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Stateless-person determination and identity document

TurkeyHumanitarian protection

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

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Explore pathways in Turkey Read the five questions ↓

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

This is statelessness determination, not asylum. The Presidency of Migration Management determines statelessness status, and those determined stateless are issued a Stateless Person Identification Document by the governorates. The rights and guarantees attached to the document are regulated by Article 51 of the Law on Foreigners and International Protection No. 6458.

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

It covers people arriving in Türkiye without the citizenship of any state, and people who become stateless after losing their citizenship in Türkiye. An application by someone who holds a stateless person identity document or passport granted by another country is refused.

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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 for status determination. Applicants are granted a fee-free Application Document valid until a decision is given on their application.

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

Following completion of application and registration, the foreigner is interviewed within fifteen days at the latest, except in force majeure. The Presidency determines statelessness and, where necessary after consulting relevant institutions, finalises the determination within ninety days at the latest. Those determined stateless are issued a Stateless Person Identification Document by the governorates, free of charge and separately for each applicant. Holders may apply for any of the residence permits set out in the Law, are not deported unless they pose a serious public order or public security threat, are not subject to the reciprocity requirement applied to foreigners, and are subject to Law No. 4817 for work permit matters.

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

The competent authorities are the governorates, which receive the application and issue the Stateless Person Identification Document, and the Presidency of Migration Management, which determines statelessness. The document is renewed every two years as long as statelessness continues, and is cancelled on acquisition of another nationality, on a finding of untrue information or false documents in the application, or on a removal decision based on a serious public order or public security threat.

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Limits of the record
  • These pages name no assistance channel, UN body or helpline for stateless persons in Türkiye.
  • These pages contain no fraud or scam warning.

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

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