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Citizenship
Turkish Citizenship
by Descent (2026)
If one or both of your parents are Turkish citizens, you may have a right to Turkish citizenship regardless of where you were born.
Quick Answer
Turkish citizenship passes automatically through parentage (jus sanguinis). If either of your parents is a Turkish citizen, you are entitled to Turkish citizenship regardless of your birthplace. This right can also extend to grandchildren in some cases, though this is more complex.
The Principle of Jus Sanguinis
Turkey follows the "jus sanguinis" (right of blood) principle. This means citizenship is inherited from parents, not determined by place of birth. If your father or mother holds Turkish citizenship, you are theoretically a Turkish citizen from birth — even if you were born abroad and have never been to Turkey.
Who Qualifies?
- Children of Turkish citizens: If either parent is Turkish, the child automatically acquires Turkish citizenship at birth.
- Children born abroad: Must be registered with a Turkish consulate within 30 days of birth to have the birth officially recorded, though this deadline can often be backdated.
- Adults who were never registered: Can apply retroactively to be entered into the Turkish civil registry.
Grandchildren of Turkish Citizens
If your grandparent was Turkish but your parent never took or registered Turkish citizenship, your path is more complicated. Turkish citizenship does not automatically pass to the third generation if the intermediate generation (your parent) never established their own Turkish citizenship. In this case, you would need to research whether your parent has an unregistered Turkish citizenship claim first.
How to Claim Your Citizenship
- Visit a Turkish consulate or embassy in your country, or the Directorate General of Civil Registration in Turkey.
- Present evidence of your Turkish parent's citizenship (their Turkish ID, passport, or records from the nüfus müdürlüğü).
- Submit your own birth certificate (apostilled and translated into Turkish).
- A Turkish nüfus (civil registration) entry will be created for you.
- Apply for your Turkish ID card and passport.
Dual Citizenship
Turkey permits dual citizenship. Claiming Turkish citizenship through descent does not require you to renounce your other nationality. However, some countries (including Germany, prior to recent reforms) may have restrictions on dual citizenship — check your home country's rules.