Between your acceptance letter and actually starting classes, there is a long list of bureaucratic steps most students only learn about after they arrive. Mikato walks you through each step and, when you'd rather not run the paperwork yourself, our team handles the residence permit, address registration, and bank account in your first weeks.
Your first weeks in Turkey
Here is what actually needs to happen, in order, once you have been accepted to a Turkish university. Each step has its own requirements, offices, and potential surprises.
Your university sends an official acceptance letter (kabul mektubu). This is the document everything else depends on - you will need it for your visa, your residence permit, and your student registration.
Apply for a student visa (Type D) at the Turkish consulate in your home country. Some nationalities can enter visa-free and apply for a residence permit directly, but most students need the visa first.
Apply through e-ikamet before your visa or visa-free stay expires - typically within 30 days of arrival. You will need your acceptance letter, health insurance, passport photos, proof of financial means, and your notarized lease. Appointments are booked online.
Within 20 business days of your residence permit being approved, register your address at the local Göç İdaresi. For a private apartment you will need a notarized lease in your name, the landlord’s DASK earthquake insurance policy, a Tapu (title deed) photocopy, and a utility bill. If you live in a dormitory, the administration handles the registration with their confirmation letter.
You do not need a residence permit to open a bank account. Most banks accept your passport and a free Potansiyel Vergi Kimlik Numarasi (tax ID you can get online at dijital.gib.gov.tr). Some branches are more foreigner-friendly than others - we know which ones.
Foreign phones get blocked after 120 days unless you register the IMEI through e-Devlet. The registration fee is 54,258 TL in 2026, so many students choose to buy a locally-sold phone instead (no registration needed). A prepaid tourist SIM works immediately with just your passport.
Between the immigration office, the notary, the bank, and the phone company, there are at least a dozen appointments standing between you and actually starting your semester. Mikato handles all of it so you can settle in.
Talk to usStudent starter pack
Instead of figuring out each step on your own, the Student Starter Pack covers the three things every international student needs handled in their first weeks.
What’s included
Full application management - documents, appointment booking, and follow-up until the card is in your hands.
Notarized lease coordination, Göç İdaresi appointment, and registration completion.
We accompany you to a foreigner-friendly branch and handle the paperwork so the account is set up in one visit.
Optional add-on
IMEI registration (54,258 TL government fee in 2026) and SIM card setup, or guidance on buying a local phone to avoid the fee entirely.
Booked individually:
Message us on WhatsApp and we'll quote one bundle price for everything.
See all service pricesGet a quote on WhatsAppStudent questions
It depends on your program level. First-year associate and undergraduate students cannot work at all. After the first year, undergraduates may work with authorization from the Ministry of Labour. Graduate and doctoral students can apply for work authorization from the start of their studies.
If you live in a university dormitory, the dorm administration handles your address registration - you just provide a passport copy. If you rent a private apartment, you register the address yourself at the Göç İdaresi with a notarized lease, the landlord’s DASK earthquake insurance policy, a Tapu (title deed) photocopy, and a utility bill. The landlord is the one who has to actually purchase DASK, but you are the one who needs to bring a copy to the appointment.
You cannot submit the actual application until you are in Turkey, but you can prepare most of the documents beforehand - health insurance, passport photos, notarized translations of your acceptance letter, and financial proof. Having these ready saves significant time after arrival.
You will need an official acceptance letter (kabul mektubu) and a student certificate (öğrenci belgesi) once enrolled. Some universities also provide a letter confirming dormitory placement. Make sure these documents have the university seal and rector’s signature.
The permit card fee is 964 TL. The residence fee (harç) is free for students enrolled at Turkish universities - you only pay it if you are studying at a consulate/embassy school or an international school. Add health insurance (private policies start around 3,000-8,000 TL per year, or GSS state insurance at roughly 183 TL per month) and notary fees for your lease (1,500-3,000 TL).
Yes, but there is a three-month grace window after university enrollment during which you can apply without it. Most students start with a private policy and then switch to GSS (state health insurance) at around 183 TL per month once enrolled. Students from 19 countries with bilateral social security agreements (including Germany, France, Italy, and the Netherlands) can use their home-country coverage instead.
Student permit rejections are less common than short-term permits, but they happen - usually due to incomplete documents or financial proof issues. You typically have 10 days to appeal. Mikato can review your case and advise on next steps.
Yes. We help students prepare their documents before arrival, explain what to expect at each step, and schedule the concierge work to begin as soon as you land. The earlier you start planning, the smoother the first weeks go.
GET IN TOUCH
Send your situation and we'll reply within a few hours during Istanbul business hours (GMT+3) with concrete next steps.
Or reach us directly:
+90 553 406 75 92
Call us
+90 553 406 75 92
hello@mikato.co
We answer in English, Turkish, Russian, and Arabic.
Tell us where you are in the process - planning your move, already in Turkey, or stuck on a specific step - and we'll tell you what comes next.
This website uses cookies – We use strictly necessary cookies for core functionality and, with your consent, analytics and marketing cookies to improve our service. Cookie Policy. Analytics and marketing cookies involve transferring your data to servers in the United States.