Notaries and Translators.

If you are purchasing property or vehicles, or conducting any sort of form filling for presentation to Government offices in Turkey, at some stage you will need the services of a notary (noter). These are in plentiful supply everywhere, as even the Turkish people have to use them on a regular basis. Because you are a foreigner, you will also need the services of a translator to ensure that you know what you are signing and what your obligations are. Both can cost anything from 60 lira upwards.

Taxation.

Turkey and Great Britain have a double taxation agreement, which means you can move your money freely between the two countries and will not pay the tax in both countries. This is particularly important if you have retired on a pension, as Turkey does not charge tax on pensions, unlike in Browns Britain.  You should investigate your particular circumstances with your tax office in the UK and obtain the necessary forms to present to your local tax office in Turkey.  After the irritation of having to get the HM Dept of Pensions letter translated into Turkish, you present this to the local tax office in Turkey and get confirmation that you live in Turkey.  You present this to HM Pensions in the UK and they SHOULD stop charging you tax on your pension.

Residency Applications (Single Entry Visa).

The first thing to do is to visit the Turkish Consulate in London to obtain the necessary documents for applying for residency in Turkey. If you do everything by the book, things should go relatively smoothly. The necessary forms can be downloaded from the Turkish Consulate website. Print 3 copies per person (2 for submission and 1 for your inevitable errors while filling in!) and read through them thoroughly twice before completing them. When you have completed the forms, you will need to make an appointment online with the visa section, as YOU CAN NOT just turn up on the doorstep. You will receive your appointment date and time through an e-mail. DO NOT be late for your appointment, as the visa section is very busy and you may well have to wait for up to 4 weeks for your next appointment.

Turn up on the appointed day with all necessary forms and 2 passport photographs. The charge currently is £75 for a single entry visa. The single entry visa will enable you to come and go into Turkey without further payment for 12 months but remember, it IS NOT a residency permit. If you intend to apply for residency as soon as you arrive, then there is no need for a single entry visa and a visitors visa is sufficient.  If you obtain your residency fairly quickly on arrival, your single entry visa becomes void and is £75 wasted,  My advice would be to come out on a £10 tourist visa and sort out your residency application once in Turkey.  The residency application procedure will need to be completed in Turkey as soon as practicable on arrival if you are going to import your belongings from the UK.  If you intend to work in Turkey, DO NOT even think of applying for a work permit at the same time as you apply for your residency, as this will slow everything up by up to 2 years.

Removals.

Now for the fun part!  You will now need to think about arranging transport of your worldly goods from the UK and picking the right freight forwarders is very important if you wish to avoid the nightmare that we endured with damage and theft by Istanbul Customs. We can safely recommend Atanak Forwarding Ltd, who are based in Kent. They are neither cheap nor expensive but are dedicated to their clients and will do everything in their power to look after you. The alternatives to Atanak are many but are also very expensive. The advantage of using these expensive companies is that they will come and pack everything for you and you should not have a problem in getting transport insurance. If you decide to use Atanak, the onus is on you to pack everything carefully and securely, as you will probably have your goods sent out as ‘Groupage’. This is the sharing of a lorry or a container with commercial companies. Atanak will come to your home, pick up your goods, take them back to their depot in Kent and palletise and shrink-wrap your goods for onward transmission. IT IS IMPERATIVE that you type out a detailed inventory of your goods and fax them to Atanak at least 1 week before collection. This will give them time to translate it into Turkish for the customs authorities in Istanbul. Number each box and detail the items inside. If the contents are fragile, use ‘FRAGILE’ tape to identify them. At this stage, I would advise you, if possible, to ask Atanak to send your goods by sea. If your goods go by sea, they will arrive in Turkey at Izmir, where the customs authorities are used to dealing with the household goods of ex-pats. If your goods go by road, they will enter Turkey through Istanbul, which can be a nightmare, so be prepared to spend a night or two in a hotel before you can officially claim your goods.  Your goods can take anything from 5 to 10 days before arrival in Turkey and you should give yourself at least 1 week in Turkey before your goods arrive, to enable you to get all the proper documentation together for customs.  Your Agent will advise you when to fly to Turkey.  I would also advise you to ask him about clearing your goods permanently, otherwise you may have to re-clear them every time you renew your residency visa.  The bond money can also be quite high.

On Arrival in Turkey.

Tax Office.

The first step is to locate your local tax office to obtain a tax number, for which you will have to produce your passport.  You will have to produce your tax number to the bank to open an account unless you already have a Turkish bank account.  If you already have a Turkish bank account, then you should already have a tax number, as it is a pre-requisite of the bank.

Bank Accounts.

You now need a bank account, if you don't aleady have one, to prove your worth
before obtaining your residency permit.  Be aware that you will need to give the bank your tax number and passport before you open an account.  Use well known established banks rather than the small private banks. The Turkish economy is improving all the time but it is still early days and it is safer to bank with the well established banks such as, HSBC, ABN Amro, ING Bank, Garanti Bank, Akbank and Isbank, which is the second biggest in Turkey.

Currently, if you transfer all your sterling into Turkish Lira and use a Turkish Lira bank account, you can earn around 2000 lira monthly, (net of income tax, currently standing at 12%).  It will need to be a Premier account, for which you pay no bank charges and assumes you have an investment of £100,000.  You can tie your money up anything from 1 month to 12 and while it is in the account, you cannot touch it. On the anniversary of your chosen lock-in term (The bank will advise you which day), you can have the interest element transferred into a daily account and many ex-pats live on this interest in Turkey.  You can also leave it to accrue if you wish.  If you decide to keep your money in a sterling account, you will only get around 4% in interest.  UK bank procedures for transferring money abroad vary considerably. The HSBC charge £10 per transaction if the money is going to HSBC in Turkey and £21 to any other bank. They will transfer a maximum of £10,000 daily by telephone, so if you intend to transfer, say £100,000, arrange this before you leave the UK.  You can move a maximum of £9,999 in cash without any declaration but chain it to your wrist if you do this.  Recently, the government declared that to obtain the benefit of high interest rates here, you should own a property.  This, in my opinion is absolutely fair and correct.

Residency Application (Ikamet Kah).

Get moving immediately with your residency application, as things can be notoriously slow in Turkey.  To obtain your Ikamet Kat, you will need to go to the police station in Antalya with your application forms filled out in duplicate (forms supplied by the police), passport, 4 passport photos each, 2 pink document folders each (Available from any stationer), Turkish bank statement to prove that you have sufficient funds to remain in Turkey (Approximately $20 per day for the length of your residency up to retirement age) and the application fee, approximately £520 for a 3 year permit (This may shortly be coming down). You should get there as early as possible in the morning and be prepared to stay overnight in Antalya. The police may very well send you to the tax office to pay the money over directly for your permit, so it is advisable to have the services of a vehicle to run you around.  You should now have everything you need for Customs purposes.  Now relax over a cold beer or 3 while you wait for the good news.

Your agents in UK will advise you of the ETA of your goods (Be near a phone or carry a mobile continually) and once you receive the call, you should immediately arrange your flights to Istanbul and check your list for documents you will require.

Check List of Documents Required for Customs.

1. Tax Numbers. You should have these already if you own a property.

2. TAPU.  The deeds of ownership to your property will be provided by the Estate Agent you purchased your property from.  If you do not have your TAPU, you will need some sort of proof of ownership of property; i.e. contract between you and the Estate Agent.
3. Passports,

4. Ikamet kat, your proof of residency document in Turkey.
5. Bank Statement.
6. A substantial amount of money for the unexpected.

At the current time, these are the only documents we had to produce but legislation in Turkey is changing all the time so, DO YOUR HOMEWORK!

If you have any problems, talk to your agent in Istanbul or phone me!

Internal Flights.

You will now need to organise your flights to Istanbul, as the drive is both too long and tiring. The recommended airlines are Onur Air and Atlas Jet. There are plenty of booking agents in and around the tourist areas and we have found a particularly efficient and pleasant lady by the name of Banu, her details can be found on the database at www.joli-triste.com  Flights are cheap, around £20 each way, dependent on flight times and there are several flights daily to Ataturk Airport. Ask your Agent if it is possible to pick you up at the airport, although they will probably do this anyway.

Customs Procedure.

Your Agent in Istanbul, along with the appointed Customs Broker, will handle everything from here on.  If you have the proper documentation with you, your goods should clear in approximately 2-3 days. Once your goods have cleared, you will be allowed to inspect them but be prepared for some damage, depending on how well you did your own packing. If you do not have the proper documentation, your goods will remain in the warehouse and you will be charged on a daily basis for storage.  You will now need to provide any information the forwarding agent will need to take your goods to your new home.
My overall advice would be to bring as little as possible to Turkey, as the duties can be extortionate and above what the goods are worth.  Obviously, this does not apply to personal belongings like clothes and anything else that is personal to you.  The best way would be to bring it over bit by bit on your trips to UK.

House Insurance.

House insurance is a must in Turkey. The build standard is poor compared to the UK and water and damp problems are common. Water can come in through poorly sealed windows and doors but it is commonly through the roof, due to badly fitted water tanks and solar panels. Rising damp is the most common problem in Turkey because most properties have not had a damp course installed.  Some of the bigger developers have been installing proper damp courses over the last 2 years.  We would recommend a thorough survey and the installation of a chemical damp course (we can recommend a British run company to do this).  I have also recently investigated the possibility of doing this work yourself and the materials are available in Turkey.  They are widely used by builders in the UK and are 100% effective. Be aware that house policies do not cover damage through badly fitted roof water tanks and solar panels. Aviva, the Turkish subsidiary of Commercial Union, offer extremely good cover with an all-inclusive policy, covering building and contents with very little in the way of small print but premiums are quite high. I can probably get a small discount for you through my contacts but your best alternative is to check out a few companies and read the policies small print thoroughly.  We have paid 740 lira pa for a 225 sq mt living area with 50k lira contents cover and the policy is in English.  We were burgled in 2007 and had no problem at all with our claim to Aviva.  We have now changed our company and for the identical cover, we pay 100 lira less.  BE AWARE that house insurance rarely covers Earthquake damage.  This is a separate policy that is a legal requirement.

Driving.

You can legally drive on your UK driving licence in Turkey and we have heard rumours that at some stage you are supposed to take a driving test, though we have not yet met anybody who has done so. Fully Comprehensive Insurance (Full Casco), although very expensive, is a must, as the driving skills here vary considerably and the insurance is normally taken out on the car and not the person. Compulsory Traffic Insurance only covers damage to 3rd parties.  Car tax is about the same as the UK and based on size and age of vehicle.  We would strongly advise you to take out Full Kasko, as we are seen as being rich and we have heard stories of Brits being held responsible for damage in accidents that were clearly not their fault.  Petrol and diesel are about 10% dearer than UK but diesel is still the most economical, unless you convert your non-diesel car to Gas (LPG).  The conversion can cost around £300.  A large number of drivers here are complete lunatics and rarely stop at red lights but since this is common knowledge, if you go through a green light and somebody hits you, you are in as much trouble as he is.  The Police Force attitude seems to be, that every accident can be avoided, which is true most of the time.  My advice would be that, if you are an aggressive driver, like I was in the UK, you will need to become a defensive driver here and always assume the other driver is a complete idiot.  We now have it on good authority that you should have a Turkish driving licence but it is no big deal.  Just go along to your local police station with your UK licence and a couple of photos, ask for a Turkish licence and hand over around 20 lira.  Do not expect any road courtesy from drivers here and curb your road rage.

Vehicle Imports.

I would not advise importing a vehicle into Turkey from the UK for two reasons.  Firstly, you may have problems getting spares or servicing for some vehicles but secondly, why bring a right hand drive car to a country that drives on the right. If you bring your motor vehicle into Turkey as a tourist, you will also encounter a lot of inconvenience, as you will need to take the vehicle out of the country every 6 months for a week.  Cyprus is the closest and easiest to get to on the ferry and if you leave Turkey at any time by air during the 6 months, you will need to take your car to a customs pound and retrieve the vehicle on your return.  You are charged 15 lira per day for this privilege.  Legislation is underway at the moment to improve this situation for foreigners and I will keep you posted.  Read the latest on this subject at  http://www.jolitriste.com/pb/wp_84945e6b/wp_84945e6b.html?0.4535857441185157    This article refers to a vehicle purchased in Germany in November 2007 and is applicable to retired persons on a UK government pension.

Purchasing Turkish Vehicles.

You cannot purchase a vehicle in Turkey unless you are a resident and vehicles can be incredibly expensive. The most popular vehicles seem to be Fiat and Hyundai, followed by Renault and Ford.  If you are looking at Mercedes, Audi, BMW and Peugeot, be prepared for a shock, as the duty on imported vehicles is anything up to 80%.  It is not currently possible for a foreigner to obtain any kind of finance but if you have a very good and TRUSTWORTHY Turkish friend; it is possible to buy it through them, although I would never advise this route.  There are car auctions in Antalya every week, though they can be very risky to use with inherent problems in establishing ownership but you can try before you buy. My recommendation is to buy from a main dealer and look for something around 6 months old to avoid some of the punitive taxes on a new vehicle.

Public Transport.

The Dolmus is the favoured method of travel in Turkey. It is both cheap and reliable in the tourist season from very early in the morning till about 1am but from November through to March, they can be scarce in some tourist areas. If you are living within a tourist area, you can just about survive but if you are living a couple of miles away, you will have a problem getting around. The weather, although relatively warm during the day, deteriorates from December to March and February can be particularly wet. It is not much fun struggling home in a thunderstorm laden with fruit and veg, so a car is probably going to be a must.

Taxis.

Taxi prices are horrendous and equate to around £2 per mile before midnight. After midnight it is always best to negotiate your price before you get in. If he won’t negotiate, then ensure he turns his meter on as soon as you get into the cab. We have secured the services of several reliable and honest local taxi drivers for airport transfers to and from Antalya.  If we are available, we will also be able to pick you up at cost.  Currently, the taxi fare between Side and the Airport is £60 one way.  We charge 60 lira each way, less than half.

Car Rental.

Car rental is quite expensive but varies considerably from type of car, the area you are in and the supplier. You can pick up a small fiat for around 25-35 euros daily with air conditioning. A jeep or people carrier will cost you nearly double. Scooters are the cheapest form of travel if you love danger at around 15 euros per day.

Shopping.

Barter for everything in the tourist areas but don’t try to kill them! If you think it is worth the money he is asking, pay it. This avoids bad feeling and he will not feel insulted and slag off the English at every opportunity. You can find both excellent and very poor quality fake designer goods and I would recommend you avoid the cheap rubbish and spend a little extra on getting well made products that should last you years. Leather is incredibly good value but if you are looking for designer rip-offs, check the quality of the stitching. Avoid replica watches like the plague, unless you are prepared to spend around £100 on a replica with a swiss movement and waterproof.  Cheap replicas are likely to die on you if you wash your hands without removing them. Gold and other jewellery has to be the best buy if you are into ‘Bling’ or if you are about to pop the question to your Sweetheart. A close friend of ours, Metin at Oscar Jewellery in Side, has prices you cannot beat and all of the gold we have bought from him has been valued at nearly double in the UK.   Our friend Mustafa, at Camel Leder, in Side has the most amazing selection of superb quality, genuine and fake leather goods.  Many of our visiting friends have bought goods from these 2 thoroughly lovely men and not one of them has been disappointed.

Co-Operatives.

If an Estate Agent tries to sell you a property on a co-operative, do not be tempted.  Do not even consider it for longer than 5 seconds.  Do not believe any agent who tells you it is safe.  We bought on a co-operative and we are still paying through the nose to the trio who run it.  Not all Ko-ops are bad but Brits have no way of telling the good from the bad, so my advice would be to avoid them.  The materials and labour that were used on our Ko-op were sub-standard and we had to do a lot of work ourselves but even now, we still have water leaks.   Naturally, purchasing on a completed co-operative is not a problem IF you get the Tapu with the purchase.  We are still waiting for our Tapu, after nearly 5 years and have been consistently lied to.  The co-op system was set up exclusively to help middle income Turks but it has been terribly abused and is used as a means to buy a second cheap holiday home.  It is my opinion that Europeans should not be allowed to buy Co-op property.  Unfortunately, the Government only check out a few every year, so most of the bad ones escape any sort of investigation.  Ours is particularly bad and we are hoping that the people who run it will be brought to book this year. 

Commissions.

Everybody in Turkey is earning commission from somebody, so you will often meet people who have a ‘friend’ who is selling a house or car. They will also have a ‘friend’ who can supply you with water tanks, solar panels, ceramics, plumbing services etc. If you need anything, seek out the suppliers yourself and go direct as this can save you a packet or ask a Brit who lives here. The suppliers will often pay the commission direct to the referrer at your expense and without you even knowing.  In short, use my 'Trade Database' for free or get me to project manage your work for you for a small fee.

Trade Database.

We have now compiled an extensive database of tradesmen, covering everything from water installations to ceramics. We have checked out their work and their pricing levels and will be happy to pass on any details you need. Work standards vary considerably here, so please ask us first if you need a service that is not mentioned on our database, as you can rest assured that whoever we find will be checked out thoroughly before we recommend them.  The database can be found at our other website www.joli-triste.com

D.I.Y.

The standards of finishing in a property bought in Turkey are nothing like you would expect in the UK, so be prepared to do a lot of work in the house yourself. As I mentioned earlier, common problems are water entry, damp, poor grouting on ceramics, draught proofing and poor fitting of accessories. DIY materials are relatively inexpensive and if you undertake the work yourself, you will save yourself a lot of stress and occupy your mind at the same time. There are Turkish equivalents of B&Q and Homebase in Antalya called Koc Tac and Tekzen, who supply everything you will need in the DIY line.

Legal Services.

It is very important to seek out a good English-speaking lawyer. You never know when you may need his services and never enter into any form of agreement or contract without first consulting a lawyer, particularly when buying a house. The Turkish Legal system, though fair and unbiased, can be slow and if you have a dispute with anybody, it could take you up to one year to get him into court. We have located and used the services of two superb English speaking lawyers and although we are not allowed to advertise for them, we will be happy to pass their names and numbers on to you.

Furnishings.

3 piece suites tend to be colourful and very firm, so you may have to search a long time for something soft and less painful on the eyes. It took us 2 weeks to find a lovely suite and both settees convert into double beds, which will be handy when the family and friends start visiting. Beds are a very good buy and the storage beds are a brilliant idea for hiding the bed linen and towels. Curtains etc are very reasonable and cheap to get made up but fabrics vary in price considerably. Quilts are nothing like the UK, so we recommend you bring them with you. TOG ratings up to 7 or 8 are more than adequate for even the winter climate.

Furniture, ‘Mobilya’, shops are prolific and beds, wardrobes, suites, cupboards, tables and cabinets etc are far cheaper than in the UK. Furniture can also be handmade to your own spec in either solid wood or very superior quality MDF.  Look out for 'SPOT SHOPS', as they sell good quality budget goods.

Electrical Goods.

We do not advise you to bring anything in the way of larger electrical goods to Turkey. The import duties are horrific and in some cases up to 100% of the value of the goods. White goods are roughly the same price as UK with good guarantees, commonly up to 3 years.  Beko and Arcelik are very reliable Turkish made products, also available in the UK, and they are widely available everywhere here.  After all, why take something to Turkey that may break down the week after you arrive? Televisions and Hi-Fi equipment etc are also reasonably priced, although the emphasis is on VCD players rather than DVD players.  Prices are dropping fast on luxury items like 42” TV’s and DVD players, even laptops can be purchased for around £400 now but you may have a problem getting UK keyboards.

Computers.

Laptops and PC’s are now firmly part of daily life here and can be purchased anywhere.  I would recommend a self build, which I can do for you but you can buy ready made systems very cheaply, although some of the components may be on the budget side.  Casper is just one Turkish company that produce very good laptops at a great price.  If you have any sort of computer problems or want any advice, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Accommodation.

Hotel prices start from as little as £10 per night per room, in a small pension, to £60 for a hotel with all amenities. Pensions are prolific in tourist areas and are basic but comfortable and friendly. We have identified several in the Side area and have used a few of them.  We can also provide B & B in our superb villa or self catering in our apartment in Side, provided we have no family or friends in residence. Be sure to check out our available accommodation on this website.

Eating Out.

Restaurants are very inexpensive generally but expect to pay UK prices and more for seafood. BEFORE you go into a restaurant, find out precisely what you will get for your money, as many of them are very crafty with their promises.  If they say only 4 lira for a beer, ask them if it is a large bottle!  The Turkish diet is very healthy and portions tend to be on the large side with emphasis on the locally made bread and fresh vegetables. Expect to receive complimentary starters with every meal; so don’t go overboard with the courses. Chinese and Indian restaurants are few and far between and very expensive.  I have located a restaurant called ‘The Food Time’ (ask Cavy and Dee at the Kiss Bar where he is) right on the seafront that will produce a curry choice from mild to, 'F----k me, gimme the water bottle yesterday'.  Beyzat, the owner is lovely and very keen on Lynda but tell him you are friends and that you want a good discount.