Introduction: two different procedures
Turkish citizens living abroad may need to consider postponement of military service (tecil) or foreign-currency military service (dövizle askerlik). Deferral postpones an obligation; it does not complete it. Dövizle askerlik is a distinct route under which an eligible person completes the required online training, applies through the Turkish consulate and pays the prescribed foreign-currency amount to be regarded as having performed service. It is different from domestic paid military service (bedelli askerlik), which has its own basic training rules.
Student deferral age limits
According to the Ministry of National Defence, university undergraduate students may normally defer until the end of the year in which they turn 28. Language and master’s students may defer until the end of the year in which they turn 32; doctoral, medical or dental specialty and comparable qualifying studies may defer until the end of the year in which they turn 35. The education, enrolment status and other legal conditions still have to be satisfied. The original “master’s until 28” summary is therefore inaccurate.
Deferral for eligible citizens abroad
A Turkish citizen abroad who has qualifying residence with work rights, direct work permission or another status described by the Ministry may apply through the relevant Turkish consulate. Overseas deferral can extend, subject to the applicant’s status and documentary proof, no later than 31 December of the year in which the person turns 35. It is not a blanket two-year renewal for everyone. A prior three-year stay abroad is not the general prerequisite for this deferral route.
The three-year rule belongs to dövizle askerlik
The Ministry generally requires eligible workers, employers and professionals abroad to have worked outside Türkiye for an aggregate 1,095 days with the required status. For qualifying multiple-citizenship cases, the relevant three-year condition may relate to actual presence abroad rather than employment. Time spent in Türkiye is excluded. The consulate determines whether the person’s documents and history satisfy the applicable category.
Is there an age limit after 35?
The overseas deferral route described above generally ends with the year of age 35. This does not mean that foreign-currency military service is the only possible course afterward. The former age limit for dövizle askerlik was removed, and an individual’s remaining military-service options depend on status and eligibility. Obtain a current assessment before an erteleme expires.
Applications, documents and representation
Student records are handled through the relevant education and military systems; overseas status is documented to a Turkish consulate. Applicants may need proof of identity, residence or work rights, employment and travel history. The military-service regulation allows specified consular applications through a representative or guardian, but the consulate may require particular signatures, evidence or personal attendance for a given procedure. A power of attorney does not replace the applicant’s own online training in a dövizle askerlik case. Confirm the consulate’s current practice before issuing a power of attorney.
Online training and the difference from bedelli askerlik
For dövizle askerlik, the Ministry provides mandatory distance training through its official portal. After training, the applicant submits the required documents, obtains consular approval and pays the required amount in full; the file is then transmitted for completion of the military-service record. Domestic bedelli askerlik is a separate scheme that normally includes a period of in-person basic training. Neither route follows automatically from paying a fee alone.
Historical 2025 dövizle askerlik amounts
Official consular notices set the Turkish-lira reference amount at TRY 243,013.44 for 1 January–30 June 2025 and TRY 280,850.64 for 1 July–31 December 2025. For dövizle askerlik, the payable euro or other convertible-currency amount was calculated using the Central Bank buying rate on the payment date; a fixed euro equivalent such as “€6,015” is not reliable. These figures are historical and must not be used for a new application.
How IGA Law Firm can help
We can review the person’s Turkish citizenship and military records, education or overseas status, eligibility for deferral or dövizle askerlik, and the documents required by the relevant authority. We can also coordinate a properly scoped power of attorney where the procedure permits representation. The Ministry and consulate make the final determination.
Source and review date
This article records 2025 fee periods and was legally reviewed on 14 October 2026. Fees, consular procedures and eligibility must be confirmed against the rules in force when applying.
Ministry of National Defence: student deferral
Ministry of National Defence: overseas deferral
Ministry of National Defence: dövizle askerlik
