Living in Turkey (FAQs)
- What do I need to do if I want to take up residency ?
- Can I import my household effects ?
- Can I work in Turkey ?
- Do I need to do anything after buying a property ?
- Can I open a bank account ?
- How do I pay my bills ?
- Can I own a vehicle in Turkey ?
- What driving documents to I need ?
- Can I import a vehicle ?
- What vehicle taxes do I pay ?
- Is there an annual test for vehicles ?
- What vehicle insurance do I need ?
- Do I need to take out medical insurance ?
- Can I get a broadband internet connection ?
- Are there any English speaking TV channels ?
If you intend to take up residency in Turkey you should contact the Turkish
Consulate in London at least 3 months prior to you leaving the UK for the up to
date regulations regarding residency application.
(See Link Page)
Currently if you intend to stay in Turkey for a period of over one month or
take up residency then you should make application to the relevant authorities
(customs police) for your residency permit (Ikamet Tezkeresi) within one month
of your arrival.
Residency permits are issued and valid up to a period of 5 years, your
passport must also be valid for at least the same or longer period or your
residency permit will only be issued for the remaining period of your passport.
Expect the issue of your residency permit to take up to 3 months.
Cost of residency permits has risen dramatically over recent years and you
are advised to check the current rates.
Your residence permit should be carried with you at all times and produced
upon the request of the Police or Jandarma.
There are many agencies that will assist with making application for your
residency permit who will charge a fee fro this service.
You are also recommended to register with your countries Consulate or Embassy
that you have taken up residency in Turkey.
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If you are taking up residency you are permitted to import some used household effects
free of tax, you should see further information from the Turkish Consulate for
the current regulations. (see links page)
Most household effects are easily obtainable in Turkey and therefore careful
consideration of the merits of shipping your household effects should be made
against the costs involved which can be high.
If you decide to ship you effects you MUST ensure that all the
required paperwork is in place BEFORE shipping. This includes being
in possession of you Residency Permit which as mentioned can take up to three
month to obtain. Shipping prior to obtaining all the necessary paperwork
may cause problems with importing and involve high costs in holding your
possessions at the port of entry.
If you are paying for a 'door to door' service then in most cases an
importing agent will be handling the shipment. They may require you to
give them power of attorney together with your residency permit & passport to
handle the shipment on your behalf. Your should therefore check with your
shipping agent in the UK and Turkey as to what is required.
Working in Turkey is strictly forbidden without the necessary work permit
issued by the authorities. Your employer should apply for any required
work permit.
Following the purchase of property/land the local council office (Belediye)
should be informed and your should register your details with them for property
taxes etc. Take your passport and a copy together with the title deeds (Tapu)
to your local council office and ask to be registered as the new owner.
Failure to do so may make you liable to fines.
Also ensure that other utilities i.e. electric (Tedas) that you are the new
owner.
Of course you can open the normal current, deposit, savings accounts in
various currencies. Take your passport with you when opening a new
account.
(see links page)
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In many cases you will not receive a bill or account for
services/utilities/road tax etc. on time or at all, it is however your personal
responsibility to ensure that all accounts are settled on time, this means that
you should find out all you can regarding what is payable and when.
Failure to do so will in some cases make you liable to a penalty which can
amount up to 15% of the outstanding account and will be added to future
accounts.
If you have a current account in Turkey then check with the bank to see if
they can arrange direct debit for your utility accounts, not all can be paid by
this method and you should check from time to time with your bank that your
accounts have been paid on time. This can be done very easily with some of
the banks offering internet banking in English.
Homes Unlimited offers a full management and
administration service which includes supervision
and payment of all accounts, if you require further
details of this service please visit our
'Contact
Us' page for contact information.
Foreign nationals resident in Turkey can register and own a vehicle in their
own name. The vehicle registration plate will indicate that the vehicle is
owned by a foreigner. If you buy a vehicle you will need to apply for or
change the plate and registration papers. You will find many 'Traffic
Offices' offering this service for a charge.
In addition to the registrations papers you need to carry the following
documents whilst driving and should be produced when requested by the Police or
Jandarma.
1) Registration papers for the vehicle
2) Mandatory insurance cover 3) Your own driving licence i.e UK issued
4) Translated notarized copy of you own driving licence. (not required for
holiday visits)
If you are classed as 'non resident' in your country of origin you should
check with the relevant authorities as to driving licence requirements.
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You are allowed to import a vehicle into Turkey for a period of six months
without paying any import taxes. After this period you will be required to
either remove the vehicle from Turkey or pay the import taxes which can be high.
Different rules may apply if you are 'retired' status, for any further
information take a look at the Turkish Embassy web site or contact your
international importing agent.
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Vehicle taxes are normally due for payment during the months of January and
July or you can make one payment in January for the full year. The amount
due is dependant on the vehicle, its age, make and model, value and engine
capacity - if you drive a new large foreign imported car then expect to pay a
large tax bill!! check what you will pay be for deciding on what model to
buy.
Payment of vehicle taxes is made at the local Tax Office (Maliye) or selected
banks.
There are vehicle tests, annually for motor cycles and bi-annually for motor
cars.
If you own a vehicle you should find out where these tests are conducted and
when your vehicle is due for testing which should be indicated on your vehicle
registration papers.
There is also an annual vehicle emissions test and again you should find out
where and when.
Third party insurance cover is a legal requirement and mandatory. You
should from time to time check with your insurance company/broker to ensure that
you have sufficient minimum cover.
Minimum requirements are sometimes raised without any notification so do
check with your insurance company/broker.
You can top up your cover with a 'comprehensive' policy - contact your
insurance company/broker for a quote.
(see links page)
In a nutshell yes! as medical treatment can be very expensive.
Age limits do apply of course and premiums increase with age, and if you are
over 65 yrs of age it may be difficult to obtain cover. Cost will
obviously depend upon your requirements and cover.
(see links page)
Yes - Broadband connections are available through Turk Telcom, Superonline
ect, you can choose from a range of packages with various download/upload speeds
and bandwidth.
Check with service providers as to what is available in your area (see links
page)
Satellite TV is provided by 'DigiTurk' with various packages available
including English speaking channels similar to other providers such as 'Sky
Satellite'. You can also purchase digital satellite receiver systems which
will receive many channels some being in English. (see links page)
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