Study in Turkey as an International Student: Complete 2027 Guide

To study in Turkey as an international student, you pick an English-taught program, apply directly to the university for its international student quota with an accepted exam or diploma (TR-YÖS, SAT, IB, A-levels or, at many universities, your national exam), then get a student visa and a residence permit after you arrive. There is no single national application portal for self-funded students.

This pillar guide walks you through the whole journey for non-EU students, from choosing a program to collecting your residence permit card. Each section links to a deeper guide, and every fact comes from official Turkish sources such as YÖK's Study in Türkiye portal, ÖSYM, Türkiye Scholarships, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Presidency of Migration Management.

How university admission in Turkey works

Turkish public (state) and foundation (private) universities each run their own admission for international students. According to the official Study in Türkiye FAQ, universities fill their foreign-student quotas using exams and diplomas such as TR-YÖS, YÖS, SAT, Abitur and IB, and each university decides which ones it accepts. The quotas themselves are published every year on yok.gov.tr under Students, in the tab for students who will fund their studies.

Since 2024/25, public universities admit international students using TR-YÖS, high-school grade averages set by the university senate, national exams or international exams. Foundation universities may also use their own YÖS exam. This means one student can apply to several universities, each with its own rules, fees and deadlines.

Who can apply as an international student

• For bachelor's programs you must be in the final year of high school or already have graduated.
• Foreign nationals qualify as long as they did not attend or graduate from a high school in Turkey (exceptions exist for embassy schools, international schools in the MOBİS system and some MEB/YÖK projects).
• From 2026, ÖSYM's TR-YÖS guide states that foreigners who studied at a secondary school in Turkey can enter Turkish universities only through the national YKS exam, not TR-YÖS.
• For master's or PhD programs in non-health fields, universities register you with a YÖK School Recognition Letter for your bachelor's university.

Read the full rules in our Turkey university admission requirements guide.

Public or private (foundation) university?

Of the 201 universities in FindUniPath's Turkey data, 127 are public and 74 are private (foundation) universities. Public universities are usually cheaper for international students, but each program admits international students only within its published quota, and application windows can be short. Several private universities in our data have long application windows and scholarship discounts, but higher list prices. Istanbul (56 universities in our data), Ankara (20) and Izmir (9) have the widest choice.

The journey at a glance

1. 1

   Shortlist English-taught programs (12–18 months ahead)

   Use the official Study in Türkiye program search and each university's international admissions page. See our English-taught programs in Turkey guide.

2. 2

   Take an accepted exam

   TR-YÖS (run by ÖSYM twice a year), SAT, IB, A-levels or your national exam, depending on the university. TR-YÖS scores are valid for two years.

3. 3

   Apply for Türkiye Scholarships (optional)

   Applications open every year from 10 January to 20 February on the TBBS portal.

4. 4

   Apply directly to universities

   Self-funded students apply on each university's portal. Many bachelor's deadlines for a September start fall between spring and summer; some private universities accept applications into the autumn.

5. 5

   Prepare documents and recognition

   Translations, legalization or apostille, and for master's/PhD the YÖK recognition letter. See our documents guide.

6. 6

   Apply for the student visa

   Pre-apply on konsolosluk.gov.tr, then submit originals at the Turkish embassy or consulate at least one month before travel.

7. 7

   Register and get your residence permit

   After enrolling, apply on e-İkamet within your visa period and hand your documents to your university.

The full timeline with portal names is in how to apply to universities in Turkey.

Entrance exams: TR-YÖS, SAT and national exams

TR-YÖS is the Exam for Foreign Students run by ÖSYM. It is held twice a year in Turkish, English, German, French, Russian and Arabic, at centres in Turkey and abroad, and knowing Turkish is not a condition to sit it. For 2026, TR-YÖS/1 was held on 12 April 2026 and TR-YÖS/2 on 11 October 2026, with results due on 5 November 2026. The 2027 session dates were not yet on the ÖSYM calendar in mid-October 2026.

What it costs to study in Turkey

There is no national tuition figure for international students: each university publishes its own fees. In our 2026/27 data, Middle East Technical University (METU) charges USD 1,200 per semester for engineering and USD 800 for social sciences, Boğaziçi University charges USD 8,000–10,000 per year for bachelor's programs, and Bilkent lists USD 18,400 a year before scholarship waivers.

Some public universities also charge 1.5 times the normal fee for English-taught programs. Living costs, dorms and budgeting are covered in the cost of studying in Turkey.

Scholarships: Türkiye Bursları and university waivers

Türkiye Scholarships (Türkiye Bursları) is the government's fully funded program for bachelor's, master's and PhD. It covers tuition, a one-year Turkish language course, accommodation, health insurance, a flight ticket and a monthly stipend of 6,500 TL (bachelor's), 9,500 TL (master's) or 13,000 TL (PhD). Minimum grades are 70% for bachelor's and 75% for graduate study, and there are age limits.

Many private universities also offer tuition waivers. Sabancı, Özyeğin and Bilkent evaluate international applicants for merit waivers, and some universities give country discounts (Istanbul Okan University offers 20% to Afghan students on its USD 5,000 English bachelor's programs). Details are in our scholarships in Turkey guide.

Student visa and residence permit (ikamet)

For study you need a sticker visa from a Turkish embassy or consulate. The e-Visa is only for tourism or commerce. You create a pre-application on konsolosluk.gov.tr, then attend the mission with your signed form, passport (valid at least 60 days beyond your stay) and original documents. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommends applying at least one month before travel, and visa fees are not refunded if you are refused.

A Turkish visa allows at most 90 days. After you register at the university, you apply for a Student Residence Permit on e-İkamet during your visa period, pay the 964 TL card fee (2026) and give your documents to your university. Full steps: Turkey student visa guide.

Applying from Afghanistan

Afghan passport holders always need a visa for Turkey, and for study the visa comes from a Turkish mission. The consular pre-application system lists the Embassy in Kabul and the Consulates General in Herat and Mazar-i-Sharif. However, as of 13 October 2026 the latest announcements on the Kabul and Mazar-i-Sharif mission websites dated from August 2021, so contact the mission before booking.

• The 2026 TR-YÖS/2 exam had centres in Herat, Kabul, Kandahar and Mazar-i-Sharif, with a fee of 1,150 TL for Afghan centres.
• Afghanistan is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so Afghan documents cannot be apostilled; ask each university which legalization it accepts.
• If you apply from Pakistan or Iran, Turkey has missions in Islamabad, Karachi, Tehran and Mashhad. Confirm with the mission whether you need legal residence there.

Life, work and after graduation

International students can live in university dormitories, state KYK dorms, private dorms or rented flats; state and university dorms are almost always separated by gender. You may work only with a work permit from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, and bachelor's students can work only after their first year. Read working and staying in Turkey after graduation and our honest pros and cons of studying in Turkey.