Foreigner Identification Number (YKN) in Türkiye: How to Get One

The foreigner identification number (YKN) is the number given to foreigners who are in Türkiye or who carry out a transaction at a public institution in Türkiye, and it is the foreigners' counterpart of the Republic of Türkiye identity number. Many transactions, from opening a bank account to a title deed procedure, and from a health record to a work permit application, run through this number.

📜 Legal Basis

Article 8/1 of Law No. 5490 gives the Ministry of the Interior authority on three matters: giving identity numbers to foreigners covered by Law No. 6458, registering them in the foreigners' register, and giving a foreigner identification number, if they request it, to foreigners who apply to a public institution in Türkiye or to a Turkish mission abroad for any transaction. Details such as the validity period of the number and the documents to be requested at application and afterwards are left to a regulation to be issued by the Ministry (Art. 8/2).

The definitions article of the Law calls the register in which the records of foreigners given identity numbers are kept electronically the "foreigners' register" (Art. 3). In practice, foreigner identification numbers start with 99, which makes them easy for institutions' systems to tell apart from the numbers of Turkish citizens.

🪪 How Is the YKN Obtained?

• With a residence permit: For a foreigner who receives a short-termTR, family, student or long-term residence permit, the number is assigned together with the permit and appears on the residence permit card.
• On request: A foreigner without a residence permit in Türkiye who will carry out a transaction at a public institution, for example acquiring real estate, becoming a company partner or a tax transaction, can request a YKN by applying to the provincial migration management office or the population directorate. Applications can also be made to Turkish missions abroad (Art. 8/1).
• International and temporary protection: Applicants and persons under temporary protection are given a number at registration, and it is shown on their identity documents.

🏦 Where Is the YKN Used?

The YKN serves foreigners in the same way the identity number serves Turkish citizens. Bank transactions (opening a bank account as a foreignerTR), health services, e-Devlet (the e-Government portal) access, subscriptions, and vehicle and real estate transactions run through this number. The number is also the basis in tax matters; this is covered separately in the article on tax identity for foreignersTR.

For work permits, the YKN is a precondition: in work permit applications made from within Türkiye, except for special groups allowed to apply without a residence permit, the foreigner on whose behalf the application is made must have a YKN (Regulation on the Implementation of the International Labour Force Law, Art. 16/1-a). The e-Devlet password is also obtained through PTT (the Turkish postal service) with this number and an identity document.

⏸️ The Inactive Number Problem

The problem most often met in practice is the foreigner's number showing as inactive in the system after a residence permit expires, is rejected or is cancelled. In this case bank transactions, phone line and subscription records or e-Devlet login may be disrupted. The number is usually not deleted; when a new residence permit is obtained or the permit is renewed, the same number becomes active again.

Filing an extension application on time as the permit period ends is therefore important not only for the right of stay but also for uninterrupted daily transactions. The process is explained in the article on residence permit extension and renewalTR.

🔢 Difference from Similar Numbers

• Republic of Türkiye identity number: Given to citizens once and cannot be changed (Art. 46 of Law No. 5490). A foreigner who acquires Turkish citizenship is registered in the population register as a citizen and the identity number is determined accordingly.
• Blue Card holders' number: Persons who lost citizenship with permission to renounce, and their descendants, are given a separate identity number to be used where a Republic of Türkiye identity number is required (Art. 28/8 of Law No. 5901). Details: What is the Blue CardTR.
• Tax identification number: For foreigners without a YKN, a tax number is issued separately by the tax office; once a YKN is obtained, the YKN is generally used in transactions.

Related articles: Blue Card Holders Regaining Turkish CitizenshipTR, Work Permits for Foreigners under Temporary Protection (Syrians)TR, e-residence applicationTR.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions