How to Open a Bank Account in Turkey (Detailed)

It is not as hard as we might think it is to open a bank account in Turkey, the procedure may take up to two days - maximum - and you will not really have difficulties asking and getting support from the staff because almost every bank has employees who can speak English especially those who work in international banks.

Can all banks open accounts for foreigners? According to my knowledge, citizens from EU, Middle east (except Syrians and Iraqi's, please check the 4th section in this article to find out what banks accept Syrian and Iraqi citizens ) US, Australia and UK can open accounts in all banks, whether international or local and as for the other citizens, I really don't have a clear idea about this but I'm sure you can always find a bank to open your account with.

What do you need a Turkish bank account for?

There could be plenty of reasons why you would need a Turkish bank account, whether you're a nomad, someone who's saving, an investor or simply someone who moved to Turkey to get employed and study.
No wonder why you would need a bank account. In this article I'll give you tips and info to help you open a Turkish bank account from my own personal experience as the writer. Keep on reading.

The first thing that you should get is the tax number document, it's a paper that would have your name and your tax number. In Turkish, it's called " Vergi numarasi " and you can get it from the tax office department ( In Turkish called as : " Vergi dairesi ), every region has at least one tax office. You can look on the map for the nearest vergi dairesi to your place of residence or stay or ask anyone, I cannot give you exact details of addresses.

As for the most visited city " Istanbul " and Regions " Fatih , Beyoglu And Sisli " Here are the addresses to their tax offices.

- Fatih: Sanayi Mah., E-90 Blv No:53, Aksaray Merkez/Aksaray
(0382) 215 8800

-Beyoglu: Meşrutiyet Caddesi No:289 Şişhane / Beyoğlu İstanbul

- Sisli : Mevlüt Pehlivan Cad./şenol Sk No:4, Gayrettepe/İstanbul - Avrupa
(0212) 212 4696

(Always double check the info. Addresses could get changed).

So write that down as your major and first step: Getting a tax number.

Tax numbers are easily given, you just have to provide your passport, fill a little application paper by writing your name, surname, mother's name, father's name, your phone number and your signature, make sure to have a photocopy of your passport's front page ( the page that shows your photo, name, age etc...) because they ask to get it.

The employee then will give you a paper having your tax number on it and he will be asking you to go to the desk of the supervisor in this same office to put a stamp on it, follow the employee's instructions on how to find this desk in this same building and you'll be set after waiting a little bit if it's a busy day.

For me, this whole thing went completely smooth, fast and everyone was very kind with me.

Once you have your Tax number, you are ready to go to any bank and ask them if your nationality can open accounts in their bank. Some banks require certain deposits but there's a lot of free options, one of which is Ziraat bankasi.

Tip:

Never exchange all your dollars to the Turkish Lira because the US dollars is stronger as a currency and the Lira witnessed lots of price depreciation in the past. Don't do this mistake, otherwise, be prepared to lose money when exchanging back to dollars if anything happens.