Turkish banks for foreigners in 2026: what each bank publicly requires to open an account

There is no single list of documents for opening a bank account in Türkiye as a foreigner: the law fixes what every bank must verify, and each bank publishes its own list on top of it. This guide puts the public pages of six banks side by side as they read on 02.11.2026, shows where the residence permit is really required and where a tax number is enough, and explains what still needs a branch visit.

What every bank must ask, by law

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 opening the relationship, and the implementing regulation (Tedbirler Yönetmeliği) lists what identification means for an individual: name, date and place of birth, nationality, the identity document, address, occupation and contact details, plus the purpose and nature of the business relationship. For a foreigner the identity document is a passport or a residence permit, and the address is confirmed with a residence record or a utility bill issued within the last three months. The bank must also record a tax identification number, which is why every bank asks for a foreigner identity number (yabancı kimlik numarası, YKN) or a tax number (vergi kimlik numarası). On top of that floor each bank applies its own risk policy: it may add income documents, a source-of-funds declaration or a longer interview, and it may refuse without giving a reason. The sections below quote what each bank publishes, not what branches do in practice.

Bank by bank: what the public pages say

• İş Bankası publishes the clearest list on its Expat Banking page: a valid passport not older than ten years or, if held, a valid residence permit; a foreigner identity number or a tax identification number; proof of address in Türkiye, for example an electricity, water, gas or phone bill in your name issued within the last three months, or the address printed in the passport. The Turkish page adds that eligible foreigners can start an application in İşCep with a YKN and passport details, with the rest at the nearest branch (checked 02.11.2026).
• Garanti BBVA lists, in its accounts FAQ, an identity document plus one of three address proofs: a residence record (yerleşim yeri belgesi), a utility bill not older than three months, or a document issued by a public institution. The Banking Services Agreement is signed at the branch, first openings cannot be done from abroad, and opening a foreign-currency demand account carries no fee (checked 02.11.2026).
• Ziraat Bankası publishes no separate document list for foreigners. Its remote onboarding runs on the Turkish chip identity card, so foreigners go to a branch; its YUVAM page confirms that foreign nationals who meet the general account-opening conditions can open one, at branches (checked 02.11.2026).
• DenizBank publishes the conditions of its MobilDeniz route, all of which require a Turkish identity card; no foreigner-specific list was found, so ask the branch (checked 02.11.2026).
• Yapı Kredi keeps a Banking for Foreigners section describing current accounts in lira or foreign currency, cards and Western Union, but the pages fetched contain no document list; ask the branch (checked 02.11.2026).
• Vakıfbank: the bank’s public page could not be verified on 02.11.2026; ask the branch.

Residence permit or tax number only: why banks differ

The question most foreigners ask is whether a residence permit (ikamet izni) is mandatory. The only bank page that answers it in writing is İş Bankası, and it says passport or residence permit, and foreigner identity number or tax number: by that text a passport plus a tax number is a complete identity set. Garanti BBVA’s FAQ names an identity document and an address proof without mentioning a residence permit at all. The other banks are silent on their public pages, so the decision sits with the branch and its compliance unit. The difference comes from the law itself: the regulation sets the minimum, and the risk-based approach lets each bank go further for customers it considers higher risk, including non-residents. The two numbers also come from different places. The YKN is issued with a residence permit by the civil registry under the Ministry of Interior. The tax number is issued by the tax office, and the Revenue Administration’s Digital Tax Office (dijital.gib.gov.tr) runs an online application for a potential tax number for foreigners (yabancılar için potansiyel vergi kimlik numarası). A tax number is therefore obtainable before any residence permit; whether a branch accepts it alone is the bank’s call on the day.

Digital onboarding and what still needs a branch

All four remote-onboarding routes we could verify are built around the Turkish chip identity card read by NFC and a video call with a representative: Ziraat Mobil, Garanti BBVA Mobil, MobilDeniz and İşCep all describe the same steps. Garanti BBVA and DenizBank state the conditions openly: eighteen or over, a Turkish chip identity card and residence in Türkiye; holders of the old-type card are sent to a branch or, at Garanti BBVA, to a courier visit. Only İş Bankası says that eligible foreigners can create an application in the app with a YKN and passport details, and even there the page refers you to the branch for the rest. A passport cannot be read by NFC the way the chip card is. So for a foreigner the realistic sequence is: tax number first, documents next, then a branch appointment where the Banking Services Agreement (Bankacılık Hizmet Sözleşmesi) is signed in person. İş Bankası and Garanti BBVA both state that a first account cannot be opened from abroad. Once the account exists, the app and internet branch open foreign-currency accounts, time deposits and transfers without a second visit.

Choosing a branch, what to bring, and refusals

Choose the branch before the bank. Branches in districts with many foreign residents or near universities and consulates handle passport applications daily; İş Bankası even lists Expat Banking branches. If your business is commercial, go to a commercial or corporate branch rather than a retail one. Ask by phone whether an English-speaking officer is available; none of the pages fetched promises Russian or Arabic service. Bring originals: passport, residence permit if you have it, the tax number document, an address proof under three months old, a Turkish mobile number in your name and, if the bank asks, an employment contract, payslips or a source-of-funds pack. Be ready to state the purpose of the account in one sentence. Refusals happen for ordinary reasons: a missing address proof, a passport close to expiry, a purpose the officer cannot place, a nationality the bank treats as higher risk, or simply the branch’s current policy. A refusal is not recorded against you anywhere: there is no shared register of declined applicants, so the same documents can be presented at another bank or branch the same week. Fee tariffs (ürün ve hizmet ücretleri) are published on each bank’s site; check the account line there on the day.

Sources

• isbank.com.tr — İş Bankası, Expat Banking: Become Our Customer (document list for foreigners)
• garantibbva.com.tr — Garanti BBVA, FAQ on accounts: documents at the branch, opening from abroad
• denizbank.com — DenizBank, becoming a customer via MobilDeniz: conditions for remote onboarding
• ziraatbank.com.tr — Ziraat Bankası, becoming a customer via Ziraat Mobil: identity and video-call steps

Questions