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International protection application

TurkeyHumanitarian protection

Explore the five recorded questions, answers and sources for this pathway.

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What exactly is this: asylum, temporary protection, humanitarian admission, resettlement or another protection mechanism?

This is the national asylum procedure: an application for international protection made to the Turkish State under the Law on Foreigners and International Protection. The outcome of the status determination is refugee, conditional refugee or subsidiary protection status. UNHCR Türkiye states that the State of Türkiye is the principal provider of protection and that the Turkish authorities have primary responsibility for receiving and assessing the application.

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Which population, circumstances or geographic group does the mechanism cover?

It covers foreigners and stateless persons seeking protection in Türkiye who are not Syrians under temporary protection: Syrian citizens within temporary protection cannot apply individually for international protection. Every foreigner or stateless person is entitled to apply on their own behalf, and an applicant may apply on behalf of accompanying family members whose applications are on the same grounds.

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Where can protection be requested, and is this a direct application, border/in-country request, referral or other process?

The application is made in person to the governorates (Provincial Directorate of Migration Management), to the Provincial Directorate in the applicant's province. It cannot be lodged through a lawyer or legal representative. If an application is attempted at a border gate, or to law enforcement units or other public institutions inside the country, those units must immediately notify the Provincial Directorate. Law No. 6458 sets no time limit for applying, and an applicant will not face criminal action for irregular entry or stay provided a justified reason is given.

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What happens after the request: registration, family handling, major support and rights where officially stated?

After registration an International Protection Applicant ID is issued for the applicant and family members, printed with an individual foreigner ID number beginning 99 for each of them, and the applicant stays legally in Türkiye with it. The applicant must reside in the assigned city and comply with a signature duty of reporting at regular intervals; failing that without valid reasons, the application may be treated as implicitly withdrawn. An in-person interview should normally take place within 30 days of registration, and the assessment is finalised no later than six months after registration, though it may take longer. Applications on behalf of a family are evaluated as a single application with one decision for the whole family. Applicants without health insurance and ability to pay are covered by Law No. 5510 for one year from registration, and applicants and status holders can work under Article 89(4). Negative decisions may be appealed to the International Protection Evaluation Commission within 10 days or to the administrative court within 30 days, or within 15 days for accelerated and inadmissibility decisions.

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Which competent authority, UN body or official assistance channel should the person use?

The authorities named are the Presidency of Migration Management and its Provincial Directorates of Migration Management. Resettlement to a third country is carried out in cooperation between the Presidency and UNHCR, with the Provincial Directorate informing the foreigner once files are completed. Legal aid to appeal negative decisions is provided by the Legal Aid Bureaus under each Bar Association in Türkiye, whose contact details are on the Union of Turkish Bar Associations website. Requests to change the province of residence are made to the Provincial Directorate of the province of residence.

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These are the answers currently recorded in the catalogue. A missing or partial answer is not an eligibility decision.

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