Customs Regulations:

While entering Turkey:

1. The following items are allowed to be brought into the country:

• Personal stuff of the tourist and other items necessary during the journey.
• Electronic devices: one TV, one colour pocket TV (max. 16 cm screen), one TV-tape-radio combination, one video recording camera and 5 video cassettes (blank); 5 records, 5 tape cassettes or compact discs, one video player, cine-projector (8 mm) and 10 rolls of film (blank), one slide projector, one pocket computer (maximum main memory capacity Ram 128k. Byte), one transistor radio and portable radio - tape player (its specification to be determined by the Ministry of Finance and Customs), one Walkman or pocket tape recorder, one portable compact disc player.
• Binoculars (one pair, except night binoculars)
• Musical Instruments: Harmonica, mandolin, flageolet, flute, guitar, and accordion (only one of each type, maximum 3 musical instruments).
• necessary medical items.
• bicycle, baby buggy, toys.
• 5 (100 cc) or 7 (70 cc) bottles of wines and/or spirits.
• 200 cigarettes and 50 cigars.
• 200 grams of tobacco and 200 cigarette papers, or 50 grams of chewing tobacco or 200 grams of pipe tobacco, or 200 grams of snuff
  (In addition to the above allowances, it is possible to purchase 400 cigarettes, 100 cigars, and 500 grams of pipe tobacco from the Turkish Duty Free Shops upon entering the country).
• 1.5kg. coffee, 1.5kg. instant coffee, 500 grams of tea.
• 1 kilo chocolate and 1 kilo sweets.
• one camera with 5 rolls of film.
• five bottles of perfume (120 ml max. each).
• one portable typewriter.
• First aid, and spare parts for the car.

3. Antiques brought into the country must be registered in the owner's passport to avoid difficulties on exit.

4. Sharp instruments (including camping knives) and weapons may not be brought into the country without special permission.

5. The bringing into the country, trade, and consumption of marijuana and all other narcotics is strictly forbidden and subject to heavy punishment.

6. Gifts, not exceeding 500 DM in value and not for trading purposes, may be brought into the country duty free. In addition, gifts not exceeding 500 DM in value may be posted to Turkey duty free, if the date stamped by the sending post office falls one month before, or one month after the following holidays: Seker Bayrami, Kurban Bayrami, Christmas, and New Year's Day.

7. Cellular Telephones entering the country must be accompanied by a certification form showing ownership. Ownership must be documented in the passport of the owner and will be checked on entry and exit.

While leaving Turkey:

2. Exporting antiques from Turkey is forbidden.

3. Valuable personal items can only be taken out of the country providing they have been registered in the owner's passport upon entry, or providing they can show they have been purchased with legally exchanged currency.

4. Minerals may only be exported from the country with a special document obtained from the;

General Directorate of Mining Exploration and Research (MTA), 06520, Ankara
Telephone: +90 (312) 287 34 30 /16 22, Fax: +90 (312) 285 42 71

Tax Refund:

You can receive a tax refund for the goods you purchased in Turkey!

2. All goods (including food and drinks) are included in the refunds with the exclusion of services rendered.

4. Retailers that qualify for tax refunds must be "authorised for refund." These retailers must display a permit received from their respective tax office.

5. The retailer will make four copies of the receipt for your refund, three of which will be received by the purchaser. If photocopies of the receipt are received the retailer must sign and stamp the copies to validate them. If you prefer the refund to be made by check, a Tax-free Shopping Check for the amount to be refunded to the customer must be given along with the receipt.

6. For the purchaser to benefit from this exemption he must leave the country within three months with the goods purchased showing them to Turkish customs officials along with the appropriate receipts and/or check.

7. There are four ways to receive your refund:

• If the retailer gives you a check it can be cashed at a bank in the customs area at the airport.
  If it is not possible to cash the check upon departure or if you do not wish to cash it then, the customer must, within one month, send a copy of the receipt showing that the goods have left the country to the retailer who will, within ten days upon receiving the receipt, send a bank transfer to the purchaser's bank or address.

• If the certified receipt and check are brought back to the retailer on a subsequent visit within one-month of the date of customs certification, the refund can be made directly to the purchaser.
• Retailers may directly refund the amount to trustworthy customers upon purchase
• The refund may be made by the organization of those companies that are authorised to make tax refunds.

For more information you can phone or visit:

Ministry of Finance and Tax Dept. General Directorate, 06100, Ulus - Ankara
Tel: +90 (312) 310 38 80 / 725 / 728 / 735, Fax: +90 (312) 311 45 10

Motorist Rules:

If you wish to enter the country with your vans, minibuses, automobiles, station wagons, bicycles, motorcycles, motorbikes, sidecars, buses, motor coaches, trailers, caravans or other transport vehicles, you will have to provide the following documentation:

2. International driving license.

3. Car license (document where all details related to the car and the owner's name are registered). If it is somebody else's vehicle a power of attorney should be provided.

4. International green card (Insurance card). The TR sign should be visible.

5. Transit book "Carnet de passage" (for those who want to proceed to the Middle East).

Period: The vehicle can be brought into Turkey for up to 6 Months. The owner should declare on the opposite form, the date of departure at the border gate and should absolutely leave the country at the date declared. If for any important reason the staying period has to be ended, it is necessary to apply to;

Telephone: +90 (212) 282 81 40(7 lines)

 or to The General Directorate of Customs, Ulus, Ankara  

Telephone: +90 (312) 310 38 80 / 310 38 18

Fax: +90 (312) 311 13 46

before the end of the period declared.

In Case of Accident: The accident should be reported to the police or gendarme. That report has to be certified by the nearest local authority. The owner should apply to the customs authority with his passport and report.

If the vehicle can be repaired, it is necessary to inform the customs authority first and take the vehicle to a garage. If the vehicle is not repairable and if the owner wishes to leave the country without his vehicle, he has to deliver it to the nearest customs office, and the registration of his vehicle on his passport will be cancelled. (Only after the cancellation, the owner of the vehicle can leave the country.)

In case of an accident, you can telephone:

• Traffic Police Telephone: 154
• Gendarme Telephone: 156

Formalities for yacht owners:

Yachts require a Transit Log and may remain in Turkish waters for up to two years maintenance or for wintering. There are certain ports licensed by the Ministry of Tourism the storage of yachts for a period of two to five years.

Upon arriving in Turkish waters, yachts should immediately go for control of the ship to the nearest port of entry which are as follows: Iskenderun, Botas (Adana), Mersin, Tasucu, Anamur, Alanya, Antalya, Kemer, Finike, Kas, Fethiye, Marmaris, Datca, Bodrum, Güllük, Didim, Kusadasi, Cesme, Izmir, Dikili, Ayvalik, Akcay, Canakkale, Bandirma, Tekirdag, Istanbul, Zonguldak, Sinop, Samsun, Ordu, Giresun, Trabzon, Rize, Hopa.

Port Formalities: All the required information concerning the yacht, yachtsmen, members, intended route, passports, customs declarations, health clearance, and any obligatory matters must be entered in the Transit Log.

The Transit Log is completed by the captain of a yacht under a foreign flag or amateur sailor acting as captain of the vessel.

The Transit Log is completed upon first entering a Turkish port and, generally, it is necessary to contact the Harbour Authority before leaving. For information on tax-free fuel, contact the Marina Harbour Office.

 If you have a certificate from the Tourism Ministry Yacht Harbour, you may take petrol at no charge, provide you possess an official marina license.

Formalities for private plane owners:

When coming to Turkey, international air routes should be followed. Private planes may stay for up to three months in Turkey with tourist status, but for longer periods permission should be obtained from;

The General Directorate of Customs, Ulus Ankara

Telephone: +90 (312) 310 38 80 / 310 38 18

Fax: +90 (312) 311 13 46

The airports of Ankara, Adana, Istanbul, Izmir, Antalya, Trabzon and Dalaman have ties for private planes. It is also possible to hire planes and helicopters in Turkey.

For further information, apply to;

The Civil Aviation Department of the Ministry of Transport

 Bosna-Hersek Street, No: 5 - 06338 - Emek, Ankara.

Telephone: +90 (312) 212 67 30

Fax: +90 (312) 212 46 84

Health regulations for animals:

If you wish to bring domestic animals into the country the following are required:

2. A 'Certificate of Health', issued not more than 15 days before the animal's entry into the country, stating that the animal is in good health and that it has been vaccinated against rabies.

If you have an official certificate, you may bring one cat, one bird, one dog and 10 aquarium fish into the country.

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