What you need to know if the earthquake makes you want to go to Turkey or Syria
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If you have relatives in the earthquake area in Turkey or Syria and want to go there, this may have negative consequences for your asylum application or residence permit in the Netherlands. Read below what you need to consider.
Missing relatives in Turkey or Syria
If you are looking for family members in Turkey, you can contact
The Red Cross can help to search for missing relatives in Turkey and Syria. Please note: the area is poorly accessible and emergency assistance has only just begun. Therefore, the Red Cross might not be able to help you right away.
Contact details of AFAD in the affected areas of Turkey
If you would like to contact AFAD for more information about a region in Turkey, below is a list of phone numbers:
AFAD Adana: 0090 (0) 322 227 2854
AFAD Adiyaman: 0090 (0) 416 216 1231
AFAD Antep: 0090 (0) 342 428 1118
AFAD Diyarbakir: 0090 (0) 412 326 1156
AFAD Hatay: 0090 (0) 326 112 0000
AFAD Malatya: 0090 (0) 422 212 8432
AFAD Maras: 0090 (0) 344 221 4991
AFAD Mardin: 0090 (0) 582 212 3740
AFAD Urfa: 0090 (0) 414 313 7290
The Red Cross
I am a Turkish refugee and want to go to Turkey
Returning to Turkey may have negative consequences for your asylum procedure or your stay in the Netherlands. It may be a reason for the
Below is more information for your personal situation:
I have applied for asylum and want to return to Turkey on a temporary basis
Your asylum application might be stopped if you cannot attend your interview with the IND. Or if you leave the Netherlands and do not let the IND know.
The IND does not issue a
I have an asylum residence permit and want to return to Turkey on a temporary basis
The IND can revoke your asylum residence permit if you travel to Turkey. This is due to you returning to a country where you are at risk.
The IND does not issue a
I am a Syrian refugee and want to go to Syria
Returning to Syria may have negative consequences for your asylum procedure or your stay in the Netherlands. It may be a reason for the
Below is more information for your personal situation:
I have applied for asylum and want to return to Syria on a temporary basis
Your asylum application might be stopped if you cannot attend your interview with the IND. Or if you leave the Netherlands and do not let the IND know.
The IND does not issue a
I have an asylum residence permit and want to return to Syria on a temporary basis
The IND can revoke your asylum residence permit if you travel to Syria. This is due to you returning to a country where you are at risk.
The IND does not issue a
I am a Syrian refugee and want to go to Turkey
As a Syrian refugee, if you meet the conditions, you can go to Turkey. The reason you cannot go to Syria, but you can go to Turkey, is because you have applied for asylum in the Netherlands because you are in danger in Syria.
Read below what conditions you need to meet in your situation:
I have applied for asylum and want to go to Turkey on a temporary basis
If you do not yet have a residence permit asylum in the Netherlands, you will probably not get a visa to travel to Turkey from the Turkish consulate. A valid residence permit in the Netherlands is one of the requirements for a visa to Turkey.
If you still apply for a visa to Turkey without an asylum residence permit, your application will probably be rejected. The visa application costs at least 200 euros. If your visa application is rejected you will not get your money back.
I have an asylum residence permit and want to return to Turkey on a temporary basis
You can do this if you have a valid Turkish visa and a valid Syrian passport. You can apply for a refugee passport at the municipality if you do not have a valid passport.
The Turkish consulate will process your application faster if you can prove that you have family or friends in Turkey.
If you don't have a Syrian passport, as far as we know, the Dutch government cannot issue a travel document to Syrian asylum seekers who do not have their own Syrian passport. In this case, you probably won't get a visa to travel to Turkey from the Turkish consulate. A valid passport is one of the requirements for a visa to Turkey.
If you don't have a valid residence document yet, you probably won't get a visa to travel to Turkey from the Turkish consulate. A valid residence permit in the Netherlands is one of the conditions for a visa to Turkey.
If you left Turkey illegally and have an entry ban, you probably won't get a visa from the Turkish consulate.
If you still apply for a visa to Turkey without meeting the conditions, your application will probably be rejected. The visa application costs a minimum of 200 euros. If your visa application is rejected you will not get your money back.
Turkey visa requirements
Important websites
Below are important websites to stay informed about the situation in the earthquake zone and to apply for a return visa: