Turkish Bank Accounts and Moving Money Abroad (2026)

Turkish Bank Accounts and Moving Money Abroad (2026)

Key takeaways

• Liberal capital movements. Under Decree No. 32 residents may freely transfer capital and money abroad through banks, subject to reporting rules rather than prior approval.
• Two account types. You can hold Turkish lira accounts and foreign-currency deposit accounts (döviz tevdiat hesabı, DTH) at Turkish banks.
• Keep an account as a non-resident. Turkish banks can maintain accounts for non-residents; a Turkish tax number is the key identifier.
• Use banks for big transfers. Large sums should move by bank wire; hand-carrying cash is subject to customs limits and declaration.
• Cash declaration. Carrying the equivalent of about €10,000 or more across the border triggers a customs declaration obligation, and Turkish lira above a set limit may not be taken out physically.
• Automatic information exchange. Türkiye reports financial-account data to partner jurisdictions under the OECD Common Reporting Standard (CRS).

Türkiye’s liberal capital-movements framework

Cross-border money movement in Türkiye is governed by Decree No. 32 on the Protection of the Value of Turkish Currency (Türk Parası Kıymetini Koruma Hakkında 32 Sayılı Karar), issued under Law No. 1567, together with Customs Law No. 4458 for physical currency. The decree adopts a broadly liberal stance: residents and non-residents may in principle transfer capital, income and money abroad through banks and authorised intermediaries without prior permission, with the system relying on reporting rather than exchange-control approval. The decree is published on the Presidency’s legislation portal at mevzuat.gov.tr, and the Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye (Türkiye Cumhuriyet Merkez Bankası, TCMB) sits at the centre of the foreign-exchange system at tcmb.gov.tr.

For someone emigrating, the headline is reassuring: you do not generally need government permission to send your savings, sale proceeds or salary to your new country — you use the banking system, and the bank handles the required reporting.

Turkish lira and foreign-currency (DTH) accounts

Turkish banks offer both Turkish lira accounts and foreign-currency deposit accounts, known as döviz tevdiat hesabı (DTH), in currencies such as euro, US dollar and sterling. Holding a DTH lets you keep balances in hard currency inside Türkiye, which many people leaving the country prefer while they arrange an international transfer. The foreign-exchange framework around deposit accounts, conversion and reporting is overseen by the Central Bank; its foreign-exchange pages and legislation are available at tcmb.gov.tr. Before you move, decide whether to consolidate into a DTH, convert to your destination currency at a favourable moment, or transfer in stages.

Keeping a Turkish account after you leave

You do not have to close your Turkish bank account when you emigrate. Turkish banks can maintain accounts for non-residents, which is useful if you keep property, receive Turkish rent or a pension, or expect to return. The practical requirements are a valid identification document (passport or Turkish/foreigner ID) and a Turkish tax number (vergi kimlik numarası), the 10-digit identifier that banks use for account holders. If you already have one it stays valid; if not, foreign nationals can obtain a potential tax number online through the Digital Tax Office of the Revenue Administration at dijital.gib.gov.tr. Tell your bank about your change of address and status so your account details and any tax reporting are correct.

Moving your money out: use the banking system

The cleanest way to move funds abroad is a bank transfer (wire/SWIFT) from your Turkish account to your account in the new country. Because Türkiye’s regime is liberal, ordinary personal transfers of savings and asset-sale proceeds are permitted; the bank applies anti-money-laundering checks and the reporting required under Decree No. 32. Keep documentation for the source of larger sums — a property sale contract, salary records or an inheritance document — because banks and, at the other end, your destination institution may ask for it. Larger and derivative transactions are subject to additional reporting and, for certain investment activity abroad, must be routed through banks or intermediaries authorised by Türkiye’s Capital Markets Board (TCMB / Decree No. 32).

Carrying cash across the border: declaration and limits

If you prefer to carry some money physically, mind the customs rules enforced by the Ministry of Trade’s customs administration (Gümrükler). Travellers entering or leaving Türkiye with cash at or above the equivalent of roughly €10,000 are required to declare it to customs; failing to declare can lead to seizure and penalties. Separately, there is a cap on how much Turkish lira you may physically take out of the country — you cannot hand-carry unlimited amounts of TL abroad — while there is no ceiling on bringing foreign currency into Türkiye. These controls come from Decree No. 32, Customs Law No. 4458 and Law No. 1567. The Ministry of Trade publishes traveller cash rules at ticaret.gov.tr. The practical message: for anything beyond pocket money, use a bank transfer rather than a suitcase of cash.

Property-sale proceeds, inheritance and timing your transfer

Many people leaving Türkiye are moving the proceeds of a flat sale, a business or an inheritance. These transfers are permitted through the banking system under the same liberal regime, but keep the paperwork that proves where the money came from — the title deed and sale contract (tapu), inheritance documents, or business-sale agreements — because your Turkish bank’s compliance checks and your destination bank will both want it. Because balances can be held in a foreign-currency DTH account, you also have some control over when you convert lira to your destination currency; the exchange rate matters on large sums, and the Central Bank publishes official reference rates at tcmb.gov.tr. Splitting a large transfer into tranches, or converting when the rate suits you, is a legitimate planning choice as long as each transfer is properly documented and reported. If any Turkish tax (for example on a property gain) is due before you go, settle it, as an unresolved liability can complicate later transfers.

The tax number: your banking key

The vergi kimlik numarası is the thread that runs through Turkish banking and tax. It is issued by the Revenue Administration (Gelir İdaresi Başkanlığı) and is needed to open or keep an account, to buy or sell property, and to file any Turkish return. Foreign nationals can apply online without visiting an office through the Digital Tax Office at dijital.gib.gov.tr; the number is generally issued immediately. Keep it safe after you leave — reopening banking or tax matters from abroad is far easier when you already hold your number. General taxpayer services are at gib.gov.tr.

Automatic exchange of account information (CRS)

Finally, plan on transparency, not secrecy. Türkiye participates in the OECD Common Reporting Standard (CRS) for the automatic exchange of financial-account information. Turkish financial institutions identify account holders who are tax-resident in partner jurisdictions and report their account balances and income to the Revenue Administration, which exchanges the data with the relevant foreign authorities — and receives data in return. So if you move to a CRS partner country and keep a Turkish account, your new country’s tax authority can learn of it. This is a strong reason to declare foreign accounts correctly in your destination and to keep clean records. The Revenue Administration describes Türkiye’s automatic-exchange participation at gib.gov.tr.

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Frequently asked questions

Can I freely transfer my savings out of Türkiye?
Yes, in general. Under Decree No. 32 Türkiye applies a liberal capital-movements regime, so residents may transfer money abroad through banks subject to reporting rather than prior approval. See Source.

Can I keep my Turkish bank account after I move abroad?
Yes. Turkish banks can maintain accounts for non-residents; you need valid ID and a Turkish tax number, which foreigners can obtain online at Source.

What is a DTH account?
A döviz tevdiat hesabı is a foreign-currency deposit account at a Turkish bank, held in currencies such as euro or dollar; the foreign-exchange framework is overseen by the Central Bank at Source.

How much cash can I carry out of Türkiye without declaring it?
Cash at or above roughly the €10,000 equivalent must be declared to customs, and physically taking Turkish lira out is capped; the Ministry of Trade publishes the rules at Source.

Do I need a tax number for a Turkish bank account?
Yes. The vergi kimlik numarası issued by the Revenue Administration is required for banking, and foreigners can apply online at Source.

Will my Turkish account be reported to my new country?
It can be. Türkiye exchanges financial-account information automatically under the CRS, as the Revenue Administration explains at Source.

Sources

• Presidency Legislation Portal (mevzuat.gov.tr) — Decree No. 32 on the Protection of the Value of Turkish Currency; Law No. 1567
• Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye (TCMB) — foreign exchange and capital-movements framework
• Ministry of Trade (Ticaret Bakanlığı) — customs cash-declaration and currency export rules
• Digital Tax Office (dijital.gib.gov.tr) — tax number application for foreigners
• Revenue Administration (Gelir İdaresi Başkanlığı) — taxpayer services and CRS automatic information exchange
• Presidency Legislation Portal — Customs Law No. 4458