Opening a Turkish bank account from the UK

Two customers, two sets of rules

Turkish banks open accounts for non-residents, but they do so under the Turkish anti-money-laundering rules (MASAK) and the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency's identification rules, and each bank applies them with its own paperwork. There is no single national list. What a branch asks for depends mainly on who you are.

A Turkish citizen living in the UK needs a valid T.C. kimlik kartı and, at most banks, proof of the UK address and a UK tax reference for the automatic exchange of financial information. Several banks now accept a video identification through their mobile app for citizens with the new chip card, and some have representative offices in London that take applications; whether that works from abroad changes bank by bank and year by year, so ask the specific bank. A British spouse or partner has no kimlik kartı. The bank wants a passport, a Turkish tax number (vergi kimlik numarası) obtained from the tax office or the Interactive Tax Office website, a Turkish contact address, proof of the home address abroad and, at some banks, a reference from the UK bank. Documents in English are read by the branch only if they carry a Turkish translation certified by a notary.

The 2026 consumer guide we quote below lists the same core items: identity card or passport, a document showing the address abroad, a tax number and, where the bank asks, a residence document. It also notes that a few banks allow an account to be opened through a representative and that many insist on a first visit to the branch.

Where translation and notarisation enter

1. Passport. A notarised Turkish translation of the identity page is asked for by tax offices and most banks when the customer is a foreign national. We translate it and an Ankara notary certifies the translation; no apostille is needed because the passport is shown in person.
2. Proof of UK address and income. A council tax bill, utility bill or bank statement in English is accepted at some branches as it is and translated at others. A notarised translation removes the argument.
3. Bank reference letter. Some Turkish banks ask a foreign customer for a letter from the home bank. It is a private document, so if the branch wants it legalised it must be certified by a UK notary before the FCDO apostilles it; most branches accept it with a notarised translation alone.
4. Power of attorney. If someone in Türkiye will open or operate the account for you, the bank wants a POA that names the bank and the powers. Made at the Turkish Consulate in London it needs nothing further; made before a UK notary it needs an FCDO apostille and a notarised Turkish translation. Banks read POAs narrowly, so have the bank confirm the wording before you book the notary.

Documents you will need

• British passport, translated and notarised (foreign nationals)
• UK bank reference letter, where the bank asks
• Council tax bill or utility bill as proof of UK address
• UK bank statement or payslips where source of funds is queried
• Power of attorney for a relative or lawyer, unless made at the consulate
• Turkish tax number printout and, for a spouse, the marriage record from the Turkish register

Common pitfalls

• Arriving with a passport translation certified in the UK; the branch wants a Turkish notary's certificate.
• A POA that says “bank transactions” without naming the bank, the account type or the power to sign account-opening forms; branches refuse these.
• Giving a UK address without a Turkish correspondence address; most banks need both.
• Expecting the UK reference letter to be enough on its own for source-of-funds checks on a property purchase; the bank will also want the sale contract or tapu.
• Letting the account go dormant; banks freeze non-resident accounts with no activity and the reactivation needs a branch visit.

How we help and what it costs

A typical account-opening bundle for a British spouse is the passport identity page, one proof of address and a bank letter: 3 pages of 1,000 characters at £6.50, so about £20 for the translation, plus the Ankara notary tariff of about £13.50 per page and £5 handling per document at cost. A POA adds 2 to 3 pages. No UK VAT is charged. We send scans in 1 to 2 working days; the notarised originals, which the branch photocopies and returns, go by courier for £30 to you in the UK or to the person handling the account in Türkiye. There is no collection option. We do not open accounts, recommend banks or handle funds. For the sequence of steps and which banks currently take remote applications, see opening a Turkish bank account from the UK.