Ship Car To Istanbul

Car Shipping Istanbul

Istanbul is the largest city as well as the most popular for tourists in all of Turkey. Nearly 12 million people visit the city each year because of its historic architecture, culture and entertainment. If you relocate to Istanbul you may find that you need to have your vehicle to drive during your stay in the city. You will have to have help from a professional auto transporter to move the vehicle overseas for you. You will need to abide by U.S. customs regulations and Turkish customs regulations as well as rules set by the transport company when you ship the car overseas. The transport company will need you to provide some standard paperwork for shipping a car internationally.

Cost & Time Examples For Shipping a Car to Istanbul

*Prices and times are estimated. They can vary depending on the season and the type of vehicle.

*Save the ground transport cost by delivering the vehicle to the nearest port.

*Allow an additional 10 days to process the documents.

*Prices are for 1 car in a dedicated 20ft container. This is the safest and most reliable way to transport a vehicle internationally. Other items may be included in the container to help save you money when moving.

*Using the RoRo (roll on, roll off) method is less expensive and shipments can be completed in fewer days. Contact us now for a free RoRo quote.

Standard Paperwork that will be needed:

• Driver’s License.
• Social Security Number.
• Vehicle Title.
• Power of Attorney.

You can also contact U.S. Customs for information on export laws for shipping a car from the United States.

Customs Regulations in Istanbul

The country of Turkey has some very stringent customs regulations for importing motor vehicles and they must be followed precisely. To bring a car into Istanbul you may choose from a temporary resident status or a permanent resident status.

Temporary Status Importation

If you plan on staying in Istanbul for up to 3 months you may be able to import the car on a temporary status. To do so you will need the following paperwork:

• Passport.
• International Driver’s License.
• Motor Vehicle Registration.
• Motor Vehicle Insurance (Must be valid in Turkey).

Permanent Status Importation

Generally speaking non-Turkish nationals are not permitted to bring motor vehicles into Turkey on a permanent basis. The rare exceptions to this trend are students moving to Istanbul school workers moving to Istanbul for permanent positions and retirees who have decided to make Istanbul their permanent home. Applying for a Blue Card with the Turkey Touring and Automobile Association will allow you to legally remain in Turkey indefinitely.

Whether you are importing on a temporary or a permanent basis, you will need to be physically present for the customs checkpoint when the car arrives at the port. If you will not be able to drive the car to your location in Istanbul, you can make arrangements with the automobile transport company to have delivery in Istanbul once the customs check has been complete and the car has been cleared for import.

Prior to Shipping the Car

As you prepare to ship your car to Istanbul you need to speak to your transport agent about all of your transport choices and the total cost that it will be to ship the car internationally. The agent will let you know if anything needs to be changed mechanically on the car before the date of shipping, paperwork that you will have to possess and all taxes and fees that you will need to pay before the car ships out as well as once it reaches Istanbul. You will also want to speak to them about the amounts included for shipping insurance and if it is not offered you may need to speak to your private insurance carrier to add it to your car during transport. For all information regarding overseas transport for your car, customs regulations both for U.S. Customs and customs in Turkey, your shipping agent will be able to provide all necessary information to you.

How to Ship a Car to Istanbul

Shipping a car from the United States to Istanbul, Turkey is generally done with either Ro-Ro or Container Shipping. Ro-Ro, also known as Roll-On Roll-Off Shipping is the most widely used mode to ship a car anywhere overseas. Cars are rolled, or driven onto a ship, parked and strapped in place for the trip overseas. All vehicles on a Ro-Ro ship need to be completely emptied of any personal items or personal paperwork prior to leaving the shipping port. If you plan on shipping any personal or home goods along with the car you will need to pay a fee for a container and ship the car on a container ship instead of a Ro-Ro ship. As your automobile transport agent discusses all aspects of overseas automobile shipping with you, they will also detail all pros and cons of each type of shipping and how each will benefit your own car or personal shipping budget. For more information on overseas shipping you can check with the Federal Maritime Convention.