Lost or stolen residence permit card: the steps in Türkiye

Losing the residence permit card (ikamet izin kartı) feels like losing your status, but it is not: the permit is a decision of the Directorate of Migration Management and stays in force until its end date, while the card is the document that proves it. What you need is a replacement card, and the path is short if you start with the right paper. This guide covers the report, the application, the documents the Directorate usually asks for and what to do when the permit itself is close to expiry.

Step 1: report the loss

Go to the nearest police station (or the gendarmerie, if the loss happened in its area) and ask for a loss or theft record. State clearly whether the card was lost or stolen; a theft is recorded differently. Keep the original and a photo of it. If the loss happened abroad, report it to local police and keep that record; the Directorate may ask for it to be translated and notarised after you return.

Step 2: apply to the provincial migration office

The replacement is issued by the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management (İl Göç İdaresi Müdürlüğü) of the province where your permit file is held. Procedure differs by province: some take the application through an appointment, some through e-ikamet, some at the counter. The Foreigners Communication Centre (YIMER, tel. 157) or the office's own page tells you which one applies. Do not wait for the next renewal: a lost card is dealt with separately and promptly.

Documents usually requested

• The police or gendarmerie loss or theft record.
• Passport and a photocopy of its identity and entry pages.
• A recent biometric photo.
• Proof of your current address (the address record from e-Devlet or the population directorate).
• Receipt for the card fee and any duty the Directorate's payment notice lists.
• A copy or photo of the lost card, if you have one, and your foreign ID number.

The Directorate may add items for your permit type. The amounts are set by the Directorate in the payment notice you receive, so take that figure rather than an older number from the internet.

What stays valid, and what to carry

The permit stays valid until its end date; the loss does not cancel it and does not extend it. Until the new card arrives, carry your passport and the loss record, plus the application confirmation once you have it. The new card is posted by PTT to your registered address, so check that the address is current first; our address change guide covers the 20-business-day rule. If you find the old card afterwards, hand it in to the Directorate: it is normally cancelled once a replacement is issued.

If the permit is about to expire

A replacement card does not renew the permit. If the end date is close, the renewal application runs on its own deadline, described in our renewal guide. In that case tell the officer about both matters at the same visit so the file shows the lost-card record and the pending renewal together.

Sources

• goc.gov.tr — Presidency of Migration Management: residence permit procedures and provincial directorates
• e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr — official application system for foreigners
• mevzuat.gov.tr — Law 6458 on Foreigners and International Protection and the Implementing Regulation

Questions