"Green passport" .. The private Turkish passport and how to obtain it?

In recent years, many foreign investors - including many Arab investors - have been able to obtain Turkish citizenship and passports.

Among them are businessmen who have established companies in Turkey, and are now seeking to obtain a "green passport" instead of the regular Turkish passport they have.

The green passport is a special type of Turkish passport that is granted to only a limited number of Turkish citizens, and gives them the great privilege of entering about 160 countries without a visa.

It is an unfortunate fact that the ordinary Turkish passport is not among the most powerful passports in the world, as it does not give its holder the right to enter the United Kingdom, the United States, European Union countries, China and most Arab countries without a visa.

However, green passport holders can enter most of these countries, including the European Union, China and the United Arab Emirates, thanks to international agreements concluded between the Turkish government and its counterparts in those countries.

It should be noted that the United Kingdom and the United States do not grant the right to enter their lands without a visa, even for holders of green passports.

Some categories of Turkish civil servants and lawyers are entitled to a green passport, but for the sake of Al-Jazeera's audience who may only be foreign investors in Turkey, we should go beyond these categories and focus on the question of

The only way is to be an exporter

With the amendments made to the rules regarding the green passport in 2017, it is now possible for representatives of Turkish export companies to obtain a green passport, and it does not matter whether the goods or services are being exported.

However, this opportunity is subject to some strict legal requirements, and is not granted to all export companies registered in Turkey.

First of all, let us emphasize that as long as you meet the requirements mentioned below, it does not matter if the green passport applicants are native or naturalized Turkish citizens.

Partners, directors, or any selected employee of Turkish export companies are eligible to obtain a Green Passport, but export companies must have average annual exports of more than $500,000 in 3 “calendar years,” prior to the year in which the application is submitted.

This means that companies must have total exports of at least $1.5 million over the last three-year period.

If the annual average exports are more than 500 thousand US dollars, but less than 10 million US dollars, then only one representative chosen by the exporting companies, can be granted a green passport.

If the average annual export is more than 10 million US dollars, but less than 25 million US dollars, two representatives deserve to enjoy the same right.

If the average annual export is more than 25 million US dollars, but less than 50 million US dollars, then 3 representatives have the same right.

If the average annual export is more than 50 million US dollars, but less than 100 million US dollars, then 4 representatives have the same right.

And if the average annual export is more than 100 million US dollars, then 5 representatives deserve a green passport.

This is the maximum number of people eligible for this right.

Company representatives selected to apply for a Green Passport should not have been imprisoned for a year or more for any premeditated offence.

The applicant must also not have been convicted of crimes against state security, constitutional order, embezzlement and bribery, theft, fraud, forgery, breach of trust, fraudulent bankruptcy, bid rigging, fraudulent fulfillment of obligations or laundering property values ​​arising from the crime or smuggling.

The green passport is initially issued for a period of 4 years, subject to renewal, and it is not granted to family members of the applicants.

Application procedures

The application for a green passport must be submitted to the relevant sector association that is a member of the Exporters Association (“Türkiye İhracatçılar Meclisi” in Turkish).

The final decision on whether the applicant companies meet the above-mentioned requirements is issued by the Ministry of Commerce on the basis of official foreign trade statistics.

Once the approval of the Ministry of Commerce is obtained, applicants will have to submit their applications to the General Directorate of Civil Registry and Nationality to complete the procedures.

Below is the full list of required documents:

• Request a petition.

• Application Form.

• A copy of the company’s Chamber of Commerce register showing the current partnership structure.

• Original and certified copy of the signature.

• A copy of the Turkish identity card.

• Turkish passport.

• Two biometric photos.

• Passport fee bill that must be paid before submitting the application.

• The Social Security Institution (“SGK” in Turkish) declaration of the applicant for a period of 3 months prior to submitting the application, and if the applicant is disabled or under the age of 18, he submits an official document proving the consent of his guardian.

Note: One can test their eligibility for a Green Passport through this link.