Applications and Websites Every Foreigner Should Know When Moving to Turkey

With so many foreigners moving to Turkey every year, the country is becoming a top destination for expats and retirees. Arriving in a foreign country can be scary and scary for some people. It can be said that you are like a newborn blind kitten learning to walk. At the same time, you will learn to adapt to the way things work and be handled in Turkey. To ease the transition, we've outlined all the solid websites and apps every foreigner should know about when moving to Turkey to make the relocation process go smoothly:

Grocery Delivery Apps: Yemeksepeti and Getir

Yemeksepeti and Getir are two food delivery apps that foreigners should have on their phones. They are the best option as they both have a huge selection of restaurants to choose from and even check out the reviews of all the restaurants and cafes.

Communication: Google Translate

Until you enroll in Turkish lessons to familiarize yourself with the language, Google Translate will be your best friend. While Turkish is not a terribly difficult language to learn, it still takes a lot of practice and persistence to become fluent. So until then, feel free to use Google Translate for tasks.

Whether you're shopping, using public transportation, or just communicating with locals, Google Translate is a great tool. Plus, many local websites are only available in Turkish, so you can use Google Translate to instantly translate Turkish text to English!

Transportation Apps: BiTaksi, Moovit, Istanbul Kart

The best transportation app in Türkiye is the BiTaksi app. It's an Uber-like local ride-hailing app that lets locals hail a cab anytime, anywhere. This is a better option than the typical taxis cruising around as it will protect you from taxi scams and keep you from being overcharged.

As extensive as Istanbul's public transport system is, maps and directions can be difficult for foreigners to follow. And although there are some English on many stop signs, there is a high probability that the staff will not speak English.  Available in different parts of the country, the Moovit app guides you from one place to another using different modes of transportation without the help of others.

Finally, Istanbul Kart is a must-have app for Istanbul residents using public transport. You can connect your Istanbul Kart to this app and use it to top up your prepaid card without going to a store. Also, you can check your balance using this app.

Government Apps: E-devlet, E-nabiz, MHRS Apps

E-devlet means e-government. This is the most useful and well-known of all apps and websites.

If you have a tourist residence permit, work permit or Turkish citizenship, you automatically have an e-devlet account.

You can get a username and password from any PTT branch near you for 2 TRY. There are other ways to log in to an account such as electronic signatures, mobile signatures, online banking, etc.

Your e-devlet account gives you easy online access to all the facilities and services in the country. These services include inquiries, payments, document creation, subscriptions, applications, etc.

E-nabiz is an application of the Turkish Ministry of Health. It's a simple and easy way to collect all your health data in one place.

You can create e-nabiz and log in to e-nabiz through your e-devlet account. It contains all the information about your health, doctor visits, vaccination records, exams and treatments.

You or your doctor can access this information from anywhere in the world with just one click. The app allows downloading and printing of documents such as vaccination records.

MHRS stands for Merkez Hekim Randevu Sistemi. If you are sick or have a health crisis during your stay; using this app you can make an appointment at a state hospital or polyclinic.

It will show you all the hospitals, doctors and polyclinics near your location along with available appointments.

You can also arrange your Covid vaccinations using the MHRS system.

Now, you don't have to shell out big bucks for a health report or a simple medical checkup at a private hospital. Just use the MHRS app and govt hospitals can do it at a fraction of the cost.