Practical Information for Mobile Students

At the beginning of the enrolment process, the International Relations Unit and the ERASMUS Programme Office provides exchange students with detailed information on its web page (http://llp-erasmus.maltepe.edu.tr ).The given link offers information on the cities, lodging and social life of participating exchange universities. Additionally, the “LLP-Erasmus Student Club” founded by former ERASMUS students helps exchange students that will be studying at MU to adjust to life abroad and specifically life in Istanbul.

See below for some practical information intended for exchange students.

Visa Obligations

Before arriving in Turkey, students have to get a student visa from a Turkish Consulate in their home country. Student visas cannot be obtained after arrival in the destination country and tourist visas will not be accepted to study abroad.  It is recommended that incoming students apply for their visas a minimum of 2 months in advance of the term they will attend. Dependent individuals that must be looked after by a diplomatic visa holder and individuals that have a valid Turkish work permit are the only exceptions to this requirement.

Dependent individuals that must be looked after by a diplomatic visa holder, individuals that have a work permit in Turkey are the only exception.

Necessary documents for visa application:

  • Passport (valid for minimum 1 year)
  • Completed and signed visa application form obtained from the Turkish Foreign Embassy or Consulate
  • Passport-sized photo
  • Student certificate obtained from the receiving university
  • Letter of acceptance from MU
  • Non-refundable application fee

Since visa requirements are likely to change without notice, students are advised to contact the Turkish Embassy or Consulate nearest to them in their home country to ask for information about the updated documents they may require.

Residence Permit

The visa you will be granted allows you to stay in Turkey for a period of 3 months. After the third month, students must obtain a residence permit. All foreign students must apply to the Foreigners’ Branch of the Istanbul Central Police Station to secure a residence permit before the expiration of their student visa.

As stated in their student visa, students will obtain residence permits for the period they will be studying abroad. Students should carry the permit with them at all times. The required documents for a residence permit for a foreign student are a student certificate, 5 passport sized photos, a valid student visa attached to a photocopied passport and the residence permit fee. Application forms can be obtained from the Foreigners’ Branch of the Istanbul Central Police Station in Fatih or online at: http://yabancilar.iem.gov.tr  (Phone number: +90 0212 636 1874).

Currency

Local currency of Turkey is Turkish Lira (TL). Local currency is available in banknotes and coins given below:

Banknote

Coins

200 TL

1.00 TL

100 TL

0.50 TL

50 TL

0.25 TL

20 TL

0.10 TL

10 TL

0.05 TL

5 TL

0.01 TL

 

Climate

Even though Turkey is situated in a geographical location where Mediterranean climatic conditions of a mild temperate zone prevail, its climate varies dramatically from one region to another. Coastal regions are milder, whereas the Central Anatolia Plateau receives less rain with warmer summers and colder winters. In the Marmara region where İstanbul is located, winters are wet and cold and summers are dry and hot.

The climate in Istanbul is dominated by the Mediterranean, Black Sea, Balkans and the continental climate of Anatolia all at once. Warm south western air currents from the Mediterranean in winter are followed by cold weather conditions from the Balkans and rainy weather from the Black Sea. The average yearly temperature is 13.5°C, and the annual rainfall is 720-788 mm; 40% of that rainfall is in the winter and 20% occurs in the spring. It is often dry and hot in summers and cold and rainy in winters. On a yearly basis temperatures can range between -14°C and +41,5°C. İstanbul receives on average 10 days of significant snowfall per year.

ACCESS TO MU

By Airline:

The closest airport to Maltepe University in Istanbul is Sabiha Gökcen. Another option is Atatürk Airport, which is approximately 2 hours from the university but offers a much wider variety of flights to and from international destinations. From Maltepe’s city centre there are HAVAS shuttle services or municipal buses that run to both airports. Additionally, students may prefer to take the fast ferry from the neighbouring coastal area of Bostancı to Bakirköy on the European side from where they can then easily travel to or from Atatürk Airport by taxi or minibus. Foreign students are advised to have Turkish Lira on them or to exchange some of their own currency for lira before leaving the airport.

By taxi:

Taxis from Sabiha Gökcen Airport, take 30 minutes and cost roughly €20.From Atatürk Airport, a taxi would take between 1.5 to 2 hours and cost approximately €60.Pay particular attention to make sure that the taxi driver turns on the taximeter when you depart.

By bus:

There are two public bus lines (19B and KM40) which service campus at varying intervals depending on the time of day, and the day of the week; there are separate schedules for weekends and holidays. The normal 19B runs between Kadiköy and Maltepe along the E5 motorway. At certain times of the day there are also 19Bs which run directly to the Marmara Education Village. The KM40 runs between Maltepe and campus and offers the most direct public transit option from campus to the Maltepe metro stop. During rush hour there are also Express KM40s to and from campus which bypass certain sections of the normal KM40 route. International students should obtain a smart city travel card or ‘akbil’ that is accepted on all bus, metro, tramway and ferry lines throughout the city and can be purchased at designated municipal transportation points.

By ferry:

From Maltepe the most useful ferries to access the European side depart from Kadıköy, Üskudar, and Bostancı. Return ferries to the Asian side run from Besiktaş, Eminönü, Kabataş and Karaköy.

By metro:

The nearest metro station to our campus is “Maltepe” located along the Kadiköy/Kartal metro line. From the Maltepe station it is possible to reach our campus by taxi and/or public bus (KM40).

How to get a cell phone number?

Exchange students are recommended to have a Turkish mobile phone number for reasonably inexpensive calls. Exchange students can get a mobile phone number from Turkcell, Avea or Vodaphone operators.

Useful Web Sites: