According to the Foreigners and International Protection Law No. 6458 of Turkey, foreigners who commit certain actions regarding visa rules and legal stay violations are given administrative fines. For example, when foreigners violate the visa period of legal stay in our country, they are issued an administrative fines. These administrative fines are being notified to the face, charged and to be collected while the foreigner exiting Turkey from borders.

The table shows the administrative fines within this scope that are applied in the calendar year of 2022 and the calendar year of 2023.

With the Public Debt Restructuring Law Bill that was referred to the Turkish Parliament on 27th of January 2023, an amnesty for the administrative fines of foreigners is to be applied.

The regulation is as follows: “Despite that the administrative fines are being given before the date of publication of this law regarding the first paragraph of the Article 12 of the Foreigners and International Protection Act No. 6458 dated 04.04.2013—except for the subparagraph (d) of the first paragraph, are not notified, the collection of those who have been notified shall be abandoned and yet, the amounts that have been collected are not refunded.”

We expect the law bill to be enacted within several weeks and to be published in the Turkish Official Gazette within weeks.

As an important arrangement about foreigners, with this provision the penalties implemented for foreigner will be forgiven and a clean slate will be opened with foreigners. However, this has to noted that the provision covers the administrative fines given prior the date of December 31, 2022 and if any fine is given for the year 2023 will not be within the scope.

This is an arrangement that may have significant consequences in terms of its effect on residence permits for foreigners. However, it should be noted that this arrangement is not related to entry prohibitions to the country or deport procedures from the country.