About My Turkey Guide
Built from 11 years of lived experience in Turkey - not from a textbook
Our Story
It started with a one-way ticket to Antalya
In 2015, I moved to Turkey with two suitcases and no idea how anything worked. No Turkish, no contacts, no clue what an ikamet was. I figured it out the hard way - and that is exactly why this site exists.
My name is Olga. I am originally from Russia, and Turkey has been my home for over a decade. I came here on my own, went through the residence permit process, opened a bank account, bought a car, dealt with notaries, tax offices, insurance companies and every government department you can imagine. Some of it was straightforward. Most of it was not.
The information available to foreigners at the time was scattered, outdated or just wrong. Forums were full of conflicting advice. Official government sites were in Turkish only. And every "expat guide" I found was either written by someone who had been here for six months or was trying to sell me an overpriced apartment.
So I started writing things down. Step by step. Process by process. What actually worked, what did not, which offices to go to, which documents to bring, and which mistakes to avoid. That collection of notes eventually became My Turkey Guide.
What We Do Today
From personal notes to a full relocation service
What started as a blog has grown into something much bigger. Today, My Turkey Guide offers three things:
Free guides and tools. Over 20 in-depth guides covering everything from residence permits to vehicle imports, plus interactive tools like our eligibility checkers and cost calculators. Every guide is written from first-hand experience and updated when the rules change. We do not copy-paste government websites or rehash secondhand advice.
Hands-on relocation services. We help foreigners with the practical side of moving to Turkey - residence permits, citizenship applications, car purchases, bank accounts, property transfers and more. Not just advice, but actual support: preparing documents, accompanying clients to appointments, and solving problems when things go sideways.
A vetted professional directory. Finding a reliable lawyer or translator in Turkey is hard. We maintain a directory of professionals we have personally worked with - people who speak your language, charge fairly and actually get things done. Every listing is based on real experience, not paid placement.
Why Trust Us
Experience you can rely on
We live here
We are based in Konyaalti, Antalya. Turkey is not a market we cover remotely - it is our home. We shop at the same supermarkets, sit in the same traffic and deal with the same bureaucracy as the people we help.
Trilingual support
We speak fluent English, Russian and Turkish. That means nothing gets lost in translation - whether you are reading our guides, sitting in a government office or negotiating with a notary.
Been through it ourselves
Every process we write about is one we have personally completed. Residence permits, citizenship, car purchases, company formation - we do not write guides based on theory. We write them from the waiting room.
Real people, real replies
When you contact us, you get a real person - not a chatbot or a call centre. We respond within one working day and we are honest about what we can and cannot help with.
No paid recommendations
Our professional directory is based on personal experience, not sponsorship deals. If someone is listed, it is because we have worked with them and trust them. If they let us down, they get removed.
Kept up to date
Turkish regulations change constantly. We review every guide regularly and update them when rules shift. You will see the last-updated date on each page so you know the information is current.
Our Journey
11 years of learning, doing and helping
Moved to Antalya
Arrived in Turkey with no Turkish language skills and no idea how the system worked. Spent the first year figuring out residence permits, bank accounts and daily life through trial and error.
Started helping others
Friends and acquaintances kept asking for help with the same processes. Started accompanying people to appointments and writing down the steps in a shared document.
Built a network of professionals
After years of working with lawyers, translators and accountants, built a trusted network of professionals who reliably helped foreign clients. Started referring people directly.
Turned it into a proper service
What started as informal favours became a structured relocation and consultancy service. Started offering paid support for residence permits, citizenship, property purchases and more.
Launched myturkeyguide.com
Brought everything together in one place: in-depth bilingual guides, interactive tools, a vetted professional directory and a full suite of relocation services. Over 20 guides published, five free tools built, and a growing directory of trusted professionals.
Our Approach
Honest advice, no sales pitch
We would rather tell you the truth and lose a sale than give you false hope and take your money.
If your situation does not require professional help, we will tell you. If there is a free government process you can do yourself, we will point you to it. Some of our most popular guides exist specifically so that people do not need to pay someone else to do something they can handle on their own.
When you do need help, we explain exactly what we will do, what it will cost and how long it will take. No hidden fees, no vague promises, no pressure to upgrade to a more expensive package.
Every initial consultation is free. We listen to your situation, tell you what your options are and let you decide. If we are not the right fit, we will recommend someone who is.
What People Say
Real feedback from real clients
We were completely lost with the residence permit process until we found My Turkey Guide. They walked us through every step and even came with us to the appointment. Genuinely could not have done it without them.
I bought a second-hand car in Istanbul and had no idea what paperwork was needed. The team sorted the notary, insurance and registration in one day. Worth every penny.
The citizenship eligibility checker saved me months of guesswork. Turns out I qualified through the property route and the team guided me all the way to the oath ceremony.
Ready to talk?
Book a free initial consultation and tell us what you need help with. We will give you a straight answer - no obligation, no hard sell.