You can transfer to a university in Turkey from another Turkish university or from a recognised university abroad through yatay geçiş (horizontal transfer). The move must be into an equivalent programme, within a published quota and during the application period. Under the rules of the Council of Higher Education (YÖK), you cannot transfer into the preparatory year, the first two semesters or the last two semesters of a bachelor’s degree, and you usually need a grade average of at least 60 out of 100. The new university then decides which of your courses it will recognise.
Important: YÖK sets the national rules, but each university adds its own conditions, quotas and deadlines. YÖK amended the transfer regulation on 28 February 2026, so check your target university’s current transfer announcement before you apply.
What is yatay geçiş (horizontal transfer)?
Horizontal transfer means moving to the same level of study in another programme or university without starting again from the first year. The national rules are in YÖK’s regulation on transfers between associate and bachelor’s programmes, double majors, minors and credit transfer, first published in the Official Gazette on 24 April 2010. It covers several types of transfer:
- Within the same university (kurum içi): moving to another programme at your own university.
- Between Turkish universities (kurumlar arası): moving from one university in Turkey to another.
- From abroad (yurt dışı): moving from a foreign university to a university in Turkey.
- Central placement score route (Ek Madde 1): a transfer based on your national placement score (ÖSYM) in the year you enrolled. Because it depends on ÖSYM scores, it is mainly used by students who were placed through Turkey’s national exam.
For most international students who want to transfer to a university in Turkey, the relevant routes are a transfer between Turkish universities or a transfer from abroad, based on your grades and course content.
Main YÖK rules to transfer to a university in Turkey
- Equivalent programmes only. You can only move between equivalent diploma programmes at the same level. The receiving university decides whether your programme is equivalent.
- Not into the first or final year. You cannot transfer into a preparatory class, the first two semesters or the last two semesters of a bachelor’s programme. For two-year associate programmes, the first and last semesters are closed.
- Minimum grade average. Your average must be at least 60 out of 100. Kadir Has University’s 2026 conditions describe this as about 2.29 on a 4.00 scale. Universities can ask for more. Marmara University, for example, asks for 3.00 out of 4.00, and Bahçeşehir University’s medical school has asked transfer applicants for at least 2.75.
- Quotas. Universities only accept transfers within quotas they announce in advance. For transfers between Turkish universities, the regulation links the number of places to the size of the programme’s general quota (two, three or four places for most programmes).
- No lower year. Since the 2026 amendment, you cannot transfer into a lower year than the one you are in now.
- Disciplinary record. Students dismissed from a university for disciplinary reasons cannot apply. Many universities also refuse applicants with disciplinary penalties, or accept only minor ones such as a warning.
- Language proof. For programmes taught in English or another foreign language, you must meet the university’s language requirement, through its own exam or a recognised national or international test.
Transferring from a university abroad
The regulation has a separate section for transfers from foreign universities. University senates decide whether to open places for them. Key conditions that appear in official university announcements for 2026 include:
- YÖK recognition. Your current university, and your programme, must be recognised by YÖK. Istinye University, for example, states that it will not evaluate transfers from institutions YÖK does not recognise.
- Current student status. You must be enrolled now. Işık University asks for a student certificate dated no more than 15 days before you apply. A frozen enrolment does not stop you applying at some universities.
- Minimum study. Işık University asks for at least one academic year (two semesters) completed, not counting English preparatory classes.
- Proof that you lived there. Since the 2026 amendment, you must show official documents (such as passport stamps or official records) proving you stayed in the country where you studied.
- No distance programmes. Students in programmes abroad that do not require physical attendance cannot transfer into on-campus programmes in Turkey.
- Exam and ranking conditions. Universities check that you meet the entry conditions for your year of enrolment. For some programmes with ranking requirements, Kadir Has University asks that your university was in the top 400 of at least three world rankings (such as THE, QS, ARWU or CWTS Leiden) in the year you started.
Transfers from North Cyprus have their own extra conditions. For example, programmes that admit students by aptitude exam need an equivalent aptitude result. If you are considering studying there first, see our guide to studying in North Cyprus.
Credit recognition (intibak): which courses will count?
After you are accepted, a faculty committee prepares your intibak (adaptation) programme. It compares the courses you passed with the new programme’s curriculum, decides which courses you are exempt from, and places you in a year and semester. Under the 2026 amendment, committees compare all mandatory courses needed for graduation, not only the total credits.
Keep these points in mind:
- There is no guarantee that all your courses will be recognised. Haliç University and Bahçeşehir University both say this clearly.
- You may have to take some courses again, or take extra courses from earlier years, so your study time can increase.
- Course descriptions (syllabi) with official stamps help the committee. Without them, it may not be able to match your courses.
- Recognised courses and grades are usually added to your new transcript and count towards your grade average.
Typical documents for a transfer
Every university has its own list, but when you transfer to a university in Turkey, these documents appear on most official lists:
- Online application form or signed petition
- Passport copy
- High school diploma, transcript and, for some universities, a high school equivalency certificate (denklik)
- Official university transcript, signed and stamped, showing all courses, grades and your overall average
- Official course descriptions for the courses you completed, signed and stamped, or an official link to them
- Recent student certificate (or a leave letter)
- Disciplinary status document, unless it is shown on your transcript
- English or Turkish proficiency proof, depending on the programme
- For transfers from abroad: a YÖK recognition document for your university, your university entrance exam result (for example SAT or a national exam), and proof that you lived in that country
Documents often need to be in English or Turkish, or translated. Incomplete files are usually not evaluated, so check the list carefully before you send it.
When can you apply?
If you plan to transfer to a university in Turkey, timing matters, because transfers follow each university’s academic calendar. Most universities open their main transfer window in summer, before the fall semester. Işık University’s 2026 transfer applications, for example, ran from 3 to 7 August 2026, with results on 24 August and final registration from 1 to 4 September. Some universities also open a window before the spring semester. Applications outside these dates are usually not accepted.
Some private universities evaluate international transfer files through their international office during their wider application period. Istinye University says its faculty evaluation takes up to five business days after your documents are complete. If accepted, you receive a conditional letter showing your accepted courses and starting term, and you then pay a pre-registration fee to hold your place.
Already in Turkey? Your residence permit after a transfer
Your student residence permit is linked to your university, so a transfer means updating it. According to the e-İkamet guidance of the Presidency of Migration Management:
- Same province (for example, from one Istanbul university to another): apply to the student affairs or international student office of your new university within 20 days.
- Different province (for example, from Ankara to Istanbul): apply for a new residence permit on e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr within 10 days, choosing the new province, and then take your documents to your new university.
Also plan your budget again. Fees differ between universities, and Istinye University, for example, says transfer students pay the same tuition as new first-year students. Our guide to the cost of studying in Turkey and the study cost calculator can help. For residence permit basics, see our Turkey student visa guide.
Tips before you transfer to a university in Turkey
- Start early. Ask your current university for stamped transcripts and course descriptions weeks before the window opens.
- Check YÖK recognition first if you study abroad. Without it, your application will not be evaluated.
- Compare curricula. The closer your current courses are to the new programme, the more credits you are likely to keep.
- Keep your current place until you have a final acceptance and know your intibak result.
- Consider a new start if needed. If you are in your first year or cannot meet the transfer rules, a new first-year application may be simpler. See how to apply to Turkish universities.
Universities that publish clear transfer procedures for international students include Istinye University, Haliç University and Işık University. You can browse all universities to compare more options.
How Lord Agency can help
Since 2017, Lord Agency has helped international students apply to more than 70 private universities in Turkey and North Cyprus, including students who want to change university or programme. We check whether your programme and university are likely to meet the transfer rules, help you prepare transcripts and course descriptions, and contact international offices about quotas and deadlines. If a transfer is not possible, we help you compare a fresh application.
Request a free consultation or start your free application in our student portal. The final transfer and credit decisions are always made by the universities.
Frequently asked questions
Can I transfer to a university in Turkey in my first year?
Usually not. YÖK rules do not allow transfers into the first two semesters of a bachelor’s programme, so you normally apply after completing your first year, into the second year or later. You also cannot transfer into the final year.
What GPA do I need for a transfer?
The national minimum is 60 out of 100, which universities often show as about 2.29 out of 4.00. Many universities and popular programmes ask for more, for example 2.75 or 3.00.
Can I transfer from a university in my home country?
Yes, if your university and programme are recognised by YÖK, the Turkish university has opened places for transfers from abroad, and you meet its conditions. You will also need to prove that you studied in that country in person.
Will all my credits transfer?
Not necessarily. A faculty committee compares your courses with the new curriculum and decides what to recognise. You may need to repeat or add some courses.
Do I need a new residence permit after transferring?
If you move to a university in another province, you must apply for a new permit within 10 days. Within the same province, you inform your new university’s student office within 20 days.
Can Lord Agency guarantee my transfer?
No. Transfers depend on quotas, your grades and each university’s committee decision. We help you prepare a complete application and find suitable options.
