Education in Turkey
It is highly recommended that foreigners who wish to visit Turkey for different reasons, should overview the related information about our country’s visa procedures in advance before arrival.
Visa procedure for touristic and business purposed visits to a country may differ in relative to work and education visits. Also Turkey’s visa policies may change from country to country according to reciprocity principle.
Some applicants may be exempted from getting a visa to Turkey if it is for touristic or business purposes. Others can obtain their touristic Visa through electronic Visa. All other applicants who want to obtain a visa for working and education purposes will need to apply to our Turkish Representations abroad.
According to the different countries, an information note about Turkey’s visa regime is available in the following address: www.mfa.gov.tr
Foreigners who wish to enter Turkey need to carry a visa, a visa exemption, and the date of when their resident permit duration ends. They will need to request for a passport or documentations that can shows a passport that is valid for atleast 60 days.
Exampe: A Foreign visitor owns a visa that has 90 days resident permit duration, they will need to have 150 days (90 days + 60 days/ 5 month) valid passport or a travel document at the time of their entrance in Turkey.
Passports must have a validity of 6 months atleast from the expiration date of the visa. They have 90 days to do so.
For more visa information, please visit Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ official website: http://www.mfa.gov.tr/sub.en.mfa?cc4e437c-6769-4d79-9017-10b63c651224
For more information regarding residence permit, please visit Turkish National Police’s official website: http://www.egm.gov.tr/EN/Pages/Residence-Permit-Procedures.aspx
Please keep in mind that your university can assist you with your residence permit procedures. You do not have to do it alone, help is there.
Many Universities in Turkey provide campus accommodation to all international students who wish to stay on the campus or in state dormitories. Meals generally are not included in the fee but dormitories have canteens where students can eat breakfast and other meals for a nominal, relatively low cost. All fees are fixed in Turkish Liras. Regardless of their nationality, all international students must pay the same amount as Turkish students. In addition, most Turkish dormitories are segregated by sex. It is advised that students bring enough money that can be easily converted to Turkish Lira. Credit cards may not be accpeted. In Turkey, all processes related to accommodation in state dormitories are carried out by General Directorate of Higher Education Credit and Hostels Institution. For detailed information, please visit www.kyk.gov.tr web page.
If you are looking for a room that you can share, you may find vacancies posted in hostels, language schools, or other similiar areas regarding accommodation. In addition to the other sources, students can also have a chance to find an apartment in their university’s campus.
All international students who are recieving education in Turkey can take advantage of the “general health insurance” coverage in Turkey. Students who have "general health insurance", can use all state hospitals without any fee, and can use private hospitals by paying a moderate fee. To benefit from the General Health Insurance System in Turkey, you can go to your school’s international Student Office to get more information. Then with the necessary documents, students can go to the Social Security Institution to apply. When you complete your application, you will pay your general health insurance fee which is determined on an annual basis within 1 month from the date of Social Security records.
If you don't apply for general health insurance system within the given time period (3 months) you cannot benefit from the general health insurance services of the State. But, if the students has an international health insurance they can use it or can get benefit from private health insurances in Turkey. Some universities may also offer special health insurance policy for their international students.
Please also bear in mind that Turkey is known for providing high quality health services at low costs. For this reason many many patients from neighbour countries as well as from developed western countries prefer to come to Turkey to get healthier and cheaper treatments for surgery, dental, and eye examinations.
Students can benefit from their health insurance in Turkey, and in order to not face any problems we recommend students to go for checkups, visit their dentists.We also recommend students to bring along their glasses, a spare pair of contact lenses and their optical prescription with them. Lastly bringing along a first-aid kit can be really useful.
Turkey is home to the world’s earliest settlements and numerous civilizations ranging from the smallest of communities to the greatest of empires.
Turkey is the cradle of cultures and civilizations connecting Europe and Asia and also the capital of civilizations that have reined the lands of Anatolia for centuries.
Since the beginning of history, Anatolia, well known as one of the earliest settlements, has continued to flourish with the migration of various tribes, and accumulated a large cultural heritage through a line of succeeding empires and civilizations. Many empires ranging from the Sumerians to the Hittites, the Lydians to the Byzantines and the Seljuks to the Ottomans have once thrived and expired within the borders of Turkey.
To get more information about holiday cities of Turkey and to decide which cities to visit in Turkey, please visit the official tourism portal of Turkey http://www.goturkeytourism.com
The Mediterranean and the Aegean climates have a cool moist winter season, and a warm rainless summer season.
The climate in the Aegean region of Turkey is great throughout the year, even during the winter.
The weather in the eastern region of Turkey, bordering Georgia and Iraq, has hot summers and sonwy icy winters.
Turkey’s climate and weather along the coast of the Black Sea is a continental climate. In Turkey, humidity levels can be quite high. During winter, especially in the months of December and January, the weather is cold and temperatures can drop below zero.
The weather in Turkey’s capital, Ankara, as well as the central Anatolian region is cold in winters and hot and dry during summer. Turkey’s central climate is known as a mixture between a continental climate and a steppe climate.
To get more information on Turkey’s weather please visit the Turkish State Meteorological Service’s official website: http://www.mgm.gov.tr/
Turkey has been the homeland to numerous communities and civilizations from the beginning of the history of mankind and Anatolia has been the harbor of the magnificent Turkish culture for more hundreds of years. Due to the geographical continents that connects Europe and Asia, Turkish culture has been evolving with the influence of all these civilizations. Anatolia has been the cradle of different civilizations throughout history and the effects of these cultures also reflect the Turkish cuisine and social life.
If you are curious about; Turkish customs, traditions, folk dances, theatre, cinema, fine arts, literature, traditional and modern music,please visit official tourism portal of Turkey http://www.goturkeytourism.com
One of the best things about Turkish culture is the variety of its cuisine! You will find not only Turkish food, but also many delicious samples of food from the western and eastern kitchen cuisine.
Eating habits have been shaped according to the prevalent cultural, geographical, ecological, economic characteristics and is shaped according to historical duration.
In summary, the variety of products offered by the lands of Asia and Anatolia, the interaction with numerous different cultures over a long historical process, and the new tastes developed in the palace kitchens of the Seljuk and Ottoman empires have all played a part in shaping the new our culinary culture, which you would very much enjoy.
For more information about traditional Turkish and Ottoman cuisine and more, please visit the official website of Ministry of Culture and Tourism: http://www.kultur.gov.tr/EN,35306/culinary-culture.html
These are afew popular native foods in Turkey:
1- Kebap
2- Simit
3- Yoğurt –Ayran
4- Kahvaltı (Ballı-Kaymaklı)
5- Lokum
6- Baklava
7- Fındık Fıstık (Kuruyemişler)
8- Meyveler
9- Pide
10- Lahmacun
11- Turşu
12- Maraş Dondurması
13- Mantı
14- Dolma – Sarma
15- Kuru Fasulye
16- Kestane Şekeri / Kebab
17- Tavukgöğsü Tatlısı
18- Türk Kahvesi – Lokumu
19- Börek
20- Sahlep (Vahşi orkide köklerinden kremalı – tarçınlı mucize içecek)
21- Aşure
22- Boza
The monetary unit is the Turkish Lira (TL). Traveler’s checks are not favored nor accepted in Turkey. ATMs can be found in even the smallest Turkish towns. Most accept international credit cards or bank cards (a strip of logos is usually displayed above the ATM). Almost all ATMs have a language key to enable you to read the instructions in English. Most commercial establishments accept international credit cards such as Visa, Master Card and American Express.
The banking systems are highly developed, you can easily find a bank and ATM anywhere. You can make payments at any ATM’s by using your credit cards. You can open an account on your name, to get an ATM card you need a resident document.
The value-added tax, is known as KDV, is 18%. Value-added tax is nearly always included in quoted prices. Certain shops can deduct the tax, therefore you need to ask wheter any deductions can be made.
The electrical current in Turkey is 220 volts, 50 cycles alternating current (AC); wall outlets take Continental-type plugs, with two or three round prongs.
Jan 1: First Day of the New Year
Apr 23: National Sovereignty and Children's Day (anniversary of the establishment of Turkish Grand National Assembly in 1920)
May 1: Labour and Solidarity Day (since from 2009)
May 19: Atatürk Commemoration and Youth & Sports Day (the arrival of Atatürk in Samsun in 1919, and the beginning of the War of Independence)
Aug 30: Victory Day (victory over invading forces in 1922).
Oct 29: Republic Day (anniversary of the declaration of the Turkish Republic in 1923).
Ramazan Bayrami: Three-day festival that is celebrated the end of the fast of Ramadan month. Also known as "Şeker (sweets) Bayramı" because it's customary to offer candies to family members and friends that come to visit.
Kurban Bayrami: Four-day festival where sheeps or cows are sacrificed and their meat are distributed to the poor.
The dates of these religious festivals change according to the Islamic calendar and thus occur 10-11 days earlier each year. (This is due to the 10 days and 21 hrs difference between the Gregorian and Lunar calendars). According to this;
Standard time zone: UTC/GMT + 3 hours
To make a long-distance call (any call outside of your area code), you have to dial the long-distance prefix (0) before the seven-digit local phone number. Below are the area codes for Turkey´s major cities:
Adana 322
Ankara 312
Antalya 242
Bursa 224
Istanbul (Asian side) 216
Istanbul (European side) 212
Izmir 232
Each Turkish mobile provider are assigned with a range of area codes (or mobile prefixes).
Turkcell 530-539,
Vodafone 541-549,
Turk Telekom 502-506
Important Note:
You have exactly 120 days of duration to use the mobile phones that you bring along with you. Before this duration ends, you will need to go to a GSM Operator with your passport in order to register your mobile device. This operation will cost 140TL, or 38 $. If you purchase your device from Turkey you do not have to do this process.
Useful telephone service numbers:
155 Police
112 Ambulance
110 Firefighter
170 Tourism Info
Planning your travel to Turkey is exciting, however before going to Turkey, you may find the information and tips below useful:
Documents you need to bring along with you: your passport, with a valid visa; travel documentations, tickets and a acceptance letter from your university. (The address of your new university, plus the telephone number of the person related will be helpful to you).
Health and travel insurance: Firstly, get advice from your university – they may offer a special insurance policy for their students. Asking different insurance companies can also be helpful. For information about vaccinations and other health-related considerations, check out our health section.
Do not forget that most airlines charge for excess baggage.
Temperatures in Turkey vary from season to season and from region to region. For information about Turkey’s weather, check our Weather section.