STUDENT MOBILITY INCOMING STUDENTS
HOW TO APPLY
Requirements and Nomination
If you wish to study at Kültür University under the Erasmus+ programme:
1. There must be an active Erasmus+ agreement between your university and the corresponding academic department in IKU.
2. You must be nominated by your university in good time for the application deadline.
3. You must have appropriate language skills.
4. You must complete the online application and submit all the duly signed documents within the deadlines.
1. Erasmus+ Agreements
Please keep in mind that at IKU each inter-institutional agreement is assigned to a specific department. Nominations outside the agreed department are not possible.
2. Nomination
Applications made without nominations are not valid.
The nomination deadlines are:
- Fall semester/full year: 20 May
- Spring semester: 20 November
We are using an online nomination platform where your Home University will be able to nominate students directly.
IKU Application System at the following link: https://exchangeprogram.iku.edu.tr
After you have been nominated by your home university, you will receive an e-mail with information on the online application procedure.
3. Language Skills
Please be aware that you will need to have appropriate English or Turkish language skills if you wish to study at IKU. For English and Turkish courses, the erasmus students supposed to have at least B1 level.
Every agreement for Erasmus+ student exchanges that we have signed with your home university contains details regarding the recommended language level.
To find out whether there are enough courses taught in English or Turkish in your field of study, click on your field of study in the course catalog at Bologna page. Click on the course codes to see the language of instruction. If you need further assistance, please contact the departmental Erasmus coordinators: https://uib.iku.edu.tr/en/erasmus-coordinators
APPLICATION INFORMATION
Upon the nomination, you will receive an e-mail and a guide from the IKU Erasmus office, explaining the steps you need to follow.
ONLINE APPLICATION
The application deadlines are:
- Fall Semester/full year : 20 June
- Spring Semester : 30 November
! Nominations and applications received after the stated deadlines are not evaluated.
APPLICATION DOCUMENTS
Here is an overview of the application documents you need to upload to the application tool within the deadlines. For more details, check the application guide you receive after nomination.
1. Copy of the passport ID page
2. Official transcript of records
3. Passport size photo for the student ID
4. Learning Agreement (section before the mobility) signed by the student, the home university, and the departmental coordinator at IKU!
You can choose your courses from the course catalog at:
https://akademikpaket.iku.edu.tr/EN/ects.php
APPLICATION PROCESSING
Allow 4-5 weeks for processing. Check your e-mail and the application tool regularly as we may need to request more or updated information/documentation from you.
DECISION
Once your application is approved you will receive a WELCOME TO IKU! email including a Letter of Acceptance.
If you have any questions, please contact uib@iku.edu.tr
Health Insurance
European health insurance card is not valid in Türkiye.
All exchange students are obliged to obtain a health insurance. The health insurance must cover your whole stay in Türkiye. You may choose one of the health insurance options below:
- General Health Insurance by the Turkish Social Security Institution
- Social Security agreements between certain countries and Turkish Social Security Institution
- A private insurance company in the home country
- A private insurance company in Turkey
Visa and Residence Permit
Visa
Exchange students are advised to acquaint themselves with the necessary formalities in connection with their entry to and residence in Türkiye. Students can find travel information on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Consular Procedures of Republic of Turkey. If you need further information, please contact the foreign representation (embassy/consulate) of Türkiye in your home country. See here for the contact data of the relevant foreign representation.
Please note that incoming students are responsible for applying for a visa themselves. International Office is not involved in the application process. As processing a visa application may take a long time, you are advised to file your application as soon as possible.
Visa Exemption
Some exchange students who are citizens of EU/EEA countries may not require a visa for Türkiye. Please check the webpage for visa information for foreigners of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for further information.
Please note that special conditions of visa/residence may apply to non-EU/EEA country citizens, even if they have a residence permit from a European country.
Those who have visa exemptions are obliged to apply for residence permit since they will stay more than 90 days in Turkey. For the residence permit, the applicants must hold a valid passport at least 60 days longer than their intended period of stay. In order to prevent any problems, they might have, the incoming students are required to submit a valid passport copy in their online Erasmus application. Therefore, the ID card is not a valid document type for Erasmus application.
Supporting Document from the University
Students might need an acceptance or a confirmation letter to apply for visa. Students receive their letter of acceptance after their application is approved by the relevant academic department at IKU.
Turkish Citizens Living Abroad
Turkish citizens living abroad and holders of Mavi Kart only require a valid passport or ID card to enter Türkiye. They do not apply either for a visa or residence permit. If you are a Turkish citizen, please upload a copy of your Turkish national ID or Turkish passport, or Mavi Kart for your online IKU Erasmus application.
RESIDENCE PERMIT
The residence permit application procedure is determined by the Directorate General of Migration Management under the Ministry of Interior. Universities and Erasmus offices do not have authority over application documents, procedures, and evaluation processes. Students can directly contact the Directorate General of Migration Management for questions regarding these matters.
When to Apply?
All foreign students need to apply for a residence permit for studies within the legal period regardless of their citizenship. For the extension application, students must apply 2 months (60 days) before the expiration of the old residence permit.
APPLICATION STEPS
The steps of the residence permit application are as follows:
1. Online application by the student at https://e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr/
2. Providing fingerprints at the immigration office
3. Submission of documents by the student to the IKU Erasmus Office (Ataköy Campus)
4. Submission of the documents by IKU to the immigration office
5. Formal file check by the immigration office
6. In case of missing documents, the student submits the missing document to the immigration office
7. If the student's application is approved, the immigration office sends the residence permit card to the address specified in the online application**
* For up-to-date information, students should check the Immigration Department.
** Until students receive their residence permit cards, they should regularly check the information sent to the email addresses provided during online application and/or phone SMS notifications. Moreover, students can track their application status at https://e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr/.
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS FOR RESIDENCE PERMIT APPLICATION
1. Residence permit application form (to be downloaded and signed by the student after filled in at https://e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr/)
2. Passport (original and the copy of the bio-data, visa, stamped pages)
3. Student certificate (enrolment letter)
4. 4 biometric photos
5. Valid health insurance covering the whole mobility period (with the law no. 5510 on Social Insurance and General Health Insurance, students can obtain a general health insurance within 3 (three) months from the date of university enrolment or a private health insurance)
6. Document indicating the address of stay
- 1. If staying at one's own residence, a copy of the title deed (a "residence certificate" is sufficient for extension applications)
- 2. If staying with a lease agreement, a notarized copy of the lease agreement
- 3. If staying in hotels or similar places, a document indicating the stay
- 4. If staying in a student dormitory, a document indicating residence in the dormitory
- 5. If staying with a sponsor, a notarized commitment from the sponsor (if the sponsor is married, also a notarized commitment from the spouse)
7. Receipt confirming the payment of the residence permit fee (To be able to pay the card fee, students first get a tax number: Instructions to get the tax number and steps to be followed to pay the card fee can be found here.)
8. Photocopy of Residence Permit Card (ONLY for extension applications)
More information about the documents can always be found at https://e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr/Ikamet/IstenenBelgeler (you can change the language of the webpage on the top-right corner).
DOCUMENT SUBMISSION AND EVALUATION PROCEDURE
1. Document Collection and Submission to the University
When creating the student residence permit application file, the student prepares the above-mentioned documents. The student submits the documents to the university representative and a declaration of completeness is signed by the representative and the student.
2. Submission of Application Documents to the Immigration Office by the University
Institutions submit the student's application documents to the provincial immigration office within 15 (fifteen) days from the student's residence permit application date.
3. Missing Documents
If the provincial immigration directorate detects and reports deficiencies in the submitted documents, the relevant institution sends the missing document to the provincial immigration office within 30 (thirty) days from the date of notification to the international student.
4. Fingerprints
Fingerprint records of students are taken in accordance with the procedures determined by the Directorate General of Migration Management.
5. Evaluation
The residence permit application is evaluated by the Directorate General of Migration Management.
6. Sending the Residence Permit Card
In case of approval, the card is sent to the address specified by the student in the online application at https://e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr/
ACCOMMODATION
SHARED APARTMENTS/DORMITORIES
Some international students either share an apartment with other students or stay at private dormitories.
RENTING AN APARTMENT
Apartment rentals in Istanbul can be expensive. Also, be sure to carefully read your lease or other agreements to rent an apartment before signing and make certain that you understand the terms. The owner/landlord will probably ask you for money before you move in. This is called a security deposit and it is usually set at one/two months' rent. The deposit is an amount of money that is supposed to guarantee that the tenant will care for the property and will not leave the apartment before the lease ends. If the tenant does not care for the property, wants to leave the apartment too early or clean it before leaving, the landlord has a legal right to keep the deposit. Otherwise, the landlord must return it.
ARRIVAL & INFORMING THE ERASMUS OFFICE
We advise all exchange students to arrive at least some days before the semester starts in order to have enough time to make the necessary arrangements. Once you have settled into your accommodations for the semester, be sure to inform the Erasmus office of your address and phone number so that we know how to contact you when necessary.
CAMPUSES AND FACULTIES
Bakırköy (Ataköy) Campus: Ataköy 7-8-9-10, E5 Karayolu Üzeri Ataköy Yerleşkesi, 34158 Bakırköy
Faculties: Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Faculty of Art and Design, Faculty of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering
Bakırköy (İncirli) Campus: Yolbaşı Sokak, 34147 Bakırköy /İstanbul
Faculties: Vocational School
Küçükçekmece Campus: Halkalı Merkez, Basın Ekspres Cd., 34303 Küçükçekmece/İstanbul
Faculties: Faculty of Education, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences
Bahçelievler Campus: Ataköy 7-8-9-10, E5 Karayolu üzeri İstanbul Kültür Üniversitesi Ataköy Kampüsü, 34158 Çobançeşme /Bakırköy/Bakırköy/İstanbul
Faculties: Faculty of Law, Faculty of Health Sciences, Vocational School of Justice, Department of Foreign Languages
