Visas
Students are advised to check the visa requirements for any country they may wish to visit during their time abroad. Applications for visas must be completed in your country of origin. You should allow a minimum of 4 weeks for obtaining visas.
Language
Turkish is the official language in Turkey. However, English, French and German are understood and spoken in Business and Tourist areas.
Business Hours
Official working days are from Monday to Friday and working hours - 08:30 to 17:00
Weekends are Saturday and Sunday.
Climate
Istanbul has a mild, temperate climate, with summer temperatures ranging from 25-35 degrees Celsius. In winter, the temperature sometimes drops below freezing point (0 degrees Celsius) and it snows, it can feel quite cold because of rain and wind, so warm clothing is advisable. In general, January and February are the coldest months, and July and August the warmest.
Currency
New (Yeni) Turkish Lira (YTL) = 100 Yeni Kurush
1 US Dollar is around 1.4 YTL
www.tcmb.gov.tr/ytlkampanya/bro.php Credit Cards
Visitors will find many credit cards are readily accepted by almost every business and retail shops. Master Card, Visa International, American Express and Diner's Club International are among those in common use.
Electrical Voltage
220 Volt and 50 Hz AC current supplies are used in Turkey. Most of the sockets are standard European-size for double round-pin plugs, the same as in France or Germany. Appliances from the US, Canada, Britain will need adaptors.
Food
In Istanbul there are more than 4000 restaurants including the best examples of French, Italian, Greek, Chinese, Japanese, American and even Indian. Excellent Turkish food is available everywhere.
Drink
Bars have table and /or counter service. Alcohol is not prohibited.
Tipping
It is customary to leave a tip for the waiter, the sum would average 10 % of the bill total.
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