Moving House in Turkey: Removal Companies, Costs and Tips for Expats

Moving house is stressful anywhere, and in Türkiye the language, apartment rules and paperwork add to it. This guide takes foreign residents step by step through a move inside Türkiye: choosing a removal company (evden eve nakliyat), licences, quotes, insurance, lifts, utilities, address registration, pets and your deposit. It reflects the rules as of November 2026.

**Key points**

– Commercial removal firms need a **K3 authorisation certificate** (K3 yetki belgesi) from the Transport and Infrastructure Ministry. You can check certificates on e-Devlet. – Get a home survey and a **written quote with an inventory** before you agree. – Report any damage **in writing and as soon as possible** after delivery: the Commercial Code sets short deadlines. – Insurance for your goods is not automatic. Ask for it in writing. – Register your new address after the move. Your residence permit depends on it. – In 2026, consumer disputes below **186,000 lira** go to a Consumer Arbitration Committee (Tüketici Hakem Heyeti).

This is general information, not legal advice.

Step 1: Plan your timeline

– **Four to six weeks before:** give notice on your lease as your contract requires, tell your building manager (yönetici) and start collecting quotes. – **Three weeks before:** choose a company, confirm the date in writing and book an external lift if needed. Sell or give away what you will not take; less volume means a lower price. – **One week before:** arrange utility closures and openings, and confirm parking at both addresses. – **Moving day:** photograph meters, check the inventory at both ends and keep valuables with you. – **Afterwards:** register your new address, check for damage and follow up on your deposit.

Month ends are busy, as many leases change hands, so book early.

Step 2: Find removal companies

Recommendations from neighbours, your yönetici, your estate agent and local expat groups are the best start. Our guide on how to find a reliable tradesman in Turkey explains how to vet anyone who comes into your home.

Online directories help when you are new to an area. The removal company listings on ilan.com.tr let you browse evden eve nakliyat firms by province and district, with short service descriptions and user reviews. Use any directory as a shortlist, not a guarantee, and then do the checks below.

Step 3: Check the K3 authorisation

Under the Road Transport Regulation (Karayolu Taşıma Yönetmeliği), anyone who moves household goods commercially needs a **K3 yetki belgesi**. The regulation defines removal goods (taşınma eşyası) as items moved from a home, office or similar place to another similar place. K3 applicants must normally have at least two vehicles and 35 tonnes of minimum capacity. There is a lighter route for small operators with a single van (kamyonet).

How to check:

– Ask the firm for its K3 certificate number and the company name on it. – The Transport Ministry offers **Yetki Belgesi Doğrulama** (certificate verification) and related query services on e-Devlet, along with services for checking vehicle cards (taşıt kartı) and vehicle certificates. – Check that the name on the certificate matches the name on your quote and invoice.

Licensed goods carriers also report shipments to the ministry’s electronic tracking system, **U-ETDS**. A neighbour with a van may be cheaper, but if items are broken you will have no licensed firm to claim against and no invoice for a complaint.

Step 4: Get a survey, a written quote and an inventory

A serious firm will want to see your home, in person or by video call, before giving a price. This survey is called a keşif. Prices depend on the volume of goods, the floors and lifts at both addresses, the distance, how close the truck can park, packing and furniture assembly, extras such as storage or piano handling, and the date.

**What does it cost in 2026?** There is no official tariff. NTV reported in August 2026 that moving a 2+1 flat within Istanbul cost on average 35,000 to 45,000 lira, and a removal company official told the channel that city moves could reach 65,000 lira. Treat this as a rough guide; get at least three written quotes for your own home.

A good written quote (fiyat teklifi) should show:

– the firm’s full name, tax number and K3 certificate number; – both addresses, floors and the date; – what is included: packing, materials, dismantling and reassembly, an external lift; – the total price, whether VAT (KDV) is included, and payment terms; – insurance cover and its limit.

Ask for an **inventory** (eşya listesi) of furniture and boxes, and sign it together. It is your evidence if something goes missing.

Step 5: Know your rights under the Commercial Code

The Turkish Commercial Code (No. 6102) has a special section on household removals (Articles 894–901):

– Unless agreed otherwise, the carrier loads and unloads, dismantles furniture and sets it up again, and, for consumers, also packs and labels. Fixed items such as curtains, carpets or water heaters are excluded. – The carrier’s liability for loss or damage is limited by law, with the cap linked to the volume of the move. – At signing, the carrier must tell a consumer about its liability rules, extended cover and insurance, or it can lose the cap. – At delivery, the carrier must explain in writing how and when to report damage. If it does not, missing the deadline does not cost you your claim.

**Damage notice:** the law sets short deadlines, which are shorter for visible damage than for hidden damage. Check the deadline the carrier gives you at delivery and report damage at once, in writing (WhatsApp, email or a note on the delivery paperwork), with photos, so you can prove it.

Step 6: Arrange insurance

Transport insurance (nakliyat sigortası or taşıma sigortası) for household goods is not compulsory under the Road Transport Regulation, whose only mandatory policy covers dangerous goods. Ask the firm:

– Is there a policy, who is the insurer, and what is the limit? – Does it cover breakage during packing and carrying, or only traffic accidents? – Are items you packed yourself covered?

Get the policy or a written confirmation. Carry jewellery, cash and documents such as passports, residence permit cards and title deeds yourself.

Step 7: Pack smart

Label boxes with the room and contents, write "kırılır" (fragile) on breakables, and keep a "first night" box with chargers, kettle, bedding and medication.

Step 8: Lifts, building management and parking

Apartment moves often use an **external lift** (asansörlü taşıma): a mobile platform that reaches a balcony or window, saving the stairs and building lift. Agree in the quote whether it is needed at one or both addresses.

– **Tell the yönetici at both buildings.** Buildings and gated complexes (site) may have their own rules on moving hours and use of lifts and entrances. – **Settle building dues (aidat)** at the old address. – **Check parking.** Narrow streets may not fit a truck or lift. Ask the yönetici and, if needed, the municipality whether you need permission to block the road.

Step 9: Utilities and internet

Close or transfer accounts in good time. Our guide to setting up electricity, water, gas and internet covers suppliers and documents. In short:

– **Electricity:** close your contract with the supplier (Aydem Perakende in Muğla). Unpaid final bills come out of your deposit (güvence bedeli). Open a new account at the new home. – **Water:** cancel with the water authority (MUSKİ in Muğla), in person or through e-Devlet, or you stay liable for bills. – **Natural gas:** where there is mains gas, contact the local distributor. Fethiye has no mains gas yet. – **Internet:** if your package has a commitment period (taahhüt) and the provider cannot serve your new address, you can leave without the early-exit charge. Otherwise, ask about a transfer (nakil).

Step 10: Register your new address

Foreign residents must report a new address to the population office (nüfus müdürlüğü) within about 20 days of moving. Failing to do so can lead to fines and trouble at residence permit renewal. See our address registration guide for foreigners for the documents. You will need e-Devlet for the address document. Our guide explains how to get an e-Devlet password.

Moving with pets

According to the Agriculture and Forestry Ministry, owned cats, dogs and ferrets must be microchipped and registered, and owners must **carry the pet passport** when moving pets within Türkiye. On the day, shut pets in a quiet room or leave them with a friend while doors are open, pack their food and litter in your first-night box, and check balconies in the new home before letting cats explore.

Getting your tenancy deposit back

Under Article 342 of the Turkish Code of Obligations, a residential deposit cannot exceed three months’ rent. If it was paid into a bank account, the bank must release it to you on request when the landlord has not told the bank in writing, within three months of the lease ending, that it has sued or started enforcement. Where the deposit was paid directly to the landlord, do a joint walk-through, photograph every room, hand back keys against a signed note and show that utility accounts are closed and paid.

Our guide to renting a home in Turkey covers lease terms in more detail.

If something goes wrong

Complain to the firm in writing first, with photos and the inventory. If that fails, disputes below 186,000 lira in 2026 go to the Consumer Arbitration Committee where you live or where the contract was made. Apply in person, by post or online through e-Devlet (TÜBİS), using a passport or foreign identity number. Either side can object to the consumer court within two weeks of notification; larger claims go straight to that court.

Red flags

– No K3 certificate, or a name that does not match the quote. – A phone price without a survey, then "too many items" on the day. – Large cash advance before anything is loaded. – No written quote, no inventory, no invoice. – Pressure to sign that everything arrived intact before you have checked.

Useful Turkish phrases

– **Evden eve nakliyat için fiyat teklifi alabilir miyim?** Can I get a quote for a house move? – **Keşfe gelebilir misiniz?** Can you come and survey the home? – **K3 yetki belgeniz var mı?** Do you have a K3 certificate? – **Paketleme ve montaj dahil mi?** Are packing and assembly included? – **Sigorta var mı, limiti ne kadar?** Is there insurance, and what is the limit? – **Bu eşya hasar görmüş.** This item is damaged. – **Fatura kesebilir misiniz?** Can you issue an invoice?

Frequently asked questions

Q: Do removal companies in Türkiye need a licence?

A: Yes. Commercial removals of household goods need a K3 authorisation certificate from the Transport and Infrastructure Ministry. You can check certificates through e-Devlet.

Q: How much does a local move cost in 2026?

A: There is no official tariff. NTV reported in August 2026 that a 2+1 move within Istanbul averaged 35,000 to 45,000 lira. Compare written quotes for your own home.

Q: How long do I have to report damage?

A: The Commercial Code sets short deadlines, shorter for visible damage than for hidden damage. Report it at once, in writing with photos, and check the deadline stated in the carrier’s delivery paperwork.

Q: Is insurance included automatically?

A: No. Ask whether the firm has a policy, what it covers and the limit, and get it in writing.

Planning to buy a home in Türkiye? Download our free property guide for a step-by-step checklist.

Sources

• Road Transport Regulation (Karayolu Taşıma Yönetmeliği), consolidated to RG 16 May 2026: K3 certificate for removal goods (Art. 6), definition of taşınma eşyası (Art. 4), K3 minimum 2 vehicles/35 tonnes and single-kamyonet route (Art. 14), dangerous-goods insurance (Art. 12), U-ETDS definition (Alomaliye copy)
• Transport and Infrastructure Ministry e-Devlet services: Yetki Belgesi Doğrulama, taşıt kartı queries, U-ETDS Yük Taşıma Kaydı Bildirimi (turkiye.gov.tr)
• U-ETDS mandatory in goods transport (Bursa Chamber of Commerce and Industry, BTSO)
• Turkish Commercial Code No. 6102, Articles 894-901 on household removals: carrier duties, liability cap, damage notice and consumer information duties (DergiPark academic article)
• Moving costs in Istanbul: 2+1 average 35,000-45,000 lira, up to 65,000 lira (NTV, 3 Aug 2026)
• Turkish Code of Obligations Article 342: deposit max three months’ rent, bank release rule (Av. Saim İncekaş)
• Consumer Arbitration Committees information note: 186,000 lira limit for 2026, applications via e-Devlet/TÜBİS, foreigners, two-week objection (Ministry of Trade)
• Owned pet identification: microchip and PETVET registration, pet passport required for domestic transport (Agriculture and Forestry Ministry, Eskişehir directorate)

Photo: Alicia Christin Gerald / Unsplash License, via Unsplash