🚇 Istanbulkart: how to buy and top up (2026)

What the Istanbulkart is

The Istanbulkart is the official contactless card for public transport in Istanbul, issued for the metropolitan municipality. You use it on the metro, tram, bus, Metrobus, funiculars, cable cars, Şehir Hatları city ferries and the Marmaray. You cannot pay the driver in cash on the metro, tram or bus.

Buy one on your first day if you will ride more than once or twice. Anonymous cards are sold at yellow Biletmatik (ticket) machines in metro, tram and Marmaray stations, at ferry piers, and at Istanbul Airport (IST) and Sabiha Gökçen (SAW). Shops and kiosks marked “İstanbulkart” also sell and top up the card. Do not buy a second-hand card from someone in the street.

The official site is istanbulkart.istanbul. The official app, İstanbulkart Mobil, can top up a card and, on many lines, let you ride with a QR code once you have set it up.

Price: as of November 2026, check before you go

Fares change, sometimes more than once a year. After the tariff that came into force on 20 July 2026, travel guides checking official lists in October and early November 2026 reported these typical figures — confirm them on the machine screen or the official site before you pay:

• The anonymous card itself cost around 165 Turkish lira, with no credit on it. The card price is not refunded.
• A standard full-fare ride on the metro, tram, bus or funicular was around 46 lira with an Istanbulkart, and more if you paid with a bank card or a limited-use paper ticket.
• City ferries cost more than a metro ride; the exact fare depends on the route.
• Marmaray and the Metrobus charge by distance: you tap in and you tap out.
• If you change vehicles within about two hours, a reduced transfer fare is usually applied automatically.

Machines often take cash and, on many newer ones, a bank card. If you put in a larger note than the card price, the rest normally goes onto the card as credit. Top up enough for a few days, including ferries if you plan to cross the Bosphorus.

How to use it: metro, tram, ferry and Marmaray

On the metro, tram, funicular and bus, tap once as you enter. The reader shows your remaining balance. You do not tap out on those lines.

On Şehir Hatları ferries, the gates are at the pier, not on the boat. Check the destination on the board before you tap — at Eminönü especially, each jetty has its own gates.

On the Marmaray and the Metrobus, tap when you enter and again when you leave, because the fare depends on how far you go. If you forget to tap out, you can be charged a higher fare.

The same card works on both sides of the city. The T1 tram through Sultanahmet, the M2 to Taksim, the ferries between Eminönü, Karaköy, Beşiktaş, Üsküdar and Kadıköy, and the Marmaray under the Bosphorus are the lines visitors use most.

Ankara, İzmir and other cities

Istanbulkart does not work as a season ticket in other cities. Each big city has its own card.

In Ankara the official card of EGO, the municipal transport operator, is sold as AnkaraKart and, on some official pages, Başkentkart. Buy and top it up at EGO card centres, authorised kiosks and machines; the official dealer pages are on ego.gov.tr and baskentkart.ego.gov.tr.

In İzmir the card is the İzmirim Kart. It is used on ESHOT buses, the metro, city ferries and the İZBAN suburban trains, including the airport station. Buy it at authorised sales points and topping-up machines; the official site is izmirimkart.com.tr.

Antalya has its own card (Antalyakart) for buses and the AntRay tram. In every city, look for the official logo on the machine or the kiosk, and keep a little cash until the card is in your hand.

A few local tips

• One anonymous card can be shared by a group: each person taps it in turn. Wait for the beep before you pass it to the next person.
• Keep a small reserve on the card. Some buses and late ferries are a long walk from the nearest machine.
• If a machine is only in Turkish, ask “İngilizce var mı?” (is there English?) — most Biletmatik screens offer English and other languages.
• For step-by-step Turkish at stops and in a dolmuş, see the Getting around lessons.