Overseas pension buyback is an extremely important social security mechanism in Turkey for Turkish citizens living or working abroad and for Blue Card holders who meet certain conditions, in terms of pension and other long-term insurance rights. The main purpose of this provision is to ensure that certain periods spent abroad are recognized as past insured periods in Turkey, thereby enabling individuals to qualify for pension, disability, old-age, and death insurance benefits. The state’s obligation to take necessary measures to ensure the social security of Turkish citizens working in foreign countries is also clearly stated in Article 62 of the Constitution. The legal backbone of this provision constitutes Law No. 3201 and Law No. 5510.ır.

Overseas pension buyback is not a right granted only to those working in countries where a social security agreement has been signed. Whether or not there is a social security agreement with our country, Turkish citizens working abroad and individuals who were born Turkish citizens but lost their Turkish citizenship by obtaining an exit permit can make premium payments to have their periods abroad counted as past service in Turkey, provided they meet the conditions stipulated in the law. In this context, insured periods spent abroad, certain periods of unemployment between or at the end of these periods, and, for women, periods spent as a housewife have been included in the scope of overseas pension buyback. In the official statement of the SGK dated 2026, this scope has been maintained exactly as it is.

What are the basic conditions for overseas service purchase?

According to Law No. 3201, four basic conditions must be met simultaneously to benefit from overseas service purchase. Firstly, the person must have the citizenship status that grants the right to service purchase. Secondly, there must be qualifying periods abroad that fall within the scope of service purchase. Thirdly, these periods must be proven with proper documentation. Fourthly, a written request must be submitted to SGK. In the official information note published by SGK, these conditions are clearly listed as “being a Turkish citizen, having specific qualifying periods abroad, documenting these periods, and submitting a written request.”

Here, the citizenship requirement is particularly important. As a general rule, the citizenship qualification required by law must exist during the period for which service purchase is sought and when exercising the right to service purchase. According to SGK’s statement, Turkish citizens, those who were born Turkish citizens and renounced their citizenship by obtaining an exit permit (i.e., blue cardholders), and dual citizens who hold both Turkish citizenship and foreign citizenship can benefit from this right. Furthermore, individuals who still hold foreign citizenship can also make overseas service purchases as long as their Turkish citizenship or the status recognized by law continues.

Who can benefit from overseas service purchase?

First and foremost, Turkish citizens who have worked or lived abroad can benefit from this opportunity. Additionally, blue cardholders who were born Turkish citizens and later renounced their citizenship with permission also have the right to buy back periods of service. Furthermore, the option to buy back periods of service is also available for dual citizens. The system also provides a separate protection for beneficiaries. The Turkish citizen beneficiaries of a deceased insured person can, under certain conditions, buy back the deceased person’s periods abroad. In SGK’s statement, it is noted that beneficiaries holding citizenship of a foreign country alongside Turkish citizenship can also benefit from this right.

However, not everyone can benefit from this opportunity. According to social security laws, those who have already been granted a pension for themselves or their beneficiaries, and those who have applied for a pension and are deemed eligible, cannot buy back their periods abroad. This means that if a person has already passed the pension entitlement stage and is eligible, it is generally not possible for them to establish a new buyback using this mechanism later on.

Can the periods of a deceased insured person be bought back?

Yes, but there is a special citizenship requirement for beneficiaries here. According to SGK, the periods abroad spent by a deceased insured person while holding Turkish citizenship can be bought back by beneficiaries, provided they are Turkish citizens. Dual citizen beneficiaries can also benefit from this right. However, blue cardholder beneficiaries cannot buy back periods under this scope, as they are not Turkish citizens on the date of the buyback request. This distinction is often overlooked in practice and is of great importance, especially in death pension planning.

On the other hand, according to the SGK statement, for the beneficiaries of a deceased insured person, it is considered sufficient for the beneficiary to be a Turkish citizen at the time of application; furthermore, the condition for the insured person whose periods are to be bought back to have been a Turkish citizen during their periods abroad is not additionally required. In this respect, the situation of beneficiaries is evaluated somewhat differently from that of a living applicant. This technical distinction should be carefully examined to prevent the application from being rejected.

How is the date of acquiring and losing Turkish citizenship determined?

Citizenship dates are very critical for determining the periods that can be bought back. According to the official statement of SGK, Turkish citizenship is considered acquired as of the date the Council of Ministers granted citizenship to the person; citizenship is lost as of the date the renunciation document is received. Therefore, when calculating buyback periods, not only the fact of being abroad but also the exact dates and citizenship status under which these periods occurred must be carefully examined.

Which periods can be subject to overseas buyback?

The periods covered by overseas buyback are grouped under three main headings. Firstly, these are documented periods of insurance spent abroad as a Turkish citizen after turning 18. Secondly, these are periods of unemployment occurring between or after these periods of insurance; however, there is a maximum limit of one year for each unemployment period. Thirdly, these are periods spent by women as homemakers abroad. SGK explicitly confirms this threefold distinction in its 2026 information update.

The concept of “insured period” refers to periods worked or considered as worked periods, excluding periods of residence according to the relevant country’s legislation. In other words, not only the days actually worked, but also some periods considered equivalent to work by that country’s legislation can be evaluated within this scope. For this reason, the nature of the service records obtained from a foreign institution is important; what the records on the document signify according to that country’s law directly affects the buyback calculation.

“Unemployment period,” on the other hand, refers to the time frame other than periods of work and periods equivalent to them, according to the relevant country’s legislation. However, not all unemployment periods can be bought back. According to the SSI (Social Security Institution), these periods can be bought back for a maximum of one year each, provided they are between or at the end of insured periods. Furthermore, dates when the person was in Turkey during the unemployment period are not accepted within the scope of buyback. This point also shows why passport entry-exit records are particularly important.

Periods spent as a housewife, on the other hand, have a special importance in practice. Regardless of whether women are married or single abroad, periods they resided abroad outside of insured periods are considered as housewife periods. The SSI also explicitly states that these periods are not within the scope of unemployment periods. The applicant is not obliged to buy back all of these periods spent as a housewife; they can buy back as much as they wish. In this respect, foreign buyback can become an important retirement tool, especially for women who have no foreign work record but have resided abroad for a long time.

Which periods cannot be bought back?

One of the areas where the most mistakes are made in practice is the incorrect identification of periods that cannot be bought back. According to SGK, overseas periods spent before reaching the age of 18 cannot be bought back. Similarly, overseas periods spent before acquiring or after losing Turkish citizenship are also excluded. For those who have been granted a partial pension under bilateral social security agreements, periods of unemployment and homemaker periods both between their overseas insurance periods and after the end of these periods cannot be bought back either. Furthermore, for those wishing to buy back periods of unemployment or homemaker status, periods determined to have been spent in Turkey according to entry-exit records are also excluded from the buy-back. Likewise, overseas periods that overlap with periods during which premiums or contributions were paid under disability, old-age, and death insurance in Turkey cannot be bought back.

In addition to these, for those who have been granted a full pension in Turkey, overseas periods prior to the pension being granted cannot be bought back. Furthermore, some special situations are also explicitly excluded. For instance, the working periods of Turkish workers employed by Turkish employers undertaking projects in Libya after September 1, 1985, the working periods of workers employed by Turkish employers undertaking projects in Germany under an exemption contract, and periods spent on temporary duty abroad under social security agreements within the scope of Article 10 of Law No. 5510 or the European Social Security Convention cannot be subject to overseas buy-back. These technical exceptions should be checked individually, especially during file preparation.

Is it mandatory to buy back all periods?

No. According to SGK’s explicit statement, there is no obligation to buy back all periods spent abroad. The applicant can choose to buy back all periods, only a part of them, or just enough days to qualify for a pension. Furthermore, a person who has previously bought back a part of the periods can reapply for the remaining periods later; there is no limit to the number of applications in this regard. In practice, this flexibility is very important for cost calculation and retirement planning, as buying back all periods may not always be the most economically advantageous choice.

If the applicant wishes to buy back only a specific part, it is sufficient to state the number of days they wish to buy back in the petition. In this case, SGK considers the desired period by going backward from the last date recorded in the submitted document and finalizes the process accordingly. In other words, partial buy-back is not a method of freely selecting a period by saying “I chose these years”; it is based on a calculation made backward from the end of the document, according to SGK’s application technique.

What documents are required for buying back periods?

The required documents vary depending on which period the person wishes to buy back and whether the country of residence has a social security agreement with Turkey. To buy back periods of insurance or unemployment spent in countries with which a social security agreement has been signed, at least one of the following must be submitted to SGK: the original and an appropriate translation of the service certificate issued by the relevant country’s insurance institution, or a service certificate obtained from a Turkish embassy, consulate general, labor and social security counseling office, or attaché. In countries without an agreement, generally a service certificate obtained from Turkish representative offices in the relevant country is required.

There is also a separate documentation system for seafarers. If the country whose flag the vessel operates under is a contracting country, a certificate of service obtained from that country’s insurance institution and its proper translation can be used. Furthermore, regardless of whether it is a contracting country or not, service certificates showing periods of employment obtained from Turkish consulates or labor counselors/attachés, or certificates of good conduct (bonservis) obtained from the ship or workplace, along with corresponding passport entry-exit records, are also among the accepted documents.

For periods spent as a housewife to be credited, a mere residence permit is not sufficient; SGK (Social Security Institution) also wishes to see entry-exit dates to the country through passport or security records. In addition, the original residence permit obtained from the authorities of the country of residence and its proper translation, or a residence permit issued by Turkish representative offices, must be submitted. This dual document structure is important for proving both that the period of housewifing was spent abroad and that actual residency existed.

There is also a special regulation for workers taken by Turkish employers to non-contracting countries. According to the SGK, those individuals who are considered insured under Article 5/1-g of Law No. 5510 and who do not pay premiums for voluntary insurance can pay back (borrow) for as much of these periods as they wish, either while abroad or after returning to Turkey. This provision is particularly important in practice for construction site and overseas project workers.

How to apply?

Overseas debt accrual (accrual of overseas periods) must be based on a written request. For this purpose, the “Application for Accrual of Overseas Periods” or, for those covered by compulsory migration, the relevant special petition must be properly filled out, signed, and submitted to the relevant SGK (Social Security Institution) unit or sent by mail. These forms are also available and up-to-date on the SGK forms and petitions page. Furthermore, in some cases, such as the availability of documents in the Overseas Debt Accrual Document System or the conversion of a partial pension to a full pension, applications can also be made via e-Devlet (e-Government).

Applications cannot be made via email. SGK does not accept applications submitted via email. Furthermore, applications submitted with unsigned petitions or via fax are not taken into consideration. However, it is possible to apply through a proxy; but the power of attorney must explicitly state the authority to apply for “debt accrual” or “overseas debt accrual”. This detail is extremely important in practice; a general power of attorney may not always be considered sufficient.

It is also possible to apply from abroad. For this, the original signed petition and the documents forming the basis for debt accrual must be sent to the relevant SGK unit via mail. The type of shipment is important in determining the application date. For ordinary mail, private cargo, or direct delivery, the date of entry into SGK’s document registration is taken as the basis. However, for some shipments made via registered mail, registered mail with return receipt, and express mail services, the date of posting is considered the application date. For applications sent from abroad with RA-RZ and EA-EZ codes, the date of posting is also taken as the basis. The same exception applies to certain shipments coming from Germany via DHL with these codes. In e-Devlet applications, the transaction date is the application date.

Which SGK unit should the application be made to?

The SGK unit where the application will be made is determined according to the applicant’s activity under Article 4/1-b of Law No. 5510 and their address information. Those who do not have an activity or whose activity has ceased, as a rule, apply to the SGIM or SGM in the province where their registered address is located in MERNİS. If there is more than one address in MERNİS, the preferred province is taken into account; if there is no address record, the application is made to the unit in the province where the individual is registered with the population. Insured persons under 4/1-b whose activity continues apply to the SGIM/SGM in the province where the activity is carried out. For applications made by beneficiaries, the information of the deceased insured person is taken as a basis.

What should be considered when filling out the petition and making the application?

SGK particularly emphasizes that the petition must be filled out completely and accurately. The explanations section should be read carefully, the relevant fields should be marked correctly, and the petition must be signed. Incomplete or incorrect filling of the petition may lead to the application being deemed invalid. Especially, incorrectly marking or marking multiple checkboxes related to the type of period to be bought back is one of the most common mistakes in practice.

The application is deemed invalid in the following cases: if the petition lacks a wet signature, if more than one checkbox is marked for the options related to the period to be bought back in the relevant sections of the petition, if the documents forming the basis of the debt and the translations of foreign language documents are not attached, and if the accrued buyback amount is not transferred to the SGK account within three months from the notification. However, even if the person has not submitted documents with the application, if the same documents were previously present in the SGK file, transactions can be carried out based on these documents. Furthermore, if the person has not indicated their daily earnings preference based on premium, SGK does not reject the application but considers the “minimum” option to have been selected.

How is the buyback amount calculated?

The amount to be accrued for each day to be bought back is calculated as 45% of the daily earnings selected between the minimum and maximum daily earnings subject to premium as specified in Article 82 of Law No. 5510 on the application date. According to the official statement of SGK for 2026, the daily lower limit was accepted as 1,101.00 TL and the upper limit as 9,909.00 TL for the period 01.01.2026-31.12.2026; accordingly, for buying back service, the daily payment lower limit has been determined as 495.45 TL, and the upper limit as 4,459.05 TL. According to the example provided by SGK, if 5,000 days are bought back from the lower limit, the amount to be paid will be 2,477,250.00 TL . These figures are based directly on the official SGK source for the year 2026.

How is the debt notified and how long does it take to pay?

The debt notification is sent to the address provided in the application petition. Therefore, it is crucial to write the address completely and correctly; SGK cannot be held responsible for failure to make notification due to incorrect or incomplete address declaration. The accrued debt must be paid into the SGK account within three months from the date of notification. If payment is not made within this period, the debt buying-back process becomes invalid, and a new application must be made if one wishes to buy back service again.

It is not mandatory to pay the entire debt amount in a single lump sum. Partial payments can be made within the three-month period; in this case, the number of days corresponding to the amount paid is considered valid. It is also possible to pay the remaining amount in installments within the same three-month period. However, if payment is desired after the three-month legal period has passed, a new application is required, and the amounts at the new application date will be taken as a basis. SGK also states that it does not have a separate bank account abroad, but the debt can be paid from abroad in accordance with the procedure specified in the notification.

Is it possible to waive the debt or get a refund?

As a rule, yes. If the cancellation of the debt is requested with a written application, the amount paid will be refunded as Turkish Lira without interest. Partial refunds are not possible; however, if multiple debts have been incurred, it is possible to waive one or more of them. Furthermore, to insured individuals who cannot receive a disability or old-age pension, or to beneficiaries who cannot receive a survivor’s pension, despite the indebted services being considered, the amount of the debt paid will be refunded without interest upon their application. Conversely, if a pension has been linked by considering the indebted services, the debt can no longer be waived, and a refund cannot be requested.

The refund of the debt amount paid by the deceased insured person during their lifetime to their beneficiaries is only possible if the number of premium days sufficient to link a survivor’s pension cannot be met even with the indebted services included. In other words, if the required number of days for a survivor’s pension is not met even after adding the indebted periods, the refund of the paid debt amount may come into question.

Under what status are the indebted periods counted in Turkey?

This is one of the most critical questions in practice. This is because the acquisition of service periods affects not only the number of days but also the retirement conditions, depending on which insurance status it will be evaluated under. According to SGK’s official statement, as of 01.08.2019, the acquisition of service periods abroad for those who request it, regardless of their insurance status at the time of the request, is considered as a past insurance period under the Bağ-Kur status, meaning within the scope of Law No. 5510, Article 4/1-b. This regulation should be carefully considered, especially in terms of the last status and retirement calculation.

Conclusion: Why should overseas service period acquisition be planned carefully?

Overseas service period acquisition is not just a “buying days” process; it is a technical procedure that directly affects retirement status, conditions for receiving a pension, application cost, possibilities for death benefits, and future social security rights. Issues such as who can apply, which periods will be considered valid, which documents will be accepted, on what date the application will be deemed to have been made, what will happen if the payment period is missed, and the evaluation of acquired periods under Bağ-Kur status are important enough to determine the outcome of the file. SGK’s official statements from 2026 clearly show that the practice is still detailed and formal.

Therefore, before making an overseas service period acquisition, the individual’s citizenship history, overseas work and residence records, insurance status in Turkey, targeted retirement status, and total cost should be evaluated together. In particular, missing documents, incorrect application type, erroneous checkbox marking, or missing the three-month payment deadline can lead to the application being deemed invalid.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yurt dışı borçlanması nedir ve Türkiye’den emeklilik için nasıl bir avantaj sağlar?

Yurt dışı borçlanması, yurt dışında geçen belirli sürelerin Türkiye’de geçmiş sigortalılık süresi gibi kabul edilmesini sağlayan bir sosyal güvenlik mekanizmasıdır. 3201 sayılı Yurt Dışı Hizmet Borçlanması Kanunu kapsamında düzenlenen bu sistem sayesinde, yurt dışında çalışan veya yaşayan Türk vatandaşları ile belirli şartları sağlayan mavi kartlılar, yurt dışında geçen sürelerini Türkiye’de prim günü olarak saydırabilirler. Böylece kişi Türkiye’de yeterli sigortalılık süresi bulunmasa bile, borçlanma yoluyla gerekli prim gününü tamamlayarak yaşlılık aylığı (emeklilik), malullük aylığı veya ölüm aylığı gibi sosyal güvenlik haklarından yararlanabilir. Bu sistem özellikle Avrupa ülkelerinde uzun yıllar çalışan ancak Türkiye’de sınırlı sigortalılık geçmişi bulunan kişiler için önemli bir emeklilik imkânı sağlamaktadır.

Yurt dışı borçlanmasından kimler yararlanabilir?

3201 sayılı Kanun uyarınca yurt dışı borçlanmasından yararlanabilecek kişiler belirli bir vatandaşlık statüsüne sahip olmalıdır. Buna göre Türk vatandaşları, doğumla Türk vatandaşı olup izinle vatandaşlıktan çıkan mavi kartlılar ve Türk vatandaşlığı ile birlikte başka bir ülke vatandaşlığına sahip olan çifte vatandaşlar yurt dışı borçlanması yapabilmektedir. Ayrıca belirli şartların sağlanması hâlinde vefat eden sigortalının Türk vatandaşı olan hak sahipleri de, sigortalının yurt dışında geçen sürelerini borçlanabilir. Buna karşılık, sosyal güvenlik mevzuatına göre kendisine veya hak sahiplerine zaten aylık bağlanmış olan kişiler ile aylık bağlanmasına hak kazanmış durumda bulunan kişiler için yurt dışı borçlanması yolu genel olarak kapalıdır.

Yurt dışı borçlanması kapsamında hangi süreler borçlandırılabilir?

Yurt dışı borçlanmasının kapsamına giren süreler üç ana başlık altında toplanmaktadır. İlk olarak yurt dışında geçen sigortalı çalışma süreleri borçlanılabilir. Bunun yanında bu çalışma süreleri arasında veya sonunda yer alan işsizlik süreleri, her bir işsizlik dönemi için en fazla bir yıl olmak üzere borçlanma kapsamına alınabilir. Ayrıca kadınlar bakımından yurt dışında ev kadını olarak geçen süreler de borçlanılabilecek süreler arasında yer almaktadır. Bununla birlikte bazı süreler borçlanma kapsamı dışındadır. Örneğin 18 yaşından önce yurt dışında geçen süreler, Türk vatandaşlığının kazanılmasından önce veya kaybedilmesinden sonra geçen süreler ya da Türkiye’de prim ödenmiş sürelerle çakışan dönemler borçlandırılamaz.

Yurt dışı borçlanması için başvuru nasıl yapılır?

Yurt dışı borçlanması yapılabilmesi için Sosyal Güvenlik Kurumu’na yazılı başvuru yapılması zorunludur. Başvuru genellikle “Yurt Dışı Süreleri Borçlanma Talep Dilekçesi” doldurularak yapılır ve dilekçenin SGK’ya doğrudan verilmesi veya posta yoluyla gönderilmesi mümkündür. Ayrıca bazı durumlarda e-Devlet üzerinden de başvuru yapılabilmektedir. Başvuru sırasında yurt dışındaki çalışma veya ikamet sürelerini gösteren resmi belgelerin de SGK’ya sunulması gerekir. Başvuru sonrasında SGK tarafından borçlanılabilecek gün sayısı ve ödenecek prim tutarı hesaplanarak kişiye tebliğ edilir. Tebligatın ardından borçlanma tutarının 3 ay içinde ödenmesi gerekir; aksi hâlde başvuru geçersiz sayılır ve yeniden başvuru yapılması gerekir.

Yurt dışı borçlanmasında prim tutarı nasıl hesaplanır?

Yurt dışı borçlanması için ödenecek prim tutarı, başvuru tarihindeki prime esas günlük kazanç üzerinden hesaplanır. 5510 sayılı Kanun uyarınca belirlenen asgari ve azami günlük kazanç sınırları arasında kişi tarafından seçilen günlük kazancın belirli bir oranı borçlanma tutarı olarak alınır. Bu nedenle ödenecek toplam prim miktarı, borçlanılacak gün sayısına ve kişinin seçtiği günlük kazanca göre değişmektedir. Başvuru sahibinin yurt dışında geçen sürelerin tamamını borçlanması zorunlu değildir; isterse yalnızca emekliliğe yetecek kadar süre için borçlanma yapabilir. Bu nedenle borçlanma miktarının doğru planlanması, hem maliyet hem de emeklilik şartları bakımından oldukça önemlidir.

Why is Expert Lawyer Support Necessary?

Overseas debt accrual (buying back service) and pension procedures from Turkey are, in practice, a much more technical and complex process than commonly thought. Many legal details, such as which periods can be bought back, citizenship dates, passport entry-exit records, foreign country service documents, SGK application procedures, and under which insurance status the debt accrual will be evaluated, can directly affect the outcome of retirement. Errors such as an incorrectly made application, submission of incomplete documents, or missing the payment deadline can lead to the invalidation of the debt accrual process and a significant delay in the retirement plan.

For this reason, when undertaking overseas debt accrual and retirement planning, it is of great importance that the process is managed with the support of an overseas retirement consultant or an overseas retirement lawyer. Especially matters such as citizenship history, overseas work records, SGK status determination, and premium cost calculation require expertise.

2M Hukuk Law Office, as an Istanbul law firm providing professional support to its clients in the field of overseas debt accrual and social security law, offers consultancy services for the correct planning of the application process, preparation of necessary documents, and resolution of potential legal disputes. For citizens living abroad, particularly within the scope of overseas retirement consultancy services, receiving expert legal support for the evaluation of retirement conditions and the accurate execution of SGK procedures is extremely important to prevent loss of rights.