Moving to Istanbul with children: the first 90 days of school
Which documents to prepare before you move, what to watch in the first week and how long it takes a child to settle into a new school: our admissions office's most common answers.
About a third of the families at our school came to Istanbul from another country or city. Every year, in the last week of August, the admissions phone never stops: documents, buses, Turkish lessons, the first day. In this article I have set out the answers, from the month before you move to the first three months of school.
Before you move: documents
For a student who has studied abroad, the grade level in Türkiye is set by an equivalence certificate issued by the provincial or district education directorate. It requires school reports or transcripts from the last school, with a notarised Turkish translation where needed. Documents from some countries may need an apostille. Collecting them when you leave your current school makes everything much easier.
For international families, a residence permit and a foreign ID number are the basis of enrolment. You can pre-register while the permit application is in progress; final enrolment requires the number. For Turkish citizens returning from abroad the process is shorter, but equivalence is still needed.
Our admissions office sends every family a written document list for their country and their child's grade. I recommend asking for this list rather than relying on general ones.
The first week: home, the school run and sleep
The journey to school is the least discussed and most felt part of choosing a home. A student who reaches Sarıyer by bus in 30 minutes does not have the same day as one who travels for 60. When house-hunting, look at our bus routes and first pick-up times and, if you can, try the route once at 07:00.
Jet lag can last longer in children than in adults. Use the three or four days before school starts to shift to the new routine: getting up at the same time, being outside in the midday light and switching screens off early are the three things that help most.
The first month: language and friendship
For children with no Turkish, the hardest part is not lessons but break times. Every student who joins mid-term is paired with a "buddy" in the first week, who stays with them in the dining hall, at break and in the bus queue. International students join levelled "Turkish for foreigners" groups.
Families need a buddy too. Our Parent–Teacher Association introduces each new family to one with a child in the same class who knows the city well. Which pharmacy is open on Sundays, or which paediatrician to call, usually comes from these families.
Months two and three: after the honeymoon
Many children spend the first weeks excited; the real difficulty comes in the sixth or eighth week. Missing old friends, tiredness from the new language and the feeling that "nobody knows me here" become clearer. This is entirely normal. Tutors meet the families of new students every week in the first month and every two weeks for the next two months.
Small things that help at home: a weekly video call with a friend from the old school, a "place of our own" in the new city chosen by the child (a park, a bakery, a bookshop) and, at the end of the day, the question "did you learn something today, did someone teach you something?"
A suggestion
You can call us before your moving date is fixed. We can run the campus visit online, send the document list in advance and arrange a first conversation with your child's class teacher before you arrive.
