Personal bank account in Türkiye without a residence permit: documents, tax number and limits

No law bars a foreigner without a residence permit from holding a personal account in Türkiye, and no law obliges a bank to open one. The bank decides under its own risk policy. This guide explains what the law fixes, which documents banks publicly ask for, how to get a tax number before any permit, what the digital routes really require, and how to walk into the branch with a file that answers the questions in advance.

What the law fixes and what it leaves to the bank

Banks in Türkiye are obliged parties (yükümlü) under Law No. 5549 on the Prevention of Laundering Proceeds of Crime. Article 3 requires them to identify the customer before the relationship starts, and the implementing regulation (Tedbirler Yönetmeliği) lists what that means for an individual: name, date and place of birth, nationality, identity document, address, occupation, contact details, and the purpose and nature of the business relationship. For a foreigner the identity document is a passport or a residence permit. That is a floor, not a right to an account. Within the risk-based approach each bank may ask for more and may decline without giving a reason. A customer without a residence permit is therefore not excluded by law, but is judged by the policy of the bank and of the branch. The same file can receive different answers at two banks.

Documents banks usually ask for

Public pages of banks give a consistent picture, although each bank publishes its own list. The core is a valid passport (İş Bankası states one not older than ten years), a foreigner identity number or a tax identification number, and proof of address in Türkiye. Address proof is typically a residence record (yerleşim yeri belgesi), a utility bill in your name issued within the last three months, or a document from a public institution; Garanti BBVA lists these three. Banks may also ask for a Turkish mobile number registered in your name, and, under the risk-based approach, for income documents or a source-of-funds statement. Foreign-language documents may need a Turkish translation. Ask the branch whether a sworn or notarised translation is required before you pay for one. Read each bank’s own page on the day: lists change and branches may apply them differently.

Tax number from the tax office

The foreigner identity number (YKN) is issued together with a residence permit, so someone without a permit does not have one. The usual substitute is the tax identification number (vergi kimlik numarası), which comes from the tax authority. The Revenue Administration (gib.gov.tr) runs an online application for a potential tax number for foreigners: you upload the passport identity page, enter passport data and a Turkish address, and receive the ten-digit number as a PDF. The same number can be obtained in person at any tax office with the original passport. There is no state fee for the number. Our tax number guide describes the steps. İş Bankası’s Expat Banking page lists a foreigner identity number or a tax identification number as alternatives, but whether a branch accepts a tax number alone remains the bank’s decision on the day.

Digital and online options

Remote onboarding is the area where foreigners without a permit meet the most limits. Ziraat Bankası’s remote route runs on the Turkish chip identity card, so a foreigner goes to a branch. DenizBank’s MobilDeniz conditions all require a Turkish identity card. Garanti BBVA states that the Banking Services Agreement is signed at the branch and that first openings cannot be done from abroad. İş Bankası’s Turkish page says that eligible foreigners can start an application in İşCep with a YKN and passport details, with the rest completed at a branch; that route presupposes a YKN, which comes with a permit. In short, a fully digital opening without a permit and without a Turkish ID card is not something these public pages offer. These statements were checked on 02.11.2026; bank pages change, so confirm on the day.

Limits and how to prepare

Some banks open a limited account for a customer without a permit: products such as a credit card, a loan or full internet banking may be withheld or added later. We found no published uniform rule on these limits; they are the bank’s own policy and can differ by branch, so ask for the conditions in writing. The refusal itself usually comes without reasons. To reduce the chance of one, bring a consistent file: passport, tax number, address proof whose address matches the application and the lease, income documents, and one short statement of why you need the account and where the money comes from, ready in Turkish. Choose a branch used to foreign customers. If a bank does not answer, ask the branch for its answer in writing and complain to BDDK where appropriate. A permit later opens more options; the account can be updated then.

Sources

• gib.gov.tr — Revenue Administration: tax identification number for foreigners
• mevzuat.gov.tr — Law No. 5549 and the implementing regulation on measures (Tedbirler Yönetmeliği)
• masak.hmb.gov.tr — MASAK, Financial Crimes Investigation Board: obligations of banks
• bddk.org.tr — Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency: complaints and supervision

Questions