Moving to İzmir
Make İzmir 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.
Your move, step by step
What to read, and when — from the Handbook guides İzmir already has.
Before you arrive
I'm planning my move
Residence permits and where to live — the decisions to make before you land.
- Working Remotely from Türkiye: Digital Nomad Visa, Work Permissions, Tax & Social Security
- Entering Türkiye: Visa-Free Stays, e-Visas and the 90/180 Rule
- Residence Permit (Ikamet): Your first application, without the panic
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.
- Getting a SIM Card and Home Internet in Türkiye
- İzmirim Kart: The Only Ticket That Matters
- Opening a Turkish bank account as a foreigner
Your first month
I'm settling in
Healthcare, a longer-term home, family life and the everyday systems that make a city work.
- Health Insurance for Your Residence Permit: What Is Accepted in Türkiye
- Turkish Basics and Etiquette: Words, Customs and the Rules Worth Knowing
Once you're settled
Build your life here
Paperwork done — now the part that makes a city home: people.
Read before you move
What living in İzmir is actually like, before and after you arrive. Best read in order; each one links to the next.
The practical side
Guides from the İzmir Handbook, written by the Smileys team. Where a guide links official sources, those are the requirements; the rest is lived experience.
Residence permits and legal status
3 guidesWorking Remotely from Türkiye: Digital Nomad Visa, Work Permissions, Tax & Social Security
Last reviewed 13 October 2026 · Links official sources
Banking and money
3 guides20-Year Tax Exemption in Turkey: Who Really Qualifies
Last reviewed 2 November 2026 · Links official sources
SIM, home internet and essential apps
2 guidese-Devlet for Foreigners: Getting Your Password and What You Can Do With It
Last reviewed 17 October 2026 · Links official sources
Healthcare
1 guideHealth Insurance for Your Residence Permit: What Is Accepted in Türkiye
Last reviewed 23 October 2026 · Links official sources
Transport
2 guidesDriving in Türkiye: A Practical Guide for Expats and Foreign Residents
Last reviewed 5 November 2026 · Links official sources
Safety, scams and emergencies
3 guidesLost 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 İzmir live, and where things are happening.
Bornova
University energy, students, cheap eats
3 Smileys members live here
Konak
Clock tower, Kemeraltı bazaar, the city's front door
2 Smileys members live here
Alsancak
Kordon seafront, bars, long evenings
1 Smileys member live here
Karşıyaka
The other side of the bay, families, ferry commute
1 Smileys member live here
Bostanlı
Sunset steps, waterfront cafés, evening runs
1 Smileys member live here
Sığacık
Cittaslow harbor, Sunday producer market
1 Smileys member live here
Build your life here
Events, clubs and hosts in İzmir.
Upcoming events
The İzmir 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 İzmir 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 boardArrive knowing people.
Joining is free. You only pay for events you choose, and the price is shown before you RSVP.