Once your company is registered and has its tax number, the next step is a corporate bank account, which the business needs to deposit share capital, receive payments and pay its taxes. Opening it is usually the one part of a Turkish company setup that is not fully remote, because banks apply their own identity checks — but with the right documents it is a routine process.
Banks will ask for the company's core registration papers: the Trade Registry Gazette announcement, the tax registration certificate, the signature circular (imza sirküleri) showing who can bind the company, the articles of association, and the company's activity certificate. Alongside these, the authorised signatories provide their passports and Turkish tax numbers, and sometimes proof of a Turkish address.
The identity-verification step is where practice varies. Under anti-money-laundering and know-your-customer rules, many banks require the person who will operate the account to attend a branch in person, at least once, to complete the onboarding. Some banks will accept account opening under a specific, carefully worded power of attorney, and a number of banks have developed processes for non-resident and foreign-investor onboarding — so it is worth identifying a suitable bank and confirming its current policy before you file.
For a joint-stock company there is an extra wrinkle: the 25% of capital that must be paid before registration goes into a blocked capital-deposit account, and the bank issues a certificate confirming the deposit, which the registry requires. For a limited company this blocking is not needed, since the capital can be paid within twenty-four months, but you will still open an operating account to run the business.
A few practical tips smooth the process. Choose your bank early, because the account is on the critical path to activating the company; make sure the name and passport details on your tax number exactly match your passport, since mismatches are the most common reason applications stall; and decide whether you need foreign-currency accounts, which Turkish banks offer freely given the absence of exchange controls.
Personal accounts are a separate matter from the company account. Some banks open a personal account for a non-resident on the strength of a passport and tax number, while others ask for a residence permit first. If you will personally need banking in Türkiye — for example to receive a director's salary — it is worth checking the bank's stance in advance, as it differs from institution to institution.
It helps to understand why banks are cautious rather than taking it personally. Turkish banks operate under strict anti-money-laundering supervision and international correspondent-banking expectations, so they check the source of funds and the people behind a company carefully, especially for non-residents. Presenting a clean, complete file — clear company documents, a coherent explanation of the business and matching identity details — is the single biggest factor in a fast approval, and it is something your advisor can prepare with you before the visit.
Because bank policies shift and differ by branch, the realistic approach is to treat account opening as a step to plan for rather than assume. A local advisor who works with these banks regularly can point you to the ones currently most receptive to non-resident companies and prepare the file so the visit, if one is needed, is short and successful.
Key facts (2026)
Official & authoritative sources
- https://www.invest.gov.tr/en/investmentguide/pages/establishing-a-business-in-turkey.aspx
- https://www.tcmb.gov.tr/