Since August 2021, 234.588 people have applied for the disability identity card, which the Ministry of Family and Social Services has carried to the e-Government Gateway website to facilitate the life of citizens with disabilities.

The Ministry has been issuing disability identity cards to citizens with a disability report with the rate of 40 % or more since 1998 to help create a disability database and to use the date in benefiting from the rights and services granted to persons with disabilities.

The Ministry has started accepting applications for disability identity cards, obtained with an application to the Provincial Directorates of Family and Social Services to facilitate the lives of citizens with disabilities, via e-Government Gateway website as of August 28, 2021.

In this context, 234.588 people have so far applied via e-Government Gateway and become holders of disability identity cards, while the application process of 4 people is still ongoing.

How to apply?

Citizens can apply for a disability identity card from the link https://www.turkiye.gov.tr/ashb-engelliler-icin-kimlik-karti-basvurusu.

The applicants' photograph, citizenship identity and postal address information are obtained from the MERNIS network, while the disability health board report is obtained from the Health Information System (SBS) network, and a disability identity card is issued to the applicants digitally.

The identity card issued is delivered within 15 working days to the addresses of the persons declared during the application or to their addresses registered in MERNIS.

Persons with disabilities can also obtain a disability identity card with an application to the Provincial Directorate of Family and Social Services in the province of residence with 2 photographs, identity card and the original or certified copy of the disability health board report.

The Ministry has issued disability identity cards to 1.137.309 million citizens since 1998.

Benefits of the Disability Identity Card

Citizens with a disability identity card can benefit from the right to transportation free of charge in the public transportation vehicles used. All public and private public transportation buses, sea transportation vehicles and trains of TCDD are free of charge for persons with disabilities. In addition, Turkish Airlines offers a 20 % discount on all domestic flights and a 25 % discount on international flights departing from Türkiye.

Persons with disabilities who apply to the municipality with their Disability Identity Card and a disability health board report showing that they are with a disability, and who have a single residence of less than 200 square meters are exempt from real estate tax.

Value Added Tax (VAT) is not charged on the supply of all kinds of tools and equipment and special computer programs specially produced for the education, occupations and daily lives of persons with disabilities.

They can visit museums and archaeological sites, national parks, nature reserves and nature parks free of charge. In addition, they can use the state theaters for free. GSM operators offer special tariffs for persons with disabilities.

In the projects prepared by TOKİ, 5 % of the planned number of housing units are reserved for citizens with disabilities. Citizens with disabilities can apply with a copy of their disability identity card and a disability health board report, and the right holders of the houses are determined by lottery.