Visa & residency options
Up to 2 years, renewable — tourism, property ownership, family, study.
Employer-sponsored, valid 1 year initially.
$400,000+ real estate held 3 years, $500k bank deposit or $500k Turkish company equity.
Residency: Long-term residence after 8 years; citizenship via CBI in 3–6 months or naturalisation after 5.
Tax & cost of living
Progressive 15–40%. Stoppage at source for employees; foreign-source income for new residents exempt under conditions.
- Rent (1BR city): €400–€900
- Meal out: €7
- Transport pass: €20/mo Istanbulkart
Banking & business setup
Garanti BBVA, İş Bankası, Yapı Kredi, Akbank, Enpara (digital). Passport + tax number (Vergi Numarası) sufficient — opened in 1 hour.
Anonim Şirket (A.Ş.) min capital TRY 250,000; LLC (Limited Şirket) min TRY 50,000. ~€500–€1,500 notarial + chamber + tax. Operational in 5–10 business days. Corporate tax 25%.
Living in country
Istanbul (Beşiktaş, Şişli, Kadıköy) premium; Izmir, Antalya, Ankara much cheaper. Property prices in USD/EUR have surged but TRY rental yields remain attractive.
SGK universal social insurance for employees + thriving private (Acıbadem, Memorial, American Hospital) at low cost vs EU.
Free public Turkish-medium; English-medium private and international (Robert College, MEF, BUE) widely available.
Manufacturing (textiles, auto, white goods), tourism, software (Trendyol, Getir, Peak Games), defence (Baykar, Roketsan).