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Smileys members in Bodrum
Smileys Bodrum

Moving to Bodrum

Make Bodrum feel like home.

Smileys pairs practical local knowledge — the Handbook's guides — with an in-person community, so you can sort out the paperwork, choose where to live, and build a real social life once you arrive.

Join Smileys BodrumRead the Handbook

Your move, step by step

What to read, and when — from the Handbook guides Bodrum already has.

  1. Before you arrive

    I'm planning my move

    Residence permits and where to live — the decisions to make before you land.

    Open this stage

  2. Your first week

    I just arrived

    Get in from the airport, then a working phone, a transport card and a way to pay — the first-week essentials.

    All 7 guides

  3. Your first month

    I'm settling in

    Healthcare, a longer-term home, family life and the everyday systems that make a city work.

    Open this stage

  4. Once you're settled

    Build your life here

    Paperwork done — now the part that makes a city home: people.

The practical side

Guides from the Bodrum Handbook, written by the Smileys team. Where a guide links official sources, those are the requirements; the rest is lived experience.

Start here

Getting Around Bodrum: Dolmuş, Ferries, Taxis & the Airport

Bodrum has no metro or traditional city bus network. Getting around the peninsula mainly means using dolmuşes, with MuğlaKart or contactless cards accepted for payment. Services run late and frequently in summer but become much more limited in winter. Airport buses are timed around flights, while the Kos ferry is an international border crossing, so make sure you have the required travel documents.

Residence permits and legal status

3 guides

Working Remotely from Türkiye: Digital Nomad Visa, Work Permissions, Tax & Social Security

Last reviewed 13 October 2026 · Links official sources

Banking and money

3 guides

20-Year Tax Exemption in Turkey: Who Really Qualifies

Last reviewed 2 November 2026 · Links official sources

SIM, home internet and essential apps

2 guides

e-Devlet for Foreigners: Getting Your Password and What You Can Do With It

Last reviewed 17 October 2026 · Links official sources

Healthcare

1 guide

Health Insurance for Your Residence Permit: What Is Accepted in Türkiye

Last reviewed 23 October 2026 · Links official sources

Transport

2 guides

Driving in Türkiye: A Practical Guide for Expats and Foreign Residents

Last reviewed 5 November 2026 · Links official sources

Safety, scams and emergencies

3 guides

Lost or Stolen Passport, Residence Permit or Phone in Türkiye: What to Do

Last reviewed 23 October 2026 · Links official sources

Find your neighborhood

Where Smileys members in Bodrum live, and where things are happening.

Bodrum Merkez

Castle, marina & old town

3 Smileys members live here

Gümbet

Beach bars & nightlife

2 Smileys members live here

Bitez

Quiet bay & tangerine groves

1 Smileys member live here

Gündoğan

Calm bay & olive groves

1 Smileys member live here

Gümüşlük

Fish tables & sunsets

1 Smileys member live here

Ortakent

Long sandy beach

Explore all Bodrum neighborhoods

Build your life here

Events, clubs and hosts in Bodrum.

Upcoming events

The Bodrum calendar.

Clubs

3 active clubs — hiking, language, food, film and more.

Meet the hosts

The members who run events and clubs.

Community rules

How members look after each other — worth reading before your first event.

Ask people who've done it

Flatmates, an English-speaking doctor, schools, a lawyer or accountant, a vet, a reliable handyman — members ask each other on the Bodrum community board.

Answers are members' own experiences, not recommendations or endorsements by Smileys.

Anyone can read the board; posting a question needs a Smileys account.

Open the community board

Arrive knowing people.

Joining is free. You only pay for events you choose, and the price is shown before you RSVP.

Join Smileys BodrumRead the HandbookExplore neighborhoodsSee upcoming events