Turkey has increased the cost of residence permits for Russians by 14 times

Turkish authorities have sharply increased the fees for processing residence permits (RP) for Russian citizens, raising the price by 9 to 14 times depending on the length of stay. The minimum cost of a one-year tourist residence permit is now at least $620. 

This is reported by Russian media. 

The total payment consists of the fee for issuing the card itself and the residence fee. The cost of a two-year residence permit for an adult Russian citizen has risen from 6,500 liras ($144) to 57,899 liras ($1,284), and for a one-year permit—from 2,000 liras ($44) to over 28,000 liras ($620). These figures are already reflected in the online application forms.

The number of Russian citizens holding residence permits in Turkey is plummeting: during 2025, their number decreased by 15%, and compared to the peak year of 2022, it has halved. As of November 2025, approximately 72,600 Russians were officially residing in the country, whereas at the end of 2022, there were 154,000. The main reason for the mass exodus is the systematic tightening of application reviews and significant difficulties in opening bank accounts, which began as early as the start of 2023.

This move by the Turkish authorities marks another step in making legalization more difficult for people from Russia, against the backdrop of global inflation and changes in the country’s migration policy. In addition to the financial burden, migrants face stricter scrutiny from Turkish security agencies. Experts predict a further decline in the Russian diaspora due to the economic unfeasibility of a prolonged stay in the region.

Meanwhile, Turkey has announced large-scale tax incentives for foreigners and new tax residents moving to the country.