Turkey is giving fewer visas to Russian emigrants

“Over the past few years, we have often thought about buying an apartment in Turkey to rent out and use for our own vacations in the summer. But we were undecided. When all of this suddenly started, we knew that the moment came,” says Nikita M. (note d. Red.: The name has been changed) about himself and his wife.

The couple from Vladivostok initially saved money for a move to Moscow. When Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered mobilization for the war against Ukraine at the end of September, Nikita M. and his wife changed their plans.

The 36-year-old computer scientist, who works for an international IT company, bought an apartment in Antalya for $65,000. “We furnished it completely, bought good household appliances and fixed a few construction defects,” he says. In total, moving from Russia to Turkey cost around $80,000.

“I bought an apartment and I can’t live in it”

In September 2022, Nikita M. and his wife applied for a residence permit to stay in Turkey for at least one year and be able to enter and leave Turkey freely. At the end of January, his application was rejected without any reason being given.

“I’m willing to accept the fact that Russians are now considered toxic around the world. I know which side is right. But at least there have to be some clear rules of the game. I’ve bought an apartment now and I can not live in it,” says the computer scientist, outraged.

Now he has to leave Turkey within ten days. He won’t be able to sell the apartment again any time soon. It is still unclear whether his wife will receive a residence permit. “Returning to Russia is not an option. But you have to do something. Maybe we’ll leave our apartment behind and go to another country first,” says Nikita M. However, he still wants to appeal against the refusal of his residence permit.

More rejections

Property owners usually get a residence permit in Turkey without any problems. Therefore, the case of Nikita M. is rather an exception. Many of his compatriots have so far received a residence permit in Turkey without any problems, even if they do not own real estate: it was enough to present a rental contract for an apartment, health insurance and proof of income.

Until October 2022, Russian citizens in Turkey formed the largest group among the foreigners who were granted residence permits by the authorities. A total of 153,000 Russians received such permits in 2022, 132,000 of them for tourism purposes.

But since the end of December, more and more rejections have been reported from various Turkish cities. There are no exact statistics about it. A request from DW to the responsible Turkish authorities remained unanswered

According to a Telegram chat, in which Russians who have entered the country collect data themselves, there have been more than 250 rejections and just over 100 approvals since the end of December. Eva Rapoport, coordinator of the project “The Ark” (Kovcheg), which helps Russian emigrants, confirms the observation: “Many people get rejections, but there are also positive answers. The reasons and criteria are unclear. There are no official explanations”, says Rapoport.

Stricter rules and controls

Lawyer Margarita Polyakova, head of the Istanbul-based consulting firm New Days Agency, also reports an increasing number of refused residence permits. However, this trend has been observed since the summer, especially in Antalya, which is particularly popular with Russian citizens.

In the spring of 2022, Polyakova said in an interview that she supported the decisions of the President of the Russian Federation, i.e. the war against Ukraine. Now she emphasizes that she does not take sides and is trying to help people suffering from the war. The lawyer has 22 years of professional experience, so her information – regardless of her political position – can be important for Russians who are threatened with persecution in her country.

According to her, since July 2022, Turkey has added 1,169 places to the list of areas where residence permits can no longer be issued on the basis of rental agreements. The reason: the number of foreign residents in the total population is over 20 percent.

“Previously, there were more rejections from citizens of Central Asian countries, but in December this trend also reached the Russians,” says Polyakova. However, she warns that the increasing number of refusals is also due to the increasing number of applications. Meanwhile, Turkish media, citing the authorities, are reporting that the rules for issuing residence permits and controls have been tightened.

fine upon departure

“A residence permit for tourism purposes used to be a kind of substitute for a long-term visa in Turkey. Now it’s only intended for a short stay,” says Polyakova. In her opinion, the authorities in each region make different decisions, but overall the Turkish state wants to take in fewer migrants. “Elections will be held in Turkey in May and it is clear that the president is making decisions that are popular with the people,” she says.

If you stay in Turkey longer than allowed, you have to pay a fine when you leave the country. Those who entered Russia by car are even asked to pay twice. Depending on the length of stay, fines in the four-digit dollar range can be incurred.

Adaptation from the Russian: Markian Ostapchuk