Job Discussion Forums

[gloomyGumi]

so lemme get this straight.

1. step off the plane
2. go to a tax office call it for now, get a tax #
3. go to any bank and open an account

sheeesh, still sounds too good to be true.

[CallieWho]

gloomyGumi,

It sounds easy and uncomplicated but it is a hassle to some extent. I think it depends on where you are in Turkey. I live in Antalya. It's not such a big city. Somewhere like Istanbul would probably be a hassle to get all these things. Plus, sometimes you need all the paperwork and sometimes you don't.

My friend showed her bank account from England. But they asked me if I had a Turkish bank account. Why? Who knows. Were they implying I needed to have a Turkish bank account? I don't know. Why me, not her? I have had my residence permit for over 2 years now, and this was her first one. Maybe that's why?

You need to be able to speak some Turkish and try to use it while getting all this done. Or ask a Turkish friend to help you. Check mymerhaba.com to see exactly everything you need to get a residence permit. Also, laws can change over night here so check it frequently. I can't remember why I needed a tax number. It was 2 years ago. I had thought it was just for my medical stuff but maybe I'm wrong.

Good luck to you all. Have fun at the Emniyet The best thing about the Emniyet is people watching. If you don't enjoy this then take a book. And don't be afraid to ignore your ticket number and crowd in at the window. Although this may not be appreciated in Istanbul.

[penguin100]

Hi everyone, all this is very helpful.

Can I go to *any* police station for the resident permit?

And can I clarify a few things:
1) Is "Emniyet" the police? Or a specific department in the police I should be looking for?
2) Tax office - should I be looking for the "Maliye Beyoglu Vergi Dairesi"?

I'm in Izmir. Based on my online research, I think I should be heading to this government building in Konak:
http://www.izmirdefterdarligi.gov.tr/index/default.aspx?id=436

If there's anyone in Izmir who's done this before, I'd appreciate the help!

Big thanks!

[penguin100]

Hope this will help future teachers in Izmir:
� I got my tax number from the �AKABEY VERGI DAIRESI (Address: Cumhuriyet Bulvarı No:65 Pasaport-İZMİR). There's a list here which you can refer to for other places:
http://www.gib.gov.tr/fileadmin/HTML/vergidairebaskanlik/izmir.xls.htm
Go to the 2nd floor. It was very fast and easy.

� Residence permit: apply from the Foreigners Office (Yabanci Buro, gov building with the flashy neon Turkish flag) near the clock tower. Address: İZMİR DEFTERDARLIĞI H�K�MET KONAĞI C BLOK KONAK - İZMİR

Good luck!

[Luxe]

I arrive this Friday, and I will be applying for a one-year residence permit. As such, I will need to show proof of a minimum of $6,000 USD, correct? I just want to make sure I have the finances correct.

[cassie1211]

Ok so here is the deal. I just renewed my residence permit last week so this is legit. To start you need to make an e-randevu appointment at this website:

https://e-randevu.iem.gov.tr/yabancilar/dil_sec.aspx

When doing this you have to chose your emniyet (police station). The one in Taksim is Beyoğlu. It is near Istiklal street, actually on Tarlabasi blvd. When you make this appointment you have to print the document IN COLOR. The first time I did it in black and white and they wouldnt accept it. You also need 4 passport photos, which are 10TL at any photo place that you can just walk into. You need your passport and copies of the main ID page and your last entry stamp page. If you are renewing your permit, you need photocopies of the same pages from your permit. You also need a tax number. I actually got this through my school so I can't give exact advice, but I just went with a guy to a building and they gave me a card, so I imagine you can do it on your own. You also need to prove you have US$300 for every month you want the permit. But this is not as easy as printing out an online bank statement. It has to be a real bank statement, and I'm not sure if it has to be Turkish. I had a US HSBC account with my card, and online statement and they wouldn't accept it. So I was never able to figure this part out so I opted for choice B - getting a receipt from a dovis (exchange office) showing you changed dollars to lira. The trick to this is you don't actually have to do it. Now let me say now I have a Turkish boyfriend so he does all this stuff with me, but the first time we went to the change office and he said the words 'residence permit' the guy said 'yeah, yeah, I know what you need, give me the passport, 15TL.' (This is Turkey). So he fills in your info on the receipt and will make it for any amount that you want. The second time I did this, it wasn't as easy because the guy wasn't there and the other guys told us to come back when he was. So I guess they are not all corrupt. Oh and he charged me 20TL the second time. So with all this in hand you go to the police station, they fill out some stuff, give you some stamps, and send you to the tax office in Tunel, which is about a 20 minute walk. There you pay the now shockingly low price of US$85 for one year. Also if it's your first time you have to pay for the book, but I don't know the cost. I think around 150TL. Then you walk back to the police station, give them the receipt and they tell you to come back in about 3 days to pick it up. And that's it. Sounds long, but from what it was 2 years ago it's a breeze and cheap.

[David76]

Bump!

Something about lax enforcement of regulations was mentioned earlier. Is that true? I feel nervous about going to an unfamiliar place and breaking the law!

[Qaaolchoura]

David: it might have been wise to start a new thread. That way, people can see when nobody's responded to your query. Also, necrophilia is a dangerous vice.

Anyways, I got my permit in Izmir. Funds needed depends on the city. Antalya I've heard is the highest at 600/month; I've heard Istanbul is really 300/month, though you might want to check. In Izmir you need to prove you have 2,500 for the whole year. The book costs 180 lira or thereabouts. The permit is in dollars, but the guy at the desk translated it to lira at an unfavorable exchange rate. I ended up paying about 95 dollars, because his stamp said however many lira, and they wouldn't therefore let me pay in dollars.

As for breaking the law: it really depends where you are. All the cases of deportation for illegal working I've heard of come from the resort cities of the southwest. If you're going to work in Antalya, you might want to do it above board.

And no, Turkey is not a place you should go if you're looking for economic advancement. It's a place to come because it's a wonderful place. If you're starting out, you will not save much money; I've never met anyone who has who hasn't been here for many years. If you want to save money, do a CRC now and go to China or Korea. (You could go to the Gulf States, but they want years of experience, except as I understand it for some of the very worst companies in Saudi Arabia.)

My mother has a saying: "You can choose where you work, when you work, or how much money you make. Pick one."

Regards,
~Q