Study in Turkey: Costs, Admission and Visas for International Students

If you want to study in Turkey, you will be choosing from 208 universities that together teach about 6.3 million students. Around 360,000 of them are international students, according to the head of YÖK, Turkey's higher education council. Many bachelor's programs are taught in English, and state university fees for most programs are roughly $500–4,000 a year.

Turkey suits you if you want an English-taught bachelor's on a moderate budget and have solid school grades. At many private universities your school certificate is the main admission criterion. At Istanbul Medipol University, for example, the threshold is 60% for applicants from Pakistan, India, Egypt and Nigeria (WAEC).

Turkey is a harder fit if you expect Medicine entirely in English, need a medical license at home without checking the rules first, or plan to live in Istanbul on a few hundred dollars a month. Below you will find real fee ranges, admission routes, visa steps and the risks worth knowing before you pay a deposit.

How much does it cost to study in Turkey

Tuition depends on two things: state or private university, and the program. Fees for international students are quoted in US dollars and change from year to year. The figures below are ranges based on recent price lists; next year's fees are published closer to the intake.

Some state universities take payment in Turkish lira at the central bank exchange rate. METU does this, for example. So the dollar figure is a guide, not a fixed price.

A private university price list shows how wide the range is. Medipol's current fees for international students: Medicine 100% English $40,000, Pharmacy in English $18,000, Computer Engineering $6,500, Business Administration $5,500, Industrial Engineering $4,750. Medipol takes 10% off if you pay the full year at once or before the deadline in your offer letter. Citizens of about 60 countries, including Pakistan, India, Nigeria, Egypt and Bangladesh, can get a 15% Special Country Scholarship. Gulf states are not on that list. The university does not say whether these discounts can be combined, so budget with one discount at a time.

Universities in Turkey: state vs private

Turkey has state universities and private foundation (vakıf) universities. Private ones teach 838,664 students. The main differences for an international applicant are admission, English tests and cost.

For medical universities in Turkey, the choice is sharper. State Medicine costs less, but entry depends on each university's own criteria. Private Medicine is easier to plan but costs about $30,000–60,000 a year. Read our guide to Medicine in Turkey before you shortlist.

Admission requirements

Since 2024/25, state universities admit international students through TR-YÖS, school GPA, national exams or international exams. Private universities can also use their own entrance exam. So you choose the route that fits your results, not one fixed path.

Route 1: school grades (most private universities)

Your school certificate is often enough. Medipol's admission table asks for 60% for Pakistan (Certificate of Secondary Education), India (CBSE 12th, AISSC or HSC), Egypt (Thanaweya Amma) and the Gulf states. Nigerian applicants need 60% in WAEC.

Route 2: TR-YÖS, the exam for international applicants

TR-YÖS is set by ÖSYM, Turkey's national exam center. It has 80 questions in 100 minutes: 40 on numerical reasoning and 40 on basic mathematics. Scores run from 100 to 500, four wrong answers cancel one correct answer, and results are valid for two years. You can take it in six languages, including English and Arabic.

The autumn session is in October; registration for it closes in August. The fee depends on where you sit the exam: 1,650 TL in Pakistan or India, 1,150 TL in Nigeria or Bangladesh, 3,700 TL in Egypt or Saudi Arabia. ÖSYM announces the dates for each cycle in advance; expect a spring and an autumn session.

Route 3: SAT, IB, A-levels

Universities can approve SAT, IB, Abitur and TR-YÖS results and publish their own minimum scores. At Medipol, SAT 1000/1600 is enough for any program. A-level applicants need at least grade D in, for example, 2 A-levels plus 3 O-levels.

English proof

Most English-taught programs need a certificate or an internal test. Many state universities, including METU, do not accept IELTS, so TOEFL iBT or PTE Academic is the safer choice for them. Private universities often accept IELTS; check each university's requirements. If you have no certificate, many universities let you sit their own exemption exam. At Medipol the pass mark is 75. Details for each route are in our admission requirements guide.

Student visa and residence permit

A Turkey student visa is required for citizens of Pakistan, India, Nigeria and Egypt with ordinary passports. An e-Visa for 30 days exists only under conditions. Pakistani and Indian citizens need a valid visa or residence permit from the Schengen area, the US, the UK or Ireland. Egyptians aged 15–45 need the same, plus a flight with certain airlines. Nigerians cannot get an e-Visa.

Officially, the e-Visa is for tourism and business. For study, Turkey's foreign ministry recommends a student visa from a Turkish consulate. Turkish law does allow you to apply for a student residence permit from inside the country. Some universities accept residence permit documents from students who entered on an e-Visa or visa-free, but confirm this with your university in advance. Citizens of Saudi Arabia and the UAE can enter visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180 days. Gulf expat families should check the rules for their own passport.

Apostille or consular legalization

Your school certificate must be apostilled or legalized before you leave home:

• Apostille: Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain.
• Consular legalization (Ministry of Education, then Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then the Turkish consulate): Nigeria, Egypt, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, Jordan.

Translations into Turkish must be notarized. If the translation is done abroad, the Turkish consulate certifies it.

Residence permit after arrival

Once enrolled, you fill in the student residence permit form on e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr, print and sign it. You submit it through your university's international office, not at the migration office yourself. You need your passport, two biometric photos, proof of address, health insurance and a student certificate. The card costs 964 TL; students pay no residence permit fee on top of that.

Your passport must be valid for 60 days longer than the permit you request. Proof of funds is not required by default, only your own statement, unless the migration office asks for documents. A decision can take up to 90 days. After approval, register your address within 20 working days. Step-by-step details are on our student visa and residence permit page.

What to know before you apply

These are the points that cause the most trouble later. Each one has a fix if you plan for it.

Risks and how to handle them

• "30% English" programs. In some programs Turkish is the main language and only 30% of courses are in English. At Medipol, Medicine and Dentistry exist in both versions, and Law is taught only 30% in English. Check the language line in the price list, not just the program name.
• Prep year. Without an English certificate or a passed exemption test, you start with a preparatory year. At Medipol it costs as much as a year of your program; for Medicine and Dentistry it is $17,000. At its International School of Medicine the prep year can last up to two years. Take TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic or IELTS (where accepted) before you apply.
• Turkish in clinical years. At Medipol's International School of Medicine, years 1–3 are fully in English, but clinical practice and clinical exams in years 4–6 are in Turkish. You need Turkish at C1 level before year 4; the university offers Turkish courses from A1 to C1. For the new 100% English track, the language of clinical years has not been published.
• Denklik deadline. If you are admitted before your school certificate is recognized, each university sets its own deadline. At Yıldız Technical University (YTÜ) it is 90 days from enrollment, or admission is cancelled. The YÖK fee is 1,250 TL. Apostille or legalize your certificate at home first.
• Address rules in Istanbul. Since 2022, some neighborhoods and 10 districts of Istanbul have been closed to new residence registrations of foreigners. Students are exempt only if their university or faculty is in the same district. Check the address in e-ikamet or with your university before you sign a lease.
• Non-refundable deposits. At Medipol, the advance tuition deposit is non-refundable, though it counts toward your fees. Read the refund terms in your offer letter before paying.
• Visa refusals. A consulate can refuse a student visa. Apply early, keep your documents consistent, and have a plan for the next intake if the timing slips.
• Recognition at home. Rules for recognizing a Turkish degree differ by country and by profession. For Medicine, check your national medical council's rules before you choose a university.

Türkiye Bursları and other ways to pay less

Türkiye Bursları is the government scholarship for international students. It covers tuition, a monthly stipend, health insurance, accommodation, a one-year Turkish course and one return flight. It also places you at a university and program. The monthly stipend is 6,500 TL for bachelor's, 9,500 TL for master's and 13,000 TL for PhD students.

It is a strong Turkey scholarship, but a very competitive one. In one recent year, 121,830 people from 170 countries applied, and around 5,000 receive it each year, about 4%. For bachelor's you must be under 21 and have at least 70% in school; for Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy the minimum is 90%. For master's the age limit is 30 and the minimum grade 75%.

Applications usually run from 10 January to 20 February. For a fall start, plan for January–February of the same year, with results in early August. Full details are in our Türkiye Bursları guide.

Apply to a private university in parallel as a plan B. Country scholarships, SAT-based discounts and lump-sum discounts can lower the fee there, as the Medipol example above shows.

Living and working as a student

A student in Istanbul needs roughly $700–1,300 a month. The lower end means a dorm or a shared flat; the upper end means renting alone. A student monthly transport pass costs about 653 TL.

On health insurance, you can register for GSS, the state health insurance, within three months of enrollment. Then you do not need a separate private policy for your residence permit.

You can work while studying, but only with a work permit. Your employer applies for it online. Bachelor's students can work only after completing the first year and only part-time. Master's and PhD students have no such limits. Permits for entertainment work and domestic work are not approved for students. Türkiye Bursları scholars need approval from YTB, the scholarship office.

After graduation, you can apply for a short-term residence permit within six months.

Universities we work with

Not sure whether Turkey fits your grades and budget? Book a free consultation. We will check your school results and English level, shortlist 3–4 programs that match your budget, and map your visa route from your country. Write to us via the form, WhatsApp or Telegram on our contacts page.