New MASAK Conditions for Remote Bank Account Opening by Foreign Nationals

Published: 24 September 2026 · Reading time approximately 8 minutes

The first thing foreign nationals need when they wish to buy property in Turkey, set up a company, pay a residence permit fee or take out a utility subscription is a bank account. Until recently this account could be opened in two ways: by going to a branch, or remotely through the bank's mobile application.

The MASAK communique published in Official Gazette No. 33293 of 27 June 2026 re-regulated the remote opening route as regards foreign nationals. The communique entered into force on the date of its publication. There is no change to face-to-face opening at a branch; what has changed are the conditions for remote opening.

First condition: a chip passport

The communique describes the document to be used in the remote identification of a foreign natural person. The document sought is a passport that complies with standard 9303 of the International Civil Aviation Organisation and has a near field communication feature.

To put it in everyday language: the passport must contain a chip that can be read without contact. Thanks to this chip, the telephone can read whether the information on the cover of the passport genuinely belongs to that passport. The communique also requires verification that the information on the chip matches the data on the physical document.

The practical result is this: a foreign national whose passport has no chip, or is of an older model, cannot open an account remotely. For such a person the route is to go to a branch. Which countries have issued chip passports from which year varies by country; the quickest check is therefore to look at the chip symbol on the front of the passport.

The video call condition

The communique provides that remote identification is to be carried out by specially trained personnel by means of a video call. In other words, the process is not an entirely automatic face-scanning operation; there will be a bank employee trained for this task in front of you. The language and hours of the call vary by bank, so it is worth asking the bank before the appointment.

Second condition: address confirmation within three months

This is the part of the communique that will cause the greatest surprise in practice. For an account opened remotely, confirmation of the address within three months at the latest is compulsory. As long as confirmation is not carried out, money transfers and cash withdrawals cannot be made from the account.

This is not closure of the account; the account remains open and money can be paid in, but outgoing payments stop. For people who open an account and send money before moving to Turkey, planning to use it once they arrive, this distinction is critical.

Documents accepted for address confirmation

The communique lists the documents that may be used for confirmation:

• A certificate of residence
• An electricity, water or natural gas bill issued within the three months preceding the date of the transaction
• Documents issued by a public institution
• Publicly accessible databases of the country concerned

Attention must be paid to the date of the bill: the bill must have been issued within the three months preceding the transaction. A person holding an old bill cannot make the confirmation with that document.

The three mistakes foreign nationals make most often

The recurring difficulties in files are these:

• The account is opened remotely, money is sent, and then, when the three months are up, it emerges that the money cannot be withdrawn. Address confirmation should be planned from the outset.
• The bill turns out to be registered in someone else's name as the subscriber. In a tenancy relationship it is necessary to clarify in advance in whose name the subscription stands.
• The document brought from abroad is not in Turkish and has no certification. For documents from foreign authorities, an apostille or consular certification together with a sworn translation is a separate chain.

The potential tax identification number is still the first step

For persons who do not hold a foreign national identity number, a potential tax identification number is a precondition for opening an account. The communique does not change this point; identification and the tax number are two separate procedures, and the sequence begins with the tax number.

Which route should you choose?

The decision depends on three questions. Does your passport have a chip? Do you have an address in Turkey that can be confirmed? When will you start using the account?

If you cannot answer all three clearly, opening at a branch carries less risk. If you need an account before coming to Turkey, the remote route is open, but address confirmation must be planned according to your arrival timetable.

Legislation and bank practice may change. Banks add their own internal rules on top of the communique; for this reason two banks may satisfy the same condition with different documents. Your file needs to be prepared accordingly.