Living in Turkey as a Digital Nomad

• Where to look. Sahibinden and Emlakjet (the main portals), Facebook groups, and Airbnb for the first weeks.
• Leases are usually a year, with a deposit of one or two months; short furnished lets cost more.
• Rent rises: landlords often raise rent each year in line with inflation.

• Phone registration: foreign phones work with Turkish SIMs for 120 days. After that they must be registered at a tax office or e-Devlet, with a substantial fee, or they will be blocked. Buying a local phone or using an eSIM is an alternative.
• SIMs: Turkcell, Vodafone and Türk Telekom; bring your passport.
• Apps worth having: BiTaksi and Uber (taxis), Getir and Yemeksepeti (delivery), Moovit, and a VPN.

Istanbul has metro, trams, ferries and buses on the İstanbulkart; ferries across the Bosphorus are a highlight. Domestic flights and comfortable intercity buses connect the country.

Private hospitals are excellent and affordable. Pharmacies (eczane) are everywhere. For emergencies, call 112. Get health insurance.

Istanbul has a large international community, with coworking events, language exchanges and meetups. Turkish hospitality is famous; tea (çay) is offered everywhere.

• Mosques: cover shoulders and knees; women cover their hair; remove shoes.
• Ramadan: be discreet about eating in public in conservative areas.
• Respect for Atatürk and the state is expected; insulting them is a crime.

Turkey’s main tourist and nomad areas are generally safe. Watch for pickpockets and scams in busy parts of Istanbul, and check your government’s advice for regions near the Syrian border. Earthquakes are a risk across much of the country.

Emergency number: 112.