Banking & finance for foreigners and foreign-owned companies in İstanbul
This is the work we know best. The founder spent his career in banking, international B2B payments, compliance, accounting, logistics and customs — the exact chain a Turkish bank walks through before it opens an account, releases a SWIFT or closes an export file. Every service below is document preparation: we map what the bank asks for, collect and translate it, draft the cover note in the bank's structure and sit beside you at the branch with a sworn interpreter. The bank decides; you sign.
Fifteen services, one price line each
Personal bank account for a foreigner
Tax number, address record, ikamet check, bank shortlist by nationality appetite, interview preparation, branch accompaniment with interpreter. ₺6,000
Corporate account for a foreign-owned company
Bank shortlist by appetite, document pack, KYC interview preparation, branch accompaniment. The full page lives in Business & companies. ₺15,000 first bank · ₺7,500 each further
Bank compliance reply
The bank's questionnaire on a held payment, answered in its four-block structure with documents indexed; you sign. Full page in Business & companies. ₺4,000 one-off, included in Desk tiers
Source-of-funds document pack
The bank's request letter mapped to a document list, collected, translated, ordered, with a plain cover note. ₺1,500 + translation per page
Incoming SWIFT transfer pack
What the bank asks before crediting a foreign transfer: purpose, invoice or contract, DAB where FX is sold, timing. Per transfer. ₺3,500 included in Desk tiers
Outgoing import payment pack
Proforma, invoice, contract, payment-form choice, KKDF check, transfer notification form, the bank's questions answered. Per payment. ₺3,500 included in Desk tiers
Blocked, frozen or closed account
Reading the bank's letter, document pack for your written response, escalation route to head office and the TBB customer arbitration committee. ₺5,000
Bank letters & statements for abroad
Balance and reference letters in English for consulates, universities, ikamet proof of funds; notary and apostille chain. ₺1,200
Export proceeds (ihracat bedeli) follow-up
180-day repatriation rule, DAB, İBKB, bank follow-up and export-file closure. Quarterly package. ₺4,000 per quarter
Decree 32 / FX-contract document pack
Turkish-lira obligation between residents, FX loan limits, what the bank checks; document pack for one contract or payment. ₺4,500
Consumer loan or mortgage application pack
Income proof, translations, valuation, the bank's checklist in order. No brokerage; the bank decides. ₺6,000
POS / virtual POS / e-commerce acquiring pack
Company documents, website compliance (ETBİS, distance-sale contract, KVKK texts), application tracking. ₺4,500
Letter of guarantee (teminat mektubu) pack
For tenders, customs and landlords: what the bank requires, collateral options explained factually, application tracking. ₺5,000
Account closure & balance transfer abroad
Closing accounts and cards, final statements, tax clearance letter, the outgoing transfer's document pack. ₺3,500
Mobile & internet banking set-up
e-Devlet password at PTT, mobile banking activation, FAST/EFT limits, card delivery, bank-ID, linking to e-Devlet. ₺1,500
Business Operating Desk — the bundle for companies
Companies that need a compliance reply or a transfer pack every week do not buy them one by one. The Desk is a monthly subscription that bundles the banking services above with shipment packs, work-permit tracking and accounting coordination into one coordinator and one invoice. Bank fees, the SMMM tariff and state fees are always separate and paid by you to them.
| Tier | Start | Trade | Group |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly fee (incl. KDV) | ₺12,000 | ₺25,000 | ₺40,000+ |
| Designed for | New companies in their first year | Active importers / exporters | Multi-entity groups |
| Bank compliance replies / month | up to 4 | up to 12, same-day | unlimited |
| Incoming / outgoing transfer packs / month | up to 4 | up to 12 | unlimited |
| Export-proceeds follow-up (İBKB, file closure) | quarterly | monthly | continuous |
| Import/export shipment packs / month | 2 | 8 | unlimited |
| Accounting coordination with your SMMM | included | included | included |
| Coordinator | shared, 4 h ops / month | dedicated | dedicated + founder-level review |
Pilot prices, valid until 31.12.2026. Ten pilot Desks at founder pricing are open now — see For Business and the Business & companies page.
Who does what
| Act | Performed by | Our role |
|---|---|---|
| Account opening, KYC decision, limits | The bank, under BDDK and MASAK rules | Document pack, interview preparation, accompaniment with sworn interpreter |
| Crediting or releasing a transfer | The bank's operations and compliance units | Purpose statement, invoice/contract pack, DAB request wording |
| Declarations and letters to the bank | You, signed by you or your authorised signatory | Drafting in the bank's structure, document index, translation for your review |
| Export-file closure, İBKB | Your bank, under the TCMB İhracat Genelgesi | Calendar, document chain, follow-up log |
| Complaint to TBB Müşteri Hakem Heyeti or BDDK | You, in your own name | Document pack and factual chronology; no legal argument |
| Legal opinion on anything | A lawyer you retain directly | None — see legal information |
Why banking is where we start
- We read the bank's letter the way the bank wrote it. A compliance questionnaire has a structure — nature of transaction, origin and route, supporting documents, sanctions confirmation. We answer in that order, in Turkish, with documents numbered to match.
- We know which document closes which file. DAB for FX sold, İBKB for export proceeds, Transfer Bildirim Formu for imports, uygunluk belgesi for a citizenship deposit. Asking for the right paper the first time saves weeks.
- We know what banks are allowed to ask. MASAK's customer due-diligence rules and the BDDK's regulations set the frame. If a request is unusual we tell you so; whether to challenge it is a question for your lawyer.
- Nothing passes through us. No money, no credentials, no state fee. That is the law and also why our invoice is easy to audit.
Questions
Can you open the account for me?
No. Only you (or your company's authorised signatory) can sign a bank's account contract, and the bank decides whether to accept you. We prepare the document pack, shortlist the banks whose current appetite matches your nationality and profile, prepare you for the interview questions and accompany you with a sworn interpreter.
Do you talk to the bank in our name?
We draft; you sign and send. At the branch we interpret and explain. We do not hold a power of attorney over your accounts, do not hold your passwords and do not move money.
Can you tell us whether a transaction is permitted?
We confirm facts: the parties as named on the documents, the goods and their tariff heading, the countries involved, and whether a name appears on a public list you can cite. Whether a transaction is lawful or sanctioned is a legal question for a lawyer you retain directly.
Which bank should we choose?
We do not recommend a bank as such. We keep a record of which banks opened which type of account for which nationality and sector in the last quarter, and we shortlist from that record. Bank appetite changes monthly; the shortlist is dated.
Related: Business & companies · For Business — pilot Desks · guide: bank accounts for foreigners · guide: bank compliance questions · guide: SWIFT payment documents · our standard · all services
Describe the bank situation
Opens in WhatsApp. Documents are sent through WhatsApp or e-mail during the pilot. Reply within one business hour.