Last Updated on 17/05/2023
You are moving to Turkey or at the very least, you have started actively looking into it. However, you are preoccupied with one major concern: How to bring a car to Turkey as a foreigner?
Of course, the safest action is to get professional support because the entire importation and registration process might be difficult. However, the following article provides a broad description of the procedure and a list of the stages you must follow. Keep reading.
Requirements & Procedure to Bring a Car to Turkey
Requirements to bring a car to Turkey
In order to bring a car to Turkey, you must fulfill certain conditions. First of all, you must be a resident of the country in which your car is registered. You must not have stayed in Turkey for more than 180 days in the previous year. Moreover, you would therefore be better off attempting to import your car as soon as you can after moving to Turkey.
Police employees will look for entry-exit stamps in your passport going back a year from the date of your arrival to determine whether you have spent at least 180 days in your home country. Besides, you might not have the right to bring a car to Turkey if you took a gap year or traveled the world by staying in various nations during the previous year. The good news is that these 180 days do not need to run concurrently or continuously.
Of course, the car must be in your name, as well. You may only bring in one vehicle because your car will be registered in your passport. You can transport your caravan or trailer along with your car.
Otherwise, you’ll need to provide the individual bringing your automobile into Turkey with power of attorney. Therefore, the Customs Office will ask them to provide written evidence of this (translated and notarized or obtained through the consulate). You cannot get around the 180-day requirement by having someone else import your car for you because both the driver and you must have spent at least 180 days outside of Turkey in order to be eligible for this program.
Step-by-step procedure
Before entering Turkey, you must pre-declare your intention to bring a car to Turkey for short-term, private use only, together with relevant information about you and your car (registration, the reason for your visit, work licenses, etc.). Moreover, to streamline the customs screening procedure and shorten wait times, the Turkish Ministry of Customs and Trade developed an application.
You must apply for a Foreign Vehicles Temporary Entry Certificate after customs have received this form. This is available from the Turkey Touring and Automobile Association.
You must visit the Turkish Customs Directorate after receiving your blue card to pay your customs fee.
After that, you must register your car with the provincial traffic registry office, where you will receive a license plate for a foreign resident. This is only valid for as long as you remain in Turkey, or until your work or residency permit expires.
Registering a Car in Turkey
While foreigners may find the process more challenging, Turkish citizens may be allowed to import one vehicle for free.
Foreign nationals must get local residence before applying for a permanent import to bring a car to Turkey. It necessitates the holding of a sizable down payment with a bank while you go through the procedure. Although this isn’t usually the case, be ready for the possibility that the bank deposit will be more than the car is worth. The following documents must also be provided for car registration:
- Visa and passport
- Work and residency permits, together with copies
- Bank deposit evidence
- Registration and title (original and copies)
- Driving permit
- Evidence of Insurance
- Entrance card
Related: Can Foreigners Buy Property In Turkey?
Turkey Car Import Tax Calculator
The applicant must authorize a customs broker approved by customs after preparing all the required paperwork for the temporary entrance transaction, and the agency is then authenticated by a notary public. Unless there is an occurrence that delays the car’s stay in the port for a longer period than usual, or for other reasons, the costs of the temporary entry of the car into Turkey range in the range of about $2,500.
Want to move to Turkey, but don’t know where to start from. MEO Consultants are here to help you throughout the process. Contact us today to find out more in detail.
FAQS
Can I import my car to Turkey permanently?
You don’t need to export your car after a set amount of time if you bring it into Turkey from outside and obtain permission to enter and stay there permanently.
Can I take my car to Turkey from the UK?
Yes, like other foreign countries, you can bring your car to Turkey from the UK.
How long can a foreign car stay in Turkey?
Foreign cars can be used in Turkey for up to two years.
Can foreigners buy a car in Turkey?
The answer is yes. Foreigners can buy cars in Turkey. Additionally, there are some tax benefits for immigrants.
