The so-called Ikamet has been familiar for years, especially to retired sailors who spend a lot of time on their boat. It could be applied for by anyone and allowed the owner to stay in the country for a period that was not limited to the normal tourist visa. It was valid for three or five years.
However, since the revision of Turkish immigration laws in 2014, there has been a lot of uncertainty surrounding the issue. The country on the Bosporus is experiencing a large influx of refugees, many of whom are also working as illegal workers on the labour market. Outsiders often fail to realise that Turkey has also become a popular destination for people from poor and crisis regions since its unprecedented economic boom over the last ten years.
The laws, which have been tightened for this reason, now also affect owners who own a yacht locally. The first problem was the recent introduction of the so-called 120-day rule. It states that an Ikamet expires as soon as the holder of the document leaves Turkey for longer than 120 days. YACHT reported on this (see below). As many owners do just that in winter, this threatened to restrict the use of their yacht. So far, however, there has not been a single known case of an owner having their Ikamet withdrawn due to prolonged absence. It is quite possible that the border officials may decide on entry whether an offence has been committed or not - this would also allow for a generous interpretation.
But now more details are becoming known about the granting of the Ikamet in practice, as the Bodrum agency Bodrum Consulting now explained, which helps owners with Ikamet procurement. They show that there are some new bureaucratic hurdles to overcome. Annette Hanisch reports on the latest developments:
"The regulations for obtaining an Ikamet have been tightened again. You don't need to provide proof of financial means, but you do need pretty much the same things as all other applicants, including
- A marina contract for the current year.
- A notarised translation of the document that identifies the applicant as the owner of the yacht.
- The yacht's original transit log including a colour copy.
- Health insurance for the duration of the intended stay, including inpatient and outpatient treatment in Turkey."
Persons over 65 do not need to provide proof of insurance. If you have statutory health insurance in Germany (Austria, Switzerland), you can register with the relevant form at the local SGK office and obtain confirmation that you also have insurance cover in Turkey under the social security agreement (for the period stated on the form). This can hardly be done without the help of a Turkish speaker. Foreign private insurance companies will only be accepted if they have a representative office on the Turkish market.
