Entering Türkiye lawfully with a foreign-plated vehicle does not mean that anyone may drive it. For a vehicle brought in under tourist facilitation, the authority to use it depends on conditions such as who the customs permit holder is, where the driver resides, the family relationship and whether the permit holder is in Türkiye or inside the vehicle.
After the amendment that entered into force on August 14, 2026, it is expressly regulated that other persons residing abroad may also drive the vehicle while the permit holder is in it. This amendment does not give a general right to drive to friends or relatives who are resident in Türkiye. The explanations below focus on the tourist temporary import regime as of October 15, 2026; the special rules for vehicles brought in for work or study purposes are noted separately.
First distinguish the owner, the permit holder and the driver
The owner named on the registration certificate and the permit holder in whose name the customs record was created when the vehicle was brought into Türkiye are not always the same person. The vehicle may have been brought in under a power of attorney or may be rented. For this reason, at an inspection it is not enough to say "the vehicle belongs to our family"; it must be determined which person holds rights in which capacity. [1, 2, 3]
The owner is the person named in the ownership document. The permit holder is the person who bears responsibility for the temporary import record. The actual driver is the person driving the vehicle at the time of the inspection. In examining the authority to use, these three persons are matched against the power of attorney, if any, and the entry record. A driver’s license, traffic insurance and the permission to use granted under private law are also required; however, these alone do not lift the customs restriction on use.
For example, if an owner living abroad has had the car brought in under a power of attorney by another person resident abroad, the owner’s later arrival in Türkiye does not change the customs record by itself. The necessary change of record must be made through the relevant legislation and a customs procedure. Actually driving the vehicle first and then trying to correct the record may lead to a dispute.
Current table of use
Read together, Article 26 of the Communiqué, Decision No. 2009/15481 and the provisions on exit without the vehicle produce the distinctions below. The table applies to a personal vehicle brought in under tourist facilitation. In every row, other conditions such as a valid driver’s license, insurance and the permit period must also be met. [2, 3, 4]
| Person who will drive the vehicle | Residence status | Basic condition |
|---|---|---|
| Customs permit holder | Appropriate entry status in place | May drive within the valid permit and the purpose of use |
| Spouse of the permit holder | Resident abroad | The permit holder must be in Türkiye |
| Ascendant or descendant of the permit holder | Resident abroad | The permit holder must be in Türkiye |
| Sibling, friend or other person | Resident abroad | The permit holder must be inside the vehicle |
| Spouse, child, sibling or friend | Resident in Türkiye | No ordinary tourist right of use |
| Person resident in Türkiye; genuine emergency | Resident in Türkiye | The vehicle owner must be in the vehicle for the duration of the emergency |
| Person remaining while the permit holder is abroad | Resident abroad or in Türkiye | May not drive the vehicle under an exit-without-the-vehicle undertaking |
"Being in Türkiye" and "being inside the vehicle" in the table are not the same condition. For a spouse residing abroad, the permit holder is not required to sit in the vehicle on every trip, whereas for the use by a friend who is not in the same position, the permit holder must be in the vehicle. This difference matters particularly when the driver changes on a long trip.
Spouse, children, parents and other relatives
Kinship alone is not enough
If a spouse or child lives in Türkiye, the family relationship alone does not give a right to drive a tourist foreign-plated vehicle. Foreign citizenship, or bearing the same surname, also does not replace the examination of residence. If the spouse is resident in Türkiye, the presence of the other spouse, who resides abroad, in the vehicle does not by itself lift the ordinary ban on use. [2, 3]
The phrase "first-degree relatives may drive" also does not fully match the legal categories. The regulation is based on the spouse and on ascendants and descendants. Parents and grandparents are ascendants; children and grandchildren are descendants. Siblings, cousins, brothers-in-law and friends are not covered. If they reside abroad, the condition, introduced by the 2026 amendment, that the permit holder be in the vehicle may be assessed separately. [3, 4]
Can the permit holder be in a different city while in Türkiye?
For a spouse, ascendant or descendant residing abroad, the permit holder being in Türkiye is different from being in the vehicle. Even so, the person driving the vehicle must be able to document the family relationship and residence conditions. Once the permit holder has left for abroad, this use cannot be continued. The official records of the exit date and of re-entry are therefore important.
As a hypothetical, an adult child resident in Germany driving the vehicle of a permit holder who is resident in Germany and staying in Türkiye does not have the same result as a child resident in Istanbul driving it. In the first case, use may be possible if the other conditions are also met; in the second, relying on the parent–child relationship alone is not sufficient.
What did the August 14, 2026 amendment bring?
Communiqué (Series No:9) amended subparagraph 26/1-a of Communiqué Series No:1. The new text also covers use by persons residing outside the Turkish Customs Territory, provided that the permit holder is in the vehicle. A clear provision has thus been created for a driver resident abroad who has no family tie. The amendment entered into force on the date of its publication. [4]
For this reason, the statement found in older articles, "even if the permit holder is in the vehicle, only the spouse, mother, father and children may drive," does not reflect the whole of the current rule. The limits of the new regulation must nevertheless be respected: the driver’s residence abroad and the permit holder’s presence in the vehicle are required together. Merely obtaining permission by telephone, handing over the key, or the permit holder being elsewhere in Türkiye is not sufficient for this category.
When a penalty issued at an earlier date is assessed, reading only today’s rule is also not sufficient. The date of the act, the regulation in force on that date and the applicability of a later, more favorable regulation are examined together. Without this examination, it cannot be said that all past penalties are automatically lifted.
Can a person resident in Türkiye drive in an emergency?
Article 17/1-c of Decision No. 2009/15481 regulates the use of a land vehicle intended for personal use by a person resident in Türkiye because of an emergency and for the duration of that emergency, provided that the vehicle owner is also in the vehicle. This narrow exception should not be broadened into a permission for ordinary daily use. [2]
In a genuine emergency, the nature, start and duration of the event matter. A medical intervention, an accident record or other concrete documents can show why someone else took the wheel. Travel fatigue, a wish to share the driving or the explanation "I only drove a few kilometers" is not, by itself, an emergency that meets all the conditions.
The evidence file should show together the identity of the driver, that the vehicle owner was in the vehicle, the timeline of the event and the scope of the urgent need. A general statement prepared afterwards does not in every case take the place of the records made at the time of the event.
For which transactions is a power of attorney useful?
Authority to bring the vehicle into Türkiye
Article 23 of the Communiqué regulates the authorization documents accepted for a vehicle belonging to the owner to be brought in by another person. A power of attorney certified by a notary or a foreign mission, documents certified by certain official authorities, an appropriate company authorization and a rental agreement may be used in different situations. Even so, the required residence condition for the person bringing in the vehicle is separately sought. [3]
The claim of free use within Türkiye
The words "may drive the vehicle" in a power of attorney do not by themselves bring a person resident in Türkiye into the group of permitted users under the customs regulation. The owner’s consent under private law and the temporary import right under public law are different. It should not be assumed that a general notarial power of attorney grants unlimited permission to use to a spouse, friend or employee in Türkiye.
Another person taking the vehicle out of the country
Article 29 of the Communiqué regulates the special procedure under which tourist vehicles may be taken out by another person resident abroad under a valid power of attorney. Steps such as applying to customs, closing the permit record and creating a new record are involved. Where an appropriately certified power of attorney exists, the application procedure may differ. This exit arrangement is not the same as transferring continuous use while the vehicle remains in Türkiye. [3]
Company, rental and temporarily registered vehicles
The entry of a vehicle registered in the name of a company abroad under tourist facilitation does not mean that the vehicle may be used freely in the daily business of a branch or agency in Türkiye. A company partnership or employment document explains the authority at entry; the purpose of use and the permit period are assessed separately. A vehicle belonging to a company does not make everyone who drives it permitted as a company employee. [3, 5]
For a rental vehicle, the drivers permitted under the rental agreement and the territorial scope are examined. That the agreement allows an additional driver does not remove the customs conditions. Conversely, meeting the conditions of use at customs does not remove a driver restriction in the rental agreement or the insurance.
Vehicles brought in under a temporary entry document, a Temporary Entry Carnet for Foreign Vehicles or a Form, because of work, duty or study, must be assessed separately. Article 26 of the Communiqué contains different provisions concerning the spouse, ascendants and descendants and, in certain duty situations, a driver employed under a special service contract. These provisions cannot be carried over to all tourist vehicles; the annotations in the temporary traffic registration and the customs permit must be read. [2, 3]
Which documents matter at an inspection?
At an inspection, the actual use and the legal authority must be shown at the same time. In addition to the registration certificate and the driver’s license, records explaining the relationship in the specific situation should be prepared. Instead of collecting unnecessary personal data, documents relevant to the condition of use should be selected.
- The vehicle’s registration certificate, temporary import record and period-end information.
- The passport or identity details of the permit holder and the driver.
- An appropriate document showing the driver’s residence abroad.
- If necessary, a record showing the marriage or descent.
- An event record showing that the permit holder is in Türkiye or in the vehicle.
- If any, the power of attorney specific to entry or exit and the customs procedure.
- Valid traffic insurance, the rental agreement and the relevant driver conditions.
The record of the inspection should make clear who the driver is, whether the permit holder was in the vehicle and what document was relied on. If there is a missing or erroneous record, the document received and the date of notification should be preserved while its correction is requested. Surrender of the vehicle to customs, a monetary fine and judicial seizure may be different acts; treating them all under a single heading of "seizure" can lead to the wrong application route.
Penalty and application in the case of unauthorized use
In a breach of the temporary import conditions, Article 19 of the Communiqué and Article 238 of the Customs Law come into play. For a vehicle intended for private use brought in with full exemption, one quarter of the amount of the customs duties is taken as the basis under 238/1-b; the statutory lower limit is also taken into account. This rate is not directly 25 percent of the vehicle’s sale price. Separate proceedings may be brought against the vehicle owner or permit holder and against the unauthorized user; the addressee and the attribution of the act to the person must be examined in every decision. [1, 3, 5]
Cancellation of the permit and the possibility of the vehicle being taken over by the customs administration are a separate matter from the payment of the fine. Paying the fine does not make past use permitted and does not provide free use going forward. A smuggling investigation or confiscation requires separate statutory conditions; it cannot be said that every unauthorized drive automatically results in confiscation.
In a proceeding subject to Article 242 of the Customs Law, an administrative objection within fifteen days of notification is important. The competent court and the time limit for suit after the objection are determined separately. In the decision of the 7th Chamber of the Council of State (Danıştay) dated March 13, 2025, E.2023/1907, K.2025/1150, the dismissal on time-limit grounds, without reaching the merits of a penalty imposed for unauthorized use, was upheld. The exceeding of the thirty-day time limit for tax suits was decisive in the file. The decision did not carry out a merits review of who may drive the vehicle; its importance here is that a wrong assumption about the time limit can prevent the defense from being examined. [1, 6]
Conclusion
The authority to use a foreign-plated vehicle cannot be explained by a family tie or a power of attorney alone. The permit record, the driver’s residence and the location of the permit holder must be examined together. The August 14, 2026 amendment opens room for third parties resident abroad, but it did not introduce a general permission for the ordinary use by persons resident in Türkiye. These conditions should be verified with documents before the vehicle is driven; in the event of a sanction, the act, the addressee, the calculation and the application deadline must be examined separately.
Related articles: Bringing a Vehicle from Abroad: Conditions, Periods and Customs Procedures; Leaving the Country While Leaving the Vehicle in Türkiye: The Non-Use Undertaking and Surrender to Customs; Expiry of the Period for a Foreign-Plated Vehicle: Departure from the Country, Overstay and Re-entry; Entering Türkiye with a Vehicle Under a Power of Attorney, Rental or Company Vehicle: Documents and Limits on Use.
Frequently Asked Questions
My spouse lives in Türkiye; may he or she drive while I am in the vehicle?
For tourist vehicles, merely being the spouse and the permit holder being in the vehicle does not give a spouse resident in Türkiye an ordinary right to drive. The genuine emergency exception is subject to separate conditions.
May my sibling who lives abroad drive the vehicle?
A sibling is not an ascendant or descendant. Under the current regulation, a sibling residing abroad may drive while the permit holder is inside the vehicle, provided the other conditions are also met.
May my child who lives abroad drive the vehicle alone?
It is possible if the permit holder is in Türkiye and the conditions of residence abroad and descent are met. Once the permit holder has left for abroad, the use cannot be continued.
Does a notarial power of attorney give my friend in Türkiye the right to drive?
Not by itself. A power of attorney does not remove the residence and permitted-user conditions in the customs legislation.
May the spouse drive while the permit holder is abroad?
Not if the vehicle was left in Türkiye under a non-use undertaking. For a spouse residing abroad too, the condition that the permit holder be in Türkiye is important.
Does the new rule automatically cancel old penalties?
No. The date of the act, the regulation of that period, the driver’s residence, the permit holder’s presence in the vehicle and the applicability of the more favorable regulation must be examined for the specific file.
Is the penalty one quarter of the vehicle’s price?
The rate under 238/1-b is applied to the amount of customs duties, not to the vehicle’s sale price. The elements of the calculation and the statutory lower limit are checked separately.
Are permission to use the vehicle and insurance coverage the same thing?
No. The authority to use at customs, the validity of the driver’s license, the rental agreement and the insurance coverage are examined separately.
Sources
- Customs Law No. 4458 (Gümrük Kanunu), especially Arts. 128, 238 and 242. Official legislation address; version reviewed.
- Decision No. 2009/15481, Arts. 16–20. Text copy reviewed.
- Customs General Communiqué on Temporarily Imported Land Vehicles (Geçici İthal Edilen Kara Taşıtlarına İlişkin Gümrük Genel Tebliği, Series No:1), especially Arts. 19, 23, 26, 27 and 29. Ministry legislation index; current version reviewed.
- Amending Communiqué (Series No:9), Official Gazette 14.08.2026, No. 33340, Arts. 2–3. Accessible copy of the Official Gazette text.
- Ministry of Trade, Vehicles Accompanying Passengers, especially the explanations on authority to use, company vehicles and exit without the vehicle.
- Council of State 7th Chamber (Danıştay 7. Daire), 13.03.2025, E.2023/1907, K.2025/1150. Access to the decision — full text reviewed; a dismissal on time-limit grounds, not a decision on the merits regarding authority to use; the link may require a membership.