Currency Regulation
Limits:
There is no limit on the amount of foreign currency that may be
brought into Turkey, but not more than 5 5,000 worth of Turkish
currency may be brought into or taken out of the country.
Exchange slips:
The exchange slips for the conversion of foreign currency into Turkish
lira should be kept, since you may be required to show these when
reconverting your Turkish lira back into foreign currency, and when
taking souvenirs out of the country (to prove that they have been
purchased with legally exchanged foreign currency).
Customs Regulations
On Entry
- The following items may be brought into the
country duty free
- personal effects of the tourist.
- one TV, one colour pocket TV (maximum 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), electronic playing devices (without
cassette - keyboard).
- 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)
- harmonica, mandolin, flageole, flute, guitar,
and accordion (only one of each type, maximum 3 musical
instruments).
- personal sports equipment.
- necessary medical items.
- bicycle, baby buggy, toys.
- 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.
- 5 (100 cc) or 7 (70 cc) bottles of wines and/or
spirits.
- five bottles of perfume (120 ml max. each).
- one portable typewriter.
- one camera with 5 rolls of film.
- First aid, and spare parts for the car.
- Other items necessary during the journey.
- Valuable items and all items with a value of over
$ 15,000 must be registered in the owner's passport upon entering
Turkey, for control upon exit.
- Antiques brought into the country must be
registered in the owner's passport to avoid difficulties on exit.
- Sharp instruments (including camping knives) and
weapons may not be brought into the country without special
permission.
- The bringing into the country, trade, and
consumption of marijuana and all other narcotics is strictly
forbidden and subject to heavy punishment.
- 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 OM 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.
Note:
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. For
more information contact the Ministry of Transportation, General
Directorate at Tel: (312) 212 35 72 - 212 60 10 (10 lines), Fax: (312)
221 32 26 or write to Ulastirma Bakanligi Telsiz Gn. Md. Emek -
Ankara.
On exit
- Gifts and souvenirs: for a new carpet, a proof of
purchase; for old items, a certificate from a directorate of a
museum is necessary.
- Exporting antiques from Turkey is forbidden.
- 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.
- Minerals may only be exported from the country
with a special document obtained from the MTA (General Directorate
of Mining Exploration and Research). Etüdler Dairesi 06520, Ankara
- Tel: (312) 287 3430 /1622, Fax: (312) 285 42 71
Tax Refund
You Can Receive a Tax Refind for the Goods You
Purchased In Turkey!
- Refunds will be made to travellers who do not
reside in Turkey.
- All goods (including food and drinks) are
included in the refunds with the exclusion of services rendered.
- The minimum amount of purchase that qualifies for
refund is 5.000.000 TL.
- Retailers that qualify for tax refunds must be "authorised
for refund." These retailers must display a permit received from
their respective tax office.
- 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.
- 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.
- There are four ways to receive your refund:
- If the retailer gives you a check it can he
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, .e 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 hank or address.
- If the certified receipt and check are brought
back to the retailer on a subsequent visit thin 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 organisation of
those companies that are authorised to make tax refunds.
Additional information:
Ministry of Finance and Tax Dept. General Directorate, (Maliye
Bakanligi, Gelirler Genel Müdürlügü) KDV Subesi 06100, Ulus - Ankara
Tel: (312) 3103880/725 - 728 - 735, Fax: (312) 311 45 10
Health Regulations for Pets
For those who wish to bring domestic animals into
the country the following are required:
- Pets have to be 3 months and older
- An International Certificate of Health issued
within 15 days before the travel
- The Identification Card
- Vaccination Card
Note:
If you have an official certificate, you may bring one cat, one bird,
one dog and 10 aquarium fish into the country. To get information for
the importation of pets, please see the Consular Services.
Motorist Rules
General: Those who wish to enter the country with
their vans, minibuses, automobiles, station wagons, bicycles,
motorcycles, motorbikes, sidecars, buses, motor coaches, trailers,
caravans or other transport vehicles, will have to provide the
following documentations:
- Passport.
- International driving license.
- 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.
- International green card (Insurance card). The TR
sign should be visible.
- 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 ve the country at the date declared.
If for any important reason the staying period has to be ended, it is
necessary to apply to;
- The Turkish Touring and Automobile Club (Türkiye
Turing ve Otomobil Kurumu) 1. Sanayi Sitesi Yani, 4.Levent, Istanbul,
Tel (212) 282 81 40(7 lines). Fax (212) 282 80, or to
- The General Directorate of Customs (Gümrükler
Genel Müdürlügü), Ulus Ankara Tel (312) 310 38 80,310 38 18, Fax
(312) 31113 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 can the owner of the
vehicle leave the country.)
Following an accident, you can telephone:
- Trafik Polisi (Traffic Police), Tel :154,
- Jandarma (Gendarme), Tel :156.
For more information, contact the Touring and
Automobile Association of Turkey.
Formalities for Private 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 Tourist the storage of
yachts for a period of two to five years. For further information and
regulations contact the marina concerned.
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, Datça,
Bodrum, Güllük Didim, Kusadasi, Çesme, Izmir, Dikili, Ayvalik, Akçay,
Çanakkale, 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 to he 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.
Note:
If you have a certificate from the Tourism Ministry Yacht Harbour, you
may take petrol at no charge, provided you possess an official marina
license.
Formalities for Private Plane Owners
General:
When coming to Turkey, international air routes should he 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 (Gümrükler
Genel Müdürlügü), Ulus Ankara, Tel: (312) 3103880,3103818,Fax: (312)
311 1346
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 (Ulastirma Bakanligi, Havacilik Gen. Müd.). Bosna-Hersek
Cad., No: 5 - 06338 - Emek, Ankara. Tel: (312) 212 67 30, Fax: (312)
212 46 84, TIx : 44659 Ga-tr.
Underwater Diving
Diving for purposes of sport, with proper equipment
and in non-restricted areas, is permitted. Foreign divers should have
official documentation of their specifics and training and must be
accompanied, when diving, by a licensed Turkish guide.
The limit for diving with diving gear is 30 metres.
For educational purposes, this limit is extended to 42 metres. Dives
exceeding 30 metres must be carried out with proper diving and medical
equipment. In arder to protect Turkish archaeological and cultural
values. It is strictly forbidden to transport Turkish antiquities or
natural specimens.
Postal System
Turkish post-offices are easily recognized by their
black PTT letters on a yellow background. Major post offices are open
from 8:00 a.m. till 12:00 p.m., Monday/Saturday, and 9:00 a.m. till
7:00 p.m., Sunday. Small post-offices have the same hours as the
government offices.
Postal charges vary for different services depending
on destination. Post restante letters should be addressed
"postrestant" to the central post-office Merkez Postanesi, in the town
of your choice. You have to show your identification card to collect
your letters.
All PTT branches have the facilities to exchange
money at the current international exchange rates, as well as
international postal orders and travellers' cheques. There is also an
express postal service (APS) operating to 90 countries for letters ,
documents and small packages. A wide variety of special stamps are
available in all PTT centers for philatelists.
To phone from PTT telephone booths, which are
extensively found in all areas; telephone cards , and tokens
(";jeton") in three sizes are used. Local, inter-city and
international calls can be made from all PTT offices. Besides these
main offices there are also mobile PTT services in the touristic areas.
For the area codes of major cities and touristic areas in Turkey,
please see the "Area Codes" list. Foreign countries area codes are
indicated in the International Telephone Codes list.
Some important service numbers are;
- 155 Police
- 112 Emergency
- 110 Fire
- 118 Unknown Numbers
- 161 PTT Information.
Tourist Health
Turkish Tourist Health Society (Turizm Sagligi
Dernegi-Hacettepe Üniversitesi Tip Fakültesi Plastik ve Rekonstrüktif
Cerrahi Ana Bilim Dali, Sihhiye 06100 ANKARA Tel: (312) 311 93 93-310
98 08) perfoms the functions below, to provide the travellers in the
entire country, mainly in the touristic regions, with proper health
care:
- to secure food hygiene
- to prevent environmental pollution
- to ensure hygiene and healthy working-conditions
in touristic establishments.
Working Hours
Government Offices
Monday-Friday (8:30-12:30) , (13:30-17:30)
Saturday-Sunday (closed)
Banks
Monday-Friday (8:30-12-00) , (13:30-17:00)
Saturday-Sunday (closed)
Shops
Monday-Saturday (9:30-13:00) , (14:00-19:00)
Sunday (closed)
Istanbul Covered market: Monday-Saturday (8:00-19:00)
Sunday (closed)
During summer months, the government offices and
many other establishments in the Aegean and Mediterranean Regions are
closed in the afternoon. These fixed summer hours are determined by
the governing bodies of the provinces.
Other Practical Information
Local time:
GMT+3 hours (April-September) GMT+2 hours (October-March)
Time Differences:
Argentina -5, France -1, Netherlands -1, Australia +8, Germany -1,
Saudi Arabia+1, Austria -1, Greece 0, Sweden -1, Egypt 0, Italy -1,
Switzerland -1, England -2, Japan +7, Spain -1, USA -7 (EST) -10
(WEST)
* These time differences are for the period October-March; however,
they may show variances according to each country's own time-saving
adjustments.
Petrol:
Super (peremium) - Unleaded (at some places). Normal (regular) -
Diesel.
Electricity:
220 volts AC/50 Hz. all over Turkey. (Industrial:380 V) Plug: European
round/ 2-prong plug.
Water:
Although tap vater is safe to drink since it is chlorinated, it is
recommended to get advice from the concemed authorities of the places
resided.
Weights and Measures:
1 inch = 2.54 centimeters , 1 centimeter
= 0.3937 inches
1 yard = 0,9144 meters, 1 meter = 1.0936 yards
1 mile = 1,6093 kilometers, 1 kilometer = 0.6214 miles
1 pound = 0,4536 kilograms, 1 kilogram = 2.2046 pounds
Area:
1 acres = 0,4047 Hectares, 1 hectare =
2.471 acres
Capacity:
1 UK gallon = 4.546 litres, 1 litre = 0.2199 UK gallons
1 US gallon = 3.7831 litres, 1 litre = 0.2643 US gallons
Newspapers and Magazines:
Foreign newspapers and magazines are available in big cities and
tourist areas. Also there is a Turkish daily newspaper, Daily News,
published in English.
Tipping:
At various establishments like hotels, restaurants, Turkish baths,
barbers and hairdressers, tipping at a rate of 5%-15% of the total is
common. Taxi and "dolmus" drivers on the other hand, do not expect
tips or even rounded fares.
Visiting a mosque:
Five times a day, the "müezzin" calls the faithful to prayer in thi
mosque. Before entering a mosque, Muslims wash themselves and remove
their shoes. Foreign visitors should also remove their shoes and show
the respect they would any other house of worship and avoid visiting
the mosque durin prayer time. Women should cover their heads and ams,
and not wear miniskirts. Men should not wear shorts. (In certain
famous mosques, overalls are provided for those not suitably dressed.)
