Tahmini Okuma Süresi: 4 dakika

You may not be able to use your credit card from a foreign bank in every business in Turkey. You may have problems with online shopping. In addition, since the credit card you use belongs to a foreign bank, you may have to pay an extra commission (foreigner currency fee) for use abroad, so as a foreign national you may need a credit card linked to a Turkish Bank.

Foreigners residing in Turkey can technically obtain a credit card. There are some conditions you need to fulfill in order for your bank to issue the credit card.

Conditions for obtaining a credit card as a foreign national

Banks want to make sure that you can pay your credit card debt on time and that you will not leave the country without paying it off. For this reason, it is very difficult to get credit card applications approved for people who are in Turkey for touristic purposes. One of the conditions for you to apply is that you must reside in Turkey. Other conditions vary from bank to bank, but in general, each bank requires you to fulfill the following similar conditions.

  • You have a valid residence permit (ikamet).
  • You have a work permit.
  • You have a deposit account with the bank.

If you fulfill these conditions, you can apply for a credit card as a foreign national.

Documents Required for Credit Card Application

In order to apply for a credit card as a foreign national, you must first open a bank account. The documents required for this are usually the following.

  • Foreign identity card (ikamet)
  • Passport
  • Residence Address
  • The telephone number of an operator in Turkey.

Even if you do not have a foreign identity card, it is possible to open a bank account with only your passport, but in such a case you will be less likely to get a credit card from a bank. Your residence permit is a kind of guarantee that you will be in Turkey for a long time and that you will not leave the country without paying your credit card debt.

What can be done if the credit card application is not approved?

If your credit card application is not approved, you can first try your luck with another bank. Since each bank has different evaluation criteria, one bank may reject your application while another bank may approve it. You can also apply for a “Blocked Secured Credit Card”.

What is a Secured Credit Card?

A secured credit card is a system where you deposit a certain amount of cash into your account at the bank and in return the balance is blocked by the bank and a credit card is issued in return. Generally, a credit card with a limit of 80% of the blocked amount you deposit is given. For example, if you deposit a blocked balance of 10,000 TL into a bank account, the bank will give you a credit card with a limit of 8,000 TL. This blocked amount you deposit is a security fee charged by the bank. Since the blocked balance is the collateral of the credit card, you cannot use this balance for any other purpose. As long as you use the credit card, this amount will be displayed as a non-withdrawable amount in your account.

Credit cards with blocked collateral work exactly like normal credit cards. In addition, if you use your credit card regularly and make your payments on time, your credit score will increase and after a while you will be more likely to get a normal credit card without the need for a block.

Conclusion

In order to carry out the above-mentioned procedures, you will need to visit a bank branch and get information from there. While Turkish citizens can apply for a credit card online without going to a branch, foreigners usually need to go to a branch for the first application. If you would like to get the support of our legal department while carrying out all these procedures, you can contact us via our contact page.