Study in Turkey under 18: school, university and residence

Two paths for a child under 18: school or university

Turkish law treats a minor at school and a minor at university differently. A pupil at a primary or secondary school may get a student residence permit only if a person or institution covers their care and costs and the parents consent¹. A student at a university gets the ordinary student permit, and the consent rules for minors still apply to the file².

Primary and high school in Türkiye for foreign pupils

Turkish state schools accept foreign pupils under the Ministry of National Education (MEB) rules for foreign students. To register, a pupil needs a valid passport and a student visa⁴. The visa is waived when a parent or guardian shows a work permit or a residence permit of at least six months⁴.

Equivalence: which grade your child joins

Previous school years are converted through MEB's equivalence procedure (denklik). Families apply on the e-Denklik system and show the original report cards at an equivalence centre, which in Türkiye is the provincial education directorate⁶.

• Bring the last report card or leaving certificate for primary school, or the past years' transcripts for a mid-way high school grade⁶.
• Graduates need an apostilled diploma, or one certified by the ministry or embassy of the issuing country⁶.
• Documents need a notarised translation when the centre has no staff for that language⁶.
• A child who arrives mid-year without papers can attend temporarily on the parent's written statement, but the documents must follow within three months⁶.
• A primary-age child with no school records is placed by a commission according to age and the parent's statement, with no placement test⁵.
• High school places are assigned by a placement commission, which weighs the school's admission rules, the equivalence and the curriculum⁴.

Private and international schools

Private Turkish schools and international schools set their own fees and admission rules. As one published example, the Istanbul International Community School lists 2026-2027 tuition of 43,900 USD for grades 1 to 3 and 48,900 USD for grades 11 to 12, plus an 8,000 USD capital levy and a 1,200 USD registration fee for new pupils¹³. Students at international, embassy or consulate schools also pay the residence permit fee, which pupils at Turkish schools do not².

Starting university in Türkiye at 17

Many students finish high school at 17. YÖK's principles for international applicants and the 2026 TR-YÖS guide set no minimum age: the condition is to be in the final year of high school or to have graduated⁷⁸. Each university then applies its own exam and grade requirements, explained in our guide to applying to Turkish universities.

Age matters for the residence file. Because the student is under 18, the permit application follows the rules for minors: consent from both parents with joint custody, custody documents, and an undertaking from an adult in Türkiye when the parents stay abroad²³. The steps of the permit itself are in our student residence permit guide.

The student residence permit for a child under 18

Article 38 of Law 6458 says that foreigners who will study at primary or secondary level, whose care and costs are covered by a real or legal person, may be granted a student residence permit with the consent of their parents or legal representatives, for one year at a time throughout their studies¹. The word is "may": the permit is not automatic.

• Each permit runs at most one year, until the start of the next school year, and is renewed yearly².
• A pupil who already holds a family residence permit does not need a student permit².
• Applications made inside Türkiye for primary or secondary school require a visa that matches the purpose, that is a student visa²³.
• The migration authority sets the criteria for who may cover a pupil's care and costs².
• Health insurance is mandatory and must cover the whole permit period³.
• e-İkamet appointments are free; do not pay anyone for a slot³.

Consent and a responsible adult in Türkiye

For any foreign child, the regulation asks for the consent of both parents when custody is joint. A parent who documents sole custody can act alone². When the parents stay abroad, the e-İkamet list asks for their certified consent plus a notarised undertaking from a real or legal person in Türkiye named in that consent³. That person or institution, such as a relative or a boarding school, can then handle the child's procedures².

Foreign consent and custody papers need an apostille and a notarised Turkish translation; for countries outside the Apostille Convention, consular and foreign ministry certification is required instead³. At school, a pupil with no parent in Türkiye gets an administrator appointed as guardian (veli) for school matters only⁵.

Family residence permit when a parent lives in Türkiye

A parent who holds a Turkish residence permit can sponsor a minor child for a family residence permit of up to three years each time, never longer than the parent's own permit¹. The sponsor must meet these conditions¹:

• Monthly income of at least the minimum wage in total, and at least one third of the minimum wage per family member¹.
• Housing that meets general health and safety standards, and health insurance for every family member¹.
• No conviction for crimes against the family order in the last five years, shown by a criminal record¹.
• At least one year of living in Türkiye with a residence permit¹.
• Registration in the address system¹.

A family permit gives the right to attend primary and secondary school until 18 without a student permit¹. If the other parent with joint custody lives abroad, their consent is required¹. At 18, a child who is not a dependant must switch to a student permit to continue studying².

Can parents get residence through their child's study?

No. Article 38 of Law 6458 states that the student residence permit gives the student's mother, father and other relatives no right to a residence permit¹. The regulation repeats it: a student can sponsor only a spouse and children².

A parent who wants to live with the child needs a residence permit on a ground of their own. Law 6458 lists the short-term permit grounds, for example owning property in Türkiye, with the qualifying property value set by the Ministry of Interior¹. Each ground has its own conditions and is decided case by case.

Scholarships for students under 18: what exists and what does not

International Anatolian Imam Hatip High Schools

The Türkiye Diyanet Foundation (TDV) runs a scholarship with MEB for foreign pupils at 14 international Anatolian imam hatip high schools in ten cities, including Istanbul, Ankara and Bursa¹¹. These are state high schools that teach the general curriculum plus Islamic sciences, Quran and Arabic¹¹. Scholars study as free state boarders and receive meals, lodging, travel tickets, health cover, residence permit costs and a monthly stipend¹¹.

• Born on or after 1 January 2010 in the 2026 call, unmarried, and not a Turkish or dual Turkish citizen¹¹.
• Finished grade 8 (or grade 9) with at least 70 out of 100, or finishing it that July¹¹.
• Living in the country of citizenship, family not resident in Türkiye, and not a refugee¹¹.
• Applications ran from 15 January to 28 February 2026, with interviews in the applicant's country and results on 30 July 2026¹².

Türkiye Bursları and the rest

Türkiye Bursları, the government scholarship, has no programme for primary or high school pupils. Its full-time programmes start at associate and bachelor level and cover tuition, accommodation, health insurance and a Turkish course¹⁰. A 17-year-old in the final year of high school can apply for a bachelor's place⁹.

Health insurance, accommodation and costs

Every residence permit requires health insurance for the whole permit period²³. For applications made inside Türkiye, private policies from foreign companies count only if they are issued in Türkiye². University students can instead apply for General Health Insurance (GSS) within three months of enrolment³.

The residence address must be proven: a notarised lease, a dormitory letter, or a notarised undertaking from the adult the child lives with, plus that adult's spouse's undertaking if married³. For a child without a parent in Türkiye, a boarding school or a relative who signs the undertaking is the usual setup. For rent, food and transport, see our student cost of living guide.

A step-by-step plan for families

1. 1

   Choose the route

   Decide between school and university, and between a student permit and a family permit if a parent will live in Türkiye¹.

2. 2

   Check the university consequence

   If the child will finish high school in Türkiye, decide whether YKS or an international school route fits their plans⁸.

3. 3

   Prepare documents at home

   Get report cards, diplomas, birth and custody papers and the parents' consent apostilled, then translated by a notary³⁶.

4. 4

   Get the right visa

   School pupils apply for a student visa at a Turkish consulate before travelling; read our student visa guide⁴.

5. 5

   Register and get equivalence

   Apply on e-Denklik, show originals at the provincial directorate and register at the school⁶.

6. 6

   Apply for the residence permit

   File on e-İkamet with insurance, address proof and the consent documents, then renew every year for school pupils²³.

• Passport valid well beyond the permit period, with a student visa for school pupils³⁴.
• Birth certificate when the passport does not name the parents³.
• Custody decision if the parents are divorced, with the other parent's consent where custody is joint³.
• Certified parental consent and a notarised undertaking from the adult or institution in Türkiye³.
• School records for equivalence, apostilled and translated⁶.
• Health insurance covering the whole permit period³.
• Proof of address: lease, dormitory letter or host's notarised undertaking³.