If you have been refused entry to Turkey, had a visa application rejected without explanation, or learned that you face deportation, the reason is almost always a restriction code (tahdit kodu) recorded against you. This guide explains what these codes are, what the most common ones mean, how to find out which code applies to you, and — most importantly — how and within what deadline they can be challenged.

What is a restriction code (tahdit kodu)?

A restriction code is an administrative record entered by the Turkish migration authorities (Göç İdaresi) against a foreign national. Depending on the code, it either bars you from entering Turkey for a period of time, makes your entry subject to prior permission, or causes your visa and residence applications to be refused automatically. Each code is a single letter followed by a number (for example G-87, Ç-113, V-69).

Crucially, placing a code is a unilateral, enforceable administrative act. Like every administrative act under Turkish law, it is subject to judicial review — the administration must have a concrete, lawful and reviewable reason, and where it does not, the code can be annulled by the administrative court.

How the codes are organised

The leading letter signals the broad category of the code:

• Ç codes — entry/exit violations and breaches of visa, residence or work-permit rules (the most common entry-ban codes).
• V codes — visa, residence-permit and temporary-protection matters.
• G codes — security and public-health grounds; several of these are recorded indefinitely.
• N codes — notification-type records, prior-permission requirements and Interpol alerts.
• O codes — international-protection (asylum) outcomes.

The most common restriction codes and what they mean

The list below covers the codes foreigners encounter most often. Note an important caveat: the duration of a ban is frequently misreported online, and in practice it depends on the specific ground, whether an administrative fine was paid, and the wording of your own notification. Treat the periods below as general indications and verify the exact term from your file.

Ç codes — entry/exit and permit violations

• Ç-101 to Ç-105 — breaches of visa, visa-exemption, residence or work-permit rules. The ban scales with the seriousness of the breach, ranging from a few months (Ç-101) up to five years (Ç-105).
• Ç-113 — illegal entry or exit. Typically a two-year ban plus an administrative fine; the period can extend if the fine is unpaid. One of the most common codes for those who entered irregularly.
• Ç-114 — foreigners subject to judicial proceedings, regardless of guilt.
• Ç-115 — foreigners deported after release from prison.
• Ç-116 — conduct threatening public morality or public health.
• Ç-117 to Ç-120 — unregistered (illegal) work and unpaid administrative fines.

V codes — visa, residence and temporary protection

• V-68 — residence permit subject to Ministry approval.
• V-69 — residence permit cancelled (for example, where false documents were used).
• V-70 — sham marriage.
• V-84 — entered on condition of obtaining a residence permit within 10 days.
• V-87 — temporary-protection holder who returned voluntarily.
• V-88 — work permit invalidated.
• V-91 / V-92 — temporary-protection holders whose exit is subject to authorisation, or with duplicate registration.

G codes — security and public health

• G-78 — contagious disease; recorded indefinitely until resolved.
• G-82 — activity (or indications of activity) against national security; intelligence-based.
• G-87 — general-security threat. One of the heaviest codes, usually based on intelligence reports, recorded without an end date, and capable of triggering deportation. Read the full G-87 guide →
• G-89 — further security-based code, also typically indefinite.

N codes — prior permission and Interpol

• N-82 — entry subject to prior permission; applications are referred to Ankara and frequently refused.
• N-99 — Interpol alert; remains in force until the underlying alert is lifted.
• N-135 / N-136 — administrative fine for irregular entry, or unpaid travel/removal costs.

O codes — international protection

• O-100 — international-protection application withdrawn or applicant whereabouts unknown.
• O-177 — international protection refused or cancelled; commonly a five-year ban.

How do you find out which code you have?

Most foreigners discover the code by surprise, usually in one of these moments:

• At passport control — when entry is refused and a “passenger not accepted” (INAD) form is issued, which should state the code or the reason.
• On a visa refusal — the consulate’s response sometimes references the code.
• Through e-Devlet or the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management — where the record can be queried.
• Inside Turkey — when a deportation decision is served and you are placed in a Removal Centre (Geri Gönderme Merkezi, GGM).

Knowing the code reveals only the general reason. The specific grounds and the documents relied on are usually obtained only through the legal process.

How a restriction code is challenged

There are two routes, and the right one depends on your situation. Choosing wrongly can mean losing on a time limit before the merits are ever heard.

Administrative application to Göç İdaresi

You can ask the migration authority directly to lift the code. This is sometimes effective for clerical or expired-ground cases, but it does not pause the court deadline, so it is rarely relied on alone.

Annulment action before the administrative court

The main remedy. For an entry ban imposed by a code, an action for annulment (iptal davası) is generally subject to the standard 60-day time limit. Where the code accompanies a deportation decision and you are inside Turkey, a special and far shorter rule applies: under Article 53/3 of Law No. 6458, you must apply to the administrative court within 7 days of notification — a strict, preclusive deadline. Filing within those 7 days automatically suspends the deportation, the court decides within 15 days, and its decision is final.

Annotated visa (meşruhatlı vize)

In limited, exceptional cases an annotated visa can allow entry while matters are resolved, but it is granted rarely, so the annulment action is usually the safer primary route.

Constitutional and international remedies

Where removal would expose you to a real risk to life or of ill-treatment (non-refoulement, Article 4 of Law No. 6458 and Article 3 ECHR), or would sever established family life (Article 8 ECHR), the matter goes beyond ordinary administrative law. An individual application to the Constitutional Court (bireysel başvuru) and an application to the European Court of Human Rights — including a Rule 39 interim measure to halt an imminent removal — can be decisive. These remedies are a particular focus of our practice.

Deadlines at a glance

Because these periods are short and preclusive, the single most important step is to act immediately and preserve every document — the INAD form, the visa refusal, the deportation or detention notice, and the envelope showing the service date.

Why many codes can be challenged successfully

Strong challenges typically rest on one or more of: the absence of concrete evidence behind an intelligence-based code; a defect in the cause element of the act; a ban that is disproportionate to the actual facts; procedural or notification failures (including service in a language the person does not understand); and an unweighed non-refoulement or family-life risk. None of these is visible from the code alone — they emerge once the file is obtained and examined.

Frequently asked questions

Can a restriction code be removed?

Yes. Codes are administrative acts subject to judicial review and can be annulled, particularly where they rest on weak or unsubstantiated grounds.

How long does a ban last?

It varies by code, from a few months to five years, and some security codes are indefinite. The exact term should be read from your own notification, not assumed from general lists.

Can I still enter Turkey with a code on my record?

Usually not through an ordinary visa, because applications tend to be refused automatically. Entry generally requires either annulment of the code or, exceptionally, an annotated visa.

Do I need a lawyer?

It is not mandatory, but the short deadlines, the need to obtain the file, and the technical and international-law dimensions make experienced representation important. A missed deadline can be irreversible.

Refused entry, facing a visa ban, or at risk of deportation from Turkey? Our practice represents foreign nationals in entry-ban annulment actions, deportation appeals, administrative-detention challenges, Constitutional Court individual applications, and ECtHR proceedings, with assistance available in several languages. Contact us for a confidential assessment, or read more about our deportation and expulsion services.

This page is general legal information, not legal advice, and does not create a lawyer–client relationship. Time limits in these matters are short and preclusive; seek advice on your specific situation without delay.