The film crew moved to Istanbul

Overcoming the gusty wind and terrible cold, he climbed to the very top of the tallest tower. So, what is next?

And then the rental agreement and the treasured Ikamet card! This is exactly what our winter move to Istanbul looked like and we really hope that you, dear readers, will not have to face the same difficulties, if only because spring has already arrived.

The eleventh move in our lives in the new year 2022. Kind grandfather Istanbul caressed us, warmed us, gave us tea and we perked up again after living with strict Aunt Moscow. For creative people, it is especially important to be in a place that inspires, and Istanbul is such a place. It attracts people; in just a couple of months of living here, several relatives and friends managed to come to visit us. One family even decided to move and now they live next to us, next door. It turned out that our old friends and relatives were here.

In search of cozy accommodation, we traveled to both parts of Istanbul - Europe and Asia. And although we were busy with bureaucratic issues instead of tourism, we really liked some places. We are sure you will like them too. So, what did we need to decide to move to this city?

We decided to stay. What to do next?

Search for housing. This was the most important and difficult task. It took us a whole month to find suitable housing, since we looked throughout the metropolis at once, looking closely at different areas. We covered hundreds of kilometers, sometimes taking more than three hours to travel one way. It turned out that many Turkish citizens are not particularly willing to rent out housing to foreigners, especially those who do not have Ikameta. There are many reasons for this. However, they are more willing to rent out housing if they pay six months a year in advance. There are also Russian-speaking realtors, but as a rule they offer options at prices above the market. We had our own requirements for housing for two people 1+1. Housing should be clean, comfortable, mold-free, preferably furnished, in a safe area. Within walking distance from the metro or Marmaray. In December 2021, prices have already risen due to the fall of the lira. Tenants had already raised prices, taking into account that the local currency would continue to fall.
Collection of documents for applying for a residence permit. Probably the main difficulty was the changes in the law. According to the new rules, a Turkish guarantor column has appeared in the lease agreement. The agreement and its copies (one for each) must be notarized in the presence of the apartment owner.