All banks in Turkey will have slightly different procedures and requirements for opening a bank account. Here are some of the basic documents that you can expect to have to provide:

• Passport
• Tax ID from Turkey which you can get from the Finance and Tax Office
• Proof of address such as a lease contract or utility bill
• Proof of signature form

A good thing about the larger Turkish banks is that their websites are in English. It is important to look up for the exact list of documents which will be available on their websites and avoid surprises.

If you're opening a corporate bank account for your business in Turkey, you will be required a potential tax identification number which the bank will request for you upon opening an account. To obtain this, you will need to submit:

• Filled out Application form
• Articles of Association of your company
• Proof of address of your company's registered address

The business will also need to provide the details of the representative managing the account.

In the last decade, the Turkish banking system has progressed to meet the needs of foreigners and expats with bank transactions in the country, Various foreign nationalities have opened bank accounts in different state-owned, Islamic, and private banks in the country. If you plan on opening a bank account in an Islamic bank, make sure to get familiar with the Islamic law as summarized by Al-Islam.org to avoid confusion.

The four biggest banks in Turkey, which are listed below, have English help lines for foreigners. They also have products and services custom made for international clients and expats in general.

There are also many other international banks in Turkey which means you may also open a bank account with your bank if it has a banking presence in Turkey.

• Isbank: This is Turkey's largest bank with a large network which makes it likely it will be a convenient option. They also have branches in other countries all over the Middle East, China and the UK. Some of their branches are specialized in working with foreigners which could make the process of setting up your account a bit easier. In fact, they touted their company as "the Turkish bank for foreigners."
• Garanti Bankası: This is Turkey's second largest bank and they have English speaking service specialists in their branches, phone service in English and their website is in English as well. Their service and product offers are also tailored to expats including multi-currency accounts and international cards.
• Akbank: This is a large and well established bank with a full set of products, accounts and card offers with some bundles especially designed for foreigners and international customers. It has a good phone app, phone banking and SMS services. Aside from the standard offerings, the company also offers tax consultancy services as well as a foreign traveler card that allows cardholders to accummulate miles when they travel. Their ATM and branch networks are well established too.
• Yapı Kredi: A large bank by all means, Yapi Kredi is well established and has a good sized selection of 908 branches and plenty of ATMs. They have a full set of products and services including insurance and loans, savings and current accounts, debit and credit cards and special accounts tailored for international clients and foreign residents.

All of these banks will have individual processes for opening accounts so please check details on their websites. We recommend you set up an appointment with a relationship manager who speaks English. There are some banks that will help out over the phone.

Read the fine print before signing the dotted line. You may find a series of fees that you had no idea existed such as monthly maintenance fees, account closing fees and fees to have a debit or credit card. You may also find that there are large fees for transferring money between banks and, of course, minimum currency conversion fees for using a debit card abroad.