We recently had to renew our IKAMET (our residency permits). Many people ask us how to get residency and work permits in Turkey.
We have had residency now for over 8 years and we should be considering applying for our long term permits. As always seems the case with us, the whole thing came up too quickly. We decided to go for another year of ordinary residency while we research the pros and cons of the long term option.
Our main problem is that we have always had private health insurance with no excess payments. That always appealed to us as there are never any nasty surprises around the corner. We found that reassuring.
We would be very reluctant to change our insurance now as we are guaranteed renewal for major illnesses now. Our insurance has served us very well indeed.
To get our long term permits we would have to be registered on the government health insurance scheme. So a big decision for us, one which we may not be prepared to take.
Anyway, back to our IKAMET, our residency permits.
We were fortunate in the early days to have very kind Turkish and German friends who helped us get our residency. That was when you had to go to the police station, opposite the bus station, and stand in a queue that made no logical sense. Where Turkish language skills was definitely the best asset one could be armed with.
The day allocated to residency permit application was completely baffling and full of surprises. The biggest surprise was when the police officer, who dealt with the residency applications, walked over to the thousands of brown files piled high in every corner of the room and came back with one that had your name on it. What was the chances of that!!!!!
Despite the brown file lottery game the actual system worked effectively. We always got our cards and they always worked travelling in and out of the country. We were on the system.
So 8 years later some things haven’t changed. That same police officer that issued our residency 8 years ago still processes applications today. But he doesn’t have thousands of brown files in piles on the floor. He has computers, printers, set appointment times and tickets for the queue. He has colleagues alongside him and rooms in an old Turkish house of great historical interest. I wonder what happened to all those brown files?
Does this new system mean we are now able to do all this on our own?
Of course we are, but what a complete headache that would be.
We would, of course, be too embarrassed to have to ask friends to give up their time to do us a favour!
So we have our man, a man that does it for us for such small money he is worth his weight in gold!
Under his expert guidance all the paperwork is prepared and ready in advance and he makes sure that we are in the right place at the right time for any necessary meetings or appointments.
He has proved his worth time and time again.
A few years ago there was a simple mistake on the final Ikamet office’s paperwork. It may have been a simple mistake, but it was one that would have caused us huge problems in the future. We would never have even noticed it.
He got us through the hurdle of changing our status from single to married in 2013. That wasn’t straightforward either.
Our man checks everything so meticulously, we know that if there is anything untoward to find, he is on the case straight away and it is sorted.
So this man, now feels like a friend. A calm, patient, knowledgeable friend who never shows signs of stress or frustration. He does his job so well. We would highly recommend to everyone.
Our friends name is Kamil Çakal and his office by the police station that used to process Ikamet applications, right on the corner.
Close to the bus station near Cleopatra Beach.
Kamil contact number +90 532 240 90 90
He speaks excellent English
He can advise and assist you with Ikamet, work permits, insurance, and all such processes.
Yes you can do it all yourself – but why would you..
Why not choose no headache, no stress, no worries, no mistakes.
All for a small payment
Some things in life are worth paying for!
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