Importing into Türkiye: A Practical Guide for 2026

3 days ago

4 min read

Türkiye bought USD 365.5 billion of goods from the world in 2025, 6.3% more than the year before.¹ In the first eight months of 2026 imports reached USD 250.8 billion, up 5.3%.² Behind those numbers sit thousands of companies that import machinery, chemicals, energy, components and consumer goods every day. If you plan to sell into Türkiye, or to import through a Turkish partner, the process is predictable once you know its four building blocks: the code, the taxes, the controls and the paperwork.

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1. Start with the right GTİP code

Every product that enters Türkiye is classified under a 12 digit GTİP code. The first six digits follow the international Harmonized System, digits seven and eight follow the EU Combined Nomenclature, digits nine and ten are national tax positions and the last two are for statistics.³ The code decides the duty rate, the controls that apply and whether a licence is needed, so getting it right is the single most important step.

You can look up the duties for any code in TARA, the Ministry of Trade tariff search tool.⁴ If a product is hard to classify, importers can apply for Binding Tariff Information (Bağlayıcı Tarife Bilgisi). It is free of charge and valid for six years.³ Turki.sh also offers an HS Code Finder that links each code to Türkiye's trade data and an import tax estimate.

2. Understand the taxes

Import costs in Türkiye are built in layers:

Customs duty, set by the Import Regime Decision (Presidential Decision No. 3350) and its annexed lists, with rates that depend on the product and the country of origin.⁵
Additional customs duty (İGV), set by a separate decision (No. 3351) and applied to certain goods from countries outside Türkiye's preferential agreements.⁶
KDV (VAT): 20% general rate, 10% reduced rate and 1% for goods in List I.⁷
ÖTV (special consumption tax) on specific goods such as vehicles, fuel, tobacco and some luxury goods.⁸

KDV on imports is calculated on the customs value plus all duties, taxes and charges paid on import, plus other costs up to the date of the declaration.⁹ In practice this means KDV is charged on top of customs duty and İGV, which is why a small duty change can move the final landed cost more than expected.

3. The EU Customs Union changes the picture

Since 31 December 1995 Türkiye and the EU have been in a customs union for industrial goods, including processed agricultural products. Türkiye applies the EU common external tariff and aligns with EU technical rules. Agriculture, services and public procurement are not covered by the customs union.¹⁰ For industrial goods in free circulation in the EU, the A.TR movement certificate proves that status and allows duty free entry.¹¹

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4. Check the controls before you ship

Some products need more than a declaration. The most common controls are:

Surveillance (gözetim): for listed goods the importer needs a surveillance certificate, applied for online in the İthalatBİS system, which also issues import licences.¹²
Product safety and conformity: risk based inspections run through TAREKS, the Ministry's electronic inspection system. CE marking and technical rules are checked here.¹³
Agricultural, food and health checks by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry for the relevant goods.¹⁴

The rules move every year. The 2026 import regime, in force since 1 January 2026, opened tariff quotas for 35 goods and raised the number of surveillance notices to 184.¹⁵ A mid year package published on 11 July 2026 raised surveillance notices to 192 and introduced a safeguard measure of USD 120 per ton on PET resin.¹⁶ Always check the current position for your code before you agree a price.

5. Paperwork and representation

An importer in Türkiye needs a tax number.¹⁷ Most companies work through a licensed customs broker (gümrük müşaviri), who can act in the importer's name (direct representation) or in their own name for the importer's account (indirect representation).¹⁸ The core document is the customs declaration, supported by origin and movement documents such as A.TR, EUR.1, EUR MED or a certificate of origin, and the certificates issued by inspecting bodies.¹⁹ ¹¹ A commercial invoice, packing list and transport document are usually needed as well. Customs can ask for any related document, and importers must keep their records for five years.¹⁹

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How Turki.sh helps

Turki.sh connects buyers with verified Turkish suppliers and with the customs brokers, inspection companies and freight forwarders that make imports and exports work. Post one request, compare quotes and add the services you need in one place.

This article is general information, not legal or customs advice. Rates and rules change; confirm the position for your GTİP code with a licensed customs broker before shipping.