The Ministry of Commerce has shared essential guidelines for foreign nationals planning to enter Türkiye with vehicles with foreign license plates during the upcoming Qurban Bayram holiday.

In a written statement issued by the ministry, it was emphasized: "A significant number of our citizens residing in various countries, particularly in European countries, fulfill their longing for both our homeland and their loved ones by arriving with vehicles bearing foreign license plates. Ensuring that our citizens and other foreign nationals arriving in our country have their procedures completed at land border customs points without delay has been prioritized by our ministry, and necessary measures have been taken. As the ministry, we extend a warm welcome in advance to all our guests who wish to visit our country.

"As a matter of our responsibility toward our guests, we would like to remind those who intend to enter our country with foreign vehicles and other foreign nationals to pay attention to the following points to avoid any inconvenience."

The statement continued with the following information for expatriate citizens entering the country with foreign-plated vehicles: "Before your journey, you can easily access the 'Vehicle Pre-Declaration Application' available on the Commerce Ministry's website under the 'e-Services' menu or via the e-Government Gateway using a mobile phone, tablet or computer. Since the information you enter into the application will be automatically transferred to our systems, your registration process will be completed in a short time after the customs officer verifies and approves the information.

Ensure that you have been abroad for at least 185 days within the last year before the date of your entry into our country. This information can be queried via e-Government. The person bringing the vehicle must present their driver's license and passport or equivalent identity document upon entry into our country. If you enter with a foreign passport, except for a residence permit, you will be given a maximum of 90 days. Turkish citizens, dual citizens, or Blue Card holders are granted 730 days for their vehicles if they enter with appropriate identification or passport."

Penalty warning

The statement further cautioned: "Presentation of an insurance policy valid in Türkiye and the vehicle's registration is mandatory upon entry into our country. Don't forget to bring along your retirement document translated into Turkish and certified by the consulate or embassy to benefit from the facilities provided to retirees from abroad.

"In case you arrive with a vehicle registered in someone else's name, a valid power of attorney must be presented. If you intend to leave the vehicle in Türkiye and exit the country within the given period, you must either deliver the vehicle to the customs administration or provide a declaration confirming that the vehicle will not be used by another person. Otherwise, an administrative fine will be imposed.

"This declaration can be submitted by applying to the nearest customs administration or using the 'Commitment Certificate Issuance and Removal for Exiting Abroad without a Vehicle' service available on e-Government. A temporarily imported vehicle can be used by the spouse, mother, father and children of the rightful owner, provided that the rightful owner is present in Türkiye. Please be aware that failure to comply with these conditions, such as the unauthorized use of the vehicle by non-owners after its importation into our country or failure to export it within the specified period, may result in punitive measures."