Each country and city has its on unique lifestyle rules. We have compiled some of the practical and useful information for you so that you will not feel yourself as an outsider when you encounter the norms and behaviors which are valid or prevalent in Istanbul and Turkey.

It is for sure that the information about the transportation, working hours, holidays, currency, banks, shopping and various customary behaviors of daily life will be quite beneficial for you...

Customs and visa procedures

• Turkey does not ask for visa from the citizens of many countries. For this reason, it will be better if you check whether Turkey asks for visa from your country before coming to Istanbul.
• It is allowed to have two cartons of cigarette and alcohol beverages up to 2,5 liters while passing through the customs in Istanbul.

• You can go to the Exchange offices in the airport in order to convert your money into New Turkish Lira(s) which is the official currency in Turkey.
• You can carry out the Exchange transaction in the banks as well.
• You can convert various currencies into New Turkish Lira and the New Turkish Lira into other currencies in the numerous exchange offices located in the downtown or busy streets of the city.
• You can learn the currency rates both from the newspapers and also from the boards and electric signs of the banks and exchange offices.

• The official currency in Turkey has been New Turkish Lira (Yeni Turk Lirasi =YTL) since January 1, 2005. 1 YTL is equal to 100 New Kurus (Yeni Kurus =Ykr). There are banknotes of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 YTL, and there are coins of 1, 5, 10, 25, 50 Ykr and 1 Ytl.
• TL (Turkish Lira) which was used before January 1, 2005 will be valid until January 1, 2006. If you have any TL banknotes you have to exchange them with YTL before January 1, 2006.
• When you delete 6 zeros from your TL banknote, i.e. when you divide the number on your TL banknote by 1.000.000, then you find its YTL value.

For example:
20.000.000 TL= 20 Ytl
500.000 TL= 50 Ykr

Value Added Tax (VAT=KDV) and shopping

• Value Added Tax (VAT) is a type of consumer tax which is paid in return for the goods and services purchased. VAT is generally included in the price, and if not, then it is separately specified. VAT rates generally fluctuate between 8-10 % and this change is based on the type of the goods and the services.
• You can learn the VAT rate from the invoice or from the cash register receipt given after the payment.
• In Turkey Customer Rights Law are in force. In order to benefit from the rights given to you under this law and in order to redress you grievances for the goods or services you buy, it is recommended that you do your shopping from the shops.
• Bargaining is like a shopping tradition for the Turks. Therefore, feel free to bargain while you are shopping in the tourist centers such as Kapalicarsi, Misircarsisi

• Working hours for the official institutions/agencies, banks and private organizations/companies in Turkey are generally between 08.30 a.m- 18.00 (06.00 p.m.). Lunch time is between 12.00 and 13.30.
• Working hours for the shops, restaurants and markets are variable. Shopping malls are open until 21.00 or 22.00 at night depending on the season. There are lunch counters, night clubs and restaurants which are open for 24 hours in Istanbul especially in Beyoglu and its vicinity.

• Museums are generally open 6 days a week (closed on Monday) between 09.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. You can get detailed information from the information desks of the museum about changes if any.
• There is an entrance fee while entering the museums and the historical places. This fee is different for the Turkish citizens for the international visitors. You can consult to the museum officers whether it is allowed to take photos or make camera records or whether you have to pay an extra amount of money for these in the places you visit.

• Most of the population in Istanbul is Muslim. Istanbul is also the center for the Orthodox Christians and in addition there are Catholics and Jews as well. So, in Istanbul where different religions coexist, you can find churches and synagogues and perform your worships and prayers freely.
• In Ramadan (fasting month) most of the Muslim fast, however all the shops, cafes and restaurants where you can find all kinds of foods and beverages are open. In this month the restaurants where alcoholic beverages are served are also open.
• There are some rules that you have to obey while visiting the mosques regardless of the purpose of your visit such as:
  • Take off your shoes while entering the mosques.
  • Women have to wear scarves, so bring one with you or you can get one from the mosque agents.
  • You cannot stroll around the mosque during namaz (ritual of worship) times in detail, therefore you had better visit the mosques in other times.

• New Year’s Day, 1 January
• The Ramadan Festival (2006), 2 - 5 November (3.5 days)
• The Feast of the Sacrifice (2006), 9 - 13 January (4.5 days)
• National Sovereignty and Children’s Day, 23 April
• Commemoration of Ataturk and Youth and Sports Holiday, 19 May
• Victory Holiday, 30 August
• Republican Day, 29 October

• In Istanbul Internet is a part of the daily life and you can connect to internet in return for a fee in the internet cafes which you can find in several districts of Istanbul. Those places are open until late at night and they also serve as ordinary cafes.
• Nowadays, most of the hotels have separate internet rooms or wireless communication opportunities.
• Similarly, there is wireless communication service in the central streets such as Istiklal Street and in the big shopping malls.
• Likewise, 4 and 5 star hotels also offer wireless communication service.
• You can have information about internet connection from your tour operator or from the employee in your hotels/boarding house.

• You can make use of the post offices for your mails, cargos and the other things to be sent, and for the international, local and long distance telephone calls. In Turkey the post offices have yellow boards where PTT (post, telegram, telephone) is written on. You can find post offices in all districts and county boroughs. The post offices are generally open for 5 weekdays between 08.00 a.m. and 5.00 pm.
• The post offices in big centers and tourism areas are open 7 days a week between 08.00 a.m. and 9.00 p.m.

• International phone code for Turkey is 90. in international calls, after dialing 00 (double zero), you dial the country phone code and the city code and then the number you are calling.
• In long distance calls, you use the city phone codes which are composed of three numbers. After dialing 0, you dial the city phone code and then the number you are calling.
• The code for the European side of Istanbul is 212, and the code for the Anatolian part is 216. It is necessary to dial these codes while making phone calls between the two sides. Long distance calls:
  0   xxx    xxx xx xx
  city code  telephone number
  
• If you are using your mobile phone for a call, then you have to use the city code for the local calls as well.
• You can use the pay phones in the post offices of in the telephone booths for your calls. In order to use the pay phones you have to buy telephone cards. You cannot use money in those phones.
• You can make you calls in the “call center”, “call shop” of many districts in return for a fee.
• Mobile phones are very widespread in Turkey. There are three big GSM operators providing service and it is possible to make mobile phone calls easily in every part of Turkey. For this, please do not forget to enable your mobile phones for international calls! If your mobile phone is not able to make international calls, you can apply to your GSM operator and you can make your calls through the system it has contract with.

• All the taxis in Istanbul are yellow and they have boards written taksi/taxi on them.
• Taxis fees are calculated by the taximeters. Taximeters start at 1.30 YTL and in each kilometer it increases by 0.90 YTL. The fee for waiting is 17 YKr. It is important that you have change with you when taking a taxi.
• At midnight after 00.00 there is a 50% supplementary night charge rate.
• It is safer to take taxis from the taxi ranks, because if you take the taxi from the taxi rank and forget something in the taxi or such, then it will be easier for you to get into touch with the taxi driver.
• You can also take the taxis driving on the streets. It is written on the taxis which rank they belong to and what their registration plate are. If possible, please note this information. Please read the instruction in the transportation section carefully in order to go from one place to another easily in Istanbul which is one of the biggest metropolis of the world.

• Although it is a tradition to tip in the restaurants, hotels and cafes in Istanbul it is optional. Therefore, you will not be asked to tip anywhere by any service staff member.
• The 10 % of the product or service price is the ideal rate for the tip.

• Banks open at 08.30 or 09.00 during the weekdays, and close at 17.00 or 17.30. Most of the banks have lunch breaks between the 12.00-13.30. It is recommended that you call the bank you want to go, and get precise information regarding its service hours.
• The credit cards of international organizations (Visa, Mastercard) are valid in all kinds of restaurants, markets, travel agencies and hotels.
• You can draw cash from the ATMs. You can use the bank offices during working hours and the ATMS at all times a day for your banking transactions.

• In most houses in Turkey, people take off their shoes and wear slippers inside the house. For this reason, when you visit a house as a guest, take off your shoes at the entrance.
• Turkish people are famous for their hospitality. It is a tradition to host the guest in the best way, to do the best offerings possible and to make him/her comfortable. The sensitivity and care increases especially if the guest is a foreigner. For this reason, if you’re the guest somewhere, you may be paid extra attention for your comfort. Hosts can be insistent especially about eating. This is an old tradition. Giving place to others in the transportation vehicles
  It is a common custom to give place to women, especially to the pregnant ones and the ones with children in the public transportation. In addition young people and children give place to the elderly people.

• Do not be surprised if some hands you money while traveling in the dolmus or the minibus. This person is trying to give/pass his fee to the driver. He/she tells you the place he/she is going and for how many people he is paying for. If you are just behind the driver, you have to pass this money to the driver. If you are not close to the driver, you have to pass the money to the person sitting in front of you and repeat what the other person has said to you.
• You can try this procedure as well. If you are sitting in the back seats, pass your fee to the person sitting in front of you and tell him where you are going and how many passengers you are, and then this person will pass your fee to the driver.