A person who wants to leave Türkiye by plane or another means of transport and leave a foreign-plated vehicle behind must complete a separate customs formality for the vehicle. For a vehicle brought in temporarily under tourist facilities, there are two basic routes: giving an undertaking that the vehicle will not be used, or handing the vehicle over to customs supervision. Buying a ticket, passing through passport control or leaving the vehicle in a secure car park does not replace these formalities.
This article deals with the temporary departure of the permit holder without the vehicle. It explains the scope of the undertaking, the electronic application, who may look after the vehicle, how the periods should be tracked and the consequences of leaving without notification. The assessment is based on the regulations reviewed as of October 15, 2026; the route described here does not automatically apply to the special regimes of every foreign-plated vehicle.
First, determine the vehicle record and the permit holder
The person who counts for customs purposes is the person shown as the permit holder in the vehicle’s temporary entry record. The owner on the registration certificate and the person who brought the vehicle in under a power of attorney may be different people. For this reason, one cannot conclude merely from the registration certificate that “the vehicle is registered to me, so I can leave it whenever I want.” The entry record, the deadline given and the document on the basis of which the person brought in the vehicle must be checked together. [1]
Leaving without the vehicle does not mean that the vehicle’s permitted stay in Türkiye is automatically extended or that it is opened to use by another person. The formality ensures that the customs administration is notified of the vehicle owner and of the period during which the vehicle and its owner will be in different countries. For vehicles present in Türkiye for work or study under a special card, form or temporary registration, the provisions of the relevant regime are examined separately.
Two options: an undertaking or customs supervision?
Article 27 of the Customs General Communiqué on Temporarily Imported Land Vehicles regulates temporary departure without the vehicle through two different formalities. The choice should not be made on the basis of the car park fee alone; the remaining period of the vehicle, the period to be spent abroad and the periods to be followed after handover also matter. [1]
| Subject | Non-use undertaking | Handover to customs supervision |
|---|---|---|
| Where does the vehicle stay? | At a place determined by the permit holder; for example, a private garage | At customs or at a place customs considers suitable |
| Core formality | Undertaking that the vehicle will not be used by anyone else, and registration | Official handover, supervision record and closing of the entry record |
| Use | The vehicle is not used while the permit holder is abroad | No use under supervision |
| Consequence for the period | Because the vehicle stays in Türkiye, the current permit period continues to run | The handover and the closing of the record are the basis; the time spent under supervision is also tracked separately |
| Risk to watch in particular | The vehicle’s period expiring before the return | The three-month supervision period, the extension application and the conditions for disposal |
Leaving a vehicle in a car park is not, by itself, “handing it over to customs.” Even if the vehicle has been delivered to a private facility that customs considers suitable, there must be a record showing that the formality was carried out under customs supervision. An ordinary car park ticket is not equivalent to a customs handover document.
How is a non-use undertaking given?
Physical application and registration
Article 27 of the Communiqué provides that an undertaking conforming to the Annex-7 model is drawn up in two copies, one copy is given to the person concerned, and the formality is recorded in the “Departures Without Vehicle” section of the Vehicle Tracking Program. The undertaking must be completed before departure. If a deficiency is found in the passport formalities, the permit holder is referred to customs. [1]
When preparing the application, having the identity document or passport, the vehicle’s registration certificate, the temporary entry record and the vehicle details together makes it easier to match the formality correctly. If the formality is to be carried out through a representative, the scope of the authority of representation is also checked. If there is any inconsistency between the place where you will leave the vehicle, your return plan and the end of the vehicle’s permit period, it should be clarified before the formality.
One should not be satisfied merely with the document having been signed. It must be traceable for which vehicle and permit record it was given, that it has been linked to the relevant departure and that the formality has been completed. The signed copy or the result of the electronic formality matters in case a dispute over the record arises later.
Electronic undertaking and Foreign-Plated Vehicle Transactions
The Communiqué allows an electronic undertaking. According to the Ministry of Trade’s announcement, the Foreign-Plated Vehicle Transactions application, put into service on March 23, 2026, can be used for formalities such as tracking vehicle periods and the undertaking for departure without the vehicle. The official login address has been announced as ypti.ticaret.gov.tr. [1, 2, 3]
In an electronic formality, the correct vehicle record must be selected, the current explanations on the screen must be read and the completion record must be kept. The opening of a form screen or the entry of details as a draft does not, on its own, show that the formality has been successfully concluded. If the formality cannot be completed because of a technical problem, the competent customs administration should be approached before departure.
This application is different from the vehicle pre-declaration made before bringing in a vehicle. The pre-declaration facilitates the entry formality; it does not replace the undertaking for departure without the vehicle. Similarly, waiting for a reminder e-mail does not remove the obligation to track the period.
Can anyone use the vehicle while the permit holder is abroad?
During the period for which a non-use undertaking has been given, the vehicle cannot be used even by a spouse or child. The fact that a relative holds the vehicle’s key does not give that person the right to drive it. The general conditions for permission to use foreign-plated vehicles in Türkiye must be distinguished from the undertaking period during which the permit holder is abroad. [1, 2]
The amendment that entered into force on August 14, 2026 regulates, under certain conditions, that other persons resident abroad may also drive the vehicle while the permit holder is in it. This amendment does not give freedom of use to the person left in charge of the vehicle during the period in which the permit holder has left the country. The condition that the permit holder be in the vehicle cannot, in any case, be met while he or she is in another country. [4]
Driving the vehicle at intervals, refueling it or using it “only for short distances” may also amount to use. Where maintenance, a breakdown, towing or security requires the vehicle to be moved, the specific action should be assessed with the customs administration in advance. The fact that the vehicle has been taken to a workshop or that compulsory traffic insurance is valid does not create an independent authority to use it from the customs standpoint.
With the person who undertakes to look after the vehicle, it may be expressly agreed that the key will be kept safe, that the vehicle will not be used and that the permit holder will be informed if a problem arises. However, this arrangement between private persons does not transfer the obligation owed to the customs administration. The general conditions of use are examined separately in the G02 article.
Does the 730-day period stop when an undertaking is given?
No. According to the Ministry’s explanation, if the vehicle remains in Türkiye without being placed under customs supervision, the time the permit holder spends abroad continues to run against the vehicle’s permit period. The undertaking is not an extension of the period. The right of stay granted to the person and the deadline given to the vehicle are also not the same concept. [2]
For example, if a person whose vehicle has 40 days of permit left plans a 60-day trip abroad, merely giving an undertaking and leaving the vehicle in a private garage does not solve the period problem. Taking the vehicle out before its deadline, a suitable handover formality or, if the conditions are met, an extension of the period must be planned separately. This example does not replace the official record of the date from which the days start to be counted.
The person’s time abroad may be taken into account in a later residence calculation; however, the vehicle’s presence in Türkiye does not count as time abroad for the vehicle. On a later re-entry, the movements of both the person and the vehicle are assessed under their own rules. The details of expiry of the period and re-entry are in the G04 article.
Handing the vehicle over to customs supervision
The handover must be completed officially
Under the option of leaving the vehicle under customs control, the vehicle is handed over to suitable customs supervision. If the administration has no storage area, a place that customs considers suitable may be used, on the basis of an undertaking that an official or private legal entity will protect the vehicle and not use it. The Communiqué provides for the vehicle’s entry record to be closed once the relevant registration formalities have been carried out. [1]
On the handover document, the vehicle’s identity, the date of handover, its location and the relevant formality record should be checked. Documenting the condition at the time of handover is also useful with respect to disputes over damage or missing items that may arise during storage. The conditions for storage, towing and collection should be learned separately for the place concerned; a single, fixed nationwide fee should not be assumed.
The three-month supervision period and extension
Under Article 32 of the Communiqué, vehicles taken over by the customs administration may remain under customs supervision for three months. On request, the relevant customs directorate may extend this period by up to three months without requiring a force majeure document. The extension does not occur automatically. For vehicles handed over to a court-appointed custodian’s car park (yediemin otoparkı), the starting point is the date of handover to the custodian. [1, 2]
If, within the periods set, no customs-approved formality or use is determined and formalities are not begun, and the other conditions in the legislation are met, the disposal provisions come into play. The existence of a judicial or administrative inquiry, examination, investigation or prosecution is also important in the assessment. For this reason, the approach of “I left it with customs, so I can collect it in whatever year I like” is not correct.
Customs supervision creates a record and period regime different from keeping the vehicle in a private garage. However, it cannot be said that a new 730 days are gained in every case after handover. On collection and re-permit formalities, the earlier use, the remaining entitlement and the person’s conditions must be checked. The information provided at handover under Annex-8 should also be kept.
The penalty for leaving without notification
Article 27/4 of the Communiqué provides that, when departure without the vehicle is detected without the required undertaking or handover formality, Article 241/6-e of the Customs Law applies. All departures of this kind up to the date of detection are treated as a single act. Since the base amount of Article 241 for 2026 is TRY 1,494, the penalty calculated at eight times that amount is TRY 11,952. This amount belongs to 2026; it may change in later years because of revaluation. [1, 5, 6]
This special single-act rule does not mean that all violations relating to the vehicle merge. If, in addition to a departure without an undertaking, there is unauthorized use, an overstay or a breach of another condition of the regime, the legal basis of each finding is assessed separately. Whether a sanction greater than that permitted by law has been imposed for the same event must also be examined.
In its decision of November 24, 2023, E.2021/633, K.2023/4551, the 7th Chamber of the Council of State (Danıştay) assessed taxes and penalties separately in a specific dispute involving a departure without an undertaking, use of the vehicle by another person, an accident and transactions on the vehicle. The decision did not accept the imposition of three separate penalties under Article 238 of the Customs Law for the same breach of the regime. This historical decision should not be read to mean that the current 241/6-e penalty and every other sanction will always collapse into a single penalty. [7]
When a notification omission is noticed, an application should be made to the administration with records that reflect the facts. It should not be assumed that a later application automatically eliminates a past violation. If a penalty has been served, the date of service and the route of challenge should be determined immediately. For the administrative objection under Article 242 of the Customs Law, the general period is 15 days from service; the subsequent judicial process is tracked separately. [5]
What to check on return and when taking back the vehicle
For a vehicle left under an undertaking, it should be checked that the person’s return to Türkiye matches the record and that the vehicle’s permit period is continuing. Even if the non-use period has ended, a vehicle whose period has expired does not become usable again merely because the permit holder has returned. The person who will use it must also meet the general conditions of use, and the documents required for traffic purposes must be valid.
For a vehicle under customs supervision, the vehicle must not be used before the collection, registration and permit formalities are completed. If the storage period needs to be extended, one should not wait until the last day; the record showing that the application has been received should be kept. If someone other than the permit holder is to take the vehicle out of the country, the conditions on power of attorney and transfer of the record in Article 29 of the Communiqué apply separately. A simple private letter of permission does not replace this formality. [1]
It is useful to keep the following records together in the travel file:
- The temporary entry record and the vehicle’s permit end date.
- A copy of the undertaking or the record of the completed electronic formality.
- If customs supervision was chosen, the handover report, the location details and the extension decision.
- The permit holder’s departure and return documents.
- Where applicable, documents concerning a breakdown, accident, health condition or an application to correct the record.
Conclusion
It is possible to leave Türkiye and leave a foreign-plated vehicle behind; however, the customs formality required for travel without the vehicle must be completed in advance. The non-use undertaking should be seen as the option that keeps the vehicle in a private place, bearing in mind that the permit period continues to run. In handover to customs supervision, the official record and the periods spent under supervision must be tracked.
Proper planning considers the departure date, the vehicle’s remaining period, the time to be spent abroad and who will look after the vehicle, all together. Keeping the records showing that the formality has been completed makes it easier both to manage the period and to assess a possible penalty or handover dispute.
Related articles: Bringing a Vehicle from Abroad: Conditions, Periods and Customs Formalities; Bringing a Foreign-Plated Vehicle to Türkiye and Sending It Abroad through a Shipping Company; Customs Penalty and Detention of a Foreign-Plated Vehicle: Appeal and Recovery of the Vehicle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I leave the vehicle in a private garage and leave by plane?
This option can be considered by completing a suitable non-use undertaking before departure. Leaving the vehicle in a garage is not sufficient on its own, and the vehicle’s permit period continues to run.
Can I give the undertaking online?
The legislation allows an electronic undertaking. The current formality steps in the Ministry’s Foreign-Plated Vehicle Transactions application should be followed, and the completion record should be kept.
Can my spouse use the car while I am abroad?
A vehicle left under a non-use undertaking cannot be used. The fact that the spouse is also resident abroad does not give a right of use during this period.
Does the undertaking extend the vehicle’s period?
No. As long as the vehicle remains in Türkiye without being placed under customs supervision, the current permit period continues to run.
Does every car park count as customs supervision?
No. Storage at a private facility can have this character only within an official handover and supervision formality that customs considers suitable.
How long can a vehicle handed over to customs wait?
The general supervision period is three months. An extension of up to three months is possible on request; it is not automatic. At the end of the period, the conditions for disposal are assessed separately.
I left three times without notification; are three penalties imposed?
Under Article 27/4 of the Communiqué, departures within this scope up to the date of detection are treated as a single act. Different violations and new conduct after detection are examined separately.
How much is the penalty for leaving without notification in 2026?
The penalty under 241/6-e is TRY 11,952, eight times the 2026 base amount. An obligation arising from another violation should not be assumed to be included in this amount.
Sources
- Customs General Communiqué on Temporarily Imported Land Vehicles (Geçici İthal Edilen Kara Taşıtlarına İlişkin Gümrük Genel Tebliği, Series No:1), especially Arts. 27, 29 and 32, Annex-7 and Annex-8. Ministry legislation index; current version reviewed.
- Ministry of Trade, Vehicles Accompanying Passengers, explanations on departure without the vehicle, undertaking, periods and customs supervision.
- Ministry of Trade, 25.03.2026, A New Era in Foreign-Plated Vehicle Transactions; official application.
- Amending Communiqué (Series No:9), Official Gazette 14.08.2026, No. 33340, Arts. 2–3. Accessible copy of the Official Gazette text.
- Customs Law No. 4458 (Gümrük Kanunu), Arts. 241/6-e and 242. Official legislation address; version reviewed.
- Customs General Communiqué (Customs Procedures) (Series No:217), Official Gazette 17.12.2025, No. 33110, 2026 amount under Article 241. Ministry legislation index; version reviewed.
- Council of State (Danıştay) 7th Chamber, 24.11.2023, E.2021/633, K.2023/4551. Access to the decision — full text reviewed; in the historical case, taxes and repeated Article 238 penalties were separated; the link may require membership.