Before making a final decision to move to Turkey, foreigners study every piece of information they can find about the country. And in almost every source they come across a mention of the e-DEVLET system. What this system is, why it was created and how to use it is what we cover below.
Content:
- What is e-DEVLET?
- What e-DEVLET can do
- How can foreigners get access to e-DEVLET?
- What e-DEVLET gives a property owner
- What happens if you lose your e-DEVLET password?
- Where foreigners get stuck
- What changed by 2026
- Popular questions
What is e-DEVLET?
e-DEVLET is an electronic database through which the Turkish government provides a defined range of services to its citizens and to foreigners who hold a residence permit. In essence it is a single government portal that collects information about the country’s population, including expats, along with their property, fines and payments. The system lets you view and issue documents, obtain certificates and so on. The key purpose of e-DEVLET is to make life easier for residents of Turkey by sparing them unnecessary paperwork and trips to various offices.
The scale of the system shows in its official statistics: as of July 31, 2026 it had 69.4 million registered users and 9,358 services, delivered by more than 1,100 organizations — ministries, universities, municipalities and utility companies. The mobile app offers 6,274 of those services.
What e-DEVLET can do
The services available to citizens of the Republic of Turkey, holders of the Blue Card and foreigners with a residence permit (or a valid work permit) and a taxpayer identification number can be grouped as follows:
- information services;
- integrated electronic services;
- payment transactions;
- exchange of information and documents with government institutions;
- certificates of residence and family composition;
- the status of registered minor children;
- registration of phone numbers;
- registration of foreign mobile devices;
- information on property and vehicles;
- social security and healthcare;
- pension provision;
- state insurance policies;
- information on medical services;
- criminal record requests and court documents;
- case tracking;
- vehicle registration applications;
- payment of taxes and fines;
- information on agricultural land;
- university student registration and tracking;
- change of address notifications;
- the citizenship procedure.
Every document created and uploaded to the e-DEVLET portal carries the required certificate with an electronic signature displayed as a barcode. Such documents are valid in any official transaction.
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How can foreigners get access to e-DEVLET?
To use e-DEVLET, foreigners first have to obtain a residence permit. It comes with a foreigner identification number starting with 99, and that number serves as the login. A valid work permit works as well. After that all it takes is a visit to the nearest post office with a passport, the residence permit card and a phone with a Turkish number. At the post office the foreign national fills in a short form, has the residence permit copied, signs it and pays a fee of 5 Turkish lira — that is what the first password costs. Each further password, if one is ever needed again, costs 20 lira.
Those who are outside Turkey do not need to go to a PTT branch: the password is issued at a Turkish consulate by appointment.
Once registration is complete, the foreigner receives an SMS with the e-DEVLET code. The personal account can be opened through the website or the mobile app, which is available on Google Play and the App Store. At the first login the code from the SMS has to be replaced with a permanent password, which is then used for all later logins.
Foreigners who hold an account with a Turkish bank and have active online banking can also register on their own; the bank staff will explain how to use e-DEVLET through online banking. Two more ways to log in are an electronic signature and a mobile signature, usually obtained by business owners.
How to obtain the residence permit itself, without which the portal stays closed, is covered in detail in our article on the ikamet in Turkey.
What e-DEVLET gives a property owner
For the owner of an apartment or a villa the portal handles most of the paperwork that would once have meant visiting several government offices.
| Task | What the portal does |
|---|---|
| Check your ownership | A land registry extract listing your properties and any encumbrances; the Web Tapu system is entered with the e-DEVLET account |
| Authorize a transaction by proxy | Applications and approvals in Web Tapu — a purchase or sale is processed without visiting the land registry in person |
| Confirm your address | A certificate of residence (yerlesim yeri belgesi), required for permit renewals, at the bank and at school |
| Pay taxes and fines | Property tax, traffic fines and utility charges |
| Obtain a criminal record certificate | The document is generated online with an electronic signature and a barcode |
| Check the status of your residence permit | Card validity, application status, renewal date |
| Register a phone brought from abroad | The IMEI registration application is filed here as well |
What happens if you lose your e-DEVLET password?
If an e-DEVLET user loses the password to their account, access can be restored without any trouble. Go to the official website, open the login page, use the "I forgot my password" option and enter the identification details requested. An SMS with a code is then sent to the registered Turkish number, and the user sets a new password with it.
If any difficulty comes up during the recovery procedure, the user can simply visit a post office again, where staff are always ready to help restore access to e-DEVLET. A replacement password at PTT costs 20 lira.
Where foreigners get stuck
Registration itself takes about fifteen minutes, but the preparation for it goes wrong for many people. Four typical situations.
The first is someone else’s phone number. The SIM card has to be registered to the same person who receives the password: the code arrives by SMS, and account recovery runs through that number too. A friend’s or an agency’s number solves the problem for a day and creates one for years.
The second is a phone brought from abroad. Such a handset works on a Turkish network for 120 days from the date of entry, after which the connection is cut off until the IMEI is registered. In 2026 the fee is over 50,000 lira (more than $1,000) and it is indexed every year, which is why many people simply buy an inexpensive local handset for a Turkish SIM.
The third is trying to register before the residence permit is issued. Without a foreigner number starting with 99 no account will be created: tourist status gives no access to the portal.
The fourth is changing the number or losing access to it. The link is updated in person at a PTT branch; this step cannot be done remotely.
"We ask clients to register a Turkish SIM in their own name before the deal. After that the account becomes unavoidable: the certificate of residence, property tax, approvals in Web Tapu — it all lives in that cabinet," says the head of a transaction support department.
What changed by 2026
- The first password at PTT costs 5 lira and a replacement costs 20; the old price of 2 lira no longer applies.
- The portal has grown to 9,358 services and 69.4 million users (as of July 31, 2026), with 6,274 services in the mobile app.
- Foreigners who are outside Turkey are issued the password at a consulate by appointment.
- Logging in is no longer limited to the password: online banking, an electronic signature and a mobile signature all work.
- The application to register the IMEI of a phone brought from abroad is filed through the portal — without it the handset is cut off from the network after 120 days.
Popular questions
Can a tourist get access to e-DEVLET?
No. You need a foreigner identification number, and it is issued together with a residence permit or a work permit.
How much does an e-DEVLET password cost?
5 lira for the first one at a PTT branch and 20 lira for each one after that.
Is a Turkish SIM card mandatory?
Yes. The code arrives by SMS, and the number has to be registered to the user, otherwise access cannot be restored.
Can you check property through e-DEVLET?
Yes, the portal shows the properties you own and any encumbrances, and the Web Tapu land registry system is entered with the same account.
What should you do if your phone number changes?
Update the link in person at a PTT branch, with your passport and residence permit card.