
Understand Bodrum.
Practical answers for living, moving and navigating life in Bodrum — written by the Smileys team, with official sources linked where the details matter.
Where are you in your move?
Explore the Handbook

Getting Around
1 articleTransport cards, buses, ferries, taxis, airports — however your city moves, the answers are simple.
Getting Around Bodrum: Dolmuş, Ferries, Taxis & the Airport

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
1 articleHow 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

Safety & Emergencies
3 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
Latest articles

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.

e-Devlet for Foreigners: Getting Your Password and What You Can Do With It
e-Devlet is Türkiye's government services portal. Who can use it as a foreigner, how to get your password at PTT, and what it's useful for once you're in.

Getting a Turkish Tax Number as a Foreigner (Vergi Kimlik Numarası)
Why you need a Turkish tax number, how to apply for one online with your passport, and why you won't need one once you have a foreign ID number (YKN).
Lived through something the rest of us are about to face?
Write the article you wish had existed when you arrived — it goes up under your name, and we edit it together. Tell us the topic.
Pitch a topic →