Depending on nationality and bi-national agreements, there is more than one entry option available.
These are:
- Consular visa
- E-visa
- Visa on arrival
- Passport
- National ID
We recommend you start the visa process at least two months before your arrival to be on the safe side.
If you have the right to enter our country with a visa, passport or ID due to your citizenship, you can travel internationally without waiting for your residence permit to reach you.
For students, since student visas can only be obtained after a consulate/embassy application and are usually granted as “Single Entry”, urgent travels of students outside Turkey without a residence permit will be restricted or problematic.
E-Visa
International students and non-students can also enter Turkey with an e-Visa. An e-Visa is a tourist visa that anyone can use to enter Turkey and does not require an in-person visa application at a consulate.
The e-Visa module also provides information about whether someone is exempt from a tourist visa and if they can enter Turkey with a valid passport.
We recommend that you use the e-Visa module to check the visa requirements for Turkey:
Important Notes
-Each incoming international student, faculty, staff, intern, researcher, and visitors are required to apply for a residence permit in Turkey and must travel with a VALID PASSPORT. The Migration Directorate does not accept any other travel document for the residence permit application.
-Passports must be valid at least 60 days longer than the duration of the study period.
-Those with Turkish citizenship or holding a Blue Card are not required to seek a visa or residence permit to Turkey. Entry with a valid passport is recommended, yet valid Turkish IDs are also accepted.
For more information about passport and visa rules, you can visit the link below:
https://www.mfa.gov.tr/visa-information-for-foreigners.en.mfa
We have two campuses; Topkapı and Vadi Campus.
Before coming to our campuses you can check on which campus your department/program is here.
You may see the addresses of campuses in the link below:
https://international.istinye.edu.tr/en/contact
We have free shuttle services to certain points and transportation areas and for the current timetable of the services you can visit the link below:
https://www.istinye.edu.tr/tr/iletisim/servis-saatleri
You will need to have residence permit during your stay at Turkey.
Residence permit application procedures of our international students are carried out by our university.
For the required documents and application procedures you can click here.
In addition you can visit our official page for Residence Permit Unit for detailed information:
https://ikamet.istinye.edu.tr/en
For all your questions about residence permit, you can contact the relevant unit via the following e-mail address:
Creating a campus life brimming with social activity through more than 50 student clubs, from Theatre to Photography, Istinye gives students the opportunity to be versatile.
It is designed for students to have an academic environment enhanced with fitness centers, libraries and study halls and private rooms for studying.
ISU Student Center provides students a colorful university life through a variety of events while preparing them for their future careers with services like career consultancy, traineeship opportunities, psychological support etc. Istinye University hosts hundreds of events throughout the year and offers students a social learning-oriented environment.
The students will socialize in the Student Center and they will find themselves in the campus life in the middle of the city thanks to the large study areas and spacious green areas.
Divided by the Bosphorus and built on two continents, Asia and Europe; Istanbul is a metropolis, which is the intersection point of different civilizations. Thanks to its rich historical and cultural heritage dating back to Byzantium, there are many historical places to explore in Istanbul.
Declared as the European Capital of Culture in 2010, Istanbul is a city that hosts many important cultural and sporting events, concerts and festivals as well as its natural beauty. Istanbul atmosphere encourages students to adopt a very active lifestyle.
Istinye University gives its students the opportunity to spend their university years in this dynamic metropolis and live the most unforgettable moments of their lives in this dynamic city.
Our university does not have its own dorms.
You can click here to see the affiliated ones.
Public Transportation
Students studying in İstanbul are able to get student transportation card (İstanbulKart) which makes the transportation more affordable.
To get the student transportation card you need;
- 1 Passport Size Photo
- Student Certificate
- Card Fee
With these documents you are to visit the nearest İstanbulKart Application Center or apply online for your transportation card.
For the application centers you can visit:
https://www.istanbulkart.istanbul/basvuru-merkezleri
Taxi
If you prefer transportation with taxi, you can download the apps below where you can pay in cash or credit card.
Tax ID will allow you to purchase health insurance, pay the residence permit card fee, open a bank account at certain banks, and perform various formalities in Turkey.
Once you have a residence permit, there will be no need to use a tax ID number. You will have your foreign ID number written on your permit card and can provide it at any official transaction.
*Obtaining a tax ID is free of charge.
**A Tax ID application can only be made with your valid passport.
Here are the two ways you may obtain a tax ID number:
Online Application
- A Turkish phone number
- Your passport
How to proceed?
1. Visit the official webpage of the Interactive Tax Office.
2. Click on the “Application For Non-Citizen’s Potential Tax Number” button at the bottom of the page.
3. Fill the application page by minding the following notes:
- Make sure to enable cookies and pop-ups on your browser since your tax ID number will be given to you as an official letter in a PDF. If you do not enable them, you cannot receive the document.
- You should use the exact same info as written on the passport. Do not use Turkish characters, i.e. “İ.”
- The date format is DD/MM/YYYY. If you are not sure, please indicate the dates through the calendar icons.
4. Once you submit the form, the system will assign a tax ID number to you.
- The T.C./Vergi Kimlik Numarası or the Potansiyel Vergi Kimlik Numarası on the document is your Tax ID number.
In Person Application (If you do not have a Turkish phone number)
You need to visit a Tax Office to obtain a tax ID number with the following documents:
- Your passport
- A photocopy of your passport ID page
- Signed Tax ID Application Form
According to the immigration laws of Turkey, students are required to prove that they have health insurance that covers the total duration of their stay in Turkey while they are applying for a Student Residence Permit.
Please note that the health insurance policy you purchase must be valid worldwide. To avoid any problems during your stay in Turkey, we advise you to get the policy authenticated by the Turkish Branch of your insurance company. In addition, you can get health insurance from any insurance company in Turkey.
Some European Countries (Germany, Austria, The Netherlands, Belgium, France, TRNC, Macedonia, Romania, Albania, Bosnia, Czech Republic, Luxembourg) have reciprocal health insurance agreements with Turkey. If you are coming from one of those countries, you can contact the insurance service of your home country and have them prepare an official letter. Before you apply for the residence permit, you can register to the General Health Services Office (SGK) in Turkey with the letter you bring from your home country.
If you wish to have insurance for Residence Permit, you can check the link below for the insurance types:
https://ikamet.istinye.edu.tr/en/announcements/international-student-insurance-procedures
Emergency Call: 112
Istinye University Call Center: +90 850 283 60 00
International Relations Directorate of İSÜ: +90 537 227 93 27, +90 535 461 74 09
E-Devlet is a resource providing access to government services. In order to use the system, you need to first receive your residence permit.
Through the platform, you can individually collect your Address Registration Certificate, Social Security Activation Document and much more.
How to Log into the e-Devlet Platform
If you are an internet banking customer of a Turkish bank, you do not need to obtain an e-Devlet password. You can enter the platform with your internet banking credentials. Once you enter the e-Devlet website, you will see an internet banking option to enter the platform. Select that option, choose your bank and proceed.
How to Obtain an e-Devlet Password
To obtain your password, you have to visit a PTT branch (post office).
You will need:
- Active Turkish phone number
- Your passport
- Your residence permit card
- Fee for the Password
You may ask the staff member for a password by saying “e-Devlet şifresi almak istiyorum”. They will then ask for your Turkish phone number and will send your password as a text message.
According to the regulations set forth by the Information and Communication Technologies Authority of Turkey (ICTA), each individual coming into Turkey with a mobile device must register their device within 120 days of arrival. Calling features of those devices not registered within 120 days will be blocked. Other features of the device can still be used without registration, including emergency calls. The registration per person/passport is limited to one device every three years.
Those staying in Turkey for less than 120 days do not need to register their mobile device.
Steps for Registering Your Foreign Mobile Phone
1. Pay the phone registration fee online here.
- You can retrieve your IMEI number by dialing *#06# on your phone.
- Registration fee must be paid.
If the online payment does not work, you may also pay the fee in-person at Ziraat Bank with your residence permit card and your phone’s IMEI number.
2. Visit any PTT branch (National Post Office) with your active Turkish mobile phone, passport, and residence permit card and purchase your e-Devlet (e-Government) pin code.
- The pin code must be registered with your foreign ID number that appears on your residence/work permit card and begins with 99.Complete the registration on the e-Devlet system.
Note: If you do not receive your residence permit during these 120 days, you may register your phone through your cell service provider (Turkcell, Turk Telekom, Vodafone) by visiting their branch.
3. Complete the registration on the e-Devlet system.
Opening A Bank Account with Residence Permit
You can open a bank account after receiving your residence permit card.
You can visit a bank branch to open an account.
To have an account, you must bring the following documents with you:
1- Your residence permit card
2- Your passport
3- A housing document (it can be your rental contract, a utility bill in your name etc.)
4- Student Certificate
When you are at the bank, please get a queue number from the ticket dispenser and follow up your process accordingly.
Opening A Bank Account without Residence Permit
If you urgently need to open a bank account before you receive your residence permit, you can do so at certain banks.
One of the banks that opens a bank account without a residence permit is Ziraat Bank. You can visit any Ziraat Bank branch to open an account.
To have an account, you must bring the following documents with you:
1- Your tax ID number
2- Your passport
3- A housing document (it can be your rental contract, a utility bill in your name etc.)
4- Student Certificate
When you are at the bank, please get a queue number from the ticket dispenser which has an English option.
For more information, you can check Ziraat Bank’s web page:
You can click here to be informed on the administrative units that you will be in touch at our campuses.
You can visit the link below to access the contact information of foreign missions in Turkey listed by the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.