FOREIGN NATIONALS DRIVING IN TÜRKİYE AND EXCHANGE OF FOREIGN DRIVING LICENCES

FOREIGN NATIONALS DRIVING IN TÜRKİYE AND EXCHANGE OF FOREIGN DRIVING LICENCES

Legal Framework, Current Legislation and Practical Guide

GENERAL FRAMEWORK: WHAT IS THE EXCHANGE OF A FOREIGN DRIVING LICENCE?

The exchange of a foreign driving licence is the process of replacing a valid driving licence issued abroad with a Turkish driving licence issued by the authorities of the Republic of Türkiye. Since the procedure was transferred from the General Directorate of Security on 1 January 2016, it has been administered by the General Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs (NVİGM), and applications are filed with provincial or district population directorates.

However, not every foreign driving licence is eligible for exchange. Exchange is possible only where the country that issued the licence is a party to the 1968 Convention on Road Traffic (Vienna Convention), to which Türkiye is also a party, or has concluded a bilateral agreement with Türkiye on the mutual recognition and exchange of driving licences. As a rule, licences issued by countries that are not parties to the Convention and have no bilateral agreement with Türkiye cannot be exchanged for a Turkish licence. Persons holding such licences must complete the process of obtaining a driving licence anew under Turkish law in order to drive in Türkiye.

LEGAL BASIS

The principal rules governing the exchange of foreign driving licences for Turkish driving licences are contained in the following legislation:

• Road Traffic Law No. 2918, particularly Articles 38 and 42.

• Article 88 of the Road Traffic Regulation, which regulates the period for using foreign driving licences and the return of exchanged foreign licences to the issuing country.

• The 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic and the supplementary European Agreement.

• The General Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs’ “Implementation Instruction on Driving Licence Procedures”, which regulates the administrative process in detail.

• Population Services Law No. 5490, which sets out the principles for processing biometric data collected during an application.

PERIOD FOR USING A FOREIGN DRIVING LICENCE IN TÜRKİYE

Under Article 88 of the Road Traffic Regulation, foreign nationals who are not Turkish citizens may use a driving licence issued abroad for a maximum of six (6) months from the date of their most recent entry into Türkiye. This period begins on the date of the latest entry stamp in the passport.

At the end of six months, anyone wishing to continue driving in Türkiye is legally required to exchange the foreign driving licence for a Turkish driving licence. Driving after this period without completing the exchange is treated as driving without a licence and may result in serious sanctions under Article 36 of Law No. 2918, including an administrative fine and removal of the vehicle from traffic.

The exchange procedure is therefore particularly important for foreign nationals who establish residence in Türkiye, hold a residence permit or plan to remain for an extended period.

WHO MAY BENEFIT FROM THE EXCHANGE PROCEDURE?

The exchange procedure is available to persons who hold a valid foreign driving licence issued by a country whose licences are recognized by Türkiye. The first assessment before an application is whether the issuing country falls within an international convention to which Türkiye is a party or within a bilateral agreement.

There are three principal categories:

• Licences issued by countries that are parties to the Vienna Convention: These may be exchanged directly, without a theoretical or practical driving test.

• Licences issued by countries that have concluded a bilateral agreement with Türkiye: These may be exchanged under the terms of the relevant agreement.

• Licences issued by countries that are not parties to the Convention and have no bilateral agreement: These cannot be exchanged, and the person must obtain a driving licence from the beginning under Turkish law.

This classification must be examined carefully at the outset. Otherwise, an applicant who assumes that a licence can be exchanged directly in Türkiye may make an unsuccessful application and lose considerable time.

COUNTRIES WHOSE EXCHANGE APPLICATIONS ARE ACCEPTED

The following lists identify countries whose nationals may exchange a foreign driving licence for a Turkish driving licence. They are arranged in three categories: parties to the 1968 Convention on Road Traffic, countries with a bilateral agreement in force with the Republic of Türkiye on mutual recognition of driving licences, and other countries whose applications are accepted in practice.

The lists are for information only. Treaty participation, bilateral agreements and administrative practice may change over time. Applicants are advised to confirm the current status on the official website of the General Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs before applying.

COUNTRIES PARTY TO THE 1968 CONVENTION ON ROAD TRAFFIC

Valid driving licences issued by the following countries may, as a rule, be exchanged for Turkish driving licences without a theoretical or practical examination:

Albania

Armenia

Austria

Azerbaijan

Bahamas

Bahrain

Belarus

Belgium

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Brazil

Bulgaria

Central African Republic

Chile

Costa Rica

Côte d’Ivoire

Croatia

Cuba

Czech Republic

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Denmark

Ecuador

Estonia

Finland

France

Georgia

Germany

Ghana

Greece

Guyana

Hungary

Indonesia

Iran, Islamic Republic of

Israel

Italy

Kazakhstan

Kenya

Kuwait

Kyrgyzstan

Latvia

Liberia

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Mexico

Moldova

Monaco

Mongolia

Montenegro

Morocco

Netherlands

Niger

North Macedonia

Norway

Pakistan

Peru

Philippines

Poland

Portugal

Qatar

Republic of Korea

Romania

Russian Federation

San Marino

Senegal

Serbia

Seychelles

Slovakia

Slovenia

South Africa

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

Tajikistan

Thailand

Tunisia

Turkmenistan

Ukraine

United Arab Emirates

United Kingdom

Uruguay

Uzbekistan

Vatican City

Venezuela

Vietnam

Zimbabwe

Note: This list has been compiled from current information published by NVİGM and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Türkiye recognizes driving licences from states that are parties to this United Nations depositary convention. The list may change as new states accede or withdraw.

COUNTRIES WITH BILATERAL AGREEMENTS ON MUTUAL RECOGNITION OF DRIVING LICENCES

Under bilateral agreements currently in force with the Republic of Türkiye, national driving licences issued by the following countries may be exchanged for Turkish driving licences in accordance with the relevant agreement:

• Kingdom of Spain

• Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus

• Republic of Tunisia

The full texts of these agreements are available on the official NVİGM page entitled “Mutual Recognition of Driving Licences”. Spain is also a party to the 1968 Vienna Convention; accordingly, both legal grounds apply to Spanish citizens.

OTHER COUNTRIES WHOSE EXCHANGE APPLICATIONS ARE ACCEPTED

In addition to the two principal categories above, exchange applications are also accepted for licences issued by the following countries due to later accession to international agreements, administrative practice or de facto recognition based on reciprocity:

Andorra

Benin

Cabo Verde

Egypt

El Salvador

Honduras

Iraq

Liechtenstein

Maldives

Myanmar

Nigeria

Palestine

Saudi Arabia

Uganda

Important warning: For countries in this category, the discretion of the relevant population directorate, document verification procedures and current internal correspondence may sometimes be decisive. It is therefore important to have the file legally reviewed before applying and to confirm the current status with NVİGM.

DRIVING LICENCES THAT CANNOT BE EXCHANGED

As a rule, driving licences issued by countries outside the three categories above cannot be exchanged for Turkish driving licences. Citizens of those countries must obtain a licence anew under Turkish law in order to drive in Türkiye. This requires enrolling in a driving school and sitting the theoretical and practical examinations administered under the Ministry of National Education.

Special rules also apply to foreign driving licences issued on a temporary basis and to licences covered by diplomatic exemptions. Such cases require separate legal assessment.

DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR THE APPLICATION

Under the current Implementation Instruction of the General Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs, the following documents must be submitted or electronically verified when applying to exchange a foreign driving licence:

• Original foreign driving licence and a colour photocopy.

• Turkish translation of the foreign driving licence certified by a notary public or consulate.

• Identity document: valid passport and/or residence permit card issued by the Republic of Türkiye.

• Driver’s medical report confirming fitness to hold a driving licence; this may be obtained without an appointment from a private or public hospital.

• Educational certificate; if issued abroad, it must be accompanied by a notarized Turkish translation.

• Criminal record certificate.

• Information confirming payment of the driving licence fee, valuable paper fee and foundation contribution. Since payments are visible electronically, a separate receipt is not normally requested.

• One biometric photograph taken within the last six months and compliant with ICAO standards.

• A document stating the blood group, or an oral or written declaration.

Important note: The Turkish translation of a foreign driving licence must be certified by a notary public or consulate. If the document is illegible, the licence categories cannot be clearly identified or there are doubtful features, the population directorate may request confirmation from the issuing country. This can extend the application by several months. A pre-application review by a specialist lawyer therefore provides significant practical benefit.

APPLICATION PROCESS AND APPOINTMENT SYSTEM

Applications for the exchange of a foreign driving licence may only be made in person and by appointment. An appointment can be obtained through:

• Online: selecting “Driving Licence – Exchange of Foreign Driving Licence” at https://randevu.nvi.gov.tr

• Telephone: through the Alo 199 call centre

• Mobile application: through the “NVİ Mobil” application provided by NVİGM

Applicants are expected to be present at the population directorate at least thirty minutes before the appointment. Applications from persons arriving more than thirty minutes late are accepted only if workload and queue conditions permit.

After the application is accepted, identity and address information is checked, an application form is generated in the system, the applicant’s signature, biometric photograph and fingerprints are taken, and a printout of the form is approved and recorded in the database. After production, the driving licence is delivered free of charge by PTT to the address stated in the application.

PERSONAL APPLICATION IS MANDATORY

Driving licence applications cannot be made through a power of attorney. Official NVİGM statements and the Implementation Instruction expressly require the applicant to attend personally. This is because fingerprints, signature and biometric photograph must be collected and the applicant’s identity must be verified in person.

A foreign national therefore cannot have the application filed by a lawyer or another representative. A lawyer may nevertheless play an important role in preparing the file, managing translation procedures, conducting verification correspondence, arranging the appointment and, where expressly authorized in a power of attorney, receiving the document after issuance.

CHARACTERISTICS OF TURKISH DRIVING LICENCES ISSUED TO FOREIGN NATIONALS

Under the NVİGM Implementation Instruction, Turkish driving licences issued to foreign nationals bear the restriction code “May Not Drive Commercial Vehicles”. This means that the holder may drive only private vehicles and may not operate commercial vehicles using that licence.

The restriction does not apply to Turkish citizens or holders of a “Blue Card” under Law No. 5203. Foreign nationals wishing to drive commercially in Türkiye must obtain a specific legal assessment regarding citizenship, work permits, residence status and the relevant licence category.

WHAT HAPPENS TO THE EXCHANGED FOREIGN DRIVING LICENCE?

Article 88 of the Regulation Amending the Road Traffic Regulation provides that “driving licences obtained from foreign countries and exchanged for national driving licences shall be sent to the relevant country”.

Accordingly, after the exchange, the foreign driving licence surrendered by the applicant is not returned. It is sent to the competent authority of the issuing country to be placed in the relevant file. This is a critical point to consider before applying: once the exchange is completed, the person will no longer possess the original country’s licence and will hold only the Turkish driving licence.

APPLICATION FEES

Driving licence application fees are updated at the beginning of each calendar year by the Ministry of Treasury and Finance, taking account of the revaluation rate. The amounts payable for an exchange include:

• Licence fee, which varies according to the driving licence category.

• Valuable paper fee.

• Foundation service fee, being the contribution to the Turkish Police Foundation.

Payments may be made to tax offices, PTT branches, authorized banks or through the Revenue Administration’s website at https://ivd.gib.gov.tr. The current total amount for the relevant licence category should be checked on the official NVİGM website before applying.

COMMON PROBLEMS DURING THE EXCHANGE PROCESS

The principal problems that commonly lead to rejection or lengthy delays include:

• Licences issued by ineligible countries: Applying with a licence from a country outside the Convention or bilateral agreement framework.

• Translation defects: Lack of certification by a sworn translator, notary public or consulate; omission or mistranslation of categories, validity dates or other information.

• Illegible licence categories: Verification from the issuing country may be requested where categories on an old or damaged licence cannot be read clearly.

• Doubts about authenticity: A confirmation letter may be requested from the competent authority of the issuing country, potentially extending the process by several months.

• Incomplete file: Missing or incorrect medical report, criminal record, translation of educational certificate or other documents.

• Expiry of the six-month period: Driving after the permitted period may result in an administrative fine and removal of the vehicle from traffic.

Whether the issuing country falls within an international convention or bilateral agreement must be analysed at the very beginning. Otherwise, an applicant who expects a direct exchange may instead have to complete the full process for a new Turkish driving licence. This legal and administrative distinction should be assessed correctly before applying.

IMPORTANCE OF LEGAL ASSESSMENT AND ADVISORY SERVICES

Although an exchange appears at first sight to be a straightforward administrative application, several issues must be considered together for foreign nationals, including residence status, the nature of the foreign document, translation and certification procedure, document verification and exchange eligibility. An incorrect assessment of the issuing country, incomplete documents or improper translation may cause delay or an unsuccessful application.

Our law office provides comprehensive legal advisory services to foreign clients who have established residence in Türkiye or plan a long-term stay. These services include preliminary review of the application file, eligibility assessment, management of translation and notarization, correspondence with NVİGM, and assistance with obtaining the medical report and criminal record certificate. Reviewing the file from both a legal and practical perspective before application allows the procedure to proceed more quickly, safely and predictably.

You may request an appointment with our office for a legal assessment specific to your circumstances.