YTU 2026–2027 International Undergraduate Admissions: Complete Guide

Yıldız Technical University (YTU) has released its official admission calendar and rules for international students applying to undergraduate (Bachelor’s) programs for the 2026–2027 academic year. If you’re planning to study in Istanbul, here’s everything you need to know.

Quick Facts

• Applications open: Monday, July 20, 2026 at 10:00 (Turkey time)
• Applications close: Friday, July 31, 2026 at 16:00 (Turkey time)
• Application method: Online only, and you can list up to 5 program preferences
• No YÖS required: YTU does not administer its own Foreign Student Exam (YÖS), and YÖS results from other universities are not accepted
• Tuition: 35,000 TL per semester (2026–2027 rate)

Full Admission Calendar

* Vacant-quota candidates are selected only from students who already applied but did not initially secure a spot, ranked by score and program preference. No new applications are accepted at this stage, and the number of candidates announced will match the number of open seats exactly.

** Students placed into the English/foreign-language preparatory class do not need to complete course registration through the system.

How the Application Works

• Applications are submitted online, and you may rank up to 5 program preferences.
• Placement is based on your preference order combined with your score.
• Scores from different accepted exams and diplomas are converted onto a common 100-point scale using YTU’s official conversion table, so candidates with different exam backgrounds can be ranked fairly against each other.
• If two candidates end up tied, the one with the higher diploma grade is ranked first; if still tied, the younger candidate is prioritized.
• Accepted exam scores stay valid for 2 years; diplomas that count as your high-school completion (rather than an exam score) are valid indefinitely.

Who Can Apply

You can generally apply if you:

• Are a foreign national — unless you enrolled in a regular Turkish high school from the 2022–2023 school year onward (see the note below)
• Were a Turkish citizen by birth but later lost that citizenship with official permission, or hold a Blue Card
• Are a dual national who was originally a foreign citizen and later acquired Turkish citizenship
• Are a Turkish citizen (T.C.) who completed all of high school abroad, outside Northern Cyprus (KKTC) — including Turkish schools run by MEB abroad
• Are a KKTC (Northern Cyprus) citizen who completed high school in KKTC with GCE A-Level results, or studied in a third country between 2005–2010 with GCE A-Level results

You generally cannot apply if you:

• Are a Turkish citizen who completed all of high school in Turkey or KKTC
• Are a KKTC citizen without qualifying GCE A-Level results
• Are a dual national whose first nationality from birth was Turkish — unless you completed all of high school abroad outside KKTC
• Are a dual national holding KKTC citizenship, without qualifying GCE A-Level results
• Are a Turkish citizen (or a dual national who was Turkish from birth) who attended an embassy school or a foreign high school located inside Turkey
• Enrolled in a regular Turkish high school — not an embassy school, a MOBİS-listed international private school, or an MEB project school — starting from the 2022–2023 academic year onward, as a foreign national, ex-Turkish citizen/Blue Card holder, or KKTC citizen. Per a July 2022 YÖK decision, students in this situation can only be admitted through YKS (Turkey’s national placement exam) — not through this international pathway.

Documents Required to Apply

• All documents must be in Turkish or English. If the originals are in another language, attach a certified Turkish or English translation alongside them.
• Your high school diploma (certified copy) — or, if you haven’t graduated yet, an official document from your current school confirming your expected graduation date
• Your transcript/GPA document, with certified translation if needed
• A copy of the photo/identity page of a valid passport
• For exam scores other than TR-YÖS (e.g. SAT, ACT): a notarized, verified copy of your official score report
• For nationally recognized diplomas: a certified copy from a Turkish embassy or consulate

Turkish Language Requirements

Even if you’re admitted to an English-taught program, you’ll still need to learn some Turkish:

• 100% Turkish-taught programs: You must earn a C1-level Turkish certificate (from YTU’s TÖMER or the Yunus Emre Institute) within 1 year of registering, with a possible 1-year extension. You can’t begin your studies without it, and missing the deadline gets your registration cancelled. (You’ll also still take two general English courses, İngilizce I & II, later on — see the note at the end of the next section.)
• 30% English-taught programs: Same C1 Turkish requirement, same 1(+1)-year window. Important: you must submit your C1 TÖMER certificate before you’re even allowed to sit YTU’s English exemption exam (İYS) — see below. Don’t put off the Turkish requirement just because you’re aiming to test out of English prep.
• 100% English-taught programs: You’ll still need at least B1-level Turkish within 1 year (+1 year extension).
• French Translation & Interpreting (100% French-taught): French-prep exemption requires meeting one of several conditions (passing YTU’s French Proficiency Exam, graduating from a French lycée, scoring 70+ on YDS/e-YDS/YÖKDİL, DELF B2/DALF C1-C2, or a French Baccalaureate). C1 Turkish is still required within 1 year.
• KKTC citizens are exempt from all Turkish-proficiency requirements.

English Proficiency Exam (İYS) & Prep Exemption

If your program requires at least 30% English instruction, you’ll need to either test out of a one-year English-prep program or complete it.

How İYS (YTU’s English Proficiency Exam) works:

• Held 3 times a year: start of Fall semester, end of Fall semester, and end of Spring semester.
• Two stages — reading & language use, then listening and/or writing — each scored out of 50, for a combined score out of 100.
• Passing score: 60/100 (CB) exempts you from the prep year. English Language Teaching program applicants need 85/100 (BA) instead — a notably higher bar.
• Score 70+/100 (BB) additionally exempts you from two required courses later in your degree (“İleri İngilizce I & II”).
• Results are valid for 3 years.
• You do not need to take it, or any exam, before arriving — İYS happens after registration, with dates announced by the School of Foreign Languages. You don’t need to separately register for it.

Accepted exams for exemption (in place of taking İYS):

CB is the minimum band needed for prep exemption (BA for English Language Teaching applicants); BB and above also exempts you from “İleri İngilizce I & II.” The standard Oxford Test of English only reports scores up to the BB band — you’d need the Advanced version for a BA/AA equivalent.

If you don’t pass on your first try: Prep is only given once — you can’t repeat the year. Attendance must be at least 85% each semester, or you lose your exam rights for that term. Students who fail or fall short on attendance become “pending” students, with 4 total retake chances for İYS spread across up to two academic years (next Fall’s start, that Fall’s end, that Spring’s end, and the following year’s Fall start). If you still haven’t passed after using all 4 chances, you can request a transfer (via ÖSYM) into the Turkish-taught version of the same program, if one exists — students who don’t apply for that transfer are dismissed from the university. This is a real risk worth taking seriously, not just a formality.

A couple of practical notes:

• Exemption documents (your qualifying exam score, etc.) must be delivered in person with a petition to the Head of the Basic English Department (Temel İngilizce Bölüm Başkanlığı) at Davutpaşa Campus — bring originals.
• Even students in 100% Turkish-taught programs still take two general English courses (İngilizce I & II) at some point — but the bar to test out of those is much lower (as low as a 40 on YDS-type exams counts for a passing grade).

Tuition Fees

• Tuition is set annually within a minimum/maximum range decided by Presidential Decree, then finalized by YTU’s Management Board and approved by YÖK.
• For 2026–2027, tuition is 35,000 TL per semester (roughly $745 USD at current exchange rates — this fluctuates, so double-check before you budget or pay).
• You’ll also need to sign a Financial Guarantee Declaration Form, confirming you have enough money to cover your studies and living costs in Turkey. YTU’s Management Board sets the required minimum amount.
• Heads up: if you don’t pay tuition and don’t take any courses for two consecutive years, your registration is automatically cancelled.

Documents Required at Registration

Once you’ve secured your place, registration is handled by the Student Affairs Office (Öğrenci İşleri Daire Başkanlığı) and requires:

• Your original high school diploma, apostilled, with a certified Turkish translation (from a Turkish notary or a Turkish embassy/consulate). A temporary graduation certificate is not accepted for registration — except in special cases, where you may register with one temporarily but must submit the original diploma by the end of the Fall semester, or your registration will be cancelled.
• (T.C. citizens who studied abroad only) An Equivalency Certificate (“Denklik Belgesi”) from a Turkish embassy/consulate or the Ministry of National Education (MEB), confirming your diploma is equivalent to a Turkish one — same submission deadline applies.
• Original transcript/GPA document with certified Turkish translation
• Original score report used in your application, with notarized Turkish translation
• Certified copy of your passport/ID identity page
• Proof of tuition payment
• A Study Visa (“Öğrenim Vizesi”) from a Turkish foreign mission, unless you’re exempt under Directorate General of Security rules
• 6 recent passport-style photos (taken within the last 6 months)
• A Turkish Proficiency Certificate, if you have one — not required from Blue Card holders or T.C. citizens, but required from foreign nationals who attended high school in Turkey
• Foreigner ID Number (YU number), if you have one
• (Dual nationals born foreign who later became T.C. citizens) A detailed population registry record (“Vukuatlı Nüfus Kayıt Örneği”)
• Signed Financial Guarantee Declaration Form
• (T.C. citizens who studied abroad only) A document approved by the Directorate General of Security showing your entry/exit records to and from Turkey
• YTU International Student Registration Undertaking Form

Important: You must register in your very first eligible semester — skipping it means forfeiting your place entirely.

After You Register: Residence Permit

Once registered, you have 90 days to apply for a student residence permit through Turkey’s immigration authorities and submit it to the Student Affairs Office.

Important Note on Exam Scores

If you’re submitting SAT, ACT, EGE, or any other exam issued electronically, note that a notarized Turkish/English translation of the score report will not be accepted as part of your application. Make sure to follow YTU’s official score submission and verification process before the deadline (linked below).

Useful Official Links

• Accepted Exams & Diplomas for International Student Admission
• Admission Guidelines for International Undergraduate Programs
• 2026–2027 Program Quotas (PDF)
• Notary Approval Requirements for Applications
• Faculty Contact Information

Need Help With Your Application?

Applying to a Turkish university for the first time can feel overwhelming — from choosing programs to preparing documents, translations, and notarizations on a tight deadline. YTU International Students Club is here to help incoming and current international students navigate the process.

Click this link to join our registration group

This post summarizes YTU’s official 2026–2027 international undergraduate admissions announcement and its official Admission Directive (Yurt Dışından Lisans Programlarına Öğrenci Kabul Yönergesi). Always confirm exact dates, fees, and requirements on YTU’s official admissions pages before applying.