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Türkiye
Two Continents, One City: Istanbul is the only city in the world that sits on two continents: Europe and Asia. They are separated by the Bosphorus Strait.
Enquire about TürkiyeEligibility Requirements
- Age: You must be between 15 and 18 years old
- School Enrolment Status: Enrolled students and graduates are eligible
- Vaccinations: MMR, Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis, Tetanus and Diphtheria within the past 10 years, OPV/IPV (Polio), Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, BCG
- Dietary: Vegetarians can be hard to place
- Other: Natural hair colours only and piercing restrictions
What's included in your experience
- Airfare
- Airport Pick-up
- Host Family Placement
- Housing
- Meals
- School Placement
- Individual Contact Person
- Medical Insurance
- 24/7 Emergency Support
- Assistance with Application Process
- Visa Application Assistance
- Pre-Departure Orientation
- Orientations during your time abroad
- Continuous Support
- Worldwide Presence
- 70 Years Experience
What you are responsible for
- Vaccinations
- Cultural Tours
- Visa and Passport Fees
- Stipend
- School Uniform
People & Community
You could live anywhere in Türkiye, but you’re most likely to be in or near one of the five main cities: Adana, Izmir, Eskisehir, Istanbul or Ankara. In the evenings, it’s very common for Turkish families to gather around the dinner table and watch TV and drink tea together. Expect a flow of friends and relatives visiting for coffee, tea and lively conversations.
School
You’ll probably attend an anatolian high school, which is a university preparatory secondary school. A typical school day lasts for 7 or 8 hours and allows students to specialize in either mathematics and science or social studies. Most exchange students attend public schools, but some also get placed in a private high school.
Language
While Turkish is the primary language, English, French, German and Italian are spoken by many people around the country. Having a basic knowledge of English will be helpful. AFS will provide language lessons, and local volunteers may help arrange independent language study for you during your first months in Türkiye.
Food
Turkish dishes combine Mediterranean and Middle Eastern styles and are quite rich and varied. Eggplant is the number one vegetable and is often paired with meat in a shish kebab. Food is cooked mostly with olive oil and herbs in the western part of the country, whereas meals can be very spicy and meat oriented in the eastern part of Türkiye. Lamb, beef and rice are common ingredients and seafood is abundant on the coast. If you have a sweet tooth, you’re in luck because Türkiye is famous for its desserts, especially baklava, a sweet pastry, and milk pudding.
Peace Camp Info
The PEACE Programme or PEACE through Exchange and Active Citizenship Education is a secondary school trimester programme which aims at empowering and enabling young people to become active citizens. The participants stay with host-families and go to high school in a European country. At the end of the programme, all participants of the PEACE programme come to Belgium for a five day long camp with a focus on Active Global Citizenship in Europe.
Ready to Start your Turkish Adventure?
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Let AFS guide your intercultural adventure
With over 75 years of experience in student exchanges, we know what we’re doing when it comes to support and education! AFS provides comprehensive orientation for all students and families before, during and after your exchange – AFS volunteers and staff will be there to support and guide you the whole way through. In-person orientation camps in New Zealand and your host country are supplemented by our world-leading online Student Learning Journey, an interactive course that brings AFSers from around the world together to develop essential global skills, learn intercultural communication techniques, and practice social impact.