Turkey Entry Ban Codes Guide

A foreign national who is turned back at a Turkish airport, whose visa application is refused or whose residence permit application is rejected often learns only then that a restriction code (tahdit kodu) has been entered against them. The code is the system record of an administrative decision that bans or restricts entry into Turkey. This guide explains what these codes mean, how they can be removed and which deadlines apply.

Short answer

A restriction code can be removed in two ways: by asking the administration to lift the entry ban, or by filing an annulment action against the entry ban decision before the competent administrative court. The time limit for the lawsuit is sixty days from written notification of the decision or, if there was no notification, from the date you learned of it.

• Legal basis: Article 9 of Law No. 6458 on Foreigners and International Protection (YUKK) – entry ban
• Maximum duration: five years; it may be extended by up to ten more years if there is a serious threat to public order or public security
• Deadline for a lawsuit: sixty days (Article 7 of the Administrative Procedure Law, İYUK)
• Competent court: the Ankara Administrative Courts if the decision was made by the Presidency of Migration Management; otherwise the administrative court of the province whose governorship made the decision
• Administrative route: the Presidency of Migration Management may lift the ban or allow entry for a limited period while the ban remains in force (YUKK Art. 9/6)

What is a restriction code?

Restriction codes are letter-and-number labels used in the records of the Turkish migration authorities to mark a foreigner's status. The meaning of each code is not defined in any published law, regulation or circular; it is based on internal administrative practice. The lawsuit is therefore directed not against the code itself but against the administrative decision behind it, which is usually an entry ban under Article 9 of Law No. 6458.

The fact that the coding system is unpublished can itself support the case: a measure that keeps a person out of the country for years should have a legal basis that the person can access and foresee.

Common codes

• G-87: suspected threat to public security. Legal basis: YUKK Art. 9/1 and Art. 54/1-d. In practice, usually a five-year entry ban.
• Ç-113: illegal entry into or exit from Turkey. Legal basis: YUKK Art. 54/1-h. In practice, usually between two and five years if the administrative fine is not paid.
• V-71: an investigation found that the foreigner does not actually live at the address declared for the residence permit. Legal basis: YUKK Art. 54/1-f (cancellation of the residence permit).
• N-82: entry subject to prior permission. Legal basis: YUKK Art. 9/7. This is not an absolute ban, but in practice it has a similar effect.

These durations are ranges observed in practice, not fixed rules; the actual duration is stated in the decision in each case.

How do you find out about a code?

Restriction codes are usually not formally served on the foreigner. People typically learn about them in one of these ways:

• a document issued when being refused entry at an airport or border gate
• notification of a visa refusal by a Turkish consulate
• rejection of a residence permit application on this ground
• information obtained by a lawyer from the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management or the Presidency of Migration Management

Keep the document that shows when you learned of the code. Where there was no written notification, the sixty-day deadline runs from that date.

Exceptions that can prevent an entry ban

• Overstay reported voluntarily (Art. 9/4): a foreigner whose visa or residence permit has expired and who applies to the governorship to leave Turkey before the overstay is detected by the authorities may be exempted from an entry ban, even if a deportation decision has been issued, provided that the administrative fine is paid and the overstay does not exceed the periods set by the Ministry.
• Leaving within the period granted (Art. 9/5): a foreigner who has been invited to leave Turkey under Article 56 and leaves within the period granted may also be exempted from an entry ban.

If you met these conditions but a ban was still imposed, this is an important argument in an annulment action.

Which court? It depends on who imposed the code

Under Article 9/2, an entry ban may be imposed by the Presidency of Migration Management or by a governorship. Under Article 32 of the Administrative Procedure Law, the competent court is the administrative court where the authority that made the decision is located. If the Presidency imposed the ban, the case is filed before the Ankara Administrative Courts; if, for example, the Istanbul Governorship imposed it, the case is filed before the Istanbul Administrative Courts. A case filed before an administrative court that lacks jurisdiction is dismissed on that ground and the file is sent to the competent court (İYUK Art. 15/1-a); for the deadline, the original filing date is taken into account (İYUK Art. 9). The deadline is therefore not lost, but the proceedings take longer, so the authority should be identified before the petition is drafted.

The sixty-day deadline and applying to the administration first

The time limit for an annulment action is sixty days (İYUK Art. 7). It starts from written notification or, if there was none, from the date you learned of the decision. Within the same sixty days you may also ask the administration to revoke or amend the decision before going to court (İYUK Art. 11). This application suspends the deadline. If no answer is given within thirty days, the request is deemed rejected and the deadline continues from where it stopped; it does not start again from zero.

Winning a deportation case does not remove the code

A deportation decision (YUKK Art. 53) and an entry ban (YUKK Art. 9) are two separate administrative acts. The annulment of a deportation decision does not automatically lift the entry ban or the code linked to it, and the record often remains active. The deadline for challenging a deportation decision is seven days from notification, whereas the entry ban is subject to the general sixty-day deadline.

Step by step: removing a restriction code

• Step 1: keep the document that shows when you learned of the code.
• Step 2: identify the code and the authority that imposed it (the Presidency of Migration Management or a governorship).
• Step 3: find out the legal basis and duration of the ban; request information and documents if necessary.
• Step 4: within sixty days, either apply to the administration under İYUK Art. 11 or file an annulment action directly.
• Step 5: where urgent harm can be shown, request a stay of execution in the petition (İYUK Art. 27).
• Step 6: after a favourable decision, check that the record has actually been removed.

Can I file the case from abroad?

Yes. You do not need to be in Turkey. The case is filed and conducted by a lawyer on the basis of a power of attorney. A power of attorney issued abroad can be drawn up at a Turkish consulate, or before a local notary with an apostille (or consular legalisation, depending on the country). A power of attorney in a foreign language must be translated into Turkish by a sworn translator.

Stay of execution and implementation of the judgment

Filing a lawsuit does not suspend the entry ban. The court may order a stay of execution if implementing the decision would cause damage that is difficult or impossible to remedy and the decision is clearly unlawful; both conditions must be met (İYUK Art. 27/2). The request should be explained in the petition and supported with documents, for example on family unity with a spouse or children living in Turkey, or on ongoing medical treatment.

The administration must comply with an annulment or stay decision within thirty days of notification (İYUK Art. 28/1). Either party may appeal the judgment to the regional administrative court within thirty days of notification (İYUK Art. 45).

Temporary entry while the ban continues

Under YUKK Art. 9/6, the Presidency of Migration Management may allow a foreigner to enter Turkey for a limited period while the entry ban remains in force. This is a discretionary power; the application should explain and document the reason for entry, such as visiting family, medical treatment or attending a court hearing.

Grounds for annulment

• the decision does not state which concrete facts were considered a threat to public order or public security
• the coding rules are unpublished, so the legal basis and foreseeability required by Article 13 of the Constitution are questionable
• the duration of the ban is disproportionate to the facts relied on
• the person falls within the exception in YUKK Art. 9/4

Legal aid

Foreigners who cannot afford court costs and legal fees may request legal aid (adli yardım). In administrative proceedings, legal aid is assessed under Article 334 et seq. of the Code of Civil Procedure, which applies through Article 31 of İYUK; for foreigners, reciprocity is required. The request is submitted together with the petition and documents showing the applicant's financial situation.

The Turkish version of this guide is available in our article Tahdit Kodu Nasıl Kaldırılır?. For questions about your case, you can contact us through the contact form or WhatsApp.

This information is general in nature and does not replace legal advice on a specific case.