Driving license in Turkey: how to get it or exchange

12/22/2020

Blog

Содержание

Turkey is a country for recreation and life. In most of the regions, there is something to see. You will witness the mesmerizing beauty of the sea coasts, unique mountain landscapes, historical and natural attractions all over its territory.

For many tourists, the information about driving license in Turkey, its registration, exchange and other nuances is relevant. We offer you to read our article and find out.

Obtaining and exchanging a driving license in Turkey

Of course, to drive a car, you have to have a valid driver's license, your passport, proof of vehicle registration, and vehicle insurance. The papers have to be in the vehicle. At any time the Trafik police inspector can ask a driver to show them.

The procedure of exchanging a driver's licence for foreign citizens to get a Turkish one has several rules and features.

According to the laws of the Police Road Administration, citizens from abroad have the right to drive a vehicle for six months of residence in the territory of the state. The citizens with Turkish citizenship fall into an exception. You can count the days from the time of crossing the border. If there is a need to stay in the state for more than six months, you will have to get a local license to be able to use a vehicle.

Applying for the exchange of your foreign driving licence for Turkish ones, you have to:

Make an appointment or a rendezvous at Trafik tescil mudurlugu.
At the appointed time, get to Trafik tescil mudurlugu with your passport and IKAMET (a paper that confirms your residence permit), your driver's license. You write an application at the rendezvous and pay a fee of 500 TL. The original documents are scanned and the copies will be sent to the traffic police to determine their authenticity. Sometimes the agency sends a request to the consulate. The choice of the method varies in different regions.
Then you have to wait for a response from the traffic police. It can take around 2-8 days.

When the response arrives, the agency will require a list of documents. They are the following:

Original valid foreign driving license
Notarised Turkish translation of the driving license
Original and copy of the residence permit (Ikamet) or Turkish identification card
Original health report issued by a local state health centre (an examination by an ophthalmologist) or private clinic ( the modern forms with a seal and special marks A, A1, B, B1).
Original and copy of your valid foreign passport
Original of your place of registration in Turkey.
Two photos: white background, 5x6.
Blood group certificate (can be requested from a clinic or health centre). If you have already donated blood to determine the group and rhesus, ask to print this information at the clinic. At some places, you have to pay for this service.
Notarised Turkish translation of the graduation document (school certificate, college, university). It indicates the person has reading and writing skills. If you have a confirmation of your diploma (denlik), no translation is required.
Fingerprints ( are taken at the agency)

If you have an ikamet, a Turkish driver's license is valid for ten years.

How to change the old licence to the new one in Turkey?

For several years, since 2016, it has been possible to do it via the Internet. You need to go to the portal of the General Directorate of Security and fill out an application. In just a couple of years, it is planned to replace change the old types of driving licences with the new ones.

How to get a driving license in Turkey?

To get a license, it is worth picking up driving courses.

To enrol in courses, you will need to provide the following documents:

Certified copy of your passport (translated and notarized)
Certified copy of the Education Certificate (translated and notarized)
Four Biometric photos (taken within last 6 months)
Valid residence permit or student’s visa (you have to prove that you stay in Turkey for at least 6 months).
Blood group
A certificate from an ophthalmologist.
Criminal record certificate
Registration and IKAMET.

It is mandatory to pass a writing exam in the state language. It includes several parts: traffic rules, primary care, the psychological behaviour of the driver (Trafik adabı), etc.

There is one day for the exam held simultaneously throughout the country. The questions do not repeat from year to year. To pass the theory, you need to get about 70 points. It means you have to answer correctly to 35 questions out of 50. For an additional fee, if you do not speak Turkish well, hire an interpreter. The average price of a course in a driving school is about 3000 liras, taking into account fees, translator services, practice, theoretical and practical exams.

After you pass the theoretical test, it is time for the practical part. You have to spend a certain number of hours practising before that. When you are done with the exams, contact the police department and submit all documents for registration your driving license.

Do you need an international driving licence in Turkey?

What is an International Drivers License IDL? This information will be useful for those foreigners who like to travel. If you do not want to spoil the planned trip by car, find out whether you need an international license in a particular country.

An interesting fact!

Let us explain that at the current time in the world, there are two regulations of the recognition of local and international driving licences: the Vienna Convention and the Geneva Convention. According to the Vienna Convention, you have the right to drive and rent vehicles with your international driving licence. The driving licence of your country makes it possible to drive a car and rent it only in some states.

According to the Geneva Convention, it is required to have an international driving licence.

As for Turkey, it is worth knowing several details.

For example, if you plan to travel by car within the resort region, a certificate of any type will do. The same applies to vehicle rental. But, in case of an accident, when making insurance payments, you will need your international driving licence.

The second option is to travel around different regions. To do it, you need to have an international driving licence.

The Republic of Turkey has ratified only the Geneva Convention. Therefore, an international licence is required for drivers on its territory. As we have already specified, the permitted period is 6 months. After six months, it must be converted to a Turkish licence. If you violate the terms, the fine is from 500 to 1,500 liras.