State school enrolment and equivalence for foreign children

2026-10-08 · Author: Grand Emlak

For foreign families in Antalya, state school enrolment is orderly once the rules are known; this guide uses official sources only.

Which ID, which school?

New enrolments in pre-school and primary institutions begin in July; registration is done through the e-Okul system on the basis of the residence address in the national address database, and a water, electricity or gas bill may be requested from the parent for verification. Foreign children who have obtained an identity number through a document issued by the Ministry of Interior are registered according to the details on that document and the address record; the number of children whose Turkish citizenship application is pending is updated in e-Okul later. Source: MoNE Regulation on Pre-school and Primary Education Institutions, art. 11 (mevzuat.gov.tr), accessed 08.10.2026

In practice this means the child needs a foreign identity number obtained with a residence permit or similar document, and the family needs a registered address. You can see which school's catchment area you live in on e-Okul's address-based lookup, which shows the school for kindergarten, grade 1 and grade 5 enrolment. Source: MoNE e-Okul, accessed 08.10.2026

Age limits

Children who have completed 69 months by the end of September of the enrolment year are registered in grade 1; children aged 66, 67 and 68 months may be enrolled at the parent's written request, and enrolment of those aged 69–71 months may be deferred by one year on request. Kindergartens and nursery classes take children aged 57–68 months as of the end of September; schools with sufficient physical capacity may also admit younger groups. Source: MoNE Regulation on Pre-school and Primary Education Institutions, art. 11 (mevzuat.gov.tr), accessed 08.10.2026

Arriving from abroad: enrolment by equivalence

Primary-age pupils who arrive in Türkiye while studying abroad and hold school records are placed in the grade determined by equivalence under the Equivalence Regulation. For a primary pupil without records, the grade is set by a commission at the provincial or district directorate of national education, made up of a branch director, a primary school head, two class teachers and a guidance counsellor, taking the child's age and the parent's declaration into account; no placement test is held for primary pupils. Equivalence for middle-school-age pupils is handled under the same regulation. Source: MoNE Regulation on Pre-school and Primary Education Institutions, art. 13 (mevzuat.gov.tr), accessed 08.10.2026

Equivalence is the determination of which grade, field or branch in Türkiye corresponds to documents obtained from primary and secondary institutions abroad. Within the country the equivalence centres are the provincial directorates of national education; abroad, the education counsellor's and attaché offices perform this role. Applications are made through the e-Denklik module with the originals of report cards, transcripts, leaving certificates or diplomas; where the centre has no staff competent in the relevant language, a notarised translation is required, and translations made abroad need consular approval. For foreign applicants, residence permit documents, temporary protection documents and similar papers are listed as acceptable identity documents. Source: MoNE Equivalence Regulation, Official Gazette 9.7.2024/32597, accessed 08.10.2026

For grade equivalence, Türkiye's compulsory school starting age is taken as the applicant's starting age and grades are matched one to one. No equivalence is granted for documents obtained through distance education; those without documents because of war, disaster or asylum sit a placement test, except that no test is held for pupils entering grades 1–4. Objections to an equivalence certificate may be lodged within three months of its date of issue. Source: MoNE Equivalence Regulation, Official Gazette 9.7.2024/32597, accessed 08.10.2026

The e-Denklik portal offers online application, application tracking, a list of equivalence centres and a guide; according to the portal there are 227 centres, 146 in Türkiye and 81 abroad. The Antalya Provincial Directorate of National Education links to this portal under "Denklik Randevusu" (equivalence appointment) on its website; the directorate is at Soğuksu Mahallesi, Hamidiye Caddesi No 59, Muratpaşa, switchboard 0 242 238 60 00. Source: MoNE e-Denklik, Antalya Provincial Directorate of National Education, accessed 08.10.2026

High school enrolment and the residence permit condition

In secondary education, foreign pupils are required to hold a valid passport and a student visa; however, children of foreigners permitted to work and reside in Türkiye are not asked for a student visa and must instead document that a parent or guardian holds a work permit or a residence permit of at least six months. Pupils arriving from abroad are placed by the student placement and transfer commission within the provincial directorate, taking into account schools' admission conditions, equivalence certificates and programme compatibility. Source: MoNE Regulation on Secondary Education Institutions, arts. 23 and 29 (mevzuat.gov.tr), accessed 08.10.2026

The Ministry's FAQ page likewise states that a pupil arriving from abroad should apply to the local directorate of national education with documents showing the previous level of schooling, and that placement is decided there. Source: MoNE Frequently Asked Questions, accessed 08.10.2026

University diplomas: YÖK

Recognition and equivalence of foreign higher education diplomas falls under the Council of Higher Education (YÖK), not the Ministry; applications are made through YÖK's Recognition and Equivalence Services portal, which gives denklik@yok.gov.tr as its contact address. Source: YÖK Recognition and Equivalence Services, accessed 08.10.2026

Legislation may change; confirm current practice with the provincial directorate, and see our citizenship and residence permit guide for the permit side.

How Grand Emlak helps

Catchment areas follow your address, so choosing a home is choosing a school; browse Muratpaşa, Konyaaltı and our Living in Antalya hub.