Before you go

Customs Regulations

Please note that the following information is intended to give an idea about customs regulations, and our portal does not accept any responsibility for inaccuracy or misinformation. For further and accurate information, please visit: www.turkishconsulate.org.uk.

On Entry

It is permitted to bring the following items into Turkey as duty free goods:

Wines, Tobacco & Other Luxury Items

EU Regulations applied.

Valuables

In order to avoid any problems when leaving the country it is recommended that you register valuable items with the customs office on entry to Turkey. All personal belongings and articles made of precious stones or metals (with no commercial purposes) worth under US$ 15,000 may be brought into and taken out of the country. Jewellery worth more than this amount may only be taken out of the country providing it has been registered on entry or that you can prove that it was purchased in Turkey with legally exchanged currency.

Sports Equipment

Two partitioned camping tent; one diving suit for underwater diving sports (The quality and efficiency of the suit to be determined by the undersecretary.); glider (a pair); one boat; one surfboard with sailing equipment for water sports; flippers (one pair); other personal belongings one apiece (except for sea motorcycle and sledge); chess set; Draughts set; five packs of playing cards.

Medical Items

Beds belonging to a patient; motorised and non-motorised wheelchair; drugs for personal treatment; gas mask and similar protective clothing (maximum 2 pieces).

On Exit

For valuable gifts and souvenirs, such as a carpet, proof of purchase is necessary, together with receipts showing that any currency used in its purchase has been legally exchanged.Please note that it is strictly forbidden to export antiques from Turkey. Minerals can only be exported with a special document. Please note that it is strictly forbidden to export antiques from Turkey. Minerals can only be exported with a special document.

Currency

Up to US$ 5,000 worth of Turkish or foreign currency can be taken out of the country, provided it can be shown that the currency has been obtained from authorised banks. Larger amounts of foreign or Turkish currency must be transferred abroad through banks. Cash brought into the country to be exchanged for export out of Turkey must be declared on entry.

Visas

While planning your trip to Turkey do not forget to check your passport if it is valid for at least 90 days. Depending on your nationality, most probably your stay as a tourist is limited up to 3 months (for one entrance).For tourist visas for many countries, there is no need to apply in advance or to fill in any forms. However, please check the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website (www.mfa.gov.tr) for updated information and information on which passport holders may require a visa before leaving their country. You may also check with the Turkish Embassy in your country for the latest visa updates.

The visa for UK passport holders currently costs £10 and must be paid for with a Sterling note. The visa fee for USA and Australian passport holders is $20/€15. Canadian passport holders need to pay $60/€45. The visa fee for New Zealand passport holders is gratis. The visa for some EU state-passport holders currently costs € 10 and must be paid for with a Euro note.Visas are multiple entries and are valid for three months. Each passport-holder, including infants, must purchase a visa. With tourist visas, you will not have the right to take up paid or unpaid employment or to reside, or to study (including student exchange program) or to establish yourself a business in Turkey. more...

Currency

Turkish Lira is available in the following denominations: Banknotes: 5, 10, 20, 50 &100 TL Coins: 1, 5, 10, 25 & 50 Kurus and 1 TL You can obtain currency before travelling to Turkey or upon arrival. Exchange rates are usually slightly better in Turkey and all international airports have exchange facilities. Usually, cash can be exchanged without charging commission in exchange offices, banks or hotels. Please note that Scottish notes are not accepted in Turkey. Travellers' cheques can be exchanged in banks only. Cash point machines (ATM) are available in most areas, which accept major credit and debit cards and give instructions in English. It may be a good idea to inform your bank in advance that you are travelling to Turkey as some will automatically put a stop on cards after the first usage in an attempt to combat fraud. Exchange rates are published daily in Turkish newspapers. If you are planning to exchange currency back from TL before leaving the country, or are making a major purchase, which may need to be declared to customs, you will need to keep your transaction receipts in order to show that the currency has been legally exchanged.

Language

The official language is Turkish. English and German are widely spoken in major cities and tourist resorts, and you will find that most Turks welcome the opportunity to practise their language skills and will go out of their way to be helpful. Foreign visitors who attempt to speak even a few words of Turkish, however, will definitely be rewarded with even warmer smiles. It is not an easy language to learn, however, it does have one huge advantage in that it is completely phonetic and also grammatically logical. Unlike English, each letter of the alphabet has only one sound and is always pronounced in exactly the same way, apart from in combination with 'y' or 'g'. Even foreign words used in Turkish are adapted into Turkish phonetic spellings, which can offer some clues towards pronunciation - try saying the following out loud: ketçap, taksi, futbol, ofsayt. There is no 'q', 'w' or 'x' in Turkish and there are some additional characters. The accent usually falls on the first syllable in the word. The following should give you a rough guide to pronunciation:

• a a cross between a long and short
• 'a' somewhere between the 'a' in 'man' and the 'a' sound in 'are'
• c pronounced 'j' as in 'jam'
• ç pronounced 'ch' as in 'church'
• e a short sound as in 'egg'
• g a hard 'g' as in'go'
• g this character is silent but elongates the vowel to either side of it
• i pronounced 'er' in 'number'
• i a short sound as in 'ink'
• o pronounced as in 'off'
• ö pronounced as in the 'or' sound (with a silent 'r') in 'word'
• s is a hissing sound as in 'seven'
• s pronounced 'sh' as in 'shut'
• u pronounced 'oo' as in 'cool'
• ü pronounced 'u' as in 'fuse'
• y is generally used to separate vowels and creates some slightly different sounds in combination as follows:
• 'ay' pronounced 'eye'
• 'ey' pronounced as in 'they'
• 'iy' pronounced 'ee'

Medical Treatment

You will need to pay for any medical treatment you receive in Turkey. For this reason, it is advisable to take out medical insurance before travelling. It is not difficult to find English-speaking doctors in all but the most remote areas. There are also international hospitals in many of the larger towns and resorts. There are pharmacies in most places with trained pharmacists who are able to offer advice on minor illnesses.

Children

Family is very important to Turkish people, and you will find that children are welcomed everywhere, which makes for a very relaxing and enjoyable holiday. It is perfectly normal for even very young children to eat out in the evening with their parents. Many restaurants do provide high chairs, and those that do not seem to be very good at improvising. Formula milk and nappies are easily available, although if you want a specific brand, then it is probably best to take it with you. It is not always easy to find baby food in jars, but restaurants and hotels are very accommodating and will usually be pleased to puree food for you. Again, if your child is used to a specific brand it may be better to take it with you. UHT milk is widely available in small cartons, with a straw, which is useful for toddlers and older children. Most hotels will provide cots if these are requested in advance. These can vary quite widely in standard, however, so it is a good idea to check in advance what type of cot is being provided and whether or not it is suitable for your child - some have lower sides than those common in the UK, for example, so are fine for a baby but not suitable for a more mobile toddler.Many of the larger hotels have children's clubs and are able to arrange babysitting services. There are also some tour operators who provide these services.

In general, Turks and Turkey have a welcoming, relaxed approach to children and will go out of their way to be accommodating and helpful. As long as you are flexible, you should have no problems.

Disabled Travellers

If you have any queries relating to any special needs for your holiday, it is best to check direct with us and/or your tour operator before booking your holiday. The resorts, which are located in relatively flat areas, and are, therefore, better suited to wheelchair users are: Marmaris, Içmeler, Dalyan, Fethiye/Calig Beach, Side. Anyone who has difficulty in walking should certainly avoid resorts on steep hills such as Kalkan and Turunç. Obviously, hotel locations vary so do check before booking. Some of the newer and larger hotels have rooms specifically designed for wheelchair users, however, even where hotels do not have specific facilities they will usually try their best to be helpful by, for example, allocating a ground floor room. Many Turkish resorts and cities are not planned for wheelchair access, which can make life difficult, however, you will find that Turks always try their best to be helpful and will gladly improvise to find a solution.

Driving

You can drive in Turkey with EU, US or International driving licence. You should have your driving licence, your passport and insurance documents of the vehicle with you in the car at all times, as you will need it if you are involved in an accident. All of the major international car rental companies, as well as a number of local ones, have offices at airports and all major centres.

You can drive in Turkey with EU, US or International driving licence. You should have your driving licence, your passport and insurance documents of the vehicle with you in the car at all times, as you will need it if you are involved in an accident. All of the major international car rental companies, as well as a number of local ones, have offices at airports and all major centres.

Driving in Turkey is on the right, as in continental Europe. Turkish road signs conform to the International Protocol on Road Signs and archaeological and historic sites are indicated by brown signs. Turkey has a good network of well-maintained roads. There is a 50 km per hour speed limit within urban centres (meskun mahal) and 90 km outside urban centres (120 km on Motorways). Petrol stations are fairly easy to find and on main highways, they are often open 24hrs and have restaurants and other facilities attached. Unleaded (kursunsuz) petrol is easily available. Garages for repairs are often concentrated on certain streets within a town (sanayi) or can be found on highways.If you are planning on driving to Turkey, as well as your passport, you will need to take your international driving licence, car registration documents and international green card (insurance card) with the TR sign clearly visible (NB: This can be purchased on arrival at the border). You can bring your own car into the country for up to six months. If you wish to keep you car in Turkey for more than six months, you are liable to pay import tax.

Drugs

Please note that bringing into or out of the country, together with consumption of, marijuana and other narcotics is strictly forbidden and is subject to heavy penalty. If you have prescribed medication, which you need to take on holiday with you, you will need a doctor's note and/or a copy of your prescription, which can be sent to our office for translation. Please call our office for further details.

Ferry Services

Local ferry services operate from Istanbul across the Marmara Sea. For details visit www.ido.com.tr The other ferry services and routes are as follows:

Between Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus:

• Alanya - Girne
• Mersin - Gazimagosa (Famagusta). Tasucu - Girne (Kyrenia)
• Taşucu - Girne (Kyrenia);

Between Turkey and the Greek Islands:

• Ayvalik - Lesbos
• Bodrum - Kos
• Çesme - Chios
• Datça - Symi
• Kusadasi - Samos
• Marmaris - Rhodes

Between Turkey and Italy:

• Çesme - Ancona
• Çesme – Brindisi

Antiquities

Please note that it is strictly forbidden and a serious crime to export antiquities or antiques from Turkey and there are severe penalties for those who attempt to do so. In order to export such items legally it is necessary to obtain a certificate from a directorate of a museum.