Bringing your Foreign Car into Turkey

Bringing your Foreign Car into Turkey
18 June 2021

So, you are relocating to Turkey or planning a longer stay and wish to bring your car with you. Registering an imported vehicle in a foreign country may seem daunting but this is more in theory than in practice.

The rules are different for either a temporary or permanent move and whilst some of the forms and documentation are the same you will find some key differences.

Turkey does have a strict policy about foreign plated cars entering the country but it is possible if you follow all the rules.

For vehicles that are bought into Turkey on a temporary basis

On entry into Turkey the border Police will give you a max of 90 days use of the vehicle. If you plan on staying longer or relocating you must get a Residency Permit of either 1 or 2 years.

When you get your Residency Permit you must then go to your local customs office (gumruk) and get them to extend it to either 1 or 2 years or to the expiry date of your residency permit.

To get the extension you will need

  • Car registration from your home country
  • Proof of ownership (bill of sale etc)
  • Passport
  • Your new residency permit card
  • Your Green Card insurance policy for the car

An important fact is that before an up to a 2 year importation can be considered, the importer owner and car must have been out of Turkey for a minimum of 185 days in the previous 365 days prior to arriving at a Turkish border with the vehicle. If the owner is retired with a pension and it’s the first time they have imported a vehicle into Turkey the 185 day rule is waived.

The vehicles can be used for a period of up to 2 years without a local registration. Before, this period was up to 6 months but has recently been extended. Temporarily imported vehicles are allowed to drive on their foreign license plates during this 1 or 2 year period.

For vehicles that are bought into Turkey on a permanent basis

Foreigners must get residency in order to apply for a permanent import. You will also need a Temporary Entry Card. This Alien Vehicles Temporary Entry Card is known in Turkish as ‘Yabanci Tasitlar Gecici Giris Belgesi, YTGGK’. The vehicle owner must pay a fee and present the following documentation

  • Residence Permit
  • Proof of retirement pension ( for those retired)
  • Valid Driving License and photocopy
  • Passport and photocopy
  • Proof of ownership, registration documents
  • Proof of valid insurance in Turkey
  • Security deposit (depending on vehicles age and engine size)
  • Completed application form

You will also need to put a large down payment on hold at the bank whilst you go through the process (This sum of money can be as much as the value of the car)

You will need to present the following documentation for the vehicle registration.

  • Passport and Visa
  • Residency Permit with copies
  • Proof of Bank deposit
  • Title and registration (original and copies)
  • Drivers License
  • Proof of Insurance
  • Entry Card (from the Turkish Touring and Automobile Union)

Documents in a language other than Turkish have to be translated and notarized either by the individual’s home country consulate or by a Turkish notary public.

Once the owner has the YTGGK, they must take this to the customs office and pay the customs fee (this fee depends on the vehicles engine size and age of the vehicle)

They will then go to the Traffic Department Directorate of the province or residence to register the vehicle.

Registration of all cars in Turkey is the responsibility of the Traffic Registration Office (Trafik Tescil Genel Mudurlugu). These offices are managed by the Security and Police Dept (Emniyet Mudurlugu). Nearly all cities and towns have more than one registration office.

An imported vehicle must have ‘MA/MZ’ registration plates which marks it as belonging to a foreigner who resides within Turkey. This vehicle registration is noted as being in the Blue Card category and is valid for the period of the owner’s residency permit period.

Shipping a car to Turkey

The cheapest car shipping to Turkey rates are from Bristol to Autoport. The costs start around 525 GBP for a saloon car and 625 GBP for an SUV.

If you drive your foreign car into Turkey you must have either an International driving license or a notarized copy (in Turkish) or your driving license.

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