😊Smileys
Smileys members in Ankara
Smileys Ankara

International & Erasmus students in Ankara

You're here. Now make it count.

Smileys helps international students experience Ankara, meet people outside their campus and build a social life early — alongside members from all over the world and locals.

See upcoming events

Not instead of your university's orientation or student network — alongside it, for the people and plans beyond campus.

Your first week in Ankara

Five steps, roughly in this order — save this page before you fly.

  1. Get connected

    A working phone number first: maps, banking codes and every group chat depend on it.

    SIM and mobile internet

  2. Learn the city

    Get a transport card, work out your commute, and save the emergency number before you need it.

    Transport card and getting around Emergency numbers Scams and staying safe

  3. Eat and explore

    Spend your first free afternoons finding out what Ankara is like — much of it costs little or nothing.

    Foodie

  4. Meet people

    Pick one event and go — plenty of people come on their own.

    See upcoming events

  5. Find your rhythm

    Something every week is how acquaintances become friends. Find a regular activity, and the part of the city that suits you.

    Neighbourhoods Clubs

Your semester, stage by stage

A semester goes faster than it looks from week one. What to do when.

  1. Before arrival

    Check how long you can stay, and ask your university’s international office what your programme needs for a residence permit. Applying to Smileys now means you’re in before you land — reviews take 24–48 hours.

    Entry rules and stay limits How residence permits work

  2. Welcome week

    Get in from the airport, get a SIM and a transport card, and go to one event on your own.

    Your first week, step by step

  3. First month

    Go back to something you liked the first time. Join a club or a weekly activity — the faces you see every week become your friends.

    Ankara clubs

  4. Make the most of it

    Try the parts of Ankara that aren’t on the first-week list, and bring a classmate to something new.

    Slow days

Your first event

Nothing is marked first-timer friendly right now — here is everything on in Ankara.

See every upcoming event in Ankara

Explore Ankara

Experiences from the Ankara Guide, by what you're in the mood for.

Find your neighbourhood

The practical side

From the Ankara Handbook.

Practical guidance, not legal advice. Residence permits and other paperwork depend on your nationality and your programme, and the rules change — your university's international office and the official sources each guide links to are where to confirm your own case.

Before you join

  • International students — Erasmus, exchange or a full degree — are welcome. You apply like anyone else, with no university details asked.
  • Anyone can browse this page, the events calendar, the Guide and the Handbook. Members can RSVP, join clubs and meet other members; some events are for members only, and their cards say so.
  • Joining is free. You only pay for events you choose, and the price is on every event before you RSVP.
  • A person reads every application, within 24–48 hours — it keeps events safe to walk into on your own. The form explains why it asks for each detail, and your phone number is never shown publicly. Privacy policy.

Meet people beyond campus.

Make your semester in Ankara more than lectures.

See upcoming events