A Turkish tax identification number (vergi kimlik numarası) is a free, ten-digit number that every foreigner needs before they can register a company, open a bank account or buy property in Türkiye. For non-residents it is sometimes called a potential tax number, and obtaining it is usually the very first practical step in a company formation.
The number is issued by the tax office (vergi dairesi) and is straightforward to obtain. The simplest route is in person: visit any tax office with your original passport and a copy, complete a short application, and the number is typically issued the same day, at no cost. No appointment or residence permit is required, and you do not need a Turkish address to receive it.
You do not have to be in Türkiye, however. The Revenue Administration operates an online service — the Interactive Tax Office (İnteraktif Vergi Dairesi) — through which foreigners can apply for a tax number remotely by uploading passport details. This is convenient for founders who want their number in hand before they travel or before they issue a power of attorney.
The most common route for company founders is through a representative. If you grant a power of attorney to your accountant or lawyer, they can obtain the tax number on your behalf as part of the incorporation, so you do not have to deal with the tax office directly at all. Because every shareholder and director needs their own number, handling them together at the start keeps the process tidy.
It is worth being clear about what the number is and is not. A tax identification number is an identifier for tax and official transactions; it is not a residence permit, a work permit or a tax-residency status, and holding one does not by itself make you liable to Turkish personal tax. It simply allows the system to recognise you for the specific transactions you undertake.
Keep the number safe and consistent. You will use it repeatedly — on the company's registration documents, at the bank, on the tax portal and on official filings — and the details attached to it (your name and passport information) should exactly match the documents you use elsewhere, because mismatches are a frequent cause of delays at the bank and the registry.
There is no fee and no minimum stay attached to the number, which is part of why it is issued so readily. You do not need to be tax-resident, own property or hold a permit to receive one; it is purely an identifier that ties your transactions to a single reference. If you later obtain a residence permit you are given a foreigner identity number (yabancı kimlik numarası) that serves the same purpose in most systems, so you generally will not need a separate tax number once you hold residency.
In short, the tax number is a small but foundational step: quick, free and obtainable in person, online or through a representative. Getting it early — ideally before the rest of the formation begins — removes the most common bottleneck from the whole process, which is why advisors treat it as the natural starting point for non-resident clients.