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Opening a Bank Account in Türkiye as a Foreigner
Document Checklist
Pasaport
Passport
Required: Original, valid
Age: İşbank requires a passport not older than 10 years
Cost: Free
Bring the physical passport. Some traditional state banks additionally request a notarised Turkish translation of passport pages.
Vergi Kimlik Numarası belgesi
Turkish tax number certificate
Where to get: Any Vergi Dairesi (tax office) with passport, or online via the foreigner application service routed through the e-Devlet aggregator
Required: Original PDF certificate (printed or on phone)
Cost: Free
Foreigners without an ikamet receive a potential tax number that functions identically to a standard VKN for bank-account purposes.
Yabancı Kimlik Numarası (YKN)
Foreigner identification number
Format: 11-digit number starting with 99
Issued by: Göç İdaresi (Migration Authority) on grant of an ikamet izni
When needed: Required for biometric remote onboarding through bank mobile apps; optional for in-branch onboarding
Once issued, the YKN becomes the operative identifier for all bank transactions, replacing passport-number references.
Adres beyanı
Address proof in Türkiye
Accepted: Recent utility bill, rental contract, ikamet card, or the printed address on the passport (İşbank explicitly accepts this for foreigners)
Required: Original or clear copy
Branch policy varies. Tourist-region branches of Ziraat Bankası and Garanti BBVA more readily accept hotel-stay documentation.
Tax-residency self-certification
Form: Bank-provided CRS self-certification; US persons additionally complete IRS Form W-9
Cost: Free
Banks report account information to the Gelir İdaresi Başkanlığı (GİB) under Türkiye's CRS commitments, and to the IRS under FATCA for US persons.
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