8-12 weeks out
Decide your pathway and entry point
Pick your visa pathway first — it decides almost everything downstream. The Digital Nomad Visa, the short-term tourist e-İkamet route, and a work permit each need different documents and timing. Read the full breakdown on our visa guide before booking anything.
Compare visa pathways6-8 weeks out
Start the paper trail
Health insurance, proof of funds, and any documents that need notarization or apostille in your home country take the longest to arrange — start these before you fly, not after.
See the document list4-6 weeks out
Book a short-term landing pad, not your real apartment
Do not sign a long-term lease before you've seen the neighborhood in person. Book 2-4 weeks of short-term furnished housing instead — this is also what most residence-permit applications require as your address while you search for a notarized lease in an open neighborhood.
See the housing timeline1-2 weeks out
Final budget check and arrival logistics
Confirm you have enough liquid funds for the first-month costs (deposit, agency fee, initial furnishing), and set up airport transfer and your first few days.
See real first-month costsWeek 1 in Türkiye
Arrival setup
Local SIM, a Turkish bank account if your plan needs one, and your tax ID number (needed for the residence permit application) all happen in your first week, usually in that order.
See the arrival setup guideWeeks 2-4
Sign your real lease and submit the residence permit application
Once you've found an apartment in an open neighborhood and notarized the lease, you can submit the e-İkamet application with your UAVT address code. This is usually the single longest-lead-time step — appointment slots can book out weeks in advance.
See the housing guide