An Online Consultation Meeting on Residence Permit Processes for International Students Was Held
On Thursday, July 17, 2025, at 10:30 AM, an online consultation meeting was held with the participation of the Council of Higher Education (CoHE/YÖK) and representatives of the International Student Offices of authorized universities. The main agenda of the meeting focused on residence permit application processes for international (foreign national) students studying in Türkiye or applying for admission, the challenges encountered in these processes, and recent regulatory updates in practice.
The meeting was chaired by Mr. Mustafa EFE, Head of the International Relations Department of YÖK, and attended by personnel from the same department as well as International Student Office representatives from more than 250 universities across Türkiye.
During the meeting, which attracted significant interest, the steps taken to ensure that the legal residence processes of international students in Türkiye are carried out more efficiently, quickly, and smoothly were discussed. In addition, the challenges faced by universities in the field, implementation-related issues, and proposed solutions were evaluated in detail.
In his opening speech, Mr. EFE particularly անդրlined the “Foreign Identification Number (YKN)” system introduced as part of the new international student registration process that began on July 1, 2025. He noted that certain difficulties were experienced in the initial phase of the implementation, but stated that the system has since been significantly improved and that procedures are now carried out more quickly and practically. In this context, he emphasized that the primary priority of the YÖK International Relations Department is to minimize bureaucratic obstacles that international students may encounter and to ensure that processes are conducted both efficiently and securely.
Mr. EFE also highlighted a key issue frequently faced by universities: students who register via power of attorney from abroad are unable to obtain a Foreign Identification Number (YKN). He stated that this situation prevents students from completing other official procedures and negatively affects the registration process. However, he announced an important development in this regard: as a result of cooperation with the Directorate General of Migration Management, students whose information is shared by universities can now obtain a YKN through Provincial Migration Offices. Thus, it is now possible for students to complete YKN procedures remotely without needing to physically come to Türkiye.
In the second part of the meeting, questions from International Student Office representatives of universities were addressed. In this session, participants shared concrete issues encountered in practice, and Mr. EFE responded to many of these questions with detailed explanations. Matters that are still under evaluation or require coordination with other institutions were noted by the YÖK International Relations Department staff for further consideration in the coming days.
The meeting was considered productive in terms of strengthening cooperation and coordination among stakeholders and addressing issues through mutual understanding and solution-oriented approaches