Many people do not know about the existence of toll roads in Turkey. Therefore, after tourists enter Turkey by car, they forget or do not know that they need to check the amounts charged for toll roads.

Neither did I – a photographer in Turkey (you can see my portfolio here). So I had to pay the fines after all. In fact, not for violation, but for ignorance. So that you don’t get the same situation, I’m sharing information with you.

What is the problem with Turkish toll roads?

Проблема в том, что они современные и полностью автоматизированные! Въезжая на платную дорогу многие могут этого даже не заметить, ведь, как видно на фото выше, на въезде нет будок с кассирами, нет шлагбаумов, как это обычно происходит в других странах! Все проезды фиксируются исключительно по номеру автомобиля.

Neither customs officers nor border guards at the border will warn you about toll roads either!

And then, after 15 days, you are automatically assessed a fine!

If you have not paid for toll roads within 15 days, a fine of 5 times will be added to the cost of the toll!

In fact, that’s what happened to us, as you can see in the copy of the bill below:

Instead of paying 244 lira (just over 15 euros) for this particular fare, we had to pay 1’222 lira (over $80)!

How do I check the accrued fees and fines?

The good news is that you can pay tolls and fines online. And it’s pretty simple. Just go to this website of the General Directorate of Highways of Turkey: https://www.kgm.gov.tr

But the site will automatically open in the Turkish version. There is a very small and inconspicuous English inscription that usually everyone doesn’t notice. But there is no point in going to the English version of the site: it’s an unnecessary unnecessary click. The next click will take you back to the Turkish version of the site.

You need to click on the “İHLALLİ GEÇİŞ” button (marked red in the screenshot) on the main page:

If you do get to the English version of the site, you won’t see a similar picture at the top. It’s different there. In this case, click the“TOLLWAY PASS VIOLATION QUERY” link:

After that, a window will open where you must enter the vehicle number (in Latin characters!), verification code (yellow numbers above) and check the box.

If you did everything correctly, you will get a window with a list of debts. Choose any of them and click on the payment link.

You should know that in Turkey the operators of roads, tunnels and bridges are often different legal entities. Therefore, you will have to make a separate payment for each group of passes. In our case, we had to pay three times on the website of three different road operators.

By the way, one of the operators stubbornly refused to accept our Ukrainian credit card. If you encounter such a situation, you will have to ask someone who has a Turkish card to make the payment for you. Or look for ways to pay offline.

Can I not pay?

You can. But they will not let your car out of Turkey until you pay all the fines.

What do you do after you pay the fine/cost?

I recommend contacting me, a professional photographer in the province of Antalya.

I not only know how to take pictures, but I love them. View my portfolio and sign up for a photo shoot at this link: https://www.dubovaya.studio/

How to identify a toll road in Turkey?

Usually, before the toll road, you will see a large sign on a green background with HGS or OGS written in yellow or orange. This is the entrance.

But you don’t have to worry about it. The toll road fare is relatively humane. And entering a toll road without paying is not considered a violation for 15 days after the date of entry.

Where are the toll roads in Turkey?

To understand where the toll roads are, help maps, of which there are many on the Internet. For example, this one:

An interactive source of this map can be found here.

As you can see, there are no toll roads in Antalya. And not just in the city, but in the whole province!

The official map of all toll roads can be found on the website of the General Directorate of Motorways of Turkey at this link: https://www.kgm.gov.tr/SiteCollectionImages/KGMimages/Haritalar/turistik.jpg. Here is more complete and up-to-date information. The official map is not very uncomfortable to use, but it is quite detailed.

Here, for example, is the area of Istanbul:

Toll roads in Antalya

As you can see, there are no toll roads in Antalya. And not just in the city, but in the whole province!

For me, as a photographer in Antalya, who often goes to photo shoots in its surroundings (Kemer, Side, Alanya, Belek, etc.), it is very convenient: because there are no extra costs!

What is the difference between HGS and OGS?

For us, in practical terms, nothing. Both systems control entrances and exits to/from toll roads in Turkey. One system (HGS) works on the principle of a barcode tag on the windshield. The second (OGS) transmits data about the vehicle by means of a small device (transponder) suspended on the window.

However, judging by news reports, the introduction of the two systems has caused confusion among drivers. As a result, the Turkish government decided to dismantle the OGS system as of March 31, 2022 and leave only the HGS system. I don’t know if this has already been done everywhere.

What about police fines for traffic violations?

They, too, can be checked and paid for online. About that – in this article.

It’s very complicated! I didn’t understand anything!

No problem! Email me your questions in the comments below, and I’ll try to answer as quickly as possible!