Understand Istanbul.
Practical answers for living, moving and navigating life in Istanbul — written by the Smileys team, with official sources linked where the details matter.
Start here
Check your visa and stay limit
6 min read
Get in from the airport
4 min read
Get a SIM and home internet
6 min read
Get around with Istanbulkart
4 min read
Open a bank account
6 min read
Get your residence permit
11 min read
Work remotely, legally
7 min read
Use the healthcare system
3 min read
Set up daily life
4 min read
Move with children
4 min read
Know the emergency numbers
4 min read
Avoid scams and stay safe
7 min read
Where are you in your move?
Explore the Handbook
Getting Around
3 articlesTransport cards, buses, ferries, taxis, airports — however your city moves, the answers are simple.
Taxi Trouble in Istanbul? Here's Where to Complain
Home & Housing
2 articlesFinding a home, renting, utilities, moving in.
Moving Into a Flat in Istanbul: Electricity, Water, Gas and the Building Fee (Aidat)
Money & Banking
2 articlesBank accounts, tax numbers, cards, transfers.
Getting a Turkish Tax Number as a Foreigner (Vergi Kimlik Numarası)
Mobile & Digital
2 articlesSIMs, eSIMs, home internet, e-Devlet, the apps you actually need.
e-Devlet for Foreigners: Getting Your Password and What You Can Do With It
Healthcare
2 articlesHow the system works — public vs private, pharmacies, insurance, emergencies.
Health Insurance for Your Residence Permit: What Is Accepted in Türkiye
Residence & Legal
3 articlesPermits, address registration, work permits — the slow grind of being legal.
Working Remotely from Türkiye: Digital Nomad Visa, Work Permissions, Tax & Social Security
Everyday Life
2 articlesShopping, deliveries, schools, pets, the small things that wear you down until they don't.
Family Life in Istanbul: Raising children with confidence
Safety & Emergencies
4 articlesEmergency numbers, scams, earthquake preparedness, lost documents.
Lost or Stolen Passport, Residence Permit or Phone in Türkiye: What to Do
Language & Culture
1 articleThe local language, etiquette, and the misunderstandings worth skipping.
Turkish Basics and Etiquette: Words, Customs and the Rules Worth Knowing
More from the Handbook
Taxi Trouble in Istanbul? Here's Where to Complain
Overcharged, refused or no meter? How to report an Istanbul taxi to ALO 153 (English available), claim a refund through the Consumer Arbitration Committee, and when to call 112.
Health Insurance for Your Residence Permit: What Is Accepted in Türkiye
Which health insurance the migration authority accepts for a residence permit — Turkish private policies, social security agreements, SGK — the circular a private policy must meet, and who is exempt.
Lost or Stolen Passport, Residence Permit or Phone in Türkiye: What to Do
Step by step: the police loss report, your embassy, replacing a lost residence permit card, telling the migration office about a new passport, and blocking a lost phone and bank cards.
Turkish Basics and Etiquette: Words, Customs and the Rules Worth Knowing
How to pronounce Turkish, the words you'll use every day, everyday courtesies, visiting mosques, Ramadan, public holidays — and the few rules (alcohol hours, smoking, tipping) that are law, not custom.
Moving Into a Flat in Istanbul: Electricity, Water, Gas and the Building Fee (Aidat)
What to do, in order: earthquake insurance (DASK), your registered address, water, electricity and gas in your name, and who pays the aidat — plus internet and moving out.
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