YKS Registration: A Step-by-Step Guide for Foreign Students

YKS registration is the first practical step towards a Turkish university. For foreign students it has a few extra rules, because most have no Turkish ID card. In this guide, we use ÖSYM’s 2026 rules as the example, from where to apply to the entry document. If you are not sure that YKS is your route, first read our guide to YKS for foreign students.

When does YKS registration open?

ÖSYM opens YKS registration once a year. In 2026, the timeline looked like this:

• Applications: 6 February to 2 March.
• Fee payment: by 3 March.
• Late days: 10 to 12 March, with a fee 50% higher.
• Correction window: 17 to 23 March.
• Entry document: online from 10 June.
• Exam: TYT on 20 June, then AYT and YDT on 21 June.

The 2027 dates will come with ÖSYM’s 2027 calendar, which ÖSYM usually publishes in November. Based on recent years, expect applications in early February and the exam in June 2027, so check the ÖSYM exam calendar from November.

YKS registration online or at an application centre?

Everyone applies through AİS, ÖSYM’s candidate system, either from home or at an ÖSYM application centre (başvuru merkezi).

Who can apply online

You can apply at ais.osym.gov.tr or in the ÖSYM app when AİS already holds your education data and a valid photo, and you have an ÖSYM or e-Devlet password. A valid photo is a Turkish ID card photo, or one that an ÖSYM centre took in the last 50 months. So a repeat applicant with a recent centre photo can usually apply online.

Who must apply at a centre

• You have no valid photo in AİS. This covers most first-time foreign applicants, even when their school data is in MEB’s e-Okul system.
• Your education data is missing or wrong. For example, you attended a foreign school not linked to MEB.
• Your ÖSYM number starts with 0. These candidates also apply at a centre.

Nobody can apply for you. Final-year students whose own school is a centre apply there, while graduates go to an ÖSYM exam coordination office (Sınav Koordinatörlüğü) or another ÖSYM centre.

Which ID and number do foreign students use?

Accepted IDs

Bring the original of one ID with a photo, because ÖSYM refuses IDs without one. For foreigners, the 2026 YKS guide accepts:

• A valid passport.
• The Mavi Kart or Pembe Kart, or the temporary Mavi Kart document.
• The temporary protection ID (Geçici Koruma Kimlik Belgesi), with a photo.
• An international protection status holder ID or applicant ID.
• A residence permit only of the type “insani” (humanitarian) or “uzun dönem” (long-term).

A driving licence or a student card does not count. So with an ordinary student or family residence permit, use your valid passport, which must still be valid on exam day.

Your foreign ID number

Foreign candidates enter their 11-digit foreign ID number (Yabancı Uyruklu, or Y.U. number), which starts with 9. It comes from MERNİS, Türkiye’s population register. If you have no MERNİS number, first fill in the Y.U. number form on AİS to get a document code (belge kodu). Then take it with a valid ID to an ÖSYM Sınav Koordinatörlüğü, which issues the number for a fee.

YKS registration at a centre, step by step

1. Prepare. Fill in the candidate application form (Aday Başvuru Formu) and bring your original ID.
2. Bring a certified diploma copy if needed. You need it when the centre enters or corrects your education data.
3. Have your photo taken. Staff use a web camera, so keep your face visible and look the same on exam day.
4. Check and sign. Read the printed registration record carefully before you sign it.
5. Wait for the approval code. Without the ONAY KODU, ÖSYM does not save your application.
6. Pay. Centre applicants also pay a service fee that ÖSYM sets.

Fees and payment

In 2026, the fee was 700 TL per session. So TYT alone cost 700 TL, two sessions 1,400 TL and all three 2,100 TL. TYT is compulsory, while AYT and YDT depend on your score type.

You can pay at a bank on ÖSYM’s list or by card at sanalpos.osym.gov.tr. However, some banks accept the fee only online, so check the bank list at the end of the YKS guide. During the late days, payment worked only by card. Finally, ÖSYM deletes unpaid applications, so an unpaid candidate gets no entry document.

Correcting your YKS registration

The time to fix mistakes is short. In 2026, you could change some fields yourself in AİS during the application period or from 17 to 23 March:

• Your education status and exam-centre choices.
• Religion or the extra philosophy option.
• YDT language, if you paid the YDT fee.
• The quota box for women over 34.

After that window, nothing changes, and ÖSYM does not act on petitions. For identity data, MERNİS holders correct it in MERNİS first, while others send ÖSYM a general petition (Genel Amaçlı Dilekçe) during the application period. Also note that edits on your AİS “Profilim” page do not reach the exam. In addition, confirm your education data and diploma grade in AİS in June, because your OBP comes from it.

The entry document: print it for every session

ÖSYM puts the entry document (Sınava Giriş Belgesi) on AİS about 10 days before the exam, and in 2026 it opened on 10 June. ÖSYM does not post or e-mail it.

Then print it, in colour or black and white, for each session you sit. For example, a student who takes TYT and AYT brings one printout on Saturday and another on Sunday. Your photo must be visible, and any extra mark makes your exam invalid. Without it you cannot enter the building, and staff collect it at the start of each session.

How ILEAP Academy helps after YKS registration

Once you finish your YKS registration, the real work is preparation. ILEAP Academy is one of the first Arabic centers in Istanbul specialised in YKS. Every student starts with a level test and then joins the right group. We explain topics in Arabic, train the Turkish of the exam step by step and run timed practice exams, so you know where you stand long before June. We have three centers in Istanbul, and the same program also runs online. Discover ILEAP Academy to book a level test, and read our complete YKS exam guide for the full picture.

Frequently asked questions

Can foreigners do their YKS registration online?

Yes, if AİS already holds a valid photo and education data, and you have an ÖSYM or e-Devlet password. Otherwise, you apply at a centre.

What if I miss the YKS registration deadline?

In 2026, ÖSYM offered late days from 10 to 12 March, with a 50% higher fee paid by card. After that, you wait for the next year’s exam.

Is a residence permit enough for YKS registration?

Only a humanitarian (insani) or long-term (uzun dönem) residence permit is on ÖSYM’s list. With any other permit, use your valid passport instead.