International & Erasmus students in Istanbul
You're here. Now make it count.
Smileys helps international students experience Istanbul, meet people outside their campus and build a social life early — alongside members from all over the world and locals.
300+ members joined Smileys Istanbul as students.
Your first week in Istanbul
Five steps, roughly in this order — save this page before you fly.
Get connected
A working phone number first: maps, banking codes and every group chat depend on it.
SIM and mobile internetLearn the city
Get a transport card, work out your commute, and save the emergency number before you need it.
Transport card and getting around Emergency numbers Scams and staying safeEat and explore
Spend your first free afternoons finding out what Istanbul is like — much of it costs little or nothing.
On a budget FoodieMeet people
Pick one event marked first-timer friendly and go — plenty of people come on their own.
First-timer friendly eventsFind your rhythm
Something every week is how acquaintances become friends. Find a regular activity, and the part of the city that suits you.
Regular activities Neighborhoods
Your semester, stage by stage
A semester goes faster than it looks from week one. What to do when.
Before arrival
Check how long you can stay, and ask your university’s international office what your program needs for a residence permit — and whether it has an ESN (Erasmus Student Network) section.
Entry rules and stay limits How residence permits work Read: stories for studentsWelcome week
Get in from the airport, get a SIM and a transport card, and go to one event on your own.
From the airport Your first week, step by stepFirst month
Go back to something you liked the first time. Join a club or a weekly activity — the faces you see every week become your friends.
Regular activities Istanbul clubsMake the most of it
Try the parts of Istanbul that aren’t on the first-week list, and bring a classmate to something new.
Slow days Something different
Worth reading before the semester
Studying in Istanbul, from the campus side and the city side — what we wish someone had told us.
🇪🇺 ErasmusDays 2026 in Istanbul: Discover Opportunities, Meet New People & Celebrate Cultures
October 12–17, 2026 | International education, cultural exchange, language learning, and new friendships across Istanbul.
Read the story
The Erasmus Bubble: Are You Really Experiencing Istanbul?
You came to Istanbul to discover a new culture, meet different people, and experience life in another country. But what if you’re spending most of your semester surrounded by other international students?
Read the story
🗺️ Istanbul Explained for Erasmus Students: Why One Place Can Have Three Different Names
Moda, Caferağa or Kadıköy? A quick guide for Erasmus students to Istanbul's districts, neighborhoods and the place names locals actually use.
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🤯 Things About Istanbul That Make No Sense Until You Live Here
Distances that lie, a city with several centers, a Bosphorus that shapes your weekend plans, and the minibus phrase worth learning — what Erasmus students usually figure out in their first weeks.
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🇹🇷 Turkish Culture: What Every Erasmus Student Should Know
Tea at every turn, professors called hocam, food that keeps appearing, shoes off at the door and a few phrases that go a long way — the small cultural details of a semester in Türkiye.
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🎓 Student Istanbulkart: Can Erasmus Students Get One?
Who can get the discounted student card, how the online-only application works since 1 September 2026, what to do if the system doesn’t recognize you and the 1 TL student abonman until 17 October.
Read the story
Your first event
Events the team picked as an easy first one to come to on your own. Each card shows the price, where it is and who’s going.
Events marked Members only open once you join — it's free, and then you can RSVP to any of them.
Something every week
Regular activities members run — showing each one's next date. Going back is how you get to know people.
Explore Istanbul
Experiences from the Istanbul Guide, by what you're in the mood for.
The practical side
From the Istanbul Handbook.
Start here
Istanbulkart Mastery: The only ticket that matters
İstanbul’s all-in-one transport card: one tap covers the metro, tram, bus, ferries, Marmaray, Metrobüs, funiculars, and more. Buy it once (₺165 for the anonymous card), load travel credit, and it’s the cheapest, simplest way to get around the city.
Arriving in Istanbul: Getting from IST and Sabiha Gökçen into the City
Istanbul has two major airports: Istanbul Airport (IST) on the European side, and Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) on the Asian side. The best way into town depends on where you are staying, how much luggage you have and when your flight lands.
Renting an Apartment in Istanbul: What Foreigners Should Know
Renting an apartment in Istanbul as a foreigner is not just about finding a nice flat at the right price. The neighborhood you choose can affect your daily life far more than the apartment itself. You need to understand deposits, agent fees, aidat, heating, the contract, address registration and, importantly, the questions that reveal problems before you sign.
Entry rules and how long you can stay
Entering Türkiye: Visa-Free Stays, e-Visas and the 90/180 Rule
How residence permits work
Residence Permit (Ikamet): Your first application, without the panic
SIM, eSIM and mobile internet
Getting a SIM Card and Home Internet in Türkiye
Transport card and getting around
Istanbulkart Mastery: The only ticket that matters
From the airport into the city
Arriving in Istanbul: Getting from IST and Sabiha Gökçen into the City
Money and bank accounts
Opening a Turkish bank account as a foreigner
Renting a flat
Renting an Apartment in Istanbul: What Foreigners Should Know
Scams and staying safe
Scams & Tourist Traps in Türkiye: How to stay safe without becoming paranoid
Emergency numbers
Emergency Numbers in Türkiye: Call 112 and Other Numbers Worth Saving
How healthcare works
How Healthcare Actually Works in Istanbul
Practical guidance, not legal advice. Residence permits and other paperwork depend on your nationality and your program, and the rules change — your university's international office and the official sources each guide links to are where to confirm your own case.
Who you'll meet at the door
Members run every event and club in Istanbul. These are some of the hosts — say hello, they'll introduce you.
Nate
Cenk
Ekaterina
Before you join
- International students — Erasmus, exchange or a full degree — are welcome. You apply like anyone else, with no university details asked.
- Anyone can browse this page, the events calendar, the Guide and the Handbook. Members can RSVP, join clubs and meet other members; some events are for members only, and their cards say so.
- Joining is free. You only pay for events you choose, and the price is on every event before you RSVP.
- A person reads every application, within 24 hours — it keeps events safe to walk into on your own. The form explains why it asks for each detail, and your phone number is never shown publicly. Privacy policy.
Questions students ask
Can Erasmus and exchange students join Smileys?
Yes. Erasmus, exchange and full-degree students are all welcome. You apply like anyone else, and no university details are asked.
Is it free?
Joining is free. You only pay for events you choose, and the price is on every event before you RSVP.
Do I need to speak the local language?
No. Every event shows the language it runs in, and most events in Istanbul are in English.
Can I go to an event on my own?
Yes — plenty of people do. Events marked first-timer friendly are the ones picked as easy to come to alone.
Is this instead of my university’s Erasmus network?
No. Smileys sits alongside your university’s international office and student networks such as ESN — it is for the people and plans beyond campus.
Meet people beyond campus.
Make your semester in Istanbul more than lectures.