Hiring a Nanny in Istanbul

What a great nanny brings to an Istanbul household

Between international schools, careers and a city that spans two continents, the right nanny is the calm centre of the day. She does more than childcare: she brings routine, patience and judgement, and adapts to how your family actually lives. We match on character as much as skill, because warmth and reliability are what turn a hire into someone you trust with your children.

Many of the nannies we place are multilingual — English, Turkish, Russian — so families who want a second language for their child can find it without compromising on care. For Russian-speaking families in Istanbul, a native-speaking nanny keeps the mother tongue alive naturally, in everyday life rather than in lessons.

Types of nanny

• Newborn specialist — care for a newborn, sleep and feeding routines, support for the mother.
• Full-time nanny — everyday care, outings, development, school runs.
• Governess — care plus early education, languages and school preparation.
• Night nanny — nights and wake-ups, so parents can rest.
• Part-time or hourly — support on the days and hours you need.

And the format: live-in or live-out. Live-in works for unpredictable hours; live-out keeps family privacy.

What to look for

• Experience with your child's age. A newborn, a toddler and a schoolchild need different skills.
• Character and judgement. Warmth, patience and calm in the moment over a tidy CV.
• Documents and status. A work permit and legal employment in Turkey.
• References you can speak to directly.
• A genuine fit with your family's routine and values.

How the process works

• Consultation. We map your brief — the children's ages, schedule, format, languages, any specific needs.
• Shortlist. We present curated, already-vetted candidates matched to your brief.
• Interviews. You meet your favourites — in person or by video.
• Trial day. Optionally, a paid trial day with the children reveals chemistry that interviews can't.
• Placement. We help with the contract and paperwork and support the start.
• Support. We stay in touch through the first weeks and stand behind the guarantee.

How we vet candidates

We interview dozens of candidates for every placement — most don't make it. Each nanny who reaches you has completed:

• an in-depth personal interview;
• identity and document verification;
• criminal-record screening;
• a minimum of two references we've spoken to directly.

That filtering is the service: you meet only people you'd trust in your home. Every placement is covered by a 6-month replacement guarantee from the date the contract is signed. More about how we place nannies.

Where we place across Istanbul

We work across the whole of Istanbul and know the areas where our families live: on the European side, Beşiktaş, Şişli, Nişantaşı and Sarıyer, plus Beylikdüzü and Bahçeşehir; on the Asian side, Kadıköy and Ataşehir. For live-in roles we consider accommodation and logistics; for live-out, real commute times across the city — including between the two sides — so the schedule stays stable.

Work permit and legal hiring

A foreign nanny in Turkey needs a work permit (çalışma izni) and SGK registration. Legal hiring protects both the family and the nanny. We advise on the documentation and the process; the details are in our guide to the nanny work permit in Turkey.

Nanny cost in Istanbul

The cost depends on the format, experience and languages. We give the current range for your brief at the consultation, and help you budget for the paperwork and — for a live-in role — accommodation and meals.