Within one month of a student’s arrival in Türkiye, international students must obtain a residence permit. To obtain a residence permit, students need the following documents:

• Online application form E-ikamet
• Health Insurance
• Passport copy with an arrival stamp on it
• Original student certificate
• Forms obtained from the International Programs Office
• Tax number from the Tax Office in Türkiye with an official receipt

• After submitting your online application form, you will be eligible to receive a Letter of acceptance if you are accepted to our university.  With this letter of acceptance, you must apply to the Turkish Embassy to obtain a Student Visa.
• Countries with visa exemption to Türkiye do not need to obtain a student visa.
• Please inform the university before applying for visa to the Turkish Embassy so university can follow up your visa process.

• Equivalency Papar (Denklik Belge) can be attained from Turkish Education Attache at your country’s Turkish Embassy / Consulate.
• If you dont have Education Attache at your country then you can also obtain this paper from Istanbul – Türkiye

e-Denklik (MEB)

IstanbulKart is a card that can be used as an automatic payment method on buses, trams, trains, metros and ferries. After getting your student certificate, you can obtain this card from any of the IETT operation centers in İstanbul.

For further information visit IETT
Note: Cards need to be renewed each year.

Banks throughout the country offer full foreign currency and TL services; you can process your banking transactions via the Internet or use the telephone banking option.

You will need the following documents:

• Tax number from the Tax Office
• Student certificate
• Passport and ID

After receiving your temporary citizenship number, passport ID and your tax number, you can buy a SIM card from different agents such as Turkcell, Vodafone, etc.

It is a lot more convenient to use a local SIM card than use the SIM card that you are using in your home country. Here there is something that you need to know. Turkish law requires all mobile phones that operate through a local SIM card to be registered.

If you put a Turkish sim card to your foreign phone probably in 1 or 2 months they will block your phone for usage of Turkish sim cards. You will be excluded from the network as an “unregistered” phone.

When it is excluded, it can be difficult and/or time-consuming to have it reactivated on a Turkish network. How to register your phone:

1. Turn on your mobile phone and press *#06# on the keypad to reveal your handset’s 15-digit IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) number. Copy the number onto a piece of paper.
2. Take your phone, passport, residence permit and IMEI to a Turkish government tax office, a bank, or a PTT (post office) and request a Certificate of Registration. You will have to pay TL *** for the certificate.
3. Take your mobile phone and your passport to shop of a Turkish Network Operator. Buy a SIM card, and the clerk will register the SIM card’s mobile phone number with your handsets IMEI number, and with your personal information.