How to Check the MEB Permit and the Validity of the Programme Before Enrolling in a Foreign School

Which documents should be sought in five independent checks?

The table below is the skeleton of the review file that can be built during the enrolment interview. A favourable result in one row does not mean automatic approval for the other rows.

The review in the table can be carried out in five steps. The dates of the documents and the teaching years they cover should also be recorded. A permit granted in the past does not by itself explain the position of a new campus opened at a different address or of a programme added later.

First step: Verify the institution’s official identity and the correct campus

The school’s trade name and the name in its licence may differ

Begin the enrolment interview by asking for the official name of the school and its institution code. The relationship between the brand on the website, the name on the signboard, the legal entity in the contract and the institution named in the permit must be understood. The same brand may have more than one campus, different stages and institutions operated by different founders. Therefore, instead of the statement “our group is affiliated with the MEB”, ask for the identity of the institution in which the child will be enrolled.

Law No. 5580 regulates foreign private schools and international private educational institutions in different categories. A Turkish private school that teaches in a foreign language is also not the same as these two categories. For an institution claiming an embassy connection, the particular legal basis that applies should be asked about separately. The review cannot be completed by looking at the name of the school. [1]

If the name of the institution has changed, ask for the official approval linking the old and the new documents. The MEB’s announcement of 26 August 2026 publicised the practice concerning the changing of foreign names in Turkish private educational institutions and the exceptions for different types of school. In this process, explaining the difference in names is important; an irregularity should not be inferred merely because a different name exists. [18]

How should the QR code and the official list be used?

In its announcement of 25 April 2026, the MEB asked parents to check the institution’s permit through the QR code or the website of the General Directorate of Private Educational Institutions. The announcement attaches importance not merely to the presence of a QR code but to its leading to the institution information in MEBBİS. [2]

In practice, follow this sequence:

1. Scan the QR code at the entrance of the institution; check whether the page that opens contains official institution information.
2. On the ÖÖKGM institution search page, search for the school’s official name, province and type.
3. Examine together the name, code, address and field of activity of the institution on the screen and of the institution in the contract.
4. Keep the result with its date; if there is a deficiency or a discrepancy, make a written request for confirmation to the provincial/district directorate of national education to which the school is affiliated.

That a web page cannot be opened or that a search returns no result is not by itself proof that the school is unlicensed. Conversely, the phrase “MEB approved” on the school’s own website does not constitute independent confirmation either. When the official list cannot be accessed, the procedure should be completed with a reply from the competent directorate. The MEB’s frequently asked questions page also states that information may be obtained from the relevant directorate of national education where there is doubt about an institution or programme. [3]

A primary school permit should not be treated as valid for high school as well

Visit the building in which the child will actually be educated. Check whether the address in the permit is the same as the address at which classes will be held. If there is a new campus, an additional building or a move, ask about the official document explaining it. That a campus has signboards for primary school, lower secondary school and high school does not show that every stage operates under the same institution code and the same permit.

Particularly where grade 8 is being enrolled and the family expects the child to continue in high school at the same place, examine the high school stage separately. The existence of a lower secondary school service does not mean that the permit for a high school said to be opening in the future has also been obtained. In the contract, distinguish between the statement “a high school will be opened” and the statement “a high school opening permit has been granted”.

Second step: Examine the name of the programme and the authority to apply it together

Which approvals should be asked about for a foreign country’s programme?

The language of instruction, the books used and the curriculum applied are separate questions. Teaching in English does not show that the whole of the British education system is applied. Nor does the use of another country’s textbook create an authority to issue diplomas in the name of that country.

According to the official explanation of the ÖÖKGM, international institutions that will apply a country programme other than the Turkish programme must submit a programme implementation permit document obtained from the unit responsible for education in the relevant country and bearing the certification of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Ministry approval is required for a curriculum and weekly course schedule that will be applied for the first time. The use at another school of a previously approved programme is also subject to the relevant permit and conformity processes. [4]

The school should therefore be asked for the full name of the programme, which country’s or organisation’s system it belongs to, which grades it covers and the date and number of the implementation approval. The statement “our curriculum is international” does not explain which of these documents exists. The year in which the pre-registration is made and the year in which the programme is expected to start should also be distinguished from each other.

In an international diploma programme, MEB approval is also sought separately

The MEB’s Directive on the Implementation of International Diploma and Certificate Programmes, including the amendments of 7 August 2025, regulates the application, review and approval of the relevant general directorate for the public and private secondary education institutions within its scope. The same text provides that the parent is to be informed about the duration, courses, requirements and costs of the programme. The authorisation of the international organisation and the implementation approval in Türkiye should therefore be asked about separately. [5]

The secondary education scope of this directive should not be extended as it stands to every age group and every type of international programme. Which regulation and which administrative approval apply to a primary school or lower secondary school programme should be determined from the competent directorate. In the family’s file, a document showing the programme the child will enter, rather than a general promotional brochure, is important.

The 2026 amendment: not every violation in a programme leads to the same legal consequence

The ÖÖKGM’s letter No. 167676548 of 3 September 2026 distinguishes two situations: an institution’s adding or changing a programme without permission within its own type, and its actually applying a programme that falls within the field of another type of institution. In the second case, direct cancellation of the licence under Article 7 of Law No. 5580 is at issue; not all programme deficiencies are assessed under the same heading of sanction. [6]

For example, a place that has only course status and offers the child a full-time school service and a promise of completing the grade requires serious examination. The question here is not limited to the quality of the teacher: is the institution legally authorised to provide the service it sells? In conducting the review, the weekly course plan, the advertisements and the enrolment contract should be read together.

What do IB and Cambridge records verify?

Programme and level of authorisation at an IB school

The IB’s official school directory allows research by school and programme. It should be checked which of the Primary Years, Middle Years or Diploma Programme is listed. An authorisation seen for one programme cannot be interpreted as meaning that all the programmes listed in the school’s promotion are authorised. [7]

In the IB’s explanations of concepts, a candidate school and an authorised school are separate statuses. “Candidacy”, “application process” and current authorisation must therefore not be confused. What will be done if the programme cannot start on the date the family plans should also be explained in the contract. [8]

The distinction between a Cambridge exam centre and a school

Cambridge’s official directory states expressly that approved exam centres are not schools and do not provide teaching services. Being able to sit an exam at a centre does not prove that legally valid formal school education is received at the same place. School enrolment, exam registration and the qualification to be obtained must be examined separately. [9]

The record of each organisation is valuable within its own field of authority. No conclusion can be drawn from these records alone as to an institution’s licence in Türkiye, its eligibility to admit students or MEB equivalence.

A textbook regulation is not a programme licence

The ÖÖKGM letter of 29 September 2026 concerns the books used in international diploma and certificate programmes and foreign language courses. It recalls that the period for the use of books not printed in Türkiye has been set until the end of the 2026–2027 academic year, and it directs the 2027–2028 planning accordingly. This transitional explanation cannot be used as a provision approving an unauthorised programme or school. [10]

Third step: Determine that the child can be enrolled in this school

Even if the institution and the programme are permitted, the child may not be within the group of students that institution can admit. In this examination, the child’s own citizenship status must be taken as the basis before the parent’s citizenship. Current Turkish citizenship, later acquisition of citizenship, foreign citizenship only, and situations within the scope of the Blue Card must each be documented separately.

The provision introduced in 2026 by Law No. 7590 attaches a sanction to an international school’s enrolling or educating a student who is a Turkish citizen and to its keeping enrolled beyond the statutory period a student who later acquires Turkish citizenship. The suggestion “let the child attend classes without official enrolment” is therefore not a safe method of getting around this restriction. [11]

If Turkish citizenship is acquired while attending an international school, the provision on completing the current stage of education is examined. This facility is not an unlimited right to move on to the next stage. The MEB’s explanation No. 167785270 of 3 September 2026 makes this distinction concrete. [12]

The written question before enrolment should state the child’s current grade, the official type of the previous school, the date of acquiring citizenship, if applicable, and the new stage requested. Otherwise an affirmative answer merely to the question “do you admit foreign students?” will not be sufficient for the particular student. If the institution promises definite admission without examining the documents, it should also be asked on which legal basis the procedure will be carried out.

Related article: Can Turkish Citizens Study at Foreign Schools? School Types and the 2026 Regulation.

Fourth step: Secure the official record of each academic year

A student portal and the official record are not the same thing

A student number being given in the school’s own application, the child’s photograph being uploaded to the system or the timetable being visible may be useful information. However, the parent should find out with which official record this application is connected. Article 51 of the Regulation governs annual registration renewal and electronic registration procedures. [13]

For international schools, MOBİS is important. In the ÖÖKGM’s explanation, this system is defined for the electronic tracking of student registration, grade passing, transfer, programme and attendance procedures. Instead of assuming that the same screen will be used for every institution, ask which official module and registration procedure the school is subject to. [14]

When enrolment is completed, ask for a certified document showing the child’s identity, institution code, academic year, grade, programme and student status. The parent does not need to be given an institutional password; the aim is to obtain a verifiable output of the procedure relating to the child. At the end of the year, obtain the result of passing the grade together with the school report or transcript. If only an attendance certificate has been issued, have it explained whether the document shows that the grade was completed successfully.

Find out the consequence of the expression “guest student”

Under Article 51/5 of the Regulation, no diploma is issued to foreign guest students; a statement of courses and grades is given on leaving. This status must be understood in advance by a family aiming for graduation. [13]

Ask whether the school uses the word “guest” merely as an everyday expression or as a specific registration status. A contractual relationship in which the family expects a diploma and the institution plans to issue only a certificate of participation can create a serious dispute years later. The explanation should not be given after the fee has been paid and the child has left the previous school.

Why is having actually studied for two years not sufficient by itself?

In a hypothetical case where a student has attended classes for two years after grade 6 but the official record still shows grade 6, fee receipts, school-bus records and correspondence with teachers may explain the actual education. These are important, but they do not automatically replace the record of passing the grade and the education document.

As soon as a deficiency is seen, the school should therefore be asked in which system which years were entered. Is it a recording error that can be corrected, the student’s legal inability to be enrolled, or an authority problem of the institution? Each possibility requires different documents and procedures. The annual check should not be postponed with the answer “we will arrange it all at graduation”.

From where is the student archive of a closed school requested?

When a school closes, the search for documents does not consist merely of trying to reach the former principal. Article 23/2 of the Private Educational Institutions Regulation requires the registers, files and other papers concerning the students of an institution that has closed or been closed to be transferred to the provincial or district directorate of national education within one month at the latest. Article 23/3 places on the provincial directorate of national education the duty to take the measures necessary for the issue of documents and for procedures in applications concerning the closed institution. [13]

The application should state the school’s official name, institution code, former address, the child’s identity and the academic years being searched for. It may be requested that the unit to which the archive was transferred, the relevant part of the transfer and delivery record, and certified copies of the child’s records of registration, grades, attendance, passing the grade and leaving be provided. If the documents cannot be found, it should be asked in writing in which archives research was carried out and what procedure can be applied for the deficiency. That a transfer has been made does not mean that a record not kept in the past will necessarily be found; the scope of the existing evidence emerges from the search.

Phased closure and permanent closure have different consequences

Under Article 21 of the Regulation, phased closure proceeds from the first grade, beginning with the following academic year; the graduation or leaving of existing students within their normal period is the basis. This method cannot be applied in a school for which the Ministry has issued a decision of permanent closure. The parent should therefore ask not merely for the statement “the school is closing” but also for the type of decision and the concrete procedure as to how the child’s education will continue. [13]

If the record is wrong, how are data correction and the preservation of evidence planned?

Where the child’s identity, citizenship, grade or date of education has been processed incorrectly, the rights to obtain information and to request correction under Article 11 of Law No. 6698 are also assessed. The application should be addressed to the school or the competent public unit that is the data controller for the processing of the data concerned; the school’s own data and the entry in the MEB system must not be confused. This route does not produce a certificate of achievement for a grade that was not in fact completed. The time limits and application details are examined in the article on the record and data correction rights of a student who acquires citizenship. [23]

Where there is a concrete risk in a contractual dispute with a private school, such as the closing of the portal, the deletion of digital grades or the removal of promotional material containing a diploma promise, preservation of evidence under Articles 400–403 of the Code of Civil Procedure (HMK) may be considered. The possibility that the evidence will be lost or that it will become seriously difficult to submit later must be explained in terms of legal interest. The request should show which record, which academic year and which promise are to be recorded. Before an action is brought, subject-matter and territorial jurisdiction are determined under Article 401; after an action is brought, the request is addressed to the court hearing the case. In urgent cases where it is necessary to protect rights, recording without prior notification may be requested under Article 403; the court decides on this. [21]

Preservation of evidence makes it possible for existing events and documents to be assessed later. It does not replace an MEB equivalence or grade placement decision. It also helps this review if the family keeps dated screenshots, e-mails and documents within its own access rights; personal data belonging to other students should not be taken into the file unnecessarily.

Fifth step: Investigate the diploma and equivalence route at the time of enrolment

The issuing body, the form of education and the purpose of use must be determined

The name of which institution will appear on the diploma? Is the document a school diploma, an exam result or a certificate? Will education be conducted face to face in Türkiye, in a foreign country or remotely? Will the family use this document for the transition to high school in Türkiye, for a university application or for a school transfer in another country? Separate answers should be obtained to these questions.

For diplomas issued to graduates of international institutions that apply the Turkish programme, MOBİS records are the basis (Regulation Article 46/19). In addition, Article 11/2 of the Equivalence Regulation provides an equivalence exemption for those who complete the whole of a stage with the Turkish programme and weekly course schedule. [13] [15]

By contrast, Article 12/2 of the same regulation states that equivalence will not be granted to documents of private schools or institutions outside the scope of Law No. 5580. The conversion of education actually received in Türkiye into a document in the name of a foreign body does not automatically render this provision ineffective. The concrete institution, programme and form of education should be clarified with the equivalence centre. [15]

Two separate misconceptions about remote diplomas and the apostille

Article 12/3 of the Equivalence Regulation imposes a limitation on documents obtained wholly or partly by distance education. Article 5/1-c contains a special provision on applications for enrolment in an intermediate grade in extraordinary situations declared by the official authorities of the Republic of Türkiye. This exception cannot be presented as a general guarantee of equivalence for every online high school diploma. [15]

The apostille serves a different function. According to the HCCH’s explanation, it verifies the origin of the document, namely the signature, the capacity in which the signatory acted and the seal; it does not certify the content of the document. An apostilled diploma therefore does not mean a diploma that has been granted academic equivalence. Translation, notarial procedures and document verification must also not be confused with the assessment of the level of education. [16]

A request for information before enrolment cannot guarantee the result of all future equivalence procedures. Nevertheless, it is possible not to leave until after graduation the uncertainties about the body that issues the document and the programme that can be removed today.

A Council of State example: can an equivalence document that has been issued be annulled later?

The decision of the 8th Chamber of the Council of State of 17.10.2024, E.2023/6415, K.2024/5403 concerns the annulment of an equivalence document issued for a diploma obtained from Ukraine after graduation from a high school in Türkiye. In the file, the failure to declare the earlier Turkish high school graduation in the application, the inconsistency between the years of education and the foreign entry and exit records, and the claim of distance education were examined. The fact that the equivalence document had been used by a university in admitting a student from abroad is also among the consequences of the dispute. The Chamber upheld the dismissal of the action with an additional reasoning. [19]

The reasoning of the decision discusses the 2019 regulation and the express limitation introduced in 2023. This historical examination should not be put in the place of the current Article 12 of the 2024 Equivalence Regulation. The practical conclusion that can be drawn from the decision is that the whole education history should be declared correctly in the application and that the education on which the diploma is based should be documented. It cannot be said that the same result would follow for every second diploma or every deficiency in the records. [15] [19]

Which questions should be answered in writing in the contract and the payment of fees?

Do not read the contract merely as a price and instalment plan. It should clearly show by whom, where and with what legal status the education service will be provided. If the promises about the diploma, programme and stage made in the interview are not in the written text, ask for them to be explained.

Article 3 of Law No. 5580 does not allow student enrolment without an institution opening permit. Calling the procedure “pre-registration” or the payment a “deposit” does not remove the need to examine the real nature of the transaction. A contract presented by an institution that says it is awaiting a permit should not be treated as though the permit had been obtained. [1]

The following matters in particular should be clarified:

• When will final enrolment be established, and once which documents and approvals have been completed?
• If the licence or programme permit has not yet been obtained, on what condition is an advance payment taken?
• If the child cannot legally be enrolled or the programme cannot be opened, how will the fee and documents be refunded?
• Which of the fees for international exams, diploma, books, meals, school bus and other services are included in the tuition fee?
• If the programme changes or the campus moves, what options will be offered to the parent?
• When the student leaves, how will the school report, transcript, and documents of passing the grade and of transfer be delivered?

Article 55/3 of the Regulation provides that fees are to be paid into a bank account opened in the name of the institution and notified to the Ministry or the governorate. The student, the academic year and the subject of the payment should be clear on the receipt; the contract, receipt and invoice should be kept together. [13]

Ordinary withdrawal is different from unauthorised or defective service

Article 56 of the Regulation provides that, for ordinary withdrawal from schools charging annual fees, ten percent is deducted if the withdrawal is before the academic year starts and, if it is after the start, the fee for the days of education received is added to this. Where it is documented that a student was enrolled in grade 9 of a state school admitting students by examination before the academic year started, there is a provision for a full refund. Refunds are made within one month at the latest of the departure. [13]

However, a school’s failure to provide the legally valid education it promised, or its concealing that enrolment could not be made, cannot be regarded merely as the parent’s choice to change schools. In relationships of the nature of a consumer transaction, the provisions on defective service of Law No. 6502 are examined with regard to price reduction, withdrawal from the contract and claims for damages, according to the particular case. The ten percent deduction rule should not be applied automatically to every dispute arising from the school’s liability. [17]

In the case of irregular closure, Article 22 should also not be overlooked: for the refund of fees collected in the academic year or term concerned, the provision refers expressly to Article 56; it also reserves the actions that students and parents may bring against the founder under the general provisions. This special reference and claims for defective service and damage are therefore examined together. No automatic full refund for every irregular closure, and no automatic ten percent deduction for every dispute, can be inferred. [13]

A fee refund and the child’s loss of education are also separate matters. A refund does not correct a missing grade record. Administrative procedures for the new school, enrolment or equivalence and contractual claims should be planned simultaneously. As regards compensation, damage, liability and causation are assessed on concrete documents; no particular outcome in compensation can be inferred merely from the existence of an enrolment problem.

To which body is a fee dispute taken in 2026?

If the relationship is of the nature of a consumer transaction, application to the consumer arbitration committee is mandatory for disputes whose value in 2026 is below TRY 186,000. Disputes of this amount and above fall outside the jurisdiction of the arbitration committee; subject to statutory exceptions, application is made to the consumer court after mediation as a condition precedent to litigation has been completed. Where there is no consumer court, the civil court of first instance with jurisdiction hears the case in that capacity. Because the monetary limit changes annually, it is the regulation in force on the date of application, not the year in which the contract was signed, that must be checked. [20]

The subject and value of the claim should be clear; the contract, payments, promised service, education actually provided and the response to the refund request should be submitted together. The directorate of national education’s inspection of the school and the consumer authority’s examination of the fee or compensation are different procedures. Waiting for the outcome of the fee dispute does not require the upcoming enrolment and equivalence calendar to be missed.

To whom should archive, equivalence, data and fee requests be addressed?

Listing all the requests in the same petition sometimes leaves the real competent authority unclear. The distinction below can be used to organise applications according to the problem in the file; special rules of jurisdiction are examined separately. [13] [15] [20] [23]

Who can make the application on the child’s behalf?

In the application, the authority of the person representing the child must be documented as well as the child’s identity. Article 342 of the Turkish Civil Code governs the legal representation of the child within the scope of the parents’ custody and the presumption by third parties acting in good faith that one spouse is acting with the consent of the other. It therefore cannot be said that the signatures of both parents are unconditionally required for every procedure. Who holds custody, whether there is a guardian or representative, court decisions and the special conditions of the procedure are examined in the concrete file. The legal steps required for the use of a foreign custody or guardianship document in Türkiye are also assessed separately. [22]

A sample request for information to the directorate of national education

The short text below can be adapted to make the uncertainty before enrolment concrete. If there is more than one campus or programme, each should be stated clearly.

To the … Provincial/District Directorate of National Education

I am considering enrolling my child in grade … in the … academic year at the institution whose official name is …, institution code …, and address …. The institution states that it applies the programme named … and that at the end of the education it will issue the document …

In the light of the enclosed promotional material and sample documents, I request that you notify me of the legal type of the institution, its permit of activity for the stated address and stage, the approval to apply the programme in question and the scope of that approval. I also respectfully request that you explain my child’s eligibility for enrolment, given the citizenship and education status described in the enclosure, the official student record system to be used and the competent unit for the education documents, and that matters outside your Directorate’s field of duty be referred to the relevant unit.

Name–surname, date, contact information, signature.

Enclosures: Sample permit or programme documents given by the institution; the relevant promotional material; identity and education documents of the child necessary for the enrolment assessment.

Keep the registry number of the application. If a general reply arrives stating that “the institution is affiliated with our Ministry”, examine whether it answers all the questions concerning the address, stage, programme and student. State the missing point clearly in a new question. Instead of publishing the child’s personal documents in publicly accessible complaint texts, send them through the secure application channel of the competent authority.

How should the result of the review and the annual follow-up of documents be recorded?

Instead of hastily classifying each finding as “correct” or “incorrect”, write down which document is missing. The examples below are not findings made about any school; they show how an enrolment file may be read.

After enrolment, it is also useful to review the file at least three points a year: at the beginning of the academic year, the enrolment and grade; at the end of the term, grades and attendance; at the end of the year, passing the grade and the following year’s programme. A separate review should be made when citizenship, campus or programme changes. Do not leave documents only in the school portal; keep dated copies in the family file.

If a transfer to an international school applying a different programme is being considered, programme compatibility should also be asked about separately. The scope of Regulation Article 51/10 regarding the first entry of students who come to Türkiye while studying abroad, and transitions between different programmes, should not extend automatically to every transfer within Türkiye. This distinction is addressed in detail in the article on the school enrolment of Blue Card holders and dual-citizen children. [13]

If a dispute arises, the first aim should be to determine the legally applicable route by which the child can continue education. Examination of the school’s permit to operate, correction of the education record and a fee claim do not replace one another. The reasons, date and notification of any official decision received should also be kept.

Conclusion

At the end of the review before enrolling in a foreign school, the family should not be left with merely an attractive promotional file. A consistent record file should be built that documents the institution’s legal type and campus, its authority to apply the programme, the child’s eligibility for admission and the education of each year.

MEB permit, international authorisation, official student record and equivalence have different functions. Examining these areas together at the time of enrolment makes early visible the risk that years will not be reflected in documents, especially on the transition from grade 8 to high school. Uncertainties should be resolved in writing with the school administration and the competent directorates of national education; oral promises of graduation or equivalence should not by themselves be made the basis of an enrolment decision.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can a school’s MEB permit be checked?

It can be researched through the ÖÖKGM institution search page, the official QR code at the entrance of the institution and the directorate of national education to which it is affiliated. The code, address, type and field of activity of the institution should be checked as well as its name. [2]

Is a QR code at the school’s door sufficient by itself?

No. The official information to which the QR code leads must match the institution in which the child will be enrolled. A code that goes to the school’s own advertising page does not complete this review. The programme and the student’s eligibility must also be researched separately. [2]

Does an IB logo mean a permit to open a school in Türkiye?

No. The IB directory is used to research for which programme the school concerned is listed. In addition, the institution’s permit in Türkiye and the legal basis for applying the programme are determined by separate documents. Candidate status is not the same as the status of an authorised school. [7] [8]

Does receiving education at a Cambridge exam centre count as high school education?

Exam centre status does not by itself produce this result. Cambridge explains that approved exam centres are not schools and do not offer educational services. The record of formal education and the nature of the document must be examined separately. [9]

Can a licensed international school admit every Turkish student?

No. An institution’s permit of activity and a child’s eligibility for enrolment are different. The enrolment of Turkish citizens and the position of a student who later acquires citizenship as regards completing the stage are subject to separate rules; the documents are examined according to the child’s concrete status. [12]

Why is the MOBİS record important?

It relates to the official tracking of procedures such as student registration, grade passing, transfer and attendance in international schools. It is useful for the parent not to rely solely on how things appear in the institution’s internal application, but to ask for the child’s official record and end-of-year documents. [14]

Can a diploma be obtained with guest student status?

No diploma is issued to a foreign guest student within the scope of Regulation Article 51/5. What this status means should be explained before enrolment. [13]

Does an apostilled foreign diploma definitely receive equivalence?

No. The apostille is verification of the origin of the document; it does not certify the academic content. For equivalence, the institution, programme, form of education and the relevant education documents are assessed separately. [16]

If the school cannot make an official enrolment, can a ten percent deduction be made in every case?

The ordinary withdrawal rule cannot be applied automatically to the school’s liability arising from unauthorised or defective service. The contract, the promise made, the reason why enrolment could not be made and the concrete damage must be examined. [17]

Which documents must definitely be in the family’s file before enrolment?

In practice, samples of the institution and programme permits, official confirmation replies, the student admission assessment, the signed contract and the payment documents should be kept together. After education begins, the certified record, the school report or transcript and the document of passing the grade for each year should be added to the file. This arrangement makes it easier to determine which procedure is missing when a problem arises.

If the school has closed, from whom are the school report and grade-passing records requested?

Application should be made to the provincial or district directorate of national education to which the institution’s papers were transferred. Regulation Article 23 provides for the delivery of the papers within one month at the latest and for the provincial directorate of national education to take measures in document procedures concerning the closed institution. The institution code, academic years and requested documents of the school should be clearly stated in the application. [13]

In 2026, can a fee claim of TRY 186,000 be taken to the arbitration committee?

No. The 2026 limit is for consumer disputes below TRY 186,000. For claims of exactly this amount and above, subject to statutory exceptions, the route of mediation and the consumer court is assessed. If the application will be made in another year, the limit for that year should be checked. [20]

If evidence is preserved, are the lost academic years recognised automatically?

No. Preservation of evidence is aimed at protecting evidence that is at risk of being lost or difficult to submit later. Whether the education falls within the scope of equivalence and in which grade the student will be placed are assessed separately under the relevant education legislation. [21] [15]

Sources and legal bases

1. Private Educational Institutions Law No. 5580, in particular Articles 2, 3 and 5; the official 2024 text of the ÖÖKGM. The 2026 amendments have been assessed together with the laws and implementing letters below. Official text.
2. Ministry of National Education, “MEB Warned Parents Against Private Educational Institutions Operating Without Permission”, 25.04.2026; institution permit, QR code and official confirmation. Announcement. Application tool: ÖÖKGM institution search.
3. MEB Frequently Asked Questions, researching an institution’s affiliation with the Ministry and its permit to apply a programme. Official explanations.
4. General Directorate of Private Educational Institutions, Frequently Asked Questions, another country’s programme in international schools and the permit documents required. Official explanation.
5. Ministry of National Education Directive on the Implementation of International Diploma and Certificate Programmes, text including the amendments made by approval No. 137181115 of 07.08.2025, in particular Articles 1–2, 6 and 8. Official PDF.
6. ÖÖKGM, letter No. E-16915068-010.99-167676548 of 03.09.2026, “Amendments Made to Private Educational Institutions Law No. 5580 (Additional Explanations)”. Official letter.
7. International Baccalaureate, “Find an IB World School”; school and programme search directory. Official directory.
8. International Baccalaureate, “Glossary of terms”; the concepts of candidate school and authorisation. Official explanation.
9. Cambridge International Education, “Find a Cambridge school”; the distinction between a school and an approved exam centre. Official directory and explanation.
10. ÖÖKGM, letter No. E-16915068-010.99-170186587 of 29.09.2026, “Books Used in International Diploma and Certificate Programmes and Foreign Language Courses”. Official letter.
11. Law No. 7590, adopted 24.07.2026, Official Gazette 31.07.2026/33326, Article 18; amendment of Article 7 of Law No. 5580. TBMM text of the Law.
12. ÖÖKGM, letter No. E-16915068-010.99-167785270 of 03.09.2026, “On Sub-paragraph (ğ) of the Second Paragraph of Article 7 of Law No. 5580”. Official letter.
13. Ministry of National Education Private Educational Institutions Regulation, Official Gazette 20.03.2012/28239; in particular Articles 21–23, 46/19, 51/4–5, 10–11, 55/3 and 56. Text with amendment notes published by the Ministry of Family and Social Services. Official access.
14. ÖÖKGM, “Private International Schools Information System (MOBİS)”, 25.06.2020; scope of the system’s student procedures. Official explanation.
15. Ministry of National Education Equivalence Regulation, Official Gazette 09.07.2024/32597; in particular Articles 5/1-c, 11/2 and 12/2–3. Official PDF of the Nevşehir directorate of national education.
16. HCCH, “The ABCs of Apostilles”, in particular the section “What are the effects of an Apostille?”; the apostille’s function of verifying origin. Official guide.
17. Ministry of Trade, General Directorate of Consumer Protection and Market Surveillance, “Information on Defective Goods and Services”; Articles 13–15 of Law No. 6502. Official information.
18. ÖÖKGM, “The Era of Foreign Names in Turkish Private Schools Is Ending”, 26.08.2026; change of institution name and the distinction between school types. Official explanation.
19. Council of State 8th Chamber, 17.10.2024, E.2023/6415, K.2024/5403; annulment of an equivalence document issued for a foreign high school diploma and affirmation with an additional reasoning. Official text from the Council of State decision search.
20. Ministry of Trade, “Information Text on Consumer Arbitration Committees”, 22.01.2026; the 2026 monetary limit, application and court route. Official explanation.
21. Code of Civil Procedure No. 6100 (HMK), in particular Articles 400–403; preservation of evidence, jurisdiction, request and urgent cases. Ministry of Justice legislation text.
22. Turkish Civil Code No. 4721, Article 342; representation of the child and the scope of custody. Ministry of Justice legislation text.
23. Personal Data Protection Authority, “Rights of the Data Subject”; obtaining information and requesting correction of incorrect data under Article 11 of Law No. 6698. Official explanation.