Bringing your car to Turkey - part 2
In my previous article, I wrote about the documents required for bringing a car to Turkey. Today, I will continue from where I left off.
In my previous article, I wrote about the documents required for bringing a car to Turkey. Today, I will continue from where I left off.
After receiving required documents from the Touring and Automobile Club of Turkey, or TTOK, Customs Office and Traffic Department Directorate, you can bring your car (or vans, minibuses, automobiles, station wagons, bicycles, motorcycles, motorbikes, sidecars, buses, motor coaches, trailers, caravans and other transport vehicles) to Turkey. All these vehicles are allowed to stay inside the country for a maximum of six months within any 12-month period. That means, after a term of exactly 180 days the vehicle must stay abroad for at least six months before being brought into Turkey again. But keep in mind that this trick can be used only twice. You cannot bring the vehicle in for a third six-month period. In addition, the imported car cannot be sold, lent or rented to anyone else in Turkey, and only officially registered persons are allowed to drive it.
On the other hand, in accordance with the Turkish Customs Regulations you cannot bring your car into Turkey with a resident permit unless you have a work permit and a job in Turkey or you are a retired person. If you are in employment, you need to submit a letter from your employer ensuring that all customs duties will be paid if the car is not taken out of Turkey once your employment in Turkey terminates. You have to apply for a special plate for foreigners who work in Turkey.
Exception for retired persons
The only exception made from these strict rules concerns retired persons. Pensioners and those who retired due to a disability may be allowed to keep their car inside the country for a one-year term. If you hold a work visa or a visa to carry out research, there is also the possibility of registering the vehicle and acquiring Turkish plates.
[HH] How much cost?
To bring your car to Turkey, you must consideration these costs:
· Transportation of the vehicle
· The Carnet fees to TTOK
· Security deposit (returned to you when you go abroad)
· Customs fees
· Insurance (green card)
· Tax fees
· Notary fees
Total costs vary depending on the type of vehicle, but for an average car you may pay up to about 6,000 euros.
[HH] In case of an accident!
Despite the document crowd and bureaucratic procedures, if you have achieved in bringing your car, I want to warn you about traffic accidents! Each year, many people die in thousands of traffic accidents. So, you should be as careful as possible when driving in our country. Despite all your attention if you are involved in a traffic accident, you should report it to the police or the gendarmerie. Call the Traffic Police (154) or, if you are outside a city, the "Jandarma" (156). You will get a report from them, which has to be certified by the nearest local authority. With this report in hand, you must contact to the customs authorities. If the vehicle can be repaired, you can take it - after informing customs - to a garage. If the vehicle is not repairable and if the owner wishes to leave the country without his vehicle, he has to deliver the car to the nearest customs office and the registration of his vehicle on his passport will be cancelled.
Hurriyet Daily News/04.06.2010
In my previous article, I wrote about the documents required for bringing a car to Turkey. Today, I will continue from where I left off.
After receiving required documents from the Touring and Automobile Club of Turkey, or TTOK, Customs Office and Traffic Department Directorate, you can bring your car (or vans, minibuses, automobiles, station wagons, bicycles, motorcycles, motorbikes, sidecars, buses, motor coaches, trailers, caravans and other transport vehicles) to Turkey. All these vehicles are allowed to stay inside the country for a maximum of six months within any 12-month period. That means, after a term of exactly 180 days the vehicle must stay abroad for at least six months before being brought into Turkey again. But keep in mind that this trick can be used only twice. You cannot bring the vehicle in for a third six-month period. In addition, the imported car cannot be sold, lent or rented to anyone else in Turkey, and only officially registered persons are allowed to drive it.
On the other hand, in accordance with the Turkish Customs Regulations you cannot bring your car into Turkey with a resident permit unless you have a work permit and a job in Turkey or you are a retired person. If you are in employment, you need to submit a letter from your employer ensuring that all customs duties will be paid if the car is not taken out of Turkey once your employment in Turkey terminates. You have to apply for a special plate for foreigners who work in Turkey.
Exception for retired persons
The only exception made from these strict rules concerns retired persons. Pensioners and those who retired due to a disability may be allowed to keep their car inside the country for a one-year term. If you hold a work visa or a visa to carry out research, there is also the possibility of registering the vehicle and acquiring Turkish plates.
[HH] How much cost?
To bring your car to Turkey, you must consideration these costs:
· Transportation of the vehicle
· The Carnet fees to TTOK
· Security deposit (returned to you when you go abroad)
· Customs fees
· Insurance (green card)
· Tax fees
· Notary fees
Total costs vary depending on the type of vehicle, but for an average car you may pay up to about 6,000 euros.
[HH] In case of an accident!
Despite the document crowd and bureaucratic procedures, if you have achieved in bringing your car, I want to warn you about traffic accidents! Each year, many people die in thousands of traffic accidents. So, you should be as careful as possible when driving in our country. Despite all your attention if you are involved in a traffic accident, you should report it to the police or the gendarmerie. Call the Traffic Police (154) or, if you are outside a city, the "Jandarma" (156). You will get a report from them, which has to be certified by the nearest local authority. With this report in hand, you must contact to the customs authorities. If the vehicle can be repaired, you can take it - after informing customs - to a garage. If the vehicle is not repairable and if the owner wishes to leave the country without his vehicle, he has to deliver the car to the nearest customs office and the registration of his vehicle on his passport will be cancelled.
Hurriyet Daily News/04.06.2010
