First steps after arrival: tax number, address registration and e-Devlet
Three small registrations unlock almost everything else a foreigner does in Türkiye: the tax number is required for a bank account, a lease, a phone contract and the residence permit fee; the address record is required for the residence permit, school enrolment and most banks; the e-Devlet password lets you download the documents other offices ask for. Done in the right order, all three take two days. This guide explains each office, what it needs and the sequence.
1. Tax number (vergi kimlik numarası) — online, free, in minutes
Foreigners obtain a potential tax identification number through the Revenue Administration's Interactive Tax Office (İnteraktif Vergi Dairesi, ivd.gib.gov.tr) under "Yabancılar İçin Potansiyel Vergi Kimlik Numarası". You upload a scan of the passport identity page, enter passport number, nationality, date of birth, parents' names and a Turkish address (a hotel address is accepted at this stage) and receive a PDF with the ten-digit number immediately. There is no fee and no appointment. The same number can be obtained in person at any tax office with the passport original.
Once a residence permit is issued, the foreigner identification number starting with 99 replaces the tax number for most purposes; banks and the tax office link the two automatically.
2. Address registration at the Nüfus Müdürlüğü
Everyone living in Türkiye must declare their residence address to the district population directorate (İlçe Nüfus Müdürlüğü) within 20 business days of moving in. For a foreigner the record is created once a residence permit (or a work permit) exists; before that, the address is declared in the e-ikamet application itself. The directorate needs:
- Passport and residence permit card (or the application document and permit decision for a first permit).
- Proof of the address: a lease in your name (notarised in some districts; signature certification at the 2026 notarial tariff is paid by you to the notary), or the title deed if you own, or a notarised undertaking from the person hosting you plus their ID.
- A recent utility bill or subscription in your name helps where the lease is not notarised.
Registration is free and immediate; the officer prints the yerleşim yeri belgesi (residence record) on the spot. Children are registered with the parent. Every later move must be declared again within the same 20 business days; an unreported move is the most common reason a renewed residence permit card is returned to sender.
3. e-Devlet password
With a residence permit number you obtain an e-Devlet password at any PTT counter for a small fee published by PTT, showing the permit card. e-Devlet then gives you, free and instantly, the documents other offices ask for: the residence record, the criminal-record certificate, SGK coverage statements, tax debt status, the e-Denklik application and, for permit holders, the e-ikamet appointment data. Without e-Devlet each of those is a separate visit.
The right order, and what each office wants to see
| Step | Office | Brings | Receives |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Interactive Tax Office (online) | Passport scan, address | Tax number PDF, instantly |
| 2 | Bank (optional at this stage) | Passport, tax number, address proof, phone | Account, if the bank accepts |
| 3 | e-ikamet application | Tax number, insurance, address, photos | Appointment, fee reference |
| 4 | Nüfus Müdürlüğü (after the permit) | Permit card, lease or deed | Residence record |
| 5 | PTT | Permit card | e-Devlet password |
For the residence permit itself and what the Directorate expects, see our residence permit guide; for the bank step, the bank account guide.
State fees and notarial tariffs are paid by you directly to the state or to the notary; they never pass through us and we receive nothing from any notary. The figures above are the official 2026 tariff, last checked 24.10.2026.
Last verified: 24.10.2026 · source: gib.gov.tr (İnteraktif Vergi Dairesi); Nüfus Hizmetleri Kanunu 5490 art. 50 — mevzuat.gov.tr; Harçlar Kanunu 2026; 2026 Noterlik Ücret Tarifesi — adalet.gov.trCommon mistakes
- Typing the name differently from the passport (Turkish keyboard characters, missing middle names): the tax number then does not match the bank's or the Directorate's records.
- Leases signed in a company's name or a relative's name: the address record is personal.
- Forgetting that the 20-business-day clock restarts with every move, including a move within the same building.
- Letting the hotel address on the tax record stand for months; update it at the tax office or through e-Devlet once you have a lease.
Sources
- gib.gov.tr — Revenue Administration: Interactive Tax Office, tax number for foreigners
- nvi.gov.tr — General Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs: address registration
- turkiye.gov.tr — e-Devlet gateway
- mevzuat.gov.tr — Law 5490 on Population Services, art. 50 (address declaration)
Questions
Can I get a tax number before I arrive?
Yes. The Interactive Tax Office issues the potential tax number online from anywhere with a passport scan; you can give a hotel or a friend's address and update it later. Having the number before landing lets you open a phone contract and start the bank conversation on day one.
I have no lease yet. Can I register an address?
The population directorate needs a document tying you to the address: a lease, a title deed, or a notarised undertaking from the person hosting you. A hotel can issue a stay confirmation for the e-ikamet application, but a hotel address is not a permanent residence record for most purposes.
Is the tax number the same as the foreigner ID number?
No. The ten-digit tax number comes from the tax office before you have a permit. The eleven-digit foreigner identification number starting with 99 is assigned with the residence or work permit and is used on e-Devlet, at banks and by the tax office thereafter; the two are linked automatically.