Built in Istanbul · 35 years local

Your expat lifein Istanbul,sorted.

Residence permits, healthcare, banking, neighborhoods — expert answers built from 35 years of real Istanbul experience. Free to start.

Live example · real answer
“|”
  • Apply online at e-ikamet.gov.tr (not in person first)
  • Fees: ₺2,850 total including card + fee stamps (2026)
  • Bring SGK-approved private health insurance (~₺1,500/yr)
4.8on App Store15 free questions a day · no signupBuilt by an Istanbul local
LOVED BY EXPATS FROM 40+ COUNTRIES

Real stories, real moves.

10,000+
expats
4.8★
App Store
23 days
avg. permit time
40+
countries
JOINING FROM🇩🇪 🇺🇸 🇷🇺 🇫🇷 🇮🇷 🇺🇦 🇬🇧 🇸🇦 🇳🇱 🇮🇹
“Got my residence permit in 23 days. SettleIn literally told me which notary had short lines. Wild.”
S
Sarah M.
Moved from Berlin · Kadıköy
· App Store review
“I was scrolling expat Facebook groups for weeks. One afternoon with SettleIn replaced all of it.”
D
Dmitry K.
Remote dev · Cihangir
· Verified subscriber
“The Turkish phrase generator for hospitals saved me during a real emergency. Worth Pro alone.”
A
Amira H.
PhD student · Beşiktaş
· App Store review
THE FLAGSHIPS

Everything you need. Nothing you don't.

The three tools that do the heavy lifting. Eighteen more in the full shelf below.

Popular
🗺️
Neighborhoods
15 Istanbul areas compared — map, filters, vibe, registration.
New places weekly
🍽️
Istanbul Guide
Curated cafes, restaurants, hospitals and more.
See all 21 tools
The Full Shelf— 21

Built around what you actually need.

Grouped by stage. The tools you need on day one, week one, and every week after — everything in one place.

The first 5 things every expat needs.
Core
🗺️
Neighborhoods
15 Istanbul areas — map, filters, registration status
New
📸
Scanner
Translate any Turkish document in seconds
✅
Checklist
29-step plan from arrival to settled
🧭
Neighborhood Quiz
Match your lifestyle in 2 minutes
Must
🛡️
Scam Guide
18 scams to avoid, with fresh examples
🧮
Calculator
Permits, rent, citizenship, cost of living
WHERE YOU'LL LIVE

15 neighborhoods, one Istanbul.

Swipe through expat-proven districts — rent range, safety, vibe, transport. Pick one and see the full profile.

Cihangir
☕artsy
Mid-High
Cihangir
Expat HubArtsy
92/100·8.2
Kadıköy
🐟local
Mid
Kadıköy
Local FavoriteMarkets
88/100·8.5
Moda
🌅artsy
Mid-High
Moda
WaterfrontRelaxed
90/100·8.7
Beşiktaş
⚡vibrant
High
Beşiktaş
UniversityBosphorus
85/100·8
Bebek
✨luxury
Very High
Bebek
LuxuryBosphorus
72/100·9
Nişantaşı
🛍️luxury
Very High
Nişantaşı
ShoppingUpscale
94/100·8.8
Galata
🏛️artsy
Mid-High
Galata
HistoricArt
91/100·7.5
Üsküdar
🕌family
Low-Mid
Üsküdar
FamilyTraditional
80/100·8.8
Sultanahmet
🕌local
Mid
Sultanahmet
HistoricTourist
88/100·7.8
Ortaköy
🌉vibrant
High
Ortaköy
BosphorusBrunch
75/100·8
Balat
🎨artsy
Low-Mid
Balat
ColorfulHistoric
78/100·7.5
Levent
🏙️family
High
Levent
BusinessModern
70/100·8.5
Etiler
🏡luxury
Very High
Etiler
UpscaleResidential
65/100·9.2
Bağdat Caddesi
🛣️luxury
High
Bağdat Caddesi
ShoppingPromenade
82/100·8.6
Florya
🏖️family
Mid
Florya
BeachFamily
60/100·8.8
🗺️ MAP VIEW
Explore all 15 on a map
Filter by budget, vibe, safety, expat density.
Open map
YOUR FIRST 90 DAYS

Settle in, step by step.

The exact order most expats do it in — so you don't waste a week on the wrong appointment. Every step links to the tool that makes it easier.

01
✈️
Day 1–7
Land & get your bearings
Arrive, activate e-SIM, pick a neighborhood to base in, get an Istanbulkart.
02
🏠
Day 8–21
Find your home
Shortlist 2–3 areas, book viewings, understand contracts and deposits.
03
🪪
Day 15–45
Residence permit & tax no.
Book the appointment, gather documents, get your vergi kimlik — in the right order.
04
🏦
Day 30–60
Banking, health, phone
Open an account, activate SGK or private insurance, register your phone IMEI.
05
🫖
Day 60–90
Settle & belong
Learn the phrases you need, meet other expats, fall for your favorite café.
🧭Average time to a valid residence permit from arrival: 23 days
ON YOUR PHONE

Take SettleIn with you.
Everywhere in Istanbul.

Offline phrases. One-tap emergency numbers. Document scanner that translates Turkish contracts in seconds.

iPhone · iPad · Free · In-App Purchases optional
9:41
🗣️ TURKISH PHRASES
Survival kit
Merhaba, Türkçem iyi değil
Hello, my Turkish isn't good
İngilizce biliyor musunuz?
Do you speak English?
Hesap, lütfen
The bill, please
Fiyatı nedir?
What's the price?
9:41
🆘 EMERGENCY
One-tap call
🚑
Ambulance
Tap to call
112
🚓
Police
Tap to call
155
🚒
Fire
Tap to call
110
🛟
Coast Guard
Tap to call
158
9:41
S
SettleIn Assistant
● Online
How do I open a bank account?
Bring your passport, tax number, and proof of address. Ziraat and Garanti BBVA accept foreigners same-day at most branches in Beyoğlu.
Ask anything…
SettleIn Pro · 7-day free trial

Go deeper. Go unlimited.

Everything free SettleIn does — without the limits. One price for the entire expat toolkit.

Monthly
$4.99/mo
Cancel anytime
📅
SAVE 33%
Yearly · Best value
$39.99/yr
~$3.33/mo · one bill
⭐
💬
Unlimited AI chat
Ask anything, any time — no daily limits.
📄
Unlimited scans
Translate every Turkish contract, bill, form.
🔒
Vault + reminders
Unlimited docs with email alerts before expiry.
🗺️
Full Istanbul guide
130+ restaurants, cafes, hospitals — locals-only.
📊
Smart dashboard
Personalized alerts on permits, rent, markets.
📥
PDF exports
Download checklists, calculations for your files.
See full Pro plan →

7-day free trial · No commitment · Purchase via Apple, cancel anytime in Settings.

FROM THE FOUNDER
Arek Yasulkal, founder
“
I built SettleIn because my friends kept asking me the same questions I solved years ago.
Arek Yasulkal
Founder · Istanbul native
35 YEARS
🇹🇷 LOCAL
WHY I BUILT THIS

I watched friends get lost in paperwork that took me 10 minutes.

SettleIn is what I wish existed when my friends arrived.Answers from someone who's stood in those lines, bargained with that landlord, and knows which notary takes walk-ins.

  • Expat forums are scattered. one source, no scrolling.
  • Official sites are in Turkish. every answer in your language.
  • Translate mangles legal docs. AI that actually understands forms.
  • Most apps were built from abroad. I've lived here 35 years.
35
years living in Istanbul
15
neighborhoods mapped
5
languages supported
FAQ

Questions people ask before they download.

The six most common questions expats send us. Still unsure? Just ask the chat — it remembers your context.

Core government fees are ~964 TL application + 500–800 TL card. Most nationalities pay a visa fee (~80 USD for US citizens). The bigger recurring cost is mandatory health insurance: 890–1,700 TL/year.
Ziraat and Garanti BBVA typically open accounts same-day in Beyoğlu/Kadıköy with passport + tax number. İş Bankası and Yapı Kredi sometimes require a residence permit first.
For residence permit applications, yes — private Turkish insurance is mandatory. Foreign travel insurance is not accepted by Göç İdaresi. Buy from Allianz, AXA, Mapfre, or Anadolu Sigorta.
Many neighborhoods in Fatih, Esenyurt, Başakşehir, Şişli, and Beyoğlu are closed as of 2026 (foreign population > 20%). Check the current list on goc.gov.tr before signing a lease.
The core chat, SOS, phrases, and guide are free forever with no signup. Pro ($4.99/mo or $39.99/yr) unlocks unlimited scans, the full neighborhood map, and document reminders.
The iOS app caches phrases, emergency numbers, and saved documents for offline use. The AI chat needs a connection. On the web, only cached FAQ pages work offline.
Browse all 60+ answers
Free · 1 tip, 1 neighborhood, every Sunday

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Every Sunday: one neighborhood worth knowing, one practical tip from 35 years in Istanbul. Plus the four pages every new expat should bookmark — residence permits, neighborhoods, healthcare, document vault. One-click unsubscribe. No spam.

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