The short answer to this question: no, it is impossible to sell a car with foreign license plates in Turkey!

Let’s try to deal with our question in more detail.

Why you can’t sell a car in Turkey

In order to sell a car with your native license plates, it must first be deregistered and then re-registered. These actions can only be carried out in the country where the vehicle is registered, i.e. in your native country. The consulate of your country cannot deregister or register cars in Turkey.

How to get out of the situation?

We know of only one option for selling a car in Turkey: a general power of attorney .

Yes, it would not be considered a full-fledged sale. But maybe someone can use it as a way out of the situation.

Warning!
Keep in mind that this type of “selling” is very risky. There have been many cases in Turkey where a new buyer has actually been “screwed” out of money. See below for more details.

Warning!
– For this operation, it is necessary that at the time of registration of the buyer was abroad for at least 185 days, or was a retired pensioner with a notarized translation of a pension certificate.
– In addition, the maximum amount of time the car has been in Turkey (usually 730 days, if extended) for a new buyer will be minus the days that the car has ALREADY been in Turkey.

How to issue a general power of attorney in Turkey?

The procedure is simple:

If the owner of the car is in his native country

This happens if it is not the owner who has entered Turkey, but another person temporarily imported the car using the notarized power of attorney. In this case:

1. The owner of the car orders a general power of attorney at a notary in his country in favour of the authorized person in Turkey (who brought the car to Turkey) and the new owner of the car.
2. The power of attorney is forwarded to Turkey.
3. A Turkish notary makes a notarized translation of the power of attorney.

If the owner of the car is in Turkey

Ideally, you can order a general power of attorney at your country’s consulate. However, for some nations it may be difficult or impossible. For example, Ukrainians are struggling due to consulate is overloaded. There are already 50 people waiting in line at the consulate in the morning, and they can only make a couple of pieces of power of attorneys.

So there’s no point in banging your head against the glass. We do things differently:

1. The proxy goes to the car registration authorities (usually some police department), where he takes a sample of the power of attorney, which will suit them (we were given such a sample in Ukraine, so you try it too).
2. On the basis of the sample we ordered a general power of attorney in Turkish at a Turkish notary in favour of the new owner.
3. We have translated the power of attorney.
4. We have certified the translation with a notary.
5. It is highly desirable to certify the power of attorney in the consulate of your country. We read that a Turkish power of attorney can be accepted without such an attestation (at least in Ukraine), but just in case, we ordered the certification too. Although it was unrealistic for us to obtain a power of attorney at the consulate, it was possible to certify the power of attorney. Just try it.

What to do with a power of attorney?

Despite the fact that in the power of attorney also indicated the right to drive the vehicle, and the right to sell, and many other rights, all this does not work in Turkey!

Therefore, the new owner has no right to drive the car and take it out of the country until it is re-registered at customs. (For more information, see the article Who can drive a car in Turkey).

What is the procedure for re-registration at customs – says Daniel:

— THE BEGINNING OF THE STORY —

Continuing my experience with Turkish customs.

Answering the question: “Is it possible to sell/transfer a Ukrainian car that you drove to Turkey to another Ukrainian person? In short: “Yes, it is possible!”.

I drove into Turkey in a car that didn’t belong to me. The owner stayed in Ukraine. Since this is the second car in my family and we did not need it, so as not to write a statement at customs every time you leave the country, I had the desire to sell/transfer the car to someone else.

The owner of the car in Ukraine made a power of attorney for two people, put an apostille, and sent by courier to Antalya. The second person must be in Turkey for no more than 185 days before the reissue (note: actually no more than 180 days in Turkey. More precisely, more than 185 days abroad. Or, as stated above, a retired pensioner with a notarized translation of the pension certificate).

I had the power of attorney translated into Turkish and notarized the translation.

Then the two of us and the new owner went to customs. He bought insurance right there at the port (in Liman) for 1,700 Turkish lira for one year (exchange rate was nearly 15 TL/EUR at that time). I wrote a statement that I want to re-register the car to another person named in the power of attorney. I drove the car to the customs yard.

The new owner wrote another application, saying something like “Give me my car” but in a bureaucratic language. Paid 22 lira per day (in fact for 1 hour) of parking a car at the customs site. The customs released him the car and stamped in his passport a permission for 3 months.

After obtaining a residence permit, you need to come again to any customs office and extend the stay of the car for the duration of your Ikamet. And so, until 2 years pass.

Then the car must be taken out of Turkey.

— END OF STORY —

What to do after the sale/purchase of the car?

Antalya is a delightfully beautiful place! Therefore, on such an occasion, it is necessary to mark this event with a beautiful photo shoot.

Photo shoots can be held here in many locations. These are the ruins of ancient cities, and waterfalls, and canyons, and the colorful narrow streets of the old city, and blooming fields of lavender in Isparta and many other amazing places!

Where are the customs offices in Antalya

The risks of such a car purchase

This scheme of purchase by general power of attorney is based solely on trust in the seller. Risks that may arise:

1. The car has been hit with heavy traffic fines. (How to check traffic fines).
2. The car is under arrest, for example, for debts to customs. And this can happen, given the complexity of Turkish customs laws regarding temporary car importation. (It is recommended to check in advance with the customs office the fines, who the car is registered to and the period of validity of the temporary import permit for the car);
3. In your country’s service center (especially in countries like Ukraine) the power of attorney will be checked very thoroughly. Will check whether the technical passport is valid (which is impossible to check sitting in Turkey), the body number and engine number. In the case of any comments or errors, you will not be able to reissue such a car to yourself.
4. Not everyone knows that a guarantor can revoke a power of attorney the day after it is issued! And you may not even know about it until the car is re-registered.

Given the above, I categorically do not recommend using this scheme to sell vehicles, unless the seller is your relative or a very close friend.

There are more questions!

Not everything is clear or is your case more complicated? Contact me in the comments below. I am always happy to respond as soon as possible.