KÜHEYLAN HUKUK
What is a Blue Card? Who Can Receive It, What Rights Does It Provide and What to Do If the Application Is Rejected? Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901, article 28; Law no. 6458 art.34/1; International Labor Law No. 6735 was prepared based on the legislation in force as of 2026 and official sources dated October 2026.
Blue Card is a document that allows those who became Turkish citizens by birth and lost their Turkish citizenship by obtaining permission to leave, and their descendants up to the third degree, to benefit from the same rights granted to Turkish citizens. Card is not citizenship. There are no rights to vote and be elected, to import vehicles or household goods with exemption, and there is no obligation to do military service. It is not possible to work in primary and permanent public duties subject to the public law regime. The Blue Card is issued upon request and when the application is rejected, a lawsuit can be filed in the administrative court.
What is Blue Card and What Law Is It Based On?
Blue Card is regulated in Article 28 of the Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901. The title of the article is "Rights granted to persons who lose their Turkish citizenship by obtaining an exit permit". Those who became Turkish citizens by birth and relinquished their citizenship by obtaining permission to leave, and their descendants up to the third degree, continue to benefit from the same rights granted to Turkish citizens, except for the exceptions specified in the article. Provisions regarding national security and public order are reserved (Art.28/1).
Who Can Get the Blue Card?
Those who became Turkish citizens by birth and lost their Turkish citizenship by obtaining permission to leave,
Descendants of these people up to the third degree.
If the President deems it necessary, he may determine to what degree descendants, starting from the third degree, can benefit from these rights (Article 28/4). It is mandatory for the descendants to document their lineage with their ancestors (Article 28/5). The issuance of the card is made upon request (Art.28/6).
This requirement in the law is important. If the criteria for citizenship by birth and exit permit are not met, the Blue Card will not be issued. In its decision dated 8 December 2020 and numbered E.2016/3041, K.2020/5933, the 10th Chamber of the Council of State examined the rejection of the Blue Card request of a person who lost his citizenship in accordance with the repealed Law No. 403 because he did not fulfill his military service. The administrative court concluded that only those who became citizens by birth and renounced citizenship with permission to resign could benefit from the Blue Card application in Article 28 of Law No. 5901 and rejected the case. The Council of State did not find the grounds for appeal to be reversal. The decision indicates that the Blue Card is conditional on "leave to leave".
What Rights Does the Blue Card Provide?
Persons within the scope benefit from the rights granted to Turkish citizens, except for the exceptions specified in this article. The law regulates the following exceptions:
Their acquired rights regarding social security are reserved and they are subject to the relevant legal provisions in the use of these rights (Art. 28/2),
They cannot hold essential and permanent public service positions based on a staff position and subject to the public law regime. They can be employed as workers, temporary or contracted personnel in public institutions and organizations (Article 28/3).
Do Blue Card Holders Have to Get a Work Permit to Work in Türkiye?
According to the statement on the website of the General Directorate of International Labor Force of the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, people within the scope of this article do not need to obtain a work permit from the Ministry in accordance with the provisions of Law No. 6735. Other legislative provisions regarding professions and sectors continue to apply. For example, if the performance of some professions depends on Turkish citizenship or special conditions, additional information should be obtained on this subject.
How Do Residence and Family Rights Work for Blue Card Holders?
The Blue Card holder is among the promoters listed in Article 34 of Law No. 6458. According to the law, those within the scope of TVK Article 28 are also listed among those who can be supportive for family residence permit. For this reason, a family residence permit application can be made for the foreign spouse and children of a Blue Card holder. The one-year residence requirement required for the sponsor does not apply to these people (YUKK Article 35/2).
How to Apply for a Blue Card?
Blue Card is issued upon request. The authority to apply and the documents to be requested may vary depending on the application regulations and whether the application is made in Türkiye or abroad. The following documents usually come into play:
Records showing that the person was a Turkish citizen by birth and lost his/her citizenship with the permission to leave, Foreign passport and identity documents, Documents showing lineage with lineage for descendants (Article 28/5).
The law considers presentation of the Blue Card sufficient for the exercise of rights. If the card cannot be presented, the transaction can be carried out with the registration copy taken from the Blue Card Holders Registry and the identity document issued by foreign state authorities (Art. 28/7). These people are also given an identification number within the framework of the principles to be determined by the Ministry (Art. 28/8).
What to do if the Blue Card Application is Rejected?
For applications that are rejected or not responded to, an annulment lawsuit may be filed in the administrative court. The duration of the lawsuit is 60 days from the notification (İYUK art. 7). If the application is not responded to within 30 days, the request is deemed rejected (IYUK art. 10). In order to prepare the petition for Blue Card applications, the person's citizenship by birth and exit permit documents and ancestry documents must be collected completely.
Scope Those who became citizens by birth and lost their citizenship with permission to resign, and their descendants up to the third degree
descendant degree The President may determine the level beyond the third degree (Art.28/4)
What can't be done Selection and election, exempt vehicle and household goods import, permanent and permanent public duty
Event Summary Form: Fictional example: A person who was a Turkish citizen by birth became a citizen of another country by obtaining permission to leave many years ago. The person wants to work and live with his family in Türkiye. When applying for a Blue Card, his application remains incomplete because he cannot find his birth record and leave permit documents. Process: Documents showing that citizenship was acquired by birth and permission to leave are searched in the civil registry. Application is made by completing the required documents. Result: If the application is negative, the justification can be examined and a lawsuit for annulment can be filed in the administrative court. Having complete documentation strengthens both the application and the potential lawsuit.
Is Blue Card Turkish citizenship?
No. Blue Card is a document that allows Turkish citizens to benefit from the rights granted to them. The right to vote and stand for election differs from citizenship due to military service obligation and other exceptions.
Can a person with a Blue Card work in Türkiye?
Yes. According to the statement of the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, these people do not need to obtain a work permit in accordance with Law No. 6735. Essential and permanent public duties subject to the public law regime are prohibited.
Can the children of a Blue Card holder also receive a Blue Card?
The law covers descendants up to the third degree. Descendants must document their lineage to their ancestors. The President may determine that descendants beyond the third degree can also benefit.
Does a person with a Blue Card have to do military service?
No. The law states that these people are not obliged to perform military service.
Can a person with a Blue Card vote?
No. According to the law, there is no right to vote and be elected.
Can a person who has not acquired citizenship by birth get a Blue Card?
The law covers those who became Turkish citizens by birth and lost their citizenship with permission to leave, and their descendants. Those who do not meet this condition will not be given a Blue Card. The decision of the Council of State is also in this direction.
Incomplete collection of citizenship by birth and exit permit documents.
It is believed that the Blue Card has the same rights as Turkish citizenship.
Failure to document the lineage of descendants and ancestors.
Failure to investigate limitations regarding public duties before application.
Missing the deadline to file a lawsuit against application rejection.
Blue Card provides important rights for people who lost their citizenship with permission to leave and became Turkish citizens by birth and their descendants, but it is not the same as citizenship. Making the application with the correct documents and clarifying the scope at the beginning is the basis of the process. Küheylan Law Firm provides legal support in the preparation of Blue Card applications, obtaining lineage and exit permit documents, and filing a lawsuit in the administrative court against rejection decisions.
Important Legal Notice: The legal explanations contained in this guide have been prepared by Küheylan Law Firm for general information purposes and do not constitute legal advice. The unique conditions of each file may change the outcome. In order not to miss the application, objection and lawsuit deadlines, it is recommended to get legal support from a lawyer before the process begins. © 2026 Küheylan Law Firm. All rights reserved.
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