Official Anonymous Card
The official contactless red smart card by İBB & BELBİM. Works across all transit instantly with no ID, registration, or passport required.
Biletmatik Kiosk
Official bright yellow transit kiosks at all stations. Allows buying new cards and reloading balance with cash or contactless cards, supporting English and Arabic.
Public transit floor (-2), outside Havaist platforms & M11 metro entrance.
Directly outside Arrivals exit, by M4 metro entrance & Havabus stops.
Before ticket turnstiles at Sultanahmet, Taksim, Kadikoy, Yenikapi, etc.
Shops bearing the official blue/yellow "Istanbulkart Dolum Noktasi" sign.
Skip station queues and cash hunting; top up your transit card anytime from your hotel using your international bank card via phone NFC in 4 easy steps:
Download the official Istanbulkart app from App Store or Google Play.
Turn on NFC and hold your plastic card against the back of your phone near the camera.
Select amount (e.g. 200 or 500 TL), enter credit/debit card details and confirm SMS OTP.
After payment, tap the card against the phone a 2nd time to write the balance onto the chip.
If you complete the online payment but forget to touch the card to your phone a second time, the money stays as "Pending Balance". Simply tap the card against your phone again in the app, or swipe it over any station Biletmatik kiosk to finalize it.
Istanbulkart goes far beyond metro and trams; it is a universal payment instrument covering rail, sea, road transit, plus municipal amenities and grocery chains:
All metro lines on both continents from M1 to the M11 Airport Express.
Historic T1 line (Sultanahmet, Eminonu), plus T4 and Golden Horn T5 tram.
Subsea train connecting Asia & Europe from Gebze to Halkali.
Public scenic ferries between Eminonu, Kadikoy, Uskudar and Princes' Islands.
F1 Taksim-Kabatas funicular, plus Pierre Loti & Macka scenic cable cars.
Clean municipal public toilets in parks and squares (card only, 3-5 TL).
Subsidized waterfront municipal cafes & eateries in historic groves.
Pay for groceries directly using card balance at Migros, Sok, and A101.
When boarding Marmaray or Metrobus, the gate charges the full line fare (~44 TL). Upon exiting, tap your card on the silver/grey refund kiosk labeled (İADE) next to the gates to immediately refund the unspent distance balance to your card!
Yes, 100% officially! Up to 5 family members can swipe through the same turnstile using one standard Anonymous card. Simply tap, let the first person cross, wait 3 seconds, and tap for the next. Each tap is billed as a full single fare.
According to official UKOME transport bylaws, children under 6 years of age travel completely free of charge across all public transit systems in Turkey when accompanied by an adult.
A special visitor pass offered by İBB providing unlimited transit rides for 1, 3, 5, 7, or 15 consecutive days. For most leisure travelers doing 3-5 trips a day, the regular rechargeable card remains much more cost-effective.
| Service / Transit Type | Fare in Turkish Lira (TL) | Official Rules & Details |
|---|---|---|
| New Anonymous Card Purchase | 165.00 ₺ | One-time plastic card issuance fee at official Biletmatik kiosks (zero balance) |
| Single Ride (Metro, Tram, Bus, Ferry) | 20.00 ₺ | Standard full fare for a single trip across all urban lines |
| 1st Transfer Discount | 14.32 ₺ | Discount when switching lines within 2 hours (applies to 1st passenger only) |
| Marmaray Longest Route Fare | 44.27 ₺ | Deducted at entry; excess distance refunded via exit (İADE) kiosk |
| Metrobus Longest Route Fare | 29.68 ₺ | Charged max at gate, remaining balance refunded at exit kiosks |
| Princes' Islands Ferries | 65.85 ₺ | Official municipal ferry ride to Buyukada, Heybeliada, etc. |
Each Turkish province operates its own municipal system; Istanbulkart does not work outside Istanbul. Here are the official transit cards for top tourist destinations:
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