GOFIRM
Ziraat Bankası

Bank account opening

A Ziraat Bankası account: terms for non-residents, review and documents

Ziraat Bankası is a state-owned Turkish bank with a history going back to 1863 and a network of 1,745 branches. For non-residents it offers settlements without limits and a personal manager, but it does not open accounts online and reviews clients in depth.

Message us on WhatsApp
No limits
Settlements on the account — within the declared profile
Personal manager
Assigned to the non-resident client
With a visit
Opening at the bank, not online
20 countries
Network of the bank and its subsidiary banks — per the 2025 report

Other banks in Turkey

Türkiye Emlak Katılım BankasıVakıfBankİşbank
All banks in Turkey

In short

Ziraat Bankası is a Turkish state-owned bank with 1,745 branches. It gives non-residents settlements with no limits within the declared profile and a personal manager, but opens accounts only with a visit to the bank and reviews clients in depth.

Checked 18 October 2026 · Elizaveta Germash

Cost of a mistake

2–4 weeks

How long legalising a UAE document usually takes — if one turns out to be missing at the branch, that process has to be repeated.

How to avoid it

Ziraat Bankası — settlements without limits, if your profile withstands an in-depth review

For a non-resident, Ziraat means no limits and a personal manager, but not online: the signatory comes to the bank, and the bank’s review is demanding. We prepare the profile so that the review raises fewer questions.

  • Three currencies

    USD, EUR and TRY. No dirhams or yuan on the account — for those, we look at Emlak Katılım.

  • Owners — to the end of the chain

    Under its policy, the bank identifies the company’s shareholders and control structure, its representatives and the ultimate beneficial owner — before the relationship starts.

  • Tax residence

    Turkish banks take a tax residence self-certification from clients and report non-residents’ account data to the Turkish tax administration every year for exchange under .

  • A conventional bank

    Ziraat is not a participation bank: the group’s Islamic business sits in a separate bank, Ziraat Katılım.

Expert tip

No limits doesn’t mean no questions: payments outside the declared profile may lead to requests from the bank. We describe countries and volumes accurately from the start.
Elizaveta GermashElizaveta GermashLawyer · Bank accounts

Bank profile

Ziraat Bankası: terms, review and restrictions for non-residents

T.C. Ziraat Bankası

T.C. Ziraat Bankası

State-owned bank of Turkey · history since 1863

  • No limits
  • Personal manager
  • USD · EUR · TRY
  • With a visit
Open to
Non-residents — with a demanding review
Currencies
USD, EUR, TRY
Limits
No limits — within the profile from the questionnaire
Personal manager
Yes
Opening
Not online — the signatory comes to the bank
Model
Conventional bank; the group’s participation bank is a separate entity, Ziraat Katılım

Account terms — based on our experience as of October 2026; history, owner, network and review policy — the bank’s materials (2025 annual report, anti-money laundering policy), CRS — information from Turkish banks; as of 18 October 2026. Fees — per the bank’s fee schedule, quoted before applying. The bank decides whether to open the account.

Who it suits

Who it suits — and when to choose something else

A good fit if

  1. 01You need settlements without limits and a personal manager at the bank.
  2. 02USD, EUR and TRY are enough on the account.
  3. 03The signatory is ready to come to the bank with the original documents.
  4. 04Ownership and the source of funds are backed by documents — the profile will withstand an in-depth review.
  5. 05You want a state-owned bank with a large network in Turkey and abroad.

Consider something else if

  1. 01You can’t travel, or you need an interest-free bank.Emlak Katılım
  2. 02You’re not willing to disclose the ownership structure down to the ultimate beneficial owner.
  3. 03Your business operates in Turkey itself — it’s easier to open the account for a Turkish company.Turkey

Benefits

What you get

A profile ready for review

We describe the activity, owners and source of funds so the bank sees a coherent picture: the ownership chain — down to the ultimate beneficial owner.

Documents to Turkish rules

UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Turkish consulate, sworn translation and notary — in the right order, without “lawyer” shortcuts.

A visit with the full set

The signatory arrives with originals per the agreed list, rather than sending them after the meeting.

Tax residence in advance

We prepare the details of the country of tax residence and tax numbers — the bank will ask for them in the self-certification for CRS exchange.

Status in the client portal

What’s agreed with the bank, what’s at legalisation, what’s with the translator — all visible in the client portal.

Let’s discuss the details

Will your profile pass Ziraat’s review?

Describe the owners, activity and payments — we’ll tell you what the bank will ask and which documents to prepare in advance.

Account opening

What we need from you while the bank reviews the profile

Timelines — based on our experience as of October 2026. The bank’s review time depends on the profile and how complete the documents are, so we don’t promise it.

You
02

Documents and details

Constitutional documents, the ownership chain, authority, passports, tax numbers.

3–5 days
05

The signatory’s visit

The signatory comes to the bank with the originals; the bank verifies identity.

GOFIRM
01

Profile and format

We check the activity, owners and payments; we agree the visit and the list with the bank.

1–3 days
04

Preparing the visit

We check the set of originals and prepare the signatory for questions about the business and owners.

Bank
06

In-depth review

Owners, control structure, beneficial owner, payment profile — requests are possible.

07

Account and manager

The bank opens the account and assigns a personal manager.

Authority
03

Legalisation and translation

UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Turkish consulate, then sworn translation and a notary.

usually 2–4 weeks

From you — documents, details of owners and tax residence, and the signatory’s visit to the bank. We prepare and handle the rest.

Documents

What you’ll need

Company

  • Registration and constitutional documents — the bank provides the exact list
  • Details of shareholders and control structure — down to the ultimate beneficial owner
  • Documents confirming the representatives’ authority
  • For a UAE company — attestation by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and legalisation at the Turkish consulate
  • Sworn translation into Turkish with notarisation
  • Representatives’ passports — originals or notarised copies

For the bank questionnaire

  • Country of tax residence and tax numbers — for the CRS self-certification
  • Countries payments will go to and come from, and expected volumes
  • Source of funds and main counterparties

Timing and budget

What makes up the budget

We quote Ziraat’s fees for the account and transfers before applying — for your package and channels. Document preparation is costed upfront: UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, translation and notary — indicative as of October 2026.

  • Account servicing and transfersDepends onPer the bank’s fee schedule: depends on the package and the channel — branch or online banking. We confirm it before applying so there are no surprises after opening.WhenMonthly and per transaction
  • ConversionDepends onThe bank’s rate when exchanging between lira, dollars and euros.WhenPer transaction
  • Consular legalisationDepends onThe UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs charges AED 2,000 for each commercial document: the licence, articles of association, board resolution, power of attorney from the company. The Turkish consular fee follows the consulate’s tariff.WhenBefore applying
  • Sworn translation and notaryDepends onTranslation — 500–1,200 TRY for a short document, usually from English; notary — 1,000–3,000 TRY for a simple translated document, excluding VAT. Lengthy corporate documents are priced separately.WhenBefore applying
  • The signatory’s tripDepends onFlights and accommodation for the visit to the bank — at your rates. We set the date once the document list is closed.WhenBefore the visit
  • Our supportDepends onProfile review, documents, legalisation and translation, preparing the visit. We quote the cost after reviewing your profile — as a separate line in the proposal.WhenAt the start of work

Getting it right

Common mistakes — and how to avoid them

Click a card to see how to do it right · 0 of 5 open

  1. 01 What people often do

    Treating “no limits” as permission for any payments.

  2. 02 What people often do

    Showing the bank only the direct owner — a holding company in another country.

  3. 03 What people often do

    Going to a branch without agreeing the document list.

  4. 04 What people often do

    Leaving the tax residence field blank.

  5. 05 What people often do

    Putting an apostille on UAE documents.

FAQ

Expert answers

Elizaveta Germash — Bank accounts

In our experience, no: Ziraat doesn’t open accounts online, the signatory comes to the bank. Whether the bank will accept a power of attorney, we check for your case. If you’re not ready to travel, we look at Emlak Katılım — there a representative opens the account.

Elizaveta Germash · Bank accounts

Sources

  1. Ziraat Bankası — history
  2. Ziraat Bankası — 2025 integrated annual report
  3. Ziraat Bankası — anti-money-laundering policy
  4. İşbank — transaction limits and hours (TCMB rule from USD 50,000)
  5. Yapı Kredi — how CRS and FATCA apply in Turkey

Deadlines, amounts and rules are based on these sources as of the check date. Rules change: check with us before deciding.

Often goes with this

What else you may need

Bank Accounts

Emlak Katılım

If you’re not ready to travel: an account by power of attorney, six currencies, including AED and CNY, and an interest-free bank.

Bank Accounts

VakıfBank

Also state-owned: mainly personal accounts and Visa and Mastercard cards.

Company Registration

Turkey

Your own company in Turkey — if the business operates in the country: the account is opened for a Turkish legal entity.

Next step

Ziraat Bankası — will your profile pass the review?

Tell us about the company, owners and payments. We’ll say whether the profile is ready for an in-depth review, collect and legalise the documents, and prepare the signatory’s visit.

Elizaveta GermashElizaveta GermashLawyer · Bank accounts
Preferred way to reach you

By sending a request, you agree to the processing of your data under our privacy policy.

Or reach us directly: WhatsApp · +971 58 520 7952