Job Discussion Forums

[chiichan]

Esteemed Colleagues,

I have accepted a job teaching English at a university in Istanbul, and have begun the process of getting a resident permit (the school will issue me a work visa eventually, but first I am going to get a resident permit so that I can stay in Turkey legally after my tourist visa expires in August).

I have an appointment with the emniyet in early August, and have questions to all of you out there about one of the documents necessary to provide the emniyet (namely, the proof that you have $300 for every month that you are staying).

It has been extremely difficult for me trying to open a bank account anywhere without a resident permit. I have tried Garanti, Akbank, Yapicredit, and they all say different things. (the lady at Garanti told me I needed a document from the American consulate... I called the American consulate and they of course said they don't know anything about that).

I guess that it really depends on which branch you go to, or rather, WHO you speak to. Super different from the way things work in my home country, but I'll just have to go through with it, right?

I was able to get a tax ID very quickly. From some of the previous posts, it seems like many people have been able to open bank accounts with just a tax ID and your passport. But maybe the rules have changed???

If anyone has been able to open a bank account with just a tax ID and passport recently, could you let me know where it was (which branch?) in Istanbul.

I hear that a statement from the currency exchange office is sufficient (in lieu of the bank account-- the guy just has to write your name and passport number on the sheet. The emniyet does accept this right?) Maybe this is the best way to go?

I hear Garanti bank is great, but I was turned off by it after my (limited) experience there -- that's where they told me I had to get a document from the American consulate. Would you guys recommend foreign banks like HSBC or ING intsead? Maybe in the long run they will be better, because they have foreign customers? (they will be more likely to understand English?)

Any thoughts on anything I said would be extremely helpful. This post has gotten rather long - thanks for reading. And thanks so much in advance.

[chiichan]

p.s. my school uses Finans Bank and the lady at the uni helping me called a Finans Bank branch for me to ask about what I should do. The man there said all I need was a tax ID, a passport, and an official document proving that I did live in America before I came here, like an electricity bill or something (I am American).

But the problem is, I wasn't living in America before Turkey, so I have no documents like that. Grrr.

[delal]

Can't help with up to date info but I use Akbank because their Internet banking used to pretty straightforward plus the staff are always very helpful. A friend swears by Garanti bank. I did bank with HSBC for a while but found them very haughty
(RE resident permit-just checked and it's $500 not $300 a month FYI)

[siano]

Ok for starters Garanti bank are crap! My school opened an account with them once I got my work permit and its been blocked since I don't know when! Everytime you call them they are unhelpful, rude, hang up the phone and basically don't give a shit! I cannot withdraw my salary from an ATM, I cannot use internet banking and I have no idea what my passwords are (school made them up!) So I have to go along to a branch once a month with my passport to withdraw my salary, thats my only purpose of using crappy garanti bank!

Anyway what I was going to tell you was when I first moved to Turkey and I was still on that great 3 month visa/booze run, I managed to open an account with Finansbank no problem! I went along to the branch on Istiklall with just my passport and tax number and was able to open it with just these documents. I had to wait 7 days for my card to arrive into the branch but other than that no problems. They are a good bank and people can speak English in there, I still use this bank 4 years down the line, I'm sure you can go try them.

Hope this helped... sian.

[coffeespoonman]

I've had accounts with 5 different banks in Turkey (AnadoluFinans, Finansbank, Citibank, Akbank, Garanti). Garanti was BY FAR the best. All the others were almost impossible to get any kind of service from, had ridiculous rules and limitations, and had worthless internet banking.

Once, with Citi, in order just to change my phone number so I could get my pin by SMS and use Internet banking, I had to go to a branch and fax a request with a signed copy of my passport to general headquarters. The next day, they called me to say that my request had been denied. Why? My signature wasn't close enough to the one I had given when I opened the account - four years earlier.

The branch manager's solution? He downloaded a copy of my original application, showed me my signature, had me practice it for like 5 minutes, then write another request. Ridiculous.

@siano it sounds like your problem is more about your workplace than Garanti. Why don't you get your passwords from your workplace or change them with your passport? Once you get that settled, I think you'll be happy with Garanti - especially their superior internet banking.

[chiichan]

Thanks for your input!

Siano, I went to Finans Bank on Istiklal the other day, and tried opening a bank account with just my passport and tax ID. But as with all the other banks, they told me I have to get my resident permit first.

Maybe the way things work have changed within the last 4 years? Stricter? (but then why does Emniyet say that it's possible to get a resident permit with a bank account? seriously, i think the banks and Emniyet don't know each other's regulations).

On the other hand, a friend of mine has a fiance who works at ING Bank, and she says her fiance could help me open an account with just my passport and tax ID.

I have decided to just get a document from the currency exchange people to prove I have the amount necessary per month -- way easier.

Thanks to all for your comments about which banks you are using too!

Have a good day!