners must maintain mandatory DASK earthquake insurance by law to register title deeds (TAPU) or connect utilities. DASK strictly covers basic structural damage from earthquakes — tenants and owners are strongly advised to also take out voluntary Contents Insurance (Eşya Sigortası) to protect furniture, electronics, and belongings against fire, theft, or water leaks.

A comfortable solo monthly budget in Istanbul: rent C$900, utilities + internet C$110, groceries C$330, eating out C$260, transport C$55, phone C$20, health insurance C$70–$140 — roughly C$1,700–$2,100/month in total. The CAD/TRY exchange rate has generally been favorable for Canadians; use a service like Wise to avoid double-conversion fees on Canadian bank cards.

Taxes & Business Setup for Canadian Expats

• 183-day tax residency rule: residing in Türkiye for more than 183 days within a calendar year generally establishes Turkish tax residency, which subjects you to worldwide income taxation rather than just Turkish-sourced income.
• 100% Foreign Service Export Tax Deduction (Income Tax Law Art. 89/13): Canadian remote contractors, freelancers, or IT professionals serving non-resident clients outside Türkiye can register a sole proprietorship (Şahıs Şirketi) and claim this deduction on qualifying exported services (software, design, engineering, data analysis, accounting, and similar) — resulting in 0% personal income tax on qualifying foreign profit, alongside mandatory self-employed Bağ-Kur social security contributions of roughly 11,800 TRY/month at the minimum base.
• Direct Foreign Employment Exemption: remote employees working directly for a Canadian (or other foreign) employer with no Turkish business presence, paid their salary in foreign currency sent directly from abroad, are generally exempt from Turkish personal income tax on that salary.
• Monthly income requirement for the residence permit itself: for 2026, migration authorities require at least 1.5× the net minimum wage for a single applicant (roughly 42,100 TRY/month), plus 1.0× the net minimum wage (roughly 28,000 TRY/month) per additional dependent — separate from, and unrelated to, the tax rules above.