Turkey Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in turkey, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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Import Requirements and Documentation
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Import Licenses

An importer needs only a tax number to import all but restricted items, such as firearms, hazardous materials, and other products that may be imported by authorized establishments only or for which approval from relevant GoT agencies are required. Control Certificates are required for certain animals, animal products, and plant materials for production (such as seeds, seedlings, saplings, and flower bulbs) prior to importation. Some product categories may require special control or compliance certificates like medicines, cosmetics and health-related products from the Ministry of Health, environment-sensitive materials, like ozone‑depleting chemicals from the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change. Control certificates must be presented to customs authorities along with other required documentation upon import. 

Import Documentation

Turkish documentation procedures require that a commercial invoice, bill of lading or airway bill, packing list, and a certificate of origin, accompany all commercial shipments. Depending on the harmonized tariff code of the product, a control certificate, health certificate, Certificate of Free Sale, Phytosanitary certificate, and/or veterinary health certificate may be necessary for food and agricultural commodity imports. A detailed list of requirements by agricultural and food product item can be found in the annual FAS Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards Report.

Conformity Compliance (CE Mark)

Companies selling to the Turkish market must submit evidence of a CE Mark for certain products in which the EU has adopted a CE marking directive providing a conformity certificate from a notified body or a manufacturer-issued declaration of conformity declaring compliance with all relevant standards and directive annexes. The declaration of conformity must mention the applicable directive(s), the name of the manufacturer or its authorized representative, the name of the notified body (if involved), product information, and reference to harmonized standards. If the notified body is also involved in the process, the type of examination certificate should also be submitted.

Commercial Invoice

The commercial invoice must be submitted in triplicate, including the original copy, and must contain the complete description, quantity, unit cost, HS code, delivery method of the goods and country of origin, as well as all required payment terms and letters of credit.

Certificate of Origin

A certificate of origin certifying the country of origin is required for certain products by certain countries for tariff purposes. The certificate of origin is to be prepared in duplicate. No corrections are permitted on this document, and it should be in English. A certificate of origin is usually prepared by the exporter or manufacturer and notarized and attested to by a local Chamber of Commerce or a World Trade Center. If not notarized, the Turkish Embassy or one of the consulates of Türkiye in the United States must certify the certificate of origin. One copy of the document must be surrendered to customs authorities at the time of import.

Bill of Lading/Airway Bill

Details in the bill of lading should correspond exactly to those given in other shipping documents. The original bill of lading should be submitted along with three copies.

Pro Forma Invoices

The pro forma invoice must not be more than six months old at the time of application and the words “pro forma” must be included on the document. It must contain an unexpired option (if appropriate), indicate freight and insurance charges separately, and bear the importer’s name as well as the description, unit price, quantity, and delivery/payment method of specified goods. 

Health Certification

Special health certificates are required for imports of plants, plant products, live animals, and animal products. USDA’S Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service inspects and certifies that plants, plant products, live animals, and animal products conform to health and sanitary or phytosanitary requirements as mandated by Turkish law. For detailed certification requirements, please see the FAS Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards Export Certificate Report for Türkiye. U.S. exporters are encouraged to work with their Turkish importing partner prior to shipment due to the complexity of sanitary and phytosanitary regulations and the need for importers of certain products to apply for certain permissions and clearances from the GoT. 

Special Import Requirements

Within the framework of the import regime, the procedures to be followed and the permits required from relevant authorities are determined by the Import Communiqués and Product Safety and Inspection Communiqués published by the Ministry of Trade:

•    Imports of waste subject to conformity inspection, controlled solid fuels, certain waste batteries and accumulators, metal scrap controlled for environmental protection purposes are subject to the permission and inspection of the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization.
•    Used or refurbished goods, certain products bearing the “CE” mark, paper intended for banknotes and similar valuable documents, chemical substances listed in the annex to the Chemical Weapons Convention, certain toys, products with specific frequency and/or license restrictions, certain personal protective equipment, some textile and apparel products, certain medical devices, and some agricultural products are subject to the permission and inspection of the Ministry of Trade.
•    Substances and preparations requiring special import permits and products regulated by the Ministry of Health are subject to the permission of the Ministry of Health.
•    Animals and products subject to veterinary checks, and food items are subject to the control of the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock.
•    Substances that deplete the ozone layer and certain forest reproductive materials are subject to the necessary permits from the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization and the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock.
•    Certain tobacco products, alcoholic beverages, and spirits require a certificate of conformity issued by the Tobacco and Alcohol Market Regulatory Authority.
•    Certain explosive materials, firearms, knives and similar tools, certain military weapons and their parts and components are subject to the permission of the Ministry of National Defense.
•    Radioactive substances and devices containing them are subject to a certificate of conformity from the Turkish Atomic Energy Authority.
•    High-intensity sweeteners are subject to a certificate of conformity from the Sugar Authority.
•    Maps and goods containing mapping information are subject to a certificate of conformity from the Ministry of National Defense and the Naval Forces Command.
•    Goods requiring a warranty certificate upon import must have a warranty certificate approved by the Ministry of Trade.
•    Road vehicles are subject to a certificate of conformity issued by the Ministry of Industry, and Technology.
•    Civil aircraft and materials specifically for use in them are subject to a certificate of conformity from the Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs, and Communications.
•    Certain substances affecting occupational health and safety are subject to a control certificate issued by the Ministry of Labor and Social Security.
•    Fertilizers are subject to a certificate of conformity from the Ministry of 

Agriculture and Forestry

Importation of Precious Metals/Stones

Precious metals (e.g., gold and platinum) may only be imported by members of the Precious Metals Market of Borsa Istanbul. The Istanbul Stock Exchange consists of domestic or foreign banks, precious metals companies, currency offices, precious metals producing and marketing companies, and precious metals refineries. Türkiye is a member of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, the joint government, industry, and civil society initiative to stem the flow of conflict diamonds. 

Risk-Based Trade Control System (TAREKS)

The Ministry of Trade launched a Risk-Based Control System (TAREKS) in 2010 to carry out safety checks on non-agricultural products and quality checks on exported and imported goods electronically. The main purpose of the TAREKS system is to increase the efficiency of foreign trade, to provide safe and quality products to consumers and firms by controlling the entry of “risky” products and traders to the market, and to reduce waiting times at customs.TAREKS encompasses goods like personal protective equipment, toys, batteries, construction products, radio and telecommunications terminals equipment, medical devices, machinery, elevators, pressure equipment, electrical and electronic equipment, some industrial input and raw materials, and consumer products. It also includes agricultural products inspected for the purposes of quality standards. 

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Global Business Navigator Chatbot Beta

Welcome to the Global Business Navigator, an artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbot from the International Trade Administration (ITA). This tool, currently in beta version testing, is designed to provide general information on the exporting process and the resources available to assist new and experienced U.S. exporters. The Chatbot, developed using Microsoft’s Azure AI services, is trained on ITA’s export-related content and aims to quickly get users the information they need. The Chatbot is intended to make the benefits of exporting more accessible by understanding non-expert language, idiomatic expressions, and foreign languages.

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As a beta product, the Chatbot is currently being tested and its responses may occasionally produce inaccurate or incomplete information. The Chatbot is trained to decline out of scope or inappropriate requests. The Chatbot’s knowledge is limited to the public information on the Export Solutions web pages of Trade.gov, which covers a wide range of topics on exporting. While it cannot provide responses specific to a company’s product or a specific foreign market, its reference pages will guide you to other relevant government resources and market research. Always double-check the Chatbot’s responses using the provided references or by visiting the Export Solutions web pages on Trade.gov. Do not use its responses as legal or professional advice. Inaccurate advice from the Chatbot would not be a defense to violating any export rules or regulations.

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The Chatbot supports a wide range of languages. Because the Chatbot is trained in English and responses are translated, you should verify the translation. For example, the Chatbot may have difficulty with acronyms, abbreviations, and nuances in a language other than English.

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