Moving to Turkey From US

Making a significant leap in its political and economic development, Turkey is home to countless tourists and expats. A large population of expats travels from US to Turkey for work, education, or tourism purposes. Offering a unique combination of Islamic traditions and western vibes, Turkey is a unique country with a vibrant and rich heritage.

Having a dynamic economy and developing tertiary, Turkey is renowned for welcoming a huge number of expats to offer lucrative job opportunities. That said, if you are relocating to Turkey, you must be well aware of the relocation services. Well, when it comes to packing and shipping, make sure you reach out to packers who deliver your goods safely, without damage. We at Earthrelo have got you covered with our top relocation services.

But before that, here is a glimpse of what Turkey has in store for you. Below is our guide that covers everything that you need to know before moving to Turkey from US. Without any further ado, let’s delve into the blaze of Turkey!

The Turkish economy has experienced an exceeding growth in the last few years. Besides the textile and agricultural sector, the electronics and tourism industry is pacing at a high rate with lucrative opportunities for expats. An essential factor to consider is to learn the Turkish language to get a proper job in Turkey.

Although obtaining a work permit in Turkey is tough, qualified experts dealing in medicals, engineering, and IT are welcome. Native speakers from the UK and the USA can easily relocate to Turkey and work as a foreign language or English teacher with your university certificate. You can even find great scope in tourism. You can even consider approaching any UK multinationals like Marks & Spencer, Vodafone, BP, and HSBC. Giants like Google also seek experts. Red Bull and Colgate-Palmolive too have bases in the country.

The Turkish government has limited several professions to Turkish citizens only. Hence, being an expat, you will not be eligible to work in the mining or legal sectors.

The legal working hours per week are 45 hours. Businesses are open from 8.30 am to 5 pm. You will get a 14 days annual leave in case you work in an organization for 1-5 years. In total, there are 9 public holidays. In case you are pregnant, you will get a paid maternity leave of 16 weeks before, between, or after the birth. The minimum wage in Turkey that is currently set starts from €422.30 per month.

When you move from US to Turkey, you will discover that the healthcare system there is entirely different from the American system. To be more precise, there are no general practitioners. Hence, every legal resident and citizen can directly refer to a required professional in case of necessity.

Expats holding a valid responsibility residential permit for 1 year can easily apply for a public healthcare insurance scheme. The quality of healthcare services differs hugely from city to city. Most of the expat population opt for private healthcare insurance. Private clinics in Ankara and Istanbul have highly qualified doctors having years of experience.

After the launch of Genel Sağlık Sigortası (GSS), a universal healthcare system, each member is provided with a healthcare service easily at free of charge. In case you attend any public healthcare after registering with GSD, you can get several free treatments for Childbirth, Emergencies, Extraordinary events like injuries from war, Fertility treatment, Infectious disease, Medically necessary cosmetic surgery, etc. Several public hospitals provide dental services even if you approach private facilities. By using the GSS, you can cover the great cost of prescription drugs.

Note: The healthcare charges differ from city to city based on the quality of hospitalization, treatment, and location.

Before you rent any house or apartment, bear in mind that rents in Turkey vary strongly according to the facilities and location. In larger cities like Istanbul, renting is generally higher for expats. A 4 bedroom apartment in Ankara will cost you around 1200TL-2000TL on an average basis. However, cities like Istanbul can be even more expensive.

Maximum apartment in Turkey comes along with 3 bedrooms, one kitchen, one bathroom, and one living room. If we speak generally, they are unfurnished. Furnished spaces hold more basic equipment along with the furniture. Being a foreigner, your landlord might ask you to pay your rent in USD. Additionally, it is normal in Turkey to pay rent 6-12 months earlier. All taxes and property repairs are charged by the landlord.

The standard rental agreement lasts for one year only. During this period, the tenant might also terminate the lease. However, this requires 15 days prior notice to end the lease term. Written leases hold taxes applied on them.

Renting by an Emlak generally denotes securing a one-year contract. Moreover, the accommodation is unfurnished. Your landlord can charge you a fee as well as take a security deposit. Some good sources to find housing include the Internet, local newspapers, etc. Daily newspapers like Hürriyet, Zaman, or Milliyet are excellent when it comes to house search.

In case everything fails, you can hire an English-speaking real estate agent. You can ask other expats in the country for genuine housing and accommodation.

Buying A Property

Even though you hardly require a residence permit to buy a property in Turkey, you need a Foreign Identification Number (Yabanci Kimlik). You can receive this free of cost from the foreign department of The TNP(Turkish National Police). Under a recent law, property buyers can now purchase any property that spends over $250000 on a Turkish home. In fact, they are eligible for citizenship as well.

Citizens belonging to several countries do not require a visa for relocating to Turkey for a short period. If you are going to move from the US to Turkey for less than 90 days, you can easily apply for a tourist visa provided that your purpose of visit must involve business activities, tourism, sports, or cultural events. That said, below are the most popular types of visas that expats can apply for while relocating to Turkey from US.

1. Tourist/Business Visa

   The tourist/Business Visa category involves single transits, touristic visits, business meetings, conferences, sportive activities, official visits, etc.

2. Working Visa

   Work Visa is usually suitable for expats who are immigrating to Turkey for Employment. There are two types of work visas.

   Temporary: Temporary visas are issued for one year for a certain organization and occupation. You can renew your work visa after 3 years for the same organization and occupation. When you renew your visa a second time, it will be valid for 6 years. Moreover, your accompanying family members get a work permit as well after residing in Turkey for 5 years.

   Permanent: Unlimited work visa cannot be issued unless you stay in the country for at least 8 years or have been working in Turkey for 6 years. The government grants a work visa to self-employed individuals only if they stay 5 consecutive years in Turkey.

3. Student/Education Visa

   This is granted on the basis of internships, certified education, or any other educational courses.

4. Other Types Of Visa

   This visa falls under the miscellaneous category for purposes including accompaniment, seafarer visas, archaeological exploration, medical treatment, freight visas, researching, filming documentaries, tour operator, family reunification, etc.

5. Residency Visa

   Temporary Visa: Any foreigner who intends to reside in Turkey for over 90days can apply for a temporary visa/residential permit. However, this should be done within 30 days of arrival.

   Permanent Visa: For permanent residency status, expats must reside in Turkey for a minimum 8 year period legally. You can even apply for a permanent residence if you initiate your business or buy a property in Turkey.

6. Official Visa

   Work Permit

   Any expat intending to work in Turkey needs a valid work permit.

   Standard Employment: Generally, expats who have already obtained their residence permit that has a minimum of 6 months validity left on it can apply for a work permit during their stay in Turkey. However, expats visiting for tourism are not eligible. To get your work permit approved, you need to have a proper employment contract or job offer.

   Self-Employment: If you have worked in Turkey for at least 5 years, you can apply for your independent work permit/self-employed permit. This permit enables you to work as a self-employed individual.

Turkey offers free and compulsory education for students at certain levels. The education system is divided into several stages.

Pre-School(optional): For students up to 6 years of age.

Primary(mandatory): This stage lasts for 8 years. 5 years in elementary and 3 years in secondary education. Mandatory for students from ages 6-14.

Secondary: This involves 4 years of high school(Lise), or vocational high school education. Several schools add another year of language study as well. The best part is, secondary education allows choices for students.

In Turkey, the government offers two schools: public and private.

Public High Schools(Normal Liseler or Düz Liseler): Kids who have completed their 8 years of elementary education can go to these schools. In case graduates complete their nationwide University Entrance Examination (ÖSS) and achieve an award of the Lise Diploması can proceed with higher education.

Private High Schools (Ozel Liseler): This is the Turkish private sector. There are several faith schools, ideally Islamic that focus strongly on religion (İmam Hatip Lisesi).

Furthermore, bear in mind that public education is taught in Turkish only. Hence, you can opt for private schools that contain English as a part of language instruction whilst you stay in Turkey. Maximum expats opt for private schools for the language barrier.

Additionally, you can even find several international schools in Turkey that teach the following British national curriculum and American syllabuses. Enrollment policies in schools differ from school to school. While some schools might take a proficiency test in maths/ English, some don’t.

Apart from offering a great opportunity for expats, Turkey is home to more than 82 million people. However, when it comes to moving to Turkey from US, ensure that you connect with the top and reliable international movers and shippers from the US to Turkey. That said, we at Earthrelo offer the most reliable and efficient international package services to Turkey. We offer the ultimate set of relocation services apart from completing all the essential custom processes. Alongside, we also take care of the safety and security of your goods. Moving goods from US to worldwide with zero damage, our moving company to Turkey from US is committed to a comprehensive range of Moving services including packaging, shipping, and unpacking at cost-effective rates. Being licensed US to Turkey Movers, our professional assistant team is committed to offering the best reliable transportation services to help you in moving from the US to Turkey safely. Reach out to us today and get FREE quotations along with the ultimate shipping advice at reasonable rates.