How do you register or change your address in Türkiye in 2026?

Foreigners who receive a residence permit, work permit or qualifying exemption inside Türkiye must register after the document is delivered. The current residence regulation sets a 20-working-day limit. It also requires relevant address changes to be reported to the governorate within 20 working days.

The responsible counter can depend on status and local routing. Nüfus ve Vatandaşlık İşleri, or NVİ (Population and Citizenship Affairs), runs the population system through each Nüfus Müdürlüğü (civil registry office). İl Göç İdaresi Müdürlüğü (provincial migration office) also handles foreigner address work. Check the province's current route before booking, especially for a first registration, a permit extension or a move between provinces.

A move to another province is not just an address edit. A residence-permit holder must apply in the new province within the official 20-working-day period for the residence process required there.

Take your passport, foreigner identity number and residence or work document. Keep the full building, door, street, district and mahalle (neighbourhood) details consistent across every record.

If the system shows an empty dwelling, the office may process the declaration with less supporting evidence. Still carry the signed lease and a recent electricity, water, gas, fixed-phone or fixed-internet subscription or bill because foreigner verification and local practice can require proof that you occupy the home.

If another person is already registered there, expect stronger evidence. That can include attending with the current resident, a host declaration, a lease certified by a noter (notary who certifies documents and signatures), the tapu (official property title record), and a utility record tied to the resident or declarant. The office can investigate whether you really live at the address.

Do not freeze a restricted-neighbourhood list into your moving plan. Exact mahalle eligibility for a new foreign registration changes. Ask Göç İdaresi (the Presidency of Migration Management) or YİMER 157 (the official foreigners communication helpline) about the exact door before paying a deposit. A landlord's assurance is not an official clearance.

After registration, use e-Devlet (the government online-service portal) to check your address information and obtain the residence document available to your account. Correct a misspelled name, missing flat number or old address through the competent office rather than letting banks, utilities and migration records diverge.

For a move, gather the new lease, title or host evidence and new utility proof before cancelling records you still need. A hotel, hostel or short holiday let can be declared as accommodation during a residence application, but it is not automatically a permanent home suitable for address registration.