Comprehensive Information on Provisional Article 31 and Provisional Article 37 Under the TRNC Immigration Amnesty Law

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

Comprehensive Information on Provisional Article 31 and Provisional Article 37 Under the TRNC Immigration Amnesty Law

Provisional Article 31 and Provisional Article 37 of the Foreigners and Immigration (Amendment) Law, which entered into force in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus upon its publication in the Official Gazette on 26 May 2026, provide an immigration amnesty for foreign nationals and university students who meet the specified requirements.

SCOPE OF PROVISIONAL ARTICLE 31

Provisional Article 31 covers provisions relating to foreign nationals who are residing in the TRNC without valid authorization or who have previously incurred immigration penalties.

Under this provision, individuals who are found to be residing in the country without authorization, who have remained in the TRNC after the expiration of their residence permit, work permit, student permit, or any other legal authorization, and who have incurred immigration penalties, may benefit from the amnesty by submitting an application through the Immigration Department's online system within 45 days from the date the Law entered into force.

Applicants whose applications are approved will be exempt from any outstanding immigration fines incurred in the past upon payment of a penalty equivalent to the current monthly gross minimum wage. In addition, they will be granted a 60-day residence permit by the Immigration Department without being required to pay any permit fee. 

SCOPE OF PROVISIONAL ARTICLE 37 – UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Provisional Article 37 covers provisions particularly relating to higher education students.

Within the scope of this Article, students enrolled at any university in the TRNC who have fallen into unauthorized status due to the expiration of their student permits and who, as a result, are subject to deportation proceedings or entry bans may benefit from the amnesty. However, in order to qualify for the amnesty, students must:

• Have completed at least 50% of the academic credit requirements of the program in which they are enrolled; and
• Submit their applications to the Immigration Department through their respective universities within 45 days from the date the Law entered into force.

Students whose applications are approved will be permitted to enter the TRNC within 30 days following official notification. Upon entry, they will be exempt from the remaining portion of any previously accrued immigration penalties, provided that they pay a penalty equivalent to the current monthly gross minimum wage in force. Moreover, students whose airline tickets were covered by the state as part of their deportation process may also benefit from the provisions of the Law, provided that they pay an amount equivalent to one and a half times (1.5 times) the cost of the ticket in question.

Given that the application period provided under the Law is limited to 45 days from the date of its entry into force, students who wish to benefit from the amnesty are kindly requested to contact the Registrar's Office of our University for detailed information regarding the required documents and application procedures.

For application procedures: registrar@emu.edu.tr
EMU Support Line: whatsApp +905391060335
For more information:  https://icisleri.gov.ct.tr/ 

EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN UNIVERSITY RECTORATE