We have already written about the fact that if the holder of the temporary car import permit (usually the person who imported the car into Turkey) goes abroad, no one can use the car during his absence.
Moreover, it is not enough just to leave your car at the airport or in the parking lot! It is necessary to go to the nearest customs office before departure, and to draw up a binding document with them (see below).
If you leave without drawing up such a document, expect huge fines of many thousands (in dollars)! So please be careful! Turkish customs do not joke!
In our case, the car is used most by my wife, who is legally a professional photographer in Turkey (you can see her portfolio). That’s why the car is registered in her name. But now it turns out that she has to go to customs every time she wants to fly out of Turkey for a photo shoot in another country, and I can’t use the car while she’s gone. That’s the way it is. Therefore, it is advisable to think carefully before importing a car – in whom to register it.
What do I need to do before I leave/depart?
The very least you have to do is to go to the customs office and draw up a document of commitment, in which you undertake to park the car at a certain address (for example, in the yard of your house) and guarantee that no one will use it.
There are two customs offices in Antalya:
You can drive up to any customs office. I recommend that you arrive at least one business day before your flight/departure. So there are no surprises. Many people draw up such a document right before departure at the airport (fortunately, customs at the airport works around the clock) or at the checkpoint when leaving by bus.
However, if you anticipate any difficulties, we strongly recommend that you contact the Customs at the seaport. There are more customs officers there and they are more professional.
There is no need to be afraid of Turkish customs officers. In Antalya they are normal. Of course, they have a lot of work. But they do everything and try make it out as it should be. (But you don’t want to get cocky with them either.)
There is no need to prepare somehow for communication with the customs officer, learn Turkish phrases or print out translated blanks. Just show him the bus/plane tickets and he’ll understand.
However, we have never done so and can confirm nothing. We always preferred to come to customs in advance so there were no surprises.
Technically, the law says that while you are away, the vehicle must be left in a bonded warehouse ! Although, in reality (at least in Antalya) the customs do not require you to leave your vehicles in their warehouse. It is enough in the application simply to specify the address where the parked car will be located.
Note: It is very important to make photo of the saved documents and save them! It’s not uncommon for a record of your application to be lost and our fellow citizens have been assessed huge fines. If such a document is saved, it allows you to solve the problem much faster and avoid unfairly assessed fines!
Making an application online via E-Devlet
Thanks to our reader who told us in the comments on Russıan page that it is now possible to make the applıcatıon online via E-Devlet.
We ınform you the correct link here:
https://www.turkiye.gov.tr/ticaret-yurt-disina-tasitsiz-cikislarda-taahhutname-verme-ve-kaldirma.
Or type the following string in the search bar: “Yurt Dışına Taşıtsız Çıkışlarda Taahhütname“.
Personally, we have not used this online service yet. We are going on holiday in January 2024. We will check how this system works and write about our experience after return from the trip.
What do I need to do after I arrive?
After you return from abroad, there is no need to come to customs again. Just get behind the wheel and go for a photo shoot with my wife – without exaggeration one of the best photographers in Antalya(see portfolio).
In Antalya all photographers are relaxed – the competition is very low. And the main portfolio and experience Olya accumulated in Kiev, where there is stiff competition in price and quality. That is why, her works are very different from other local photographers in terms of quality.
In general, it’s fun to be with her. Even for me ))
I have a question about leaving Turkey
Your question is not a question! Ask in the comments below, and I’ll try to share my knowledge as quickly as possible.
hi there!
A big thank you for the helpful information.
now we may have a problem. We left the country for seveal times in the past 2 months after we drove our car into Turkey, of course have already been back to Istanbul. And we didn’t know that it’s a must to do the custom document. would it be a big problem? And what should we do now ?
Thanks a lot!!!!!
Yes, this could be a problem. I would rather say it WILL be a problem. Many people are not aware of such a rule in Turkiye.
I do not know what to recommend to you, but personally I would come to the customs to check if everything Ok with my car. Because the earlier you find out the issue, the easier and cheaper the solution will be. For example, the customs can provide some discount for early payment.
Some people are afraid to come to the customs hoping they will not discover it. Then the problem will be discovered by the customs officer at the time of your car departure from Turkiye. Then you may not have much time to resolve it. So, it is your decision and you must act at your own risk.
Hi there perhaps you could give me some advice. I am planning on making my way to Muscat overland and I was hoping to drive some of the way. My plan then would be to file for a “petition of abandonment” for the vehicle and cross the border into Iraqi Kurdistan by bus. My question is what is the closest customs office to Silopi where I could do this and how long would the procedure take.
Any help would be greatly appreciated
Regards Robbie
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If you are asking about filing the so called “trafik stop” application to leave the country without the car, you can usually do it at any customs office. We personally never crossed the border in the indicated cross-point. However, wherever we visited, there were always a customs officer assigned for accepting such applications. Usually the procedure is very quick, but I would recommend to have a reserve of 2 hours. As the customs officer may go for lunch, smoking and so on 🙂
However, please make sure to come back to Türkiye and take out your car from the country before the end of the temporary permission. The date can normally be found in your passport. They put a small stamp with the final date when you enter the country with the car.
Sorry you misunderstand me I want to dispose of the vehicle ie abandon it. I believe this is not a problem provided you file a petition for abandonment
Regards Robbie
Sorry, Robbie, I really do not know this.
Which country does the car belongs to?
Car is Irish registered, it’s registered in my name, I have all the documentation for the vehicle. As I am going to be away for about a year I just want to abandon it as close to the Iraqi border as I can. I believe I can legally do this but I need more information. Any help would be greatly appreciated
Regards Robbie
Robbie, I just wonder why don’t you sell your car instead of abandoning it?
Hi there,
Thanks for this very helpful blogpost. It is hard to find any info on this matter. Hopefully you can give me some more info on the following situation:
We (two friends) will be travelling on our motorbike from The Netherlands to Istanbul. Then, we want to stall and lock our bikes in the private garage of a friend living close to Isatanbul for a little over a month. We will fly out from Istanbul to Amsterdam and fly back into Istanbul 1 month later. We then want to pick up our bikes and ride for approx. 2 weeks through Turkey and cross the broder woth Greece after those two weeks.
Can you please give me some advice on what to do with the customs to make sure there will be no hassle with this setup. Can we for instance arrange things with customs when we cross the border between Bulgaria and Turkey? What wouyld they need from me? For instance the address where the bikes will be stalled, an copy of the ID of the owner of the garage, or other.
Your help would be highly appreciated. Thanks in advance!!
Best regards, Jan Paul
Hi
This is simple. Before your departure you must contact any customs office and make an “obligation” that during your absence the motorbikes will be parked at a particular address and nobody else will use them.
For that you must:
1) Make sure that your friend will not use it even if he gets too drunk and wants to impress his new girlfriend. Better take your keys with you.
2) Take the exact address of your friend’s garage.
3) Take your flight tickets with you.
At the customs you must present tickets and motorbike’s documents to the customs officer. He knows what to do. You do not need any translator. It is a common practice in Türkiye. You will need to fill a simple form, where you indicate your and your bike’s details as well as your friend’s address.
You can go to any customs office few days before your departure. Or you can apply to the customs office right at the airport. We have never done it in Istanbul. But in Antalya International airport customs office operate 24h. I guess in Istanbul it must be the same.
The only real advice I can give is to take photo of your application/obligation. Because they do not give you a copy and rarely it happens that the obligation is not registered in their computer system. Such photo will help you to resolve the issue, if this happens to you.
Have a good trip to Türkiye.