A product bought from abroad waiting at customs does not always mean seizure or a smuggling procedure. A missing document, a valuation review, a product safety requirement or the failure to submit a proper declaration can halt delivery. After the amendment that entered into force on February 6, 2026, the former simplified approach for the 30-euro threshold can no longer be used for general low-value purchases; the current import procedure appropriate to the product must be determined. [1, 2]
To reach a solution, one should first find out where the goods are, which procedure they are waiting for and which documents are requested. Correspondence with the carrier, a statutory appeal against a customs decision and a refund of the price from the seller are separate processes.
What did the 2026 amendment change?
Presidential Decision No. 10813 amended the relevant provisions of Decision No. 2009/15481. The single flat-duty procedure generally used for non-commercial consignments not exceeding 30 euros has been abolished; a special arrangement has been retained for certain medicine and food supplement consignments. This change should not be interpreted as "all overseas purchases have been banned." [1]
The former 30-euro arrangement was not a right to buy duty-free for all products either. Describing the new period as "the duty-free 30 euros has been abolished" can therefore be misleading. The main change is that for products falling outside the scope, normal import procedures and the related obligations come into play.
The Ministry of Trade's Circular No. 2026/4 removed the former lower-threshold wording with respect to the detailed declaration and stated that the amendments would enter into force on February 6, 2026. In files falling in the transition period, the order, payment, dispatch and declaration dates should be recorded separately; it should not be assumed that the former procedure is preserved merely by looking at the order date. [2]
What do 1,500 euros and 30 kilograms mean?
According to the Ministry's current explanation, an authorized express cargo operator may submit a detailed declaration for non-commercial goods intended for personal use that do not exceed 30 kilograms gross and 1,500 euros. Import taxes and other obligations are fulfilled. This amount is not a limit for duty-free entry or fixed-rate delivery for all products. [3]
| Situation of the consignment | Procedure to examine | Deciding point |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary online purchase | Normal import and proper declaration | Product class, value, permits and taxes |
| Eligible personal book or printed publication | Special exemption arrangement | Non-commercial nature and the relevant value condition |
| Medicine or supplement dependent on prescription or report | Procedure with special conditions | Product, document, amount and purpose of use |
| Passenger's personal effects arriving separately | Special arrangement for passenger effects | Item list and time link to the trip |
| Sample or research model | Special definition and document conditions | Actual purpose of use and eligibility |
A low amount does not remove a prohibition or permit requirement applicable to a product. That a product is freely sold abroad does not show that it can be delivered to Türkiye by the same shipping method. Being able to select a Türkiye address on the sales page also does not mean customs acceptance.
How can one find out why the product is waiting?
The short status message on the cargo tracking screen may not be a sufficient legal explanation. First, the carrier should be asked in writing for the transport document number, the location of the goods, the relevant customs office, the declaration number if there is one and the reason for the hold. The Ministry explains that shipment tracking is carried out through the carrier or PTT. [3]
Next, the following distinction should be drawn: Has the document not yet been given to the carrier, is customs requesting an additional document, is an import condition for the product missing, or has a tax or penalty decision been served? The addressee of the application changes according to this distinction. The mere fact that the shipment is in the warehouse does not show that a final adverse administrative decision has been made.
Especially for goods that cannot be imported or have been put under other examination, one should not be satisfied with a generic customer-service message such as "it will be released once you pay the tax." A written decision or a list of deficiencies shows which procedure can really be carried out.
Which documents should be prepared for customs?
The product page and the order screen should show the same goods and price as the invoice. If there is a discount, coupon, shipping fee or combined payment, their relationship should be explained. What the product is used for matters as much as its brand and model; a generic description such as "accessory" may not be enough for correct tariff classification.
- Commercial invoice or sales document and payment record.
- Order number, product link and technical description.
- Transport document, tracking number and notification dates.
- Recipient details and, if necessary, a power of attorney.
- Prescription, report, permit or conformity documents specific to the product.
- If any, the customs decision, account statement and record of service.
A seller writing "gift" on the invoice or showing a zero price does not eliminate the real value of the goods. Instead of having a false document prepared, the existing sale and payment relationship should be explained. If the documents show a different buyer, the person in whose name the actual transaction was made should be determined.
How are taxes and the cargo company's charges distinguished?
Customs duty, import VAT and other financial obligations depending on the product are public receivables. Service fees such as transport, storage and brokerage, on the other hand, are separate items. A single total of "customs expenses" may not show which amount is demanded on which legal ground. The Ministry also distinguishes its own tax collection from the carrier's service fees. [3]
The transport cost up to the Turkish point of entry is included in the value calculation. In the Ministry's explanation, a benchmark freight of 3 euros is stated to apply if freight is not shown separately in the relevant document. This amount does not mean that the whole transport fee of every package is 3 euros in all circumstances. [3]
Fees under the simplified procedure and the detailed declaration
The specific fee prohibitions in Art. 127 of the Decision are linked to the scope of the relevant simplified procedure. Fee limits of that kind, such as brokerage, delivery-order and terminal-type fees, and the free storage rule for the first three days, should not be carried over automatically to all detailed declaration files. In a detailed declaration, the basis and tariff of the fee requested are examined separately. [3, 4]
A tax assessment and a service invoice should be requested separately from the carrier. For storage (ardiye), the start date, whether a free period was applied and the daily rate; for brokerage, the work performed and the scope of authority should be explained. In an objection, it should be stated clearly which part of the fee is contested and why.
Personal use, sample and passenger effects exceptions
The 430-euro souvenir allowance for a passenger traveling with goods does not apply to ordinary postal purchases. Separate shipment of personal effects that the passenger could not bring along is subject to special conditions linked to the trip. A new purchase should not be accepted as falling within this scope merely because a trip was made. [3, 4]
Circular No. 2026/4 regulates the person, institution, project and document conditions for models intended for research and development. The relevant model route has a limit of 30 euros per shipment and five transport documents per month. This does not mean that the former 30-euro procedure continues for general online purchases. The product's actual connection with the project and the applicant's eligibility must be documented. [2]
Similarly, a sample being written as free on the invoice may not be sufficient. The product's function as a sample, its presentation and its purpose of use are examined. Sending many full products for sale under the name "sample" does not satisfy the special conditions.
Points of attention for phones, cosmetics and supplements
Bringing a new phone by post or express cargo is not a procedure that can be resolved merely by paying tax. The return of a phone previously registered in Türkiye and forgotten on a trip is subject to different conditions. For medicines and supplements, too, the relationship between the prescription or report, the quantity and the use is checked. [3]
For cosmetic products, the statement "cannot be brought in as exempt" is not the same as the conclusion that every kind of normal import is prohibited. The amendment in Circular No. 2026/4 and the import conditions to which the product is subject should be read together. A general prohibition wording from older articles should not be repeated directly. [2, 3]
For goods put under examination because of product safety, health or intellectual property, the options of delivery and return shipment may be limited. Without knowing the basis of the decision, it should not be said that every package can necessarily be returned.
The operator's authority of representation and the Council of State decision
An authorized postal or express cargo operator being able to carry out procedures is different from the physical transport service alone. The scope of the authority of representation and the recipient's responsibility for the declaration information should be assessed together. Giving the carrier incomplete or incorrect information may make it difficult to place the whole of the resulting problem on the carrier.
In its decision of 02.12.2025, E. 2022/7198, K. 2025/5652, the 10th Chamber of the Council of State (Danıştay 10. Daire) rejected the request for annulment of the relevant declaration sections of Circular No. 2022/9. The decision assessed, within the statutory framework, the indirect representation authority of postal and express cargo operators and the scope of the normal declaration. [5]
This decision is not a current exemption table that determines all the amount and product rules in 2026. Moreover, the text consulted shows the appeal route as open; it should not be presented as a final decision without separately verifying finality. The current practice in this article is built on later legislation and Ministry explanations.
Return shipment and refund of the price if the product will not be taken
If the entry procedure of the product into Türkiye will not be completed, the carrier's and customs conditions for return shipment or another appropriate procedure should be learned. The request should be made in writing; the location of the goods, the shipment number and the procedure requested should be stated clearly. The date that will apply to the file for the storage or disposal period should be learned separately.
Physical return shipment and refund of the sales price are separate outcomes. The seller, the platform, the carrier and the customs administration are not the same counterparty. The seller's acceptance of the return does not by itself show that the shipment has left customs; nor does exit from customs show that the seller has paid the money.
The return approval, the return tracking number, the shipment's delivery record and correspondence with the seller should be kept. If tax has been paid, the conditions for refund are examined separately; it should not be assumed that all public and service charges will be refunded automatically when the product goes back. A card chargeback objection or a consumer claim is also subject to its own conditions and time limits.
How is an objection to a customs decision assessed?
Against taxes, penalties and administrative decisions served under Art. 242 of Law No. 4458, there is generally an objection route within 15 days to a higher authority, or to the same authority if there is no higher one. The scope of the concrete decision, the date of service and the subsequent judicial route are examined separately. A support record with the carrier does not replace this objection. [6]
For example, if the dispute concerns the value of the product, the payment document and the incorrect calculation item; if it concerns tariff classification, the technical characteristics and the reasoning for the proposed classification should be explained. If delivery is not made because of a missing permit, objecting only to the tax amount may not remove the real obstacle.
A private-law dispute over the carrier's own service fee and a decision given by the customs administration with public power should not be treated as subject to the same application. If there is a judicial seizure, a separate review is needed for the criminal file.
Conclusion
For a shipment waiting at customs, the solution begins with correctly determining the product's status and the reason for the hold. After the 2026 amendment, a low price does not provide a guarantee of simplified delivery. Documents, taxes, service fees and return options should be explained separately; the time limits for decisions that have been served must not be missed during cargo correspondence.
Related articles: Bringing Gold, Jewelry and Valuable Watches from Abroad: Declaration, Customs and Seizure Issues; Bringing Cash into Türkiye and Taking Money Out of Türkiye: Declaration, Disclosure and Sanctions; Bringing Phones, Computers and Electronic Goods from Abroad: Exemption, Tax and Registration Procedures; Bringing Goods into Türkiye with a Passenger: Customs Exemptions and Declaration Obligation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do purchases under 30 euros still arrive under the former procedure?
For general low-value purchases, the former approach cannot be used after February 6, 2026. The special model and other exceptions have their own conditions.
Is every product up to 1,500 euros duty-free?
No. This amount has different functions in different regulations. In a general consignment, import taxes and other obligations continue.
Can I use the 430 euros granted to passengers for cargo?
The passenger souvenir exemption does not apply to ordinary postal or express cargo purchases. Genuine passenger effects arriving separately are subject to special conditions.
Is it enough for the invoice to say gift?
No. The real nature, value and purpose of use of the goods are examined. A label alone does not create an exemption.
Is all the money the cargo company asks for customs duty?
No. Tax and service fees such as transport, brokerage and storage should be shown separately.
Is storage free for the first three days on all cargo?
It must be checked to which declaration and authority scope the regulation on the free period applies. The rule does not automatically extend to all detailed declaration procedures.
Are cosmetic products prohibited under all conditions?
The absence of an exemption is not the same as normal import being impossible. The current regulation and the import conditions for the product should be examined together.
If I send the product back, will all my expenses be refunded?
Not automatically. The refund conditions for the sales price, customs duty and the carrier's service fees are assessed separately.
Does complaining to the cargo company stop the objection period?
An application to the carrier does not replace the statutory objection against a customs decision and does not stop the period automatically.
Is every product waiting at customs treated as contraband?
No. A missing document or the wait for a normal procedure can also delay delivery. Whether there is a judicial procedure becomes clear from the decision and the file information.
Sources
- Presidential Decision No. 10813, 07.01.2026, Official Gazette 33130; Ministry of Trade explanation of the e-import regulation. Instead of the February 1 wording in the press release, the Decision's thirty-day provision and the explicit date of February 6, 2026 in Circular No. 2026/4 were used for the entry into force.
- Ministry of Trade, Circular No. 2026/4, amendment to Circular No. 2022/9; three-page official text.
- Ministry of Trade, Postal and Express Cargo Exemption, 05.03.2026; explanations on declaration, product conditions, freight, fees and shipment tracking.
- Decision No. 2009/15481, Arts. 45, 58, 62, 86, 126–127; later amendments and current Ministry explanations were assessed together.
- Council of State 10th Chamber, 02.12.2025, E. 2022/7198, K. 2025/5652, decision record. The full text was reviewed; finality has not been separately verified.
- Customs Law No. 4458, provisions on representation, customs procedures, refund and the Art. 242 objection. Access and comparison details are in the technical file.
Source check date: October 15, 2026. The legislation in force on the order and declaration date, product-specific permits and the decision as served must be checked separately.