Schooling for expat children in Türkiye (2026): state, private and international schools, home schooling and enrolment

Moving to Türkiye with school-age children raises questions that are easy to get wrong: whether school is compulsory for foreigners, whether you can home-school, which schools your child may legally attend and how previous schooling is recognised. This guide sets out what official Turkish sources say as of November 2026, and flags where the rules are not clear. The rules are national, so they apply equally in Fethiye, the wider Muğla province and Antalya.

This is general information, not legal advice.

Key points

• Compulsory education in Türkiye lasts 12 years in three four-year stages (primary, middle and high school) and covers children aged about 6 to 17, according to the Presidency of Migration Management’s education guide.
• Foreign children who are legally resident can enrol in Turkish state schools, which are free. Not speaking Turkish is not a reason to refuse a child a place.
• Since a regulation amendment published on 28 July 2026, primary and middle school registration runs through e-Okul and is based on the address in the national address register; foreign children are registered with the identification number issued by the Ministry of Interior.
• Under Law 5580, international (milletlerarası) private schools may be attended only by foreign-national students. How this applies to dual nationals is not spelled out in the law.
• Home schooling has no legal basis for Turkish citizens. We found no official Ministry of National Education (MEB) text that either permits or expressly forbids it for foreign nationals; check locally before relying on it.
• The 2026-27 school year started on 14 September 2026 and ends on 25 June 2027, with a mid-term break from 16 to 20 November 2026.

Is school compulsory, and from what age?

The Presidency of Migration Management (Göç İdaresi) states that compulsory education is 12 years, split into four years of primary school (ilkokul), four of middle school (ortaokul) and four of high school (lise), and applies to children aged 6 to 17. State schools are free and textbooks are supplied free by the MEB.

For first grade, the EU’s Eurydice description of the Turkish system says children who have completed 69 months by the end of September of the registration year are enrolled; children of 66 to 68 months can start on a parent’s written request, and children of 69 to 71 months can be deferred or placed in preschool on request. The same Eurydice page also mentions a separate 72-month rule, so confirm your child’s year group with the school or district directorate.

Law 222 on primary education states that Turkish-citizen children are obliged to complete primary education in official or private Turkish schools (Article 4), and that every parent or guardian must register the child at school on time (Article 46). The obligation in Article 4 is worded for Turkish citizens.

Can you home-school in Türkiye?

For Turkish citizens, no. In an April 2026 letter to provincial governorships, the MEB said education must take place under state supervision, that no institution may provide education under any name without Ministry permission, and that primary and secondary-age children should attend Turkish or Ministry-affiliated schools as part of compulsory formal education. It asked provincial directorates to check pupils registered in e-Okul but absent from Turkish schools and to inform their parents.

For foreign nationals, the position is less clear. The Law 222 obligation is worded for Turkish citizens, and we found no MEB circular or regulation that expressly authorises or expressly bans home education by foreign families. That does not mean it is permitted. If you plan to home-school or use a foreign curriculum at home, ask the district education directorate (İlçe Milli Eğitim Müdürlüğü) in writing how it treats your situation, and keep the answer.

Online schooling from abroad while living here

We found no MEB rule addressing foreign nationals who keep children in an online school based abroad. The practical risk is recognition: according to the MEB’s summary of the 2024 Equivalence Regulation, records from distance education are not accepted for equivalence (denklik), and records from private schools outside the scope of Law 5580 are not accepted either. If your child might move into a Turkish school later, an online-only record may not secure a grade placement, and a level assessment may be needed instead. For Turkish citizens, including dual nationals, the compulsory schooling rules above apply.

Option 1: Turkish state schools

State schools are the default and are free. Göç İdaresi says foreigners must be legally staying in Türkiye to use the right to education, and lists these documents:

• the foreign identity document (residence permit card or equivalent);
• a residence (address) record, obtainable from the civil registry office or the muhtar if it is not already in the MERNIS system;
• documents the school may request, such as an equivalence certificate, transcript or diploma.

Göç İdaresi also says placement takes account of age, previous education and skills, and that children cannot be denied access because they do not speak Turkish. Since the July 2026 amendment, the Official Gazette text reproduced by Alomaliye says registrations are made through e-Okul using the national address database, and schools can ask for a water, electricity or gas bill to verify the address. Our moving to Türkiye checklist covers residence and address registration.

Lessons are in Turkish. Support for non-Turkish speakers varies by school, so ask what is available, and consider lessons outside school; see our guide to learning Turkish: courses, TÖMER, Halk Eğitim and apps.

Recognition of previous schooling (denklik)

The MEB’s frequently asked questions say families moving to Türkiye can apply to the Turkish education counsellor or attaché abroad or, if there is none, to the provincial education directorate (İl Milli Eğitim Müdürlüğü) where they will live. Göç İdaresi adds that documents can be submitted online through e-Denklik (edenklik.meb.gov.tr).

According to the MEB’s summary of the 2024 Equivalence Regulation:

• foreign nationals apply to equivalence centres with an identity document, and attach original reports, transcripts or diplomas plus proof of residence in the country where they studied;
• students are generally placed in the grade matching their age;
• a student arriving mid-year without papers may attend temporarily on a parent’s written statement, with official records due within three months;
• students who cannot produce documents because of war, disaster or asylum take a level assessment.

Option 2: Private Turkish schools

Private schools licensed by the MEB follow the national curriculum and set their own fees, according to Göç İdaresi. Check fees, currency and contract terms carefully before signing.

Option 3: International and foreign schools

Turkish law distinguishes several types of private school:

• International private schools (milletlerarası okullar): Law 5580 defines them as private institutions that only foreign-national students may attend. A pupil who acquires Turkish citizenship while enrolled may continue until the end of that education level.
• Foreign schools (yabancı okullar): schools opened by foreigners. The law sets rules on land, capacity and buildings but does not itself say who may attend.
• Minority schools: open only to Turkish-citizen children of the minority concerned.

Dual nationals are a grey area. Law 5580 does not mention them. An international schools guide for Istanbul says dual nationals can generally enrol on their foreign passport, but in 2024 bianet reported that the German embassy’s school stopped enrolling Turkish students, including those with another nationality, amid a dispute with the MEB over oversight. In August 2024 the MEB said that two French schools would not take new Turkish students until an agreement gave them legal status. If your child holds Turkish citizenship, get written confirmation from the school and the provincial directorate before enrolling.

The MEB announced in August 2026 that pupils leaving foreign schools operating without permission can apply for an equivalence certificate to move into Turkish schools until 31 December 2026, and stressed that this does not legalise those schools. Before paying fees anywhere, ask the provincial directorate whether the school is licensed.

International schools are concentrated in the largest cities; the same Istanbul guide puts annual tuition there at roughly 8,000 to 30,000 US dollars. Families in Fethiye or smaller coastal towns should check what is genuinely available within commuting distance; our living in Fethiye guide covers daily life in the area.

The 2026-27 school calendar

The MEB’s official calendar:

• 7-11 September 2026: settling-in week for preschool and first grade
• 14 September 2026: first term starts
• 16-20 November 2026: first mid-term break
• 22 January 2027: first term ends
• 25 January-5 February 2027: semester break
• 8 February 2027: second term starts
• 8-12 March 2027: second mid-term break (NTV notes it coincides with Ramazan Bayramı)
• 25 June 2027: school year ends

Private and international schools may run their own calendars.

e-Okul

e-Okul is the MEB’s school management system. Its parent information service (Veli Bilgilendirme Sistemi) at e-okul.meb.gov.tr shows grades, exam dates, absences, timetables and enrolment or transfer status, according to NTV. From 2026, middle school pupils with 20 or more days of unexcused absence cannot receive achievement certificates, according to the MEB. Enrolment certificates can be obtained through e-Devlet.

FAQ

Q: Is school compulsory for foreign children living in Türkiye? A: Göç İdaresi describes 12 years of compulsory education for children aged 6 to 17 and says legally resident foreigners have the right to education. The Law 222 obligation is worded for Turkish citizens, so ask your district directorate how it applies to your family.

Q: Can I home-school my child in Türkiye? A: Not if the child is a Turkish citizen. For foreign nationals, no official text we found clearly permits or bans it; get written guidance from the district education directorate.

Q: Can a dual British-Turkish child attend an international school? A: Law 5580 limits international schools to foreign nationals and does not mention dual nationals. Practice has differed between schools, so obtain written confirmation first.

Q: Will an online school record be recognised later? A: Possibly not. The 2024 Equivalence Regulation, as summarised by the MEB, does not accept records from distance education.

Sources

• 2026-2027 Eğitim Öğretim Yılı Takvimi Açıklandı (T.C. Millî Eğitim Bakanlığı)
• İzinsiz Eğitim Faaliyeti Yürüten Kurumlara Devam Eden Türk Öğrencilere İlişkin Çalışma Başlatıldı (T.C. Millî Eğitim Bakanlığı)
• İzinsiz Faaliyet Yürüten Yabancı Okullardan Türk Okullarına Geçişe Denklik İmkânı (T.C. Millî Eğitim Bakanlığı)
• MEB Okul Öncesi Eğitim ve İlköğretim Kurumları Yönetmeliği’nde Yapılan Değişiklik Resmî Gazete’de Yayımlandı (T.C. Millî Eğitim Bakanlığı)
• MEB Denklik Yönetmeliği Resmî Gazete’de Yayımlandı (T.C. Millî Eğitim Bakanlığı)
• Basın Açıklaması, 10 Ağustos 2024 (T.C. Millî Eğitim Bakanlığı)
• Sıkça Sorulan Sorular (T.C. Millî Eğitim Bakanlığı)
• Türkiye’de Eğitim Sistemi (Göç İdaresi Başkanlığı)
• Özel Öğretim Kurumları Kanunu No. 5580 (Lexpera)
• İlköğretim ve Eğitim Kanunu No. 222 (Lexpera)
• Okul Öncesi Eğitim ve İlköğretim Kurumları Yönetmeliğinde Değişiklik, Resmî Gazete 28.07.2026 No. 33323 (Alomaliye)
• Türkiye’de İlköğretimin Teşkilatlanması (Eurydice, European Commission)
• International School Admissions in Istanbul: 2026 Guide (iSchoolAdvisor)
• German, French embassies close schools to Turkish citizens (bianet)
• MEB 2026-2027 eğitim öğretim yılı takvimini belirledi (NTV)
• E-okul Veli Bilgilendirme Sistemi ile not sorgulama (NTV)

Photo: Dosseman / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons