🇹🇷 Turkey · Import & Export
Customs procedures, duties, de minimis thresholds, EORI/registration, and restricted goods.
Quick answer
Turkish trade clears through the Ministry of Trade's customs using the BILGE electronic system. Türkiye is in a customs union with the EU, so most industrial goods move duty-free with an A.TR certificate; other imports carry customs duty plus VAT (KDV, 20% standard). Some goods need permits and standards approval.
Customs are administered by the Ministry of Trade. Türkiye is in a customs union with the EU for industrial goods, which removes tariffs on most such trade.
- The EU–Türkiye customs union removes tariffs on most industrial goods.
- Customs declarations are filed through the Ministry of Trade systems.
- Agricultural goods and some sectors fall outside the customs union.
Step-by-step
- 1
Prepare to declare
Have a tax number and access to the customs system (BILGE), directly or through a customs consultant/broker.
- 2
Check the customs-union status
For industrial goods in free circulation in the EU, use an A.TR movement certificate to move them duty-free under the customs union.
- 3
Classify goods and check duty
Classify goods under the Turkish Customs Tariff; non-customs-union goods carry duty, and FTAs or A.TR/EUR.1 certificates can reduce it.
- 4
Check permits and standards
Check whether goods need an import permit, TSE standards conformity or other agency approval.
- 5
Handle duty and VAT
Pay any customs duty and VAT (KDV, standard 20%), plus any special consumption tax (ÖTV) on certain goods.
- 6
Declare and clear
Submit the customs declaration via BILGE with documents (invoice, A.TR/EUR.1, packing list, bill of lading); Customs releases the goods.
Checklist
- Tax number + BILGE access
- A.TR certificate (EU customs-union goods)
- Turkish Customs Tariff classification + FTA/EUR.1
- Import permit / TSE standards conformity
- Customs duty + VAT (KDV 20%) + ÖTV (some goods)
- BILGE declaration + documents
- Invoice, A.TR/EUR.1, packing list, B/L
- Customs consultant/broker (optional)
Official authorities
- Ministry of Trade — Customs
Customs and trade administration.
Frequently asked questions
What is the EU customs union benefit?
Türkiye and the EU share a customs union for industrial goods, so such goods in free circulation move duty-free with an A.TR certificate.
What VAT applies on Turkish imports?
VAT (KDV) applies to imports at the standard 20% rate (with reduced rates for some goods), plus special consumption tax on certain products.
What is an A.TR certificate?
A movement certificate proving goods are in free circulation between Türkiye and the EU, allowing duty-free industrial trade under the customs union.
Official-information aggregation, not legal advice. Always verify on the authority's own site.