YÖK Opens Path for Turkish Students in Iran to Transfer to Turkish Universities

The Council of Higher Education has granted Turkish Republic citizens studying at recognized universities in Iran the opportunity to transfer horizontally to higher education institutions in Turkey. The Council of Higher Education made this decision at its meeting on August 27; the decision was communicated in writing to all universities on September 10.

The regulation was implemented to prevent the educational progress of Turkish students remaining in Iran from being disrupted amid the instability created by the US-Iran conflict in the region.

The fundamental requirement for horizontal transfer applications is that the student must have taken the Turkish ÖSYS/YKS exam in the year they registered for the program in Iran. Applications will be evaluated based on the program's success ranking or base score for that year. For programs requiring special talent, the central exam score from the relevant year will be considered valid.

Students unable to meet the conditions for horizontal transfer may continue their education under special student status. Those who registered for programs in Iran through international exams such as SAT, IB, GCE A Level, French Baccalauréat, and German Abitur may also apply if they meet the specified conditions.

YÖK had previously opened this channel in 2022 for students affected by the war in Ukraine.