The language for Turkey citizenship: the requirements and how long to learn
There is no formal Turkish exam and no level on the Common European Scale either: the law requires “speaking Turkish at a level that allows one to adapt to social life”, and this is assessed at an interview. The term is five years of uninterrupted residence before applying. Preparing for such a check means conversation, not tests. Checked against the Directorate General of Population and Citizenship Affairs website.
What is required
| Which language | Turkish |
| Level | no level named on the scale |
| Residence term | five years of uninterrupted residence in Turkey before the day of application |
| How it is checked | there is no formal exam with a level. Command of the language is assessed at an interview with the commission — together with the other conditions of article 11: the intention to settle, income or profession, and the absence of public health or security obstacles. |
| Is a language required for the residence permit | No language is required for the residence permit: the requirement applies only at citizenship. |
“Toplumsal yaşama uyum sağlayabilecek düzeyde Türkçe konuşabilmek” — to speak Turkish at a level that allows one to adapt to social life.
Article 11 of Law No. 5901 “On Turkish Citizenship”, as rendered by the Directorate General of Population
- Turkish for the citizenship of Turkey: no level named on the common scale. there is no formal exam with a level. Command of the language is assessed at an interview with the commission — together with the other conditions of article 11: the intention to settle, income or profession, and the absence of public health or security obstacles.checked against the primary source
- Vocabulary size by level: A1 — about 650 words, A2 — about 1300 words, B1 — about 2400 words. These are lists for German exams; for another language they transfer as an order of magnitude.checked against the primary source
How long it takes to learn
The requirement names no level on the common scale, so there can be no honest arithmetic of “so many hours” here: there is nothing to count from. Orient yourself by what is checked on the spot — and that is conversation, not a test.
For comparison: up to level A2, at which a person gets by on simple everyday topics, the Cambridge exam board names 180–200 study hours. It is an institutional benchmark, not a research finding, and the spread between people is enormous.
How we help, and what we do not cover
Turkish we do have: 4057 words (in size, a vocabulary at the B1 level), audio for every word, a from-scratch script course, a phrasebook by situation and grammar in plain words.
The level in brackets is about vocabulary size and nothing else. The thresholds come from the word lists the Goethe-Institut publishes for its exams: at A1 — about 650, at A2 — about 1300, at B1 — about 2400 ([the B1 list](https://www.goethe.de/pro/relaunch/prf/de/Goethe-Zertifikat_B1_Wortliste.pdf), checked September 7, 2026). The lists are German; for another language they transfer as an order of magnitude. And the main thing: the level is set by skills, and the list is derived from the level — not the other way around — so a dictionary of the right size is still not a passed exam.
What to do, step by step
- Open the primary source and check the requirement as of today — it may have changed after our check.
- Find out whether you fall under the exemptions: a degree in the right language or a school certificate often removes the exam entirely.
- Learn the check format in advance: an interview is prepared for differently than a written test.
- Start with everyday language and listening: in any format, understanding other people's speech gives out first, not your stock of words.
- A month before filing, practice conversation with a native speaker: the commission listens to speech, not to a test.
Frequently asked
Which language is required for the citizenship of Turkey?
Turkish. there is no formal exam with a level. Command of the language is assessed at an interview with the commission — together with the other conditions of article 11: the intention to settle, income or profession, and the absence of public health or security obstacles.
Is a language required for the residence permit in in Turkey?
No language is required for the residence permit: the requirement applies only at citizenship.
How long will preparation take?
There is nothing to count from: the requirement names no level. Orient yourself by the check format — it is a conversation, not a test, and preparing for it means talking.
How far can this data be trusted?
The requirement was read on the website of the authority that imposes it: the Directorate General of Population and Citizenship Affairs of Turkey. The check date is September 7, 2026, the link is on the page. We do not process paperwork and charge nothing for it, so we have no interest in rounding terms in a pleasant direction.