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Legal basis: Customs Law No. 4458, Articles 238, 241 and 242; Anti-Smuggling Law No. 5607, Article 3; Decision No. 2009/15481, Articles 3, 16 to 20 and 43; Regulation on Tolls and Administrative Fines for Foreign-Plated Vehicles on Toll Roads and Their Collection (Official Gazette 29.07.2026). Prepared using legislation in force in 2026, the February 2026 judgment of the General Criminal Assembly of the Court of Cassation, and official sources dated November 2026.
Personal vehicles with foreign license plates may only be used by persons residing abroad under the temporary import regime and for certain periods of time in Turkey. The sanctions are gradual in the statute of limitations: within the first three months, an administrative fine is imposed in the amount of one-fourth of the vehicle's customs duties for violations exceeding three months. The vehicle is prohibited from being used, loaned or sold to a resident in Turkey. In its judgment of 25.02.2026, the General Assembly of the Court of Cassation described the use of a legally entered vehicle by a resident as a customs offence and not a trafficking offense. As of July 2026, the vehicle with unpaid highway transit debt is also not allowed to go abroad.
Who Can Use Foreign Plate Tool in Turkey?
The temporary import permit is subject to the condition that the vehicle has been registered on behalf of a resident outside the Customs Area of Turkey and outside this territory (Application Decision Art.16/1-a). The settlement is defined as where the person lived for at least 185 days in a year (m.3/1-z). This measure, known in practice as the "185-day rule", determines whether expatriate citizens are considered to be resident abroad.
Council 10. In its decision dated 25.05.2021 and numbered E.2016/2455, K.2021/2626, the agency found it lawful not to grant temporary import permission to the vehicle of the person staying in Turkey for 221 days in the last year. The requirement for 185 days is not sought in some cases (m.19/5) for pensioners from abroad and foreign pensioners who have a residence permit in Turkey. For the purpose of working or studying for a specific period, those who come may also use their tools during this time (m.19/2).
How Long Are Temporary Import Times?
Implementation Decision 20. According to the article, personal land vehicles of persons residing abroad are given 24 months. Vehicles of pensioners from abroad are allowed for two years and vehicles of foreign pensioners with a residence permit are permitted for the duration of the residence permit. Students' vehicles are granted a period of study, and staff's vehicles are permitted during the term of office. The same periods shall be renewed if they are applied before the end of the periods granted to pensioners and the requirement for re-residentship abroad is restored (m.19/8).
Vehicles of persons who have completed these periods or have failed to meet the settlement requirement, but have resided in the European Union, EFTA, or United Kingdom, are given one month per year (m.20/1-c-6).
Can the Vehicle Use a Resident Relative in Turkey?
Temporary imported vehicle cannot be rented, borrowed, left for use by another and sold (Application Decision Art.43/1). The exceptions to this prohibition are narrow. In case of an emergency, the resident may use the vehicle provided that the owner is in the vehicle (m.17/1-c). A non-consistent use is also possible (m.18), with the consent of the right holder and provided that he or she is in Turkey.
If the owner leaves Türkiye without the vehicle and fails to notify customs, a fine equal to eight times the basic irregularity fine applies under Article 241, paragraph six, subparagraph (e), of the Customs Law. In 2026, the amount is TL 11,952. If the vehicle is found to have been used by a person resident in Türkiye during that period, sanctions for breach of the customs regime may also apply.
The established measure Living abroad for at least 185 days in a year backwards from the last entrance (m.3)
Pensioners Two years for pensioners from abroad; for the duration of a residence permit to foreign retirees
Infringement exceeding three months Administrative fine in the amount of a quarter of customs taxes (m.238/1-b)
What Penalties Are Applied in Time Overtime?
The Customs Act gradually punishes the statute of limitations. 241 if the vehicle is abroad within a month after the end of the period. In accordance with subparagraph (l) of the third paragraph of the article, a penalty of double irregularities shall be imposed; this amount is TL 2,988 in 2026. If he is deported within two months, four times (5,976 TL) according to the subparagraph of the fourth paragraph (g), and six times (8,964 TL) according to the subparagraph of the fifth paragraph (b) if he is deported in vehicles within three months.
For violations exceeding three months and for regime violations such as the use of the vehicle by resident persons, 238. The subparagraph (b) of the first paragraph of the article comes into play. According to this provision, vehicles for temporary importation with full exemption shall be fined an administrative amount of one-fourth of the vehicle's customs duties amount. Since the calculation is done on taxes to be taken in the import of the vehicle, this penalty can reach serious amounts, especially in vehicles with high engine volumes. Council 7. In its decision dated 09.03.2022 and numbered E.2019/6, K.2022/943, the agency explained the gradual system and emphasized that the lehe law principle would also apply to customs fines.
Is it a Smuggling Crime for the Resident to Use the Vehicle?
The General Assembly of the Court of Cassation, in its decision dated 25.02.2026 and numbered E.2024/382, K.2026/122, 238 of the Customs Code for the use of the vehicle which entered the country legally under the temporary import regime by a resident in Turkey. He considered it a misdemeanor under his article. The majority in the decision is the 3rd Amendment to Act 5607. He admitted that he did not constitute a trafficking offence in his article. Supreme Court 7. The Criminal Office also maintained the same approach in its decision dated 14.05.2026 and numbered E.2023/14559, K.2026/5960. Whereas, in its decision dated 02.03.2021 and numbered E.2020/4912, K.2021/3094, the same Office considered the act of smuggling a defendant who bought the vehicle abroad and brought it into a foreign person's home for permanent use. The presence of opposing votes in the Criminal General Assembly decision requires that the characteristics of the concrete event be evaluated separately in each file.
This drink is not unlimited. Acts intended to "nationalize" the vehicle, such as installing fake plates or licenses, changing chassis and engine numbers, or attempting to register the vehicle with fraudulent documents, may raise charges of trafficking and forgery. In addition, Law No. 5607 3. The fourth paragraph of the article stipulates a prison sentence of one year to three years for the person who pretends to have been smuggled out of the country by cheating on temporary imported goods.
Can a car with a highway debt go abroad?
With the new Regulation enacted on 29 July 2026, unpaid highway and bridge crossing debts of foreign licensee vehicles are electronically questioned at the border gate. The vehicle is not allowed to go abroad without a debt collection. There is no penalty for payment made within 15 days from the breach pass. In the amount of the toll on payment within the next 30 days, 45. After the day, an administrative fine is collected in the amount of four times the transit fee.
Event Summary Form: Fictional example: A citizen living in Germany left his vehicle, which he brought to Turkey during the summer break, to his brother who lives in Izmir while returning abroad. The brother used the vehicle for several months, and a routine inspection confiscated the vehicle. Process: The customs administration has accrued an administrative fine in the amount of one-fourth of the vehicle's customs duties due to a misdemeanor and regime violation because the vehicle owner did not report its non-vehicle exit. He was also investigated for smuggling charges against the brother. Conclusion: In accordance with the decision of the General Assembly of the Court of Cassation dated 2026, it is not a crime but an offence to use the vehicle that entered the country legally and was protected in the same way by the resident. The criminal file must be based on this jurisprudence and contested within 15 days against the administrative fine. The amount of the fine and the conditions for the return of the vehicle must also be assessed.
How long can the vehicle with foreign license plates stay in Turkey?
Personal land vehicles of persons residing abroad are given a period of 24 months. Separate periods are applied for pensioners, students and officials.
How is the 185-day rule calculated?
You must have lived abroad for at least 185 days in a one-year period backwards from the last date of entry into Turkey. The person who does not meet this requirement is not resident abroad.
Can the car owner use the vehicle while abroad, his wife or brother in Turkey?
He can't use it as a rule. Exceptional use cases depend on the presence of the vehicle owner in Turkey or in the vehicle. Otherwise, it would lead to regime violation sanctions.
How much punishment does it take to exceed the deadline by a few days?
If the vehicle is carried out abroad within one month after the end of the term, a fine of TL 2,988 shall be imposed for 2026. The penalty gradually increases as the delay time increases.
Does the resident's driving require a prison sentence?
According to the General Assembly of the Court of Cassation Resolution 25.02.2026, the use of a vehicle entering through legal means is not a trafficking offence but a customs offense. The use of fake plates or documents creates separate crimes.
Is it possible to get off the border with a car that owes highway debt?
As of July 2026, the vehicle is not allowed to travel abroad without collection of unpaid transit fees and penalties. Payment can also be made at the border crossing.
Not counting the 185-day rule and not realizing that the requirement for foreign residency has been lost. Failure to notify customs administration of unattended travel abroad. Leaving the vehicle to a resident relative or friend in Turkey. The difference between statute of limitations and regime violation is not known, and overpayment. Failure to rely on the 2026 jurisprudence of the General Assembly of the Supreme Court in criminal investigation.
Disputes with vehicles with foreign license plates are an area where customs administrative fines and criminal proceedings intersect, and the jurisprudence became distinctly clear in 2026. Proper characterization determines both the amount of punishment and the outcome of the vehicle. The Küheylan Law Office provides legal support in investigations and prosecutions against customs penalties for vehicles with foreign license plates, extradition of confiscated vehicles, and alleged trafficking.
Important Legal Notice: The legal statements contained in this guide are prepared by the Küheylan Law Office for general informational purposes and do not qualify as legal counsel. The unique conditions of each file can change the result. Legal support from a lawyer is recommended before the process begins so that application, appeal and trial deadlines are not missed. © 2026 Küheylan Law Office. All Rights Reserved.
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