Last updated: 2 November 2026 · Legal review: Av. Gökhan Vural, İzmir Bar Association (Reg. No. 15813)
Blue card Turkey rules cover the Mavi Kart, a document for people who were Turkish citizens by birth and gave up Turkish citizenship with official permission. It lets them keep most of the rights of a Turkish citizen, such as living, working and owning property in Turkey, but not voting or military service.
Key takeaways
- You qualify if you were a Turkish citizen by birth and lost citizenship by obtaining a renunciation permit (çıkma izni).
- Your minor children who renounced with you, and your descendants up to the third degree, can also benefit.
- You keep rights such as residence, work, travel, inheritance and property ownership in Turkey, subject to national security and public order rules.
- You do not vote or stand for election, you have no military service obligation, you cannot import vehicles and household goods duty-free, and you cannot hold permanent public service posts.
- Abroad, you apply in person at a Turkish consulate by appointment through konsolosluk.gov.tr.
What Is the Blue Card in Turkey?
The Blue Card is the document that shows a former Turkish citizen holds the rights kept for them under Article 28 of the Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901. Turkish consulates describe it as the document for the use of rights recognised by Law No. 5203, the law that introduced these rights.
It is mainly used by people who took the citizenship of a country that did not allow dual citizenship and had to give up their Turkish citizenship to do so.
The Turkish Blue Card is not the EU Blue Card
The EU Blue Card is a residence and work permit for highly qualified workers in European Union countries. It has nothing to do with Turkey’s Mavi Kart, which is only for former Turkish citizens and their descendants.
Who Can Get a Blue Card?
You can get a Blue Card if both conditions apply:
- You were a Turkish citizen by birth.
- You lost Turkish citizenship by obtaining a renunciation permit (çıkma izni).
Under Article 27 of Law No. 5901, minor children whose Turkish citizenship ended together with their parent’s renunciation are also covered. Article 28 extends the rights to the holder’s descendants up to the third degree.
People who lost Turkish citizenship in another way, for example by having it withdrawn, do not qualify through this route.
Renouncing Turkish Citizenship: The Çıkma İzni Conditions
You cannot get a Blue Card without first renouncing Turkish citizenship with permission. Under Article 25 of Law No. 5901, permission may be given to a person who:
- is an adult with the capacity to make decisions,
- has acquired a foreign citizenship, or shows convincing signs that they will acquire one,
- is not wanted for any crime or for military service, and
- has no financial or criminal restriction against them.
If your new country allows dual citizenship, you do not need to renounce at all. See dual citizenship Turkey for how to keep both nationalities.
What Rights Do Blue Card Holders Have?
Blue Card holders keep the rights of Turkish citizens, subject to national security and public order provisions. In practice this covers:
- living in Turkey without a residence permit,
- working in Turkey,
- entering and leaving Turkey,
- inheriting, and
- buying, owning and selling property, including real estate.
What Rights Do You Lose?
Article 28 excludes the following rights:
- voting and standing for election,
- the military service obligation (Blue Card holders are not subject to it),
- importing vehicles and household goods duty-free, and
- holding permanent public service posts.
On public sector work, Article 28(3) is precise: Blue Card holders cannot hold permanent, salaried public service posts governed by public law, but public institutions can employ them as workers, temporary staff or contract staff.
If you need any of the excluded rights, you would have to reacquire Turkish citizenship.
How to Apply for a Blue Card
According to the General Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs (NVİ), the Blue Card is issued abroad by Turkish embassies and consulates, and in Turkey by district civil registry offices (ilçe nüfus müdürlüğü).
Abroad, you apply in person after booking an appointment at konsolosluk.gov.tr. The Turkish Consulates General in New York and Houston list these documents:
- the signed Blue Card petition form,
- recent biometric photographs (New York asks for three, Houston for two),
- the original and two copies of proof of your foreign citizenship (citizenship certificate or passport), and
- the original and two copies of your renunciation certificate (Vatandaşlıktan Çıkış Belgesi).
Consulates advise applying at the mission that processed your renunciation, because files from other missions take longer. Each consulate sets its own fee; New York lists USD 10.20, payable in cash only.
Identity changes made after you lost Turkish citizenship are not reflected on the card.
Can You Get Turkish Citizenship Back?
Yes. Under Article 13 of Law No. 5901, people who renounced Turkish citizenship with permission can apply to reacquire it, and the usual residence period required for naturalisation is not applied to them. The other general conditions still apply. Abroad you apply through a consulate, and in Turkey through the provincial governorship. Read more about the routes in how to get Turkish citizenship.
Blue Card or Dual Citizenship: Which Do You Need?
If your new country allows dual citizenship, keeping Turkish citizenship is usually the better option, because you keep every right, including voting. The Blue Card is the fallback for people whose new country requires them to give up their previous citizenship.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Blue Card holders buy property in Turkey?
Yes. Blue Card holders can acquire and sell property in Turkey on the same basis as Turkish citizens. If you are buying, a property lawyer in Turkey can check the title deed before you pay.
Do my children get the Blue Card rights?
Minor children who renounced together with you are covered, and Article 28 extends the rights to your descendants up to the third degree.
If you need help with renunciation, your Blue Card application or reacquiring citizenship, speak to a Turkish citizenship lawyer. This page gives general information and is not legal advice for your specific case.
Sources
- Turkish Consulate General in New York: Mavi Kart application
- Turkish Consulate General in Houston: Mavi Kart application guide
- NVİ: Mavi Kart Uygulaması
- Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901, Articles 13, 25, 27 and 28