Moving to Istanbul
Make Istanbul feel like home.
Smileys pairs practical local knowledge — the Handbook, written by members who went through it — 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.
Your move, step by step
What to read, and when — from the Handbook guides Istanbul already has.
Before you arrive
I'm planning my move
Residence permits and where to live — the decisions to make before you land.
- Getting Your Residence Permit (İkamet) in Istanbul
- Renting an Apartment in Istanbul: What Foreigners Should Know
- Residence Permit (Ikamet): Your first application, without the panic
Your first week
I just arrived
Get a working phone, a transport card and a way to pay — the first-week essentials.
- Opening a Bank Account in Istanbul
- Istanbulkart Mastery: The only ticket that matters
- Getting a SIM Card and Home Internet in Türkiye
Your first month
I'm settling in
Healthcare, a longer-term home, family life and the everyday systems that make a city work.
- How Healthcare Actually Works in Istanbul
- Family Life in Istanbul: Raising children with confidence
- Daily Life in Istanbul: The little things that make a big difference
Once you're settled
Build your life here
Paperwork done — now the part that makes a city home: people.
The practical side
Member-written guides from the Istanbul Handbook. Where a guide links official sources, those are the requirements; the rest is lived experience.
Residence permits and legal status
2 guidesGetting Your Residence Permit (İkamet) in Istanbul
Links official sources
Housing and neighbourhoods
2 guidesRenting an Apartment in Istanbul: What Foreigners Should Know
Links official sources
Banking and money
2 guidesOpening a Bank Account in Istanbul
Links official sources
SIM, home internet and essential apps
1 guideGetting a SIM Card and Home Internet in Türkiye
Links official sources
Healthcare
1 guideHow Healthcare Actually Works in Istanbul
Last reviewed 10 August 2026 · Links official sources
Transport
1 guideIstanbulkart Mastery: The only ticket that matters
Links official sources
Safety, scams and emergencies
1 guideScams & Tourist Traps in Türkiye: How to stay safe without becoming paranoid
Last reviewed 10 August 2026 · Links official sources
Find your neighbourhood
Where Smileys members in Istanbul live, and where things are happening.
Kadıköy
Artsy & vibrant
297 Smileys members live here · 28 upcoming events
Şişli
Business & fashion
92 Smileys members live here
Beşiktaş
Lively & social
75 Smileys members live here
Üsküdar
Traditional & scenic
70 Smileys members live here
Beyoğlu
Culture & nightlife
62 Smileys members live here · 4 upcoming events
Beylikdüzü
Western coast living
60 Smileys members live here
Build your life here
Start with an event marked first-timer friendly — picked by the team as an easy one to come to on your own.
Upcoming events
41 on the calendar in Istanbul.
Clubs
148 active clubs — hiking, language, food, film and more.
Meet the hosts
The members who run events and clubs.
Community guidelines
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 Istanbul community board.
Answers are members' own experiences, not recommendations or endorsements by Smileys.
Open the community boardArrive knowing people.
Joining is free. You only pay for events you choose, and the price is shown before you RSVP.