Close-up of a couple's hands wearing wedding rings

Marriage of Convenience Investigations in Turkey: Interviews, Home Visits and Your Rights

By Av. Talha Yayla · October 9, 2026 · 13 min read

In Turkey (Türkiye), the governorate investigates whether a marriage was entered into solely to obtain a residence permit whenever there is reasonable suspicion — before granting or extending a family residence permit, and at any time afterwards. If it concludes that the marriage is one of convenience, the permit is refused or cancelled and the time spent on it is not counted towards any residence period (Law No. 6458, Art. 37). A parallel examination takes place in citizenship-by-marriage applications, where the couple must be shown to live in family unity (Law No. 5901, Art. 16).

Most couples who are investigated are genuinely married. They are investigated because something in the file — an age gap, a short courtship, a previous immigration problem, different registered addresses — matches a pattern. This guide explains what triggers an investigation, how it is carried out, what a genuine couple should and should not do, and how a negative finding is challenged.

Legal basis: Law No. 6458, Art. 35(3) and 37; Law No. 5901, Art. 16 and 31.
Trigger: "reasonable suspicion" that the marriage was contracted only to obtain a residence permit.
Who investigates: the governorate — the provincial migration directorate, with law enforcement; for citizenship, the provincial commission and the police.
When: before the permit is granted or extended, and by later inspection (Art. 37(1)–(2)).
Consequences: refusal or cancellation; periods on the cancelled permit not counted (Art. 37(3)); risk of deportation and a restriction record.
Citizenship: refusal; if already granted on false statements, cancellation (Law No. 5901, Art. 31).
Remedy: annulment action before the administrative court within 60 days.

Legal status of this guide. It reflects Law No. 6458 and Law No. 5901 as currently in force. The way investigations are conducted — interviews, home visits, enquiries — is a matter of administrative practice and varies between provinces. Last updated: October 2026.

What the law says

A family residence permit may be granted to the foreign spouse of a Turkish citizen or of a foreigner who holds a residence permit (Law No. 6458, Art. 34). Among the conditions required of the applicant are that they show they live, or intend to live, together with the sponsor, and that they have "not contracted the marriage for the purpose of obtaining a family residence permit" (Art. 35(3)(b)–(c)).

Article 37, headed "Family residence permit requested through a marriage of convenience", then provides:

(1) Before a family residence permit is granted or extended, if there is reasonable suspicion, the governorate investigates whether the marriage was contracted solely for the purpose of obtaining a residence permit. If the investigation establishes that it was, the permit is not granted, and if granted is cancelled.
(2) After the permit is granted, the governorate may also carry out inspections as to whether the marriage is one of convenience.
(3) Residence permits obtained through a marriage of convenience and later cancelled are not taken into account in adding up the residence periods provided for in the law.

Three things follow from this wording. The investigation requires reasonable suspicion; it is not meant to be routine. The test is whether the marriage was contracted solely for a permit; a marriage that also brings an immigration advantage is not for that reason a sham. And the burden of establishing a sham lies with the administration, which must reach a finding through investigation.

What counts as a marriage of convenience

The law gives no checklist. The concept, as applied, concerns marriages in which the spouses have no intention of building a shared life and the only purpose is an immigration benefit. Typical findings in such cases: the spouses have never lived together; they cannot communicate in a common language; one spouse was paid; each has a different actual partner or household; they know almost nothing about each other.

What is not, by itself, a marriage of convenience:

a marriage after a short acquaintance, or one arranged through family;
a large age difference, or different religions, nationalities or education levels;
a marriage contracted when the foreign spouse's visa or permit was about to expire, or after a refusal;
spouses who live apart for work, study or family care, with a real marital relationship;
a marriage in difficulty, or one that later ends in divorce.

Each of these may attract attention. None is proof. The question is always whether a genuine marital life exists or was intended.

What triggers an investigation

Based on how files are handled in practice, suspicion tends to arise from:

Immigration history — a recent refusal, overstay, deportation order or entry ban before the marriage; an application lodged days after the wedding.
The sponsor's history — previous marriages to foreigners, especially several in a short time.
Address records — spouses registered at different addresses; many unrelated foreigners registered at one address.
Personal circumstances — a very large age gap, no common language, the wedding attended by no relatives.
Inconsistencies — differences between the two spouses' statements, or between the application and official records.
Complaints and reports — by a former spouse, relatives, neighbours or an anonymous source.
Findings of an address check — the foreign spouse not found at the address; neighbours who do not know the couple.

How the investigation is conducted

The statute says only that the governorate "investigates". In practice the provincial directorate of migration management uses some or all of the following:

Review of records — civil registry, address registration, entry and exit records, previous applications.
Separate interviews of the spouses at the directorate.
An address check or home visit by law enforcement officers, usually unannounced.
Enquiries with neighbours, the building manager or the neighbourhood head (muhtar).
A report setting out the findings, on which the governorate bases its decision.

The investigation may take place when the first permit is requested, at any renewal, or between renewals (Art. 37(2)). In citizenship applications, the provincial commission interviews the spouses and the police report on whether the couple live together.

The interview

Spouses are usually questioned separately and their answers compared. Questions are about the ordinary facts of a shared life: how and when you met, who proposed, the wedding and who attended, each other's family, work and daily routine, the layout of the home, who pays which bills, the last holiday or family visit, what you did last weekend.

Practical guidance for genuine couples:

Answer what you know and say when you do not know. Real couples forget dates and disagree about details. An honest "I don't remember" is better than a guess that contradicts your spouse.
Do not rehearse a script. Identical, memorised answers look artificial.
Ask for an interpreter if your Turkish is not sufficient, and say so on the record if you do not understand a question.
Explain unusual facts yourself — living apart for work, a quick wedding, an earlier marriage — rather than leaving them to be discovered.
Read the record before signing. Ask for corrections where your answer has been summarised inaccurately, and ask for a copy.
You may be accompanied by a lawyer.

Couple talking over coffee in their kitchen at home — Ordinary evidence of a shared home, built up over time, is what persuades: one address, shared bills, family who know you both.

The home visit

Officers visit the registered address to see whether both spouses actually live there. They note who opens the door, whether both spouses' clothes and personal belongings are present, the sleeping arrangements, photographs and the general signs of a shared household, and they may speak to neighbours.

Keep your address registration accurate. Most negative findings begin with "not found at the registered address".
If one of you is away — at work, travelling, in hospital — the spouse at home should say where and provide a way to verify it. If nobody is home, contact the directorate promptly afterwards and explain in writing.
If you genuinely live apart for a period, document the reason before any visit: an employment contract in another city, a student registration, a relative's medical report. Tell the directorate in advance where possible.
A home visit is an administrative check, not a criminal search. You can ask the officers to identify themselves and to state the purpose. Refusing entry is likely to be recorded and weighed against you, so it is generally better to cooperate and to note anything you disagree with.

Evidence of a genuine marriage

Evidence is persuasive when it is ordinary, spread over time and created for its own purpose rather than for the file.

Type	Examples
Shared home	Joint address registration; tenancy agreement or title deed in one or both names; utility, internet and phone bills; building management records
Shared finances	Joint bank account or regular transfers; insurance policies naming the spouse; shared purchases
Relationship history	Messages and call logs over months or years; photographs on different dates and places, with family and friends; travel tickets and hotel bookings in both names
Family and social recognition	Wedding photographs and guest list; visits to and from relatives; statements of family members, friends, neighbours and employers
Children and health	Birth certificates; pregnancy and hospital records listing the spouse as contact or companion
Language and integration	Turkish course certificates; evidence of a common language

Submit a selection with a short covering explanation, rather than hundreds of unsorted pages. If there is a weakness — separate addresses for a time, an earlier refusal — address it directly.

Consequences of a negative finding

Refusal or cancellation of the family residence permit (Art. 37(1)).
Loss of counted time. Periods spent on the cancelled permit are not taken into account in calculating residence periods (Art. 37(3)) — for example, the three years on a family permit needed to stay after divorce, or the eight years for a long-term permit.
Loss of lawful stay. Once the permit is cancelled, the foreigner is liable to a deportation order as a person whose residence permit has been cancelled (Art. 54(1)(f)); where false information or documents were used in the application, also under Art. 54(1)(c). Deportation is followed by an entry ban.
A record that the marriage was found to be one of convenience, which weighs on every later visa, permit and citizenship application.
Refusal of a work permit application that relied on the marriage-based exception.
For the Turkish or sponsoring spouse, the finding becomes part of the record considered if they later sponsor another foreign spouse. Where documents were falsified or false statements made to officials, criminal liability under the general provisions on forgery and false declarations may arise for both spouses.

A finding that the marriage is one of convenience for immigration purposes does not dissolve the marriage. It remains valid in civil law unless a court annuls it or the spouses divorce.

Citizenship by marriage

Under Article 16 of the Citizenship Law, a foreigner married to a Turkish citizen for at least three years, whose marriage continues, may apply for citizenship. The applicant must live in family unity, must not engage in activity incompatible with the marital union, and must have no national security or public order obstacle. The provincial commission interviews the spouses, and the police report on their shared life.

If family unity is not established, the application is rejected. See Turkish Citizenship Application Rejected.
If citizenship has already been granted and it later emerges that this resulted from a false statement or concealment of important matters, the decision is cancelled, with effect also for children who acquired citizenship through the person (Law No. 5901, Art. 31–32).
A person who acquired citizenship through marriage keeps it if the marriage is later declared void, provided they acted in good faith (Art. 16(3)).

A divorce shortly after citizenship is granted does not by itself justify cancellation; what matters is whether the statements made in the application were true when made.

Called for an interview, visited at home, or received a refusal on this ground? Send the decision or the summons and a short account of your circumstances. Message Yayla Law on WhatsApp or use the contact form. Evidence is far more effective when it is put into the file before the decision than afterwards.

Challenging the decision

Obtain the decision and its reasons. A refusal or cancellation must be notified with information on how to challenge it (Law No. 6458, Art. 25(2)).
Watch the ten days. After a refused renewal, a foreigner who does not leave within ten days becomes liable to deportation (Art. 54(1)(j)); after a cancellation, lawful stay ends. A lawsuit does not itself allow you to remain. Options and timing are explained in Residence Permit Rejected in Turkey.
File an annulment action within 60 days before the administrative court (Law No. 2577, Art. 7), with a request for a stay of execution.
What to argue. That there was no reasonable suspicion to begin with; that the investigation was superficial — a single visit when the spouse was at work, neighbours who had just moved in; that the finding rests on characteristics such as age or nationality rather than facts; that the spouses' evidence of a shared life was ignored; and that the administration did not weigh family ties, length of residence and the best interests of any child as Article 25(1) requires.
What to submit. The evidence listed above, organised and translated; witness statements; and an explanation of every point relied on in the investigation report.
If a deportation order follows, it must be appealed separately within seven days; see how to appeal a deportation order in Turkey.

The right to respect for family life under Article 20 of the Constitution and Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights is engaged in these cases: separating spouses requires a justified and proportionate decision based on established facts.

Common mistakes

Registered at different addresses without telling the authorities why.
Memorised, identical answers at interview.
Guessing instead of saying "I don't remember".
Submitting staged or fabricated evidence. A single false document discredits the genuine ones and creates a separate deportation ground.
Ignoring a missed home visit.
Treating a refusal as final and letting the 60 days pass.
Staying beyond ten days without a plan after a renewal is refused.
Paying an intermediary to "arrange" a marriage or a permit. Both spouses bear the consequences.

Frequently asked questions

What is a marriage of convenience under Turkish law?

It is a marriage contracted solely for the purpose of obtaining a residence permit. Under Article 37 of Law No. 6458, where an investigation establishes this, the family residence permit is refused or cancelled and the time spent on it is not counted towards residence periods.

When do the authorities investigate a marriage?

When there is reasonable suspicion — before a family residence permit is granted or extended — and they may also inspect after the permit has been granted. A similar examination takes place when a foreign spouse applies for citizenship by marriage.

How do Turkish authorities check whether a marriage is genuine?

Through record checks, separate interviews of the spouses, unannounced visits to the registered address by law enforcement, and enquiries with neighbours or the neighbourhood head. The findings are set out in a report on which the governorate decides.

What questions are asked in a marriage interview?

Questions about everyday shared life: how you met, the wedding, each other's families and work, your home and routines, finances and recent activities. Spouses are usually interviewed separately and their answers compared.

What happens if the marriage is found to be a sham?

The family residence permit is refused or cancelled, the time spent on it is not counted, and the foreign spouse loses lawful status and may face a deportation order and an entry ban. A citizenship application based on the marriage is rejected.

Is a large age difference proof of a sham marriage?

No. Age difference, a short courtship or different backgrounds may prompt questions but are not proof. The test is whether the marriage was contracted solely to obtain a permit, which must be established by investigation.

We live in different cities for work. Is that a problem?

It can raise suspicion because the family permit presupposes living together or the intention to do so. Document the reason, keep evidence of regular contact and visits, and inform the migration directorate rather than leaving it to be discovered at a home visit.

Can I appeal a finding of a marriage of convenience?

Yes. The refusal or cancellation can be challenged by an annulment action before the administrative court within 60 days of notification, with a request for a stay of execution. The lawsuit does not by itself give a right to remain in Turkey.

Can citizenship be cancelled if the marriage later ends?

Not merely because the marriage ended. Citizenship is cancelled where it was obtained through false statements or concealment of important matters. A person who married in good faith keeps citizenship even if the marriage is later declared void.

Legal basis and sources

Law No. 6458 on Foreigners and International Protection, Articles 25, 34–37 and 54 — official consolidated text at mevzuat.gov.tr.
Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901, Articles 16, 18, 31 and 32.
Law No. 2577 on Administrative Procedure, Articles 7 and 27.
Constitution of the Republic of Türkiye, Article 20; European Convention on Human Rights, Article 8.

This article provides general legal information on Turkish law as of October 2026. It is not legal advice. Investigation practice differs between provinces and over time.