According to “Resolution on Application of Certain Articles of Customs Law Number 4458” attached to Council of Ministers Resolution number 2009/15481”, persons who are resident in a territory other than Turkey can import their vehicles for private use registered in their country of residence.
The person is accepted as a resident abroad provided that he/she stays outside of Turkey for more than 185 days in a year, and in this case he/she can bring his/her vehicle into Turkey within the scope of private use.
While making the calculation of “one year”, the person’s situation in the last one year is taken into account by going one year back from the date the person entered Turkey. (For example; if the person has applied for entry to Turkey at the date of 01/10/2018, it will be checked that where this person was in one year between 01/10/2018 and 10/10/2019.)
The maximum time that the person can stay with his/her vehicle in Turkey is 730 days. These time limits are valid in case the person and vehicle stay abroad for 185 days.
The time limit granted to vehicles of foreigners is the period of these people can stay in Turkey. (For instance, the time limit granted to a Georgian citizen vehicle entering to Turkey will be at most 90 days because of that the time limit granted to a Georgian citizen cannot exceed 90 days in 180 days.
If the time limit is exceeded, penalties will be imposed according to the Customs Law No. 4458:
If the land vehicles are re-exported or placed under customs approved treatment/use within the time period not exceeding three months since the end of legal time for staying in Turkey, penalty with regard to the article 241/5-b of the Customs Law No. 4458.
If the land vehicles are re-exported or placed under customs approved treatment/use within more than three months since the end of legal time period for staying in Turkey, penalty by one fourth of the customs duties with regard to 238th article of the Customs Law No. 4458.
The vehicle ownership document (If the vehicle does not belong to the person who enters Turkey, a valid attorney is needed.), an insurance policy valid in Turkey belonging to the vehicle, the passport, the retirement certificate approved by Consulate and translated into Turkish for the persons who have been retired abroad need to be submitted.
The following documents are accepted as an attorney:
Attorneys approved by Embassy, Consulate or Notary,
In case the person who brings his vehicle into Turkey and the owner of the vehicle stand by at the customs administration, the attorney designated between these parties and approved by the customs administration,
The documents designated between the real persons and approved by the official authorities such as customs office, municipality, police and court,
The documents designated by the automobile institutions of the International Automobile Federation (FIA) and Alliance Internationale de Tourisme (AIT) member countries,
The attorneys including the signature and confirmation of company owner or executive board for the vehicles that belong to automobile companies and the other legal entities,
The documents like rental agreement for the vehicles brought through leasing.
It is not possible to leave the vehicles brought within the scope of private use to the person who is resident in Turkey. In case of detection of such a situation, penalty by one fourth of the customs duties is applied againstthe related person with regard to 238th article of the Customs Law No. 4458.
Your foreigner spouse has to stay abroad for 185 days. In addition, within the scope of private use the nationality does not matter, only his/her residency is taken into account.
If the vehicle’s ownership belongs to another person or to the company, you have to submit a valid attorney to the customs administration while you enter the country. And you should re-export your vehicle at the end of the prescribed time. Both of you and owner of the vehicle have to be resident abroad by staying there for 185 days.
According to General Customs Communiqué about the temporary importation of land vehicles (Serial Number: 1), it is not possible to bring your vehicles belonging to your company for perpetual use in Turkey in case your company located abroad has opened a branch/agency.
You have to stay abroad for 185 days. It is not possible for you to bring your vehicle again without staying abroad for 185 days even if it is another vehicle.
In this situation, the time that the new owner of the vehicle has spent abroad is taken into account. If the new owner of the vehicle has become a resident abroad by staying there for 185 days, he/she will be allowed to bring his/her vehicle.
According to the 30th article of the “Highway Traffic Regulation”, there is no restriction for the right-hand drive vehicles brought within the scope of private use
In this situation, the time period that the person has spent abroad is taken into account. If the person who brings vehicle has stayed abroad for 185 days, he/she will be allowed to bring his/her vehicle. On the other hand, if the time given to the person is more than the time indicated in the rental agreement, the vehicle may remain in Turkey by the time stated in the rental agreement
In case you bring your vehicle to Turkey within the scope of private use and would like to go abroad without your vehicle, you should get permission for going abroad without vehicle by applying to the nearest customs administration and signing a commitment within the General Customs Communiqué about the temporary importation of land vehicles (Serial Number: 1). Or you can go abroad without your vehicle by leaving it to the customs office.
As it is stated in the commitment that you have signed, in case you go abroad without your vehicle by not leaving it to the customs office, there will be no adding to the time that your vehicle has spent in Turkey since it has not been abroad.
We are not able to give information about this issue because customs warehouses are managed by operator organizations. You should get information from the operator organization of the relevant customs office.
The vehicles left to the warehouse can stay there for one month since the date of delivery as it is stated in the petition for temporary leaving. In order to extend this time period one may apply to the customs office. Provisions of liquidation are applied for the vehicles not received in due course of time or for the vehicles not been made an application for time extension.
You can leave your vehicle by applying to the nearest customs administration. Submitting a petition for abandonment is enough, you don’t need to pay any fees. However, if you have a tax or penalty debt followed legally, you have to pay this debt as well
The vehicles imported temporarily within the scope of private use can be used by the vehicle owner’s spouse or lineal ancestors and descendants who are resident abroad. In addition, besides these people, third parties can also use the vehicle provided that the owners of the vehicle are present in the vehicle during travel. Otherwise, criminal action is applied with regard to 238th article of the Customs Law No. 4458.
Even if it is not within the duty and power of Ministry of Customs and Trade, it is required that the insurance policy of the vehicle that is valid in Turkey should be submitted while entering Turkey. If you don’t have an insurance policy or it is not valid in Turkey, you can take out an insurance policy from the nearest point to the customs border post.
Yes. While you go abroad or leave your vehicle to the customs office, the entry records of your vehicle on the computer should be closed and the stamp on your passport showing that “you are with your vehicle” should be cancelled.
You can access to the relevant legislation from the website of the Ministry of Customs and Trade. You will find the General Customs Communiqué about the temporary importation of land vehicles (Serial Number: 1).
TEMPORARY ENTRANCE CARNET FOR FOREIGN VEHICLES
The document that is arranged by Touring and Automobile Association of Turkey (TURİNG) for the vehicles belonging to the persons except dual citizens coming for educational purposes or to perform a duty for a certain time period and the retired persons having temporary residence permit in Turkey, is called “temporary entrance carnet for foreign vehicles”. These persons mentioned above can get this document by applying to the guarantor institution.
Only foreign people can get this carnet. These people shall submit the following documents besides residence permit taken from Ministry of Interior (Turkish National Police):
For those who are in Turkey for working; work permit certificate from the Ministry of Labor and Social Security [those who are blue card owners need to take a document from Social Security Institution (SGK) showing that premium is paid.]
For those who are in Turkey for educational purposes; education certificate arranged by the school administration that the person is registered.
For those who are retired; retirement document.
The license plates including these letter serial are given by the Ministry of Interior to the vehicles imported temporarily within temporary entrance carnet for foreign vehicles.
By taking the person’s residence permit into consideration, the time period not exceeding 2 years is allowed to the vehicles imported temporarily within temporary entrance carnet for foreign vehicles.
In order to extend allowed time, the time extensions of work permit certificate, residence permit and etc. should have been made. You need to apply to the nearest guarantor institution office with the extended documents in question and the other necessary documents. Afterwards, you shall have the information about time extension registered on your temporary entrance carnet for foreign vehicles by applying to the relevant customs office.
Under these circumstances, you shall apply to the nearest guarantor institution office with the documents for relevant time extension. The guarantor institution office is responsible from informing the customs office about this situation.
No fee is charged by the Ministry of Customs and Trade for these procedures. However, a certain amount of fee for these procedures is charged by the guarantor institution.
He/she can get temporary entrance carnet for foreign vehicles by applying to the nearest guarantor institution office together with the documents like the residence permit taken from the Ministry of Interior (Turkish National Police) and if he/she is working in Turkey, work permit certificate from the Ministry of Labor and Social Security or if he/she is a student, education certificate arranged by the school administration or if he/she is retired, retirement document approved by the Consulate.
The vehicles left to the warehouse can stay there for one month since the date of delivery as it is stated in the petition for temporary leaving. In order to extend this time period one may apply to the customs office. Provisions of liquidation are applied for the vehicles not received in due course of time or for the vehicles not been made an application for time extension.
We are not able to give information about this issue because customs warehouses are managed by operator organizations. You should get information from the operator organization of the relevant customs office.
The vehicles imported temporarily within temporary entrance carnet for foreign vehicles can be used by the vehicle owner’s spouse or lineal ancestors and descendants or the person who is resident in Turkey and employed as a driver with a private labor contract. In addition, besides these people, third parties can also use the vehicle provided that the owners of the vehicle are present in the vehicle during travel.
It is possible to transfer the title of the vehicles imported temporarily within temporary entrance carnet for foreign vehicles to another person having right to import vehicle temporarily within temporary entrance carnet for foreign vehicles as long as it is documented that transfer of title has been made in the country that the person has residence or in the embassies or consulates regarded as that country’s land, and the vehicle is taken under the control of customs office.
No. According to General Customs Communiqué about the temporary importation of land vehicles (Serial Number: 1), dual citizens have no right to bring their vehicles within temporary entrance carnet for foreign vehicles.
If you submit work permit certificate or the document taken from Social Security Institution (SGK) showing that you are working; education certificate or retirement document according to your reason for being in Turkey together with the residence permit taken from the Ministry of Interior (Turkish National Police), you can bring your vehicle within temporary entrance carnet for foreign vehicles.
Those who reside abroad can declare the information about their vehicles and themselves to the customs border points via mobile phones, tablets or PC’s before travelling to Turkey. By means of our new application titled “Pre-declaration Of Vehicles to be Temporarily Imported for Private Use” application which can be accessed from the web site of Turkish Ministry of Customs and Trade. Transactions at the customs office will be completed faster. Consequently, waiting time at the border gates will be reduced to a minimum level.
.