Moving to Turkey

If one would like to live in Turkey, one will have to get a residence visa. All relevant documents must be submitted to the Turkish Consulate General at least eight weeks before departing from one’s home country (depending on visa issuances, nationals of European Union countries and nationals of Australia, Canada, Iceland, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland and USA may be issued a one year resident visa in a week).

After obtaining a visa, it is important to register with the local police force within a month of arriving in Turkey in order to secure a residence permit. Extensions for residence permits should be done before the expiration of the current permit with the same local police office.

Household items and office furniture can be brought into Turkey via a system called ‘Temporary Import’, for as long as the residence permit’s validity is good for more than a year. A deposit is made, which will be returned once settling back to one’s home country. Another option is that one needs to submit a bank guarantee letter from a Turkish or international bank that will ensure all relevant taxes and duties are paid if the goods remain in Turkey for 5 years or more.

Pets are welcome in Turkey. However ensure that the pets have all the correct health and vaccination certificates before traveling. A veterinary health certificate is required, no more than 10 days old. The animal must also have had a rabies vaccination between 15 days and 6 months before the day of departure.

There are limitations to the number of animals to be brought into the country. Each person is allowed either one cat or a dog or a bird or ten fishes.

For people on a tourist visa, personal cars can be brought to Turkey and kept for 6 months for every 12 months in Turkey. If one has a resident’s permit but no working permit, the car cannot be brought into the country. For those who have work permits (or are retired), one can get the employer to submit a letter to the local Customs department stating that all the relevant duties and taxes of the car will be paid and that the car will remain in Turkey for the duration of one’s employment. Once approval has been gained, special number plates for foreign workers must be secured for the car.

Retirees are allowed to bring cars into Turkey and keep it there for as long as the retirees are living in the country. It is recommended that retirees register with the Turkish Touring and Automobile Club. To apply, retirees need to supply officials with their passports, resident’s permits, official retirement documents (in Turkish) and car registration documents. A bank letter from the retirees’ home country must be submitted stating that all relevant duties and taxes will be settled if the car is not taken out of Turkey when leaving the country.

Another option in avoiding the hassles and paperwork involved bringing a car into Turkey, one can buy a car in the country for as long as one possesses a resident’s permit.

To drive legally in Turkey one will need to:
- Translate current driving license into Turkish and notarised/legalised.
- Have a resident’s permit
- Submit a blood type certificate
- Submit 3 passport size photos
- Have a full medical examination at either a private or state hospital.

These documents must be presented to the local transport registrar at the local police headquarters.

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Moving to Turkey

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