🇹🇷 Türkiye · City guide
Moving to Istanbul: Language & First Steps
Türkiye's vast city across two continents; sort your ikamet (residence permit) and address registration.
Living in Istanbul
Türkiye's vast city straddles Europe and Asia; sort your ikamet (residence permit) and address registration. Newcomers cluster in Kadıköy, Beşiktaş, Şişli and Beyoğlu; English is patchy outside international circles, so Turkish helps enormously.
To settle into Istanbul you'll need Turkish — and the practical kind: your residence permit (ikamet) through the Göç İdaresi (migration authority) and address registration, opening a bank account, and seeing a doctor. Here's what to do first and the phrases to learn.
Sources: Language Lab's Turkish curriculum & culture notes; city/official processes vary — confirm with Istanbul's local authority. · Join the beta →
What to do in your first week in Istanbul?
- Register your address / residency — your residence permit (ikamet) through the Göç İdaresi (migration authority) and address registration.
- Open a local bank account so you can get paid and pay rent.
- Register with a local doctor (GP) and sort health insurance.
- Get a local SIM / mobile plan and set up any required digital ID.
- Learn your transport options — tickets, passes and routes.
Turkish phrasebooks for Istanbul
For the full country picture, see our guide to moving to Türkiye.
Arrive in Istanbul ready.
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