Legal Rights and Status of Blue Card Holders in Türkiye

(Current Analysis within the Scope of Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901 – 2025)

The " Blue Card ," granted to individuals who have renounced their Turkish citizenship with permission , is a special status resulting from both international migration and dual citizenship policies. So, who is a Blue Card holder? What rights do they have, and what rights do they not have? This article will examine the legal status of Blue Card holders and the practical issues they face, in light of the Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901 and related regulations

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🔹 1. What is a Blue Card?

The Blue Card is a special identity document issued to individuals who have renounced their Turkish citizenship with permission , and their descendants (children, grandchildren) . This document is designed to preserve the individual's legal and emotional ties to Turkey .

📘 Legal Basis:

Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901 – Article 28:
“Those who were Turkish citizens by birth but lost their Turkish citizenship by obtaining a renunciation permit, and their descendants, continue to enjoy the rights granted to Turkish citizens. However, they cannot benefit from rights such as military service, the right to vote and be elected, the right to enter public service, and the right to import vehicles.”

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🔹 2. Who are Blue Card Holders?

Those who are eligible to receive a Blue Card can be grouped into two categories:

1. Individuals who have renounced their Turkish citizenship with permission
   (for example, those who renounced their Turkish citizenship to become German citizens),
2. The descendants of these people (children, grandchildren).

So, if a person is a Turkish citizen by birth and has renounced their citizenship with permission, their child is automatically entitled to a Blue Card

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🔹 3. Rights of Blue Card Holders

According to Article 28 of Law No. 5901, Blue Card holders from many of the rights granted to Turkish citizens .

✅ A. Rights in the Field of Private Law

• Inheritance rights: They can inherit with the same status as Turkish citizens.
• Property rights: They can acquire immovable property (residential properties, land, commercial properties) in Turkey.
• They possess all civil rights, including the right to enter into contracts, file lawsuits, and establish companies
• they are not considered foreigners, the "restrictions on real estate acquisition by foreign nationals" in Article 35 of the Land Registry Law No. 2644 do not apply to them.

✅ B. Social Rights

• from healthcare services (as insured under the Social Security Institution).
• Right to education: They can study in state schools and universities under the same conditions as other citizens.
• Right to work: In Turkey, they can be employed in the private sector without obtaining a work permit .

✅ C. Economic Rights

• They can open bank accounts, make investments, and become company partners.
• They have the freedom to invest in Turkish Lira or foreign currency.

✅ D. Population and Identity Transactions

• The Blue Card identity document, issued by the General Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs , contains an 11-digit Blue Card number (starting with 99), similar to the Turkish identity card
  
• They can log in to the e-Government portal and carry out official transactions electronically.

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🔹 4. Rights that Blue Card holders do not have

The Blue Card a full citizenship status.
Therefore, some rights exclusively for Turkish citizens .

❌ A. Political Rights

• They do not have the right to vote or be elected.
• They cannot be members of political parties or appointed to public office.

❌ B. Rights in the Field of Public Law

• military obligation .
• civil servants or public officials .
• diplomatic passports or Turkish passports (they must use their own country's passports).

❌ C. Customs and Vehicle Rights

• Unlike Turkish citizens, to import vehicles from abroad (bring in vehicles duty-free) .

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🔹 5. Advantages Provided by the Blue Card

🟢 Easy Entry and Exit to Türkiye

Blue Card holders can enter and leave Turkey without a visa or residence permit . This right is the most fundamental advantage that distinguishes them from foreigners.

🟢 E-Government Access

Since 2020, Blue Card holders have gained access to the e-Government Portal system. This allows them to complete many official transactions online (e.g., land registry, social security, university applications, etc.).

🟢 Rights Similar to Dual Citizenship

In practice, Blue Card holders can exercise both foreign citizenship and most of the rights of Turkish citizens . In this respect, the Blue Card is also described as a " semi-citizenship status "

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🔹 6. Application Problems Encountered by Blue Card Holders

⚠️ 1. Lack of information in public institutions

In some institutions, Blue Card holders are treated as "foreigners," which leads to a loss of rights.

⚠️ 2. Incompatibility in electronic systems

Because Blue Card numbers are sometimes not recognized like Turkish Republic identity numbers, problems can occur in e-Government or banking systems.

⚠️ 3. Hesitations in inheritance procedures

In practice, some notaries and courts treat Blue Card holders as foreigners and apply different procedures in inheritance distributions.

⚠️ 4. Different interpretations in public tenders, land registry, and university applications

Despite the law being clear, some institutions may exclude Blue Card holders by requiring "citizenship.".

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🔹 7. Blue Card Status in Judicial Decisions

📜 Court of Cassation, 2nd Civil Chamber, Case No. 2017/3821 E., Decision No. 2018/5603 K.:

“Blue Card holders enjoy the same rights as Turkish citizens. Therefore, they should be treated as Turkish citizens in inheritance distribution.”

📜 Council of State, 10th Chamber, Case No. 2019/2776 E., Decision No. 2020/1905 K.:

"The right of Blue Card holders to acquire real estate cannot be considered as falling under foreign status."

These decisions demonstrate that Blue Card holders are not considered foreigners, but rather individuals of Turkish descent with a special status

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🔹 8. The Difference Between a Blue Card and Dual Citizenship

Criterion	Blue Card holder	Dual Citizen
Legal Status	A person who has renounced their Turkish citizenship	Turkish and foreign citizenship together
Suffrage	❌ No	✅ Yes
Public Service	❌ No	✅ Yes
Passport	Foreign passport	Passports of both countries
Freehold	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Inheritance Rights	✅ Yes	✅ Yes

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🔹 9. Expiration of the Blue Card

The Blue Card is valid indefinitely. However, it is considered invalid in the following situations:

• the person regains Turkish citizenship,
• with false statements or documents ,
• When the cardholder passes away,
• If it is cancelled by official institutions.

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🔹 10. Result

The Blue Card is a special status that allows individuals who have lost their Turkish citizenship to maintain their relationship with Turkey without completely severing their legal ties . These individuals are not considered "foreigners," but they are not "full citizens" either.

In short, the Blue Card is a legal way to "renouncing citizenship but not leaving Turkey."

In this respect, the Blue Card serves as both a legal and emotional bridge in the age of global migration