USEFUL INFORMATION
-
Hours of Work and Official Holidays in Türkiye
Hours of Work
At our university, you are expected to work for 40 hours in a week. The working days are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. The typical hours of work are between 08:00 am – 05:00 pm. Legislation requires employees to take a midday break between 12:30 - 13:30.
National Holidays
DATE |
ENGLISH NAME |
TURKISH NAME |
REMARKS |
| January 1 | New Year's Day | Yılbaşı | First Day of the New Year |
| April 23 | National Sovereignty and Children’s Day | Ulusal Egemenlik ve Çocuk Bayramı | Commemoration of the first opening of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye in Ankara in 1920. Dedicated to the children. |
| May 1 | Labour and Solidarity Day |
Emek ve Dayanışma Günü |
May Day |
| May 19 | Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day | Atatürk'ü Anma, Gençlik ve Spor Bayramı | Commemoration of the beginning of national liberation movement initiated in 1919 by Atatürk's landing in Samsun. Dedicated to the Turkish youth. |
| July 15 | Commemoration of the Democracy Victory and the Marthyr’s Day |
15 Temmuz Demokrasi Zaferi ve Şehitleri Anma Günü |
Commemoration of the victory of the people who resisted July 15 military coup attempt in 2016. |
| August 30 | Victory Day | Zafer Bayramı | Commemoration of the victory at the final battle in Dumlupınar ending the Turkish Independence War in 1922. Dedicated to the armed forces. |
| October 29 (*) | Republic Day | Cumhuriyet Bayramı | Commemoration of the proclamation of the republic in Ankara in 1923. |
(*) All holidays except Republic day are one day. Rebublic day is one and halfday. The halfday starts in the afternoon of the previous day.
Religious Holidays
DATE |
ENGLISH NAME |
TURKISH NAME |
REMARKS |
| After the end of the Islamic month Ramadan (*) | Ramadan Feast | Ramazan Bayramı | 3 full and a halfday (**) holiday. |
| 70 days after the the end of the Month of Ramadan | Sacrifice Feast | Kurban Bayramı | 4 full and a halfday (**) holiday. |
(*) Due to the fact that one year equals to 354 days in the Islamic calendar, the dates of religious holidays shift each year with respect to the Gregorian calendar.
(**) The half day starts in the afternoon of the previous day.
-
Turkish Tax System
Any income arising in Türkiye is subjected to income tax by the rules of the Turkish Tax System. Income tax will automatically be deducted from your salary each month and the amount deducted will be shown on your pay slip. The amount deducted is based on your gross income and the more you earn, the more you pay.
Gross Income Brackets and Tax Rates for the year of 2024
Gross Income per year
Up to 110.000.- TL 110.000-230.000.-TL 230.000-870.000.-TL over 3.000.000.-TL
Tax Rate
15% 20% 27% 35%
(*) The slices and rates are updated every year by the corresponding Turkish authorities. For further information on tax and salary deductions, including national insurance, you can either contact your Faculty Secretariat or visit http://www.gib.gov.tr/sites/default/files/fileadmin/taxation_system2016.pdf
-
Money
The official currency used in Türkiye is the Turkish Lira (TL) which is available as 200, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5 TL banknotes and 1 TL, 50, 25, 10, 5 and 1 kurus. However, both Visa and Mastercards are readily accepted in Türkiye. And most people rely on their credit cards and/or international debit cards to pay for goods and services and to withdraw cash.
What's your money worth in Turkish Lira? Please visit https://www.tcmb.gov.tr/wps/wcm/connect/en/tcmb+en to find out current exchange rates for the Turkish Lira before you reach Türkiye.
-
Bank Accounts
Non-Turkish residents can open a bank account in Turkish lira, Euros or any other convertible foreign currency in Türkiye. Opening a personal account is free of charge and it does not need any initial deposit. However, the rules and regulations for opening a bank account in Türkiye are very strict and you may find the experience challenging.
Whichever bank you choose to open an account with, you will need to provide a number of original documents to confirm your identity and residence. These may include your passport, 11-digit Foreign ID Number, Work/Residence Permit, Driving License, employment contract, a document from Turkish Census Bureau confirming your address and/or proof of your previous address in the country you came from (Please note banks will not accept photocopies).
Upon opening your account, you will receive a debit card free of charge. There might be a small monthly fee. This debit card enables you to pay for goods and services and to withdraw cash from ATMs. Also, you will have Internet banking.
Banks in Türkiye are open on weekdays (except Saturday and Sunday) between 9.00 a.m. and 5.00 p.m.
-
Mobile Phone Companies
There are several mobile communication operators in Türkiye such as Turkcell, Vodafone, Türk Telekom and PTTCell. Most of them have a good coverage for their customers. You can find some useful information in English from their websites shown below.
http://www.turkcell.com.tr/en/aboutus
http://www.vodafone.com.tr/en/roam-with-vodafone.php
https://www.turktelekom.com.tr
If you have an unlocked mobile phone capable of operating in the 900 and/or 1800 Mhz bands, you can use it in Türkiye after registering your phone here. Otherwise, it will be excluded from the network as an "unregistered" phone after several weeks. Alternatively, you can directly purchase a mobile phone from a shop in Türkiye.
Turkish mobile communication operators offer different price packages – you have to choose which one is best for you. The easiest way is to buy a prepaid SIM card and insert it into your phone, as in this case you do not need to sign a contract. You can buy these cards from shops located at different parts of the city. Calls are priced based on usage units (kontör). The cost of a call depends on your usage and the company you prefer.