Bringing a car to Turkey-1

There are a number of conditions that you must fulfill before you are able to bring a car into Turkey.
I have received different questions about bringing a car to Turkey. For example, Jane says:
“Dear Orhan, my husband and I are both retired and spend up to a month of the year in Didim but find renting a car prohibitive. The cost of buying a car is ridiculous in comparison to the prices in England. We would bring the car to Turkey but we do not know the exact procedure for it. If you could help us, we would be grateful. Many thanks.”
Dear Jane, this problem is not only yours but is shared by many foreigners. The issue is regulated by the Turkey Touring and Automobile Association, or TTAA.
First, to bring a vehicle (including vans, minibuses, automobiles, station wagons, bicycles, motorcycles, motorbikes, sidecars, buses, motor coaches, trailers, caravans and other transport vehicles) to Turkey, you must obtain an Alien Vehicles Temporary Entrance Carnet (the carnet) from the TTAA.
This carnet is a document issued by the TTAA for land vehicles for private uses which are registered at their residential location under the names of retired foreign citizens who have a temporary residence permit, along with the persons resident outside of the Turkish Customs Territory who are in Turkey on a specific job or for education.
Required Documents
From foreign employees;
- Residence Permit (working purpose), passport and driving license,
- Work permit photocopy given by the relevant state authority,
- Turkish-origin foreigners exempt from a work permit are required to bring an official letter from the social security institution,
- Ownership document (license, invoice) showing that the vehicle belongs to him/her, if any vending, sales contract from the relevant consulate,
- Writing from the workplace specifying his/her task and its term addressed to the association,
- Safety according to engine capacity and year model of vehicle,
- Application form to be completed and signed by the owner of the vehicle (you can download it from “turing.org.tr”).
For foreigners receiving education;
- Residence Permit (education purpose),
- Student Certificate given by the school addressed to the association,
- Passport, driving license,
- Ownership document (license, invoice) showing that the vehicle belongs to him/her, if any vending, sales contract from the relevant consulate,
- Safety according to engine capacity and year model of vehicle
- And the application form.
From retired foreigners;
- Residence Permit (regulated due to retirement),
- Document issued by the State Social Security Institution which shows that he/she was retired (certified from notary public, assembly or consulate, together with Turkish translation),
- Passport and driving license,
- Ownership document,
- Safety according to engine capacity and year model of vehicle,
- And the application form.
The carnet is regulated for 1 or 2 years as the carnet term will not surpass the terms of residence permit and work permit. You have to apply for a validity extension to the TTAA before the validity of the carnet expires. Certified translations by a consulate or a notary public of vehicle licenses which are not issued in international languages are required. The person who obtained the carnet from the TTAA should first go to the Customs Office and then to Traffic Department Directorate of the relevant province.
As you have seen below, many documents and procedures are required to bring a car to Turkey, but they don’t end there. If you don’t give up yet, I will continue to explain other conditions in the next article!
Hurriyet Daily News/28.05.2010
I have received different questions about bringing a car to Turkey. For example, Jane says:
“Dear Orhan, my husband and I are both retired and spend up to a month of the year in Didim but find renting a car prohibitive. The cost of buying a car is ridiculous in comparison to the prices in England. We would bring the car to Turkey but we do not know the exact procedure for it. If you could help us, we would be grateful. Many thanks.”
Dear Jane, this problem is not only yours but is shared by many foreigners. The issue is regulated by the Turkey Touring and Automobile Association, or TTAA.
First, to bring a vehicle (including vans, minibuses, automobiles, station wagons, bicycles, motorcycles, motorbikes, sidecars, buses, motor coaches, trailers, caravans and other transport vehicles) to Turkey, you must obtain an Alien Vehicles Temporary Entrance Carnet (the carnet) from the TTAA.
This carnet is a document issued by the TTAA for land vehicles for private uses which are registered at their residential location under the names of retired foreign citizens who have a temporary residence permit, along with the persons resident outside of the Turkish Customs Territory who are in Turkey on a specific job or for education.
Required Documents
From foreign employees;
- Residence Permit (working purpose), passport and driving license,
- Work permit photocopy given by the relevant state authority,
- Turkish-origin foreigners exempt from a work permit are required to bring an official letter from the social security institution,
- Ownership document (license, invoice) showing that the vehicle belongs to him/her, if any vending, sales contract from the relevant consulate,
- Writing from the workplace specifying his/her task and its term addressed to the association,
- Safety according to engine capacity and year model of vehicle,
- Application form to be completed and signed by the owner of the vehicle (you can download it from “turing.org.tr”).
For foreigners receiving education;
- Residence Permit (education purpose),
- Student Certificate given by the school addressed to the association,
- Passport, driving license,
- Ownership document (license, invoice) showing that the vehicle belongs to him/her, if any vending, sales contract from the relevant consulate,
- Safety according to engine capacity and year model of vehicle
- And the application form.
From retired foreigners;
- Residence Permit (regulated due to retirement),
- Document issued by the State Social Security Institution which shows that he/she was retired (certified from notary public, assembly or consulate, together with Turkish translation),
- Passport and driving license,
- Ownership document,
- Safety according to engine capacity and year model of vehicle,
- And the application form.
The carnet is regulated for 1 or 2 years as the carnet term will not surpass the terms of residence permit and work permit. You have to apply for a validity extension to the TTAA before the validity of the carnet expires. Certified translations by a consulate or a notary public of vehicle licenses which are not issued in international languages are required. The person who obtained the carnet from the TTAA should first go to the Customs Office and then to Traffic Department Directorate of the relevant province.
As you have seen below, many documents and procedures are required to bring a car to Turkey, but they don’t end there. If you don’t give up yet, I will continue to explain other conditions in the next article!
Hurriyet Daily News/28.05.2010