Can foreigners open a bank deposit account in Istanbul, Turkey?
Based on 2 discussions with 2 participants · Last activity: today
TL;DR
Yes, foreigners can open a deposit account at a Turkish bank, but the local banking system works differently from what most expats are used to, and navigating the terms without knowing Turkish can be tricky.
What the community said
Opening a deposit account as a foreigner in a Turkish bank is entirely possible — that's not the hard part. The real challenge is understanding how it works afterward: the local banking system differs from what most people are used to, and without Turkish language skills it's easy to miss important details on interest terms and withdrawals.
today
Russian Mir cards do not work in Turkey — this still surprises many travelers who arrive expecting to pay with them. It's best to arrange cash or another type of card in advance.
today Mir cards
Regarding account/paperwork procedures, travelers share positive experiences on a specialized travel forum (Vinsky forum), where there's a dedicated thread on this topic — worth searching there for details.
today Vinsky forum