Türkiye Entry Ban & Restriction Codes: Ç, G, V, N, O Groups

Restriction codes are abbreviations in the Presidency of Migration Management records that show restrictions on a foreigner's entry into, stay in and exit from Türkiye. A code may stand for an entry ban, a prior-permission requirement, an unpaid debt or a record kept for information only. This page brings together the codes we examine one by one on our site, grouped by letter, and points to the detailed article on each code.

🚷 What Is an Entry Ban?

Article 9 of Law No. 6458 ties an entry ban to two main grounds: a finding that the foreigner is objectionable for reasons of public order, public security or public health (Article 9/1), and the foreigner's deportation from Türkiye (Article 9/2). A ban lasts at most five years; where there is a serious threat to public order or security, the Directorate General may add up to ten more years (Article 9/3). Article 8/2-d of the Implementing Regulation provides that a ban based on the same ground cannot exceed fifteen years in total.

Unlike an entry ban, some codes only create a prior-permission requirement: the foreigner is not allowed to enter without a favourable opinion from the Directorate General or the governorate (Article 9/7, Implementing Regulation Article 8/3). This distinction directly affects which legal route is chosen.

🔠 Code Groups

Codes are grouped by their first letter. The groups most often met in practice are these:

• Ç group (C group): Entry bans imposed for overstays, unpaid fines, illegal work and certain violations.
• G group: Codes based on security and crime grounds.
• N group: Codes that mostly create a prior-permission requirement.
• V group: Administrative situations relating to visa and residence processes.
• O group: Codes linked to international protection processes.

📊 Ç Group (C Group): Overstays, Unpaid Debts and Violations

🛡️ Security and Public Order Codes

In security codes, the information behind the code is often a classified document. The principle that a document not notified to the parties cannot be the sole basis of a judgment in administrative proceedings (Article 20 of the Administrative Procedure Law, İYUK) lies at the centre of these cases.

🗂️ V, N and O Group Codes

⚖️ Ways to Lift a Ban

• Finding out the code: An information request can be made to the Presidency of Migration Management; a lawyer holding a power of attorney can also apply on behalf of a foreigner who is abroad.
• Administrative application: Applying to the administration within the period for filing a case stops the running of that period; if no answer is given within thirty days, the request is deemed rejected (İYUK Article 11).
• Annulment action: An action against an entry ban can be brought before the administrative court within sixty days (İYUK Article 7); against a deportation decision the period is seven days (Article 53/3 of Law No. 6458).
• Entry with the ban left in place: The Directorate General may lift the ban or allow entry for a specific period (Article 9/6); in practice this is known as the conditional-entry visa (meşruhatlı vize) process.
• Payment-linked codes: For unpaid-debt codes, payment of the debt is the basic step towards removal of the record. For the process after deportation, see the article on re-entry after deportation.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions