University admission guidance for foreigners — partner

How do international students enroll in Turkish universities?

There is more than one track through which an international student can enroll in a Turkish university, within a general framework overseen by the Turkish state through the Council of Higher Education (YÖK), though the final admission decision and the details of the requirements remain with each university individually.

The most prominent available tracks include:

• Exams designed specifically for international students (commonly known as YÖS), organized by universities or central bodies such as the Assessment, Selection and Placement Center (ÖSYM) through the TR-YÖS exam, used as an alternative to the university entrance exam in the student's home country
• Direct application with equivalent or recognized certificates and qualifications, such as a high school diploma (after equivalency) or international exam results accepted by the relevant university
• A general framework coordinated with the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) that sets the broad outlines for admitting international students, while each university sets the details of its own conditions within this framework

Important points to know

• Every Turkish university sets its own admission criteria — in terms of the number of seats allocated to international students in each program, the minimum required grades, and the list of accepted certificates and exams — within the general framework mentioned above, which means requirements vary from one university to another and from one program to another
• Equivalency of a prior certificate is often part of the required file for university enrollment, especially for the secondary school certificate
• Application dates and deadlines vary from one university to another and change from one academic year to the next; there is no single nationwide deadline that applies to all universities

Frequently asked questions

Is there a single unified national exam that all international students must take to enroll in Turkish universities? There is no single mandatory exam for all cases. There is a system of exams designed specifically for international students (such as TR-YÖS) that a large number of universities accept as one admission track, but each university also accepts other qualifications according to its own criteria.

Do all Turkish universities require the same documents and exams to admit international students? No. Although the general framework for admitting international students is coordinated nationally through the Council of Higher Education (YÖK), each university independently determines the exams and qualifications it accepts, the minimum required grades, the required documents, and the application deadlines for its programs.

Do you need to obtain certificate equivalency before applying to university? In many cases, yes. Official recognition of the prior certificate within Turkey is often part of what universities require from international students, but the details of the required documents vary depending on the university and the program.

Last updated: 2026-09-07