Can you drive in Türkiye on the licence you brought from home? For foreigners the answer is yes, for up to six months from the date you enter the country. After that, to keep driving you must exchange it for a Turkish licence at a population directorate (nüfus müdürlüğü). This guide covers the six-month rule, international driving permits, the exchange step by step, getting a licence from scratch and the penalties for driving on an invalid licence. It reflects the position in November 2026.
**Key points**
– Foreigners may drive on a foreign licence for **at most six months from the date of entry** (Highway Traffic Regulation, Article 88). – After six months, the licence **must be exchanged** for a Turkish one to keep driving. – Exchanges are handled by **any population directorate** of the General Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs (NVİ), by appointment. – Only licences from countries that are parties to the **Convention on Road Traffic**, or that have a bilateral agreement with Türkiye, can be exchanged. – Fees are set each year. Check the current amounts on randevu.nvi.gov.tr.
This is general information, not legal advice. Confirm your own case with NVİ (Alo 199) or a lawyer.
Who can drive on a foreign licence, and for how long
Article 88 of the Highway Traffic Regulation (Karayolları Trafik Yönetmeliği), as amended on 5 June 2020, sets two rules:
– **Foreigners** can drive with a licence issued abroad for **at most six months from the date they entered Türkiye**. After that, they must exchange it for a Turkish licence. – **Turkish citizens** get up to two years from entry.
The same rule applies to tourists and residence permit holders. The text counts from the date of entry, not from the date of your residence permit. If you live in Türkiye and drive, plan to exchange your licence within your first six months. Do not rely on leaving and re-entering to restart the clock. The regulation does not address this, and a police officer at a roadside check may not accept it.
Most short-stay visitors, usually allowed up to 90 days, never reach the limit. See our Türkiye entry requirements guide.
Do you need an international driving permit?
An international driving permit (IDP) is a translation of your licence, not a separate licence. NVİ’s instruction says IDPs and temporary foreign licences **cannot be exchanged** for Turkish licences. Only your original national licence can.
For visitors, an IDP still helps at police checks and car hire desks. The UK government’s travel advice, for example, tells British drivers to carry a 1968-type IDP or a notarised Turkish translation of their licence, and says the 1949 permit is no longer accepted. Check your own government’s advice, and get the IDP at home before you travel.
Converting a foreign licence: step by step
Turkish licences used to be issued by the police. A state-of-emergency decree in October 2016 ordered the service to move to NVİ, and a government decision set the transfer deadline at 2 April 2018. Today you apply at a population directorate, the office that also issues ID cards and passports.
### Step 1: Check that your licence can be exchanged
Licences from countries that are **neither parties to the Convention on Road Traffic nor bound by a bilateral agreement** with Türkiye are not exchanged. In that case you take the full Turkish course and exams. NVİ’s driving licence FAQ page has a table of Convention countries.
For foreigners, NVİ’s instruction says:
– Moped (M), motorcycle (A1, A2), car (B1, B), tractor (F) and work machine (G) licences become the **matching Turkish class**. – Other classes, such as trucks and buses, become a **Turkish B licence**, or BE if you may tow a trailer. – Licences from bilateral-agreement countries follow that agreement’s table. – An **expired** foreign licence can still be exchanged.
### Step 2: Get a driver health report
You need a **driver health report** (sürücü sağlık raporu). It must come from a doctor at a Ministry of Health or university facility, a family health centre (aile sağlığı merkezi) or a private health institution licensed by the Ministry. If the report does not show your blood group, bring a blood group card.
### Step 3: Have your licence translated
Get a **Turkish translation of your licence** certified by a notary or a consulate. NVİ’s call-centre checklist mentions notary and consulate approval, while the instruction says notary or consulate. Ask your directorate which it accepts.
### Step 4: Gather the documents
NVİ’s lists for a foreign licence exchange (tebdil) include:
– The **original foreign licence** and a colour photocopy. – The certified **Turkish translation**. – An **identity document**. A passport is listed. Bring your residence permit card too. – The **health report**, plus a blood group card if needed. – **One biometric photo** taken within the last six months. – An **education document**, with a notarised translation if it was issued abroad. – A **criminal record certificate** (adli sicil kaydı), which NVİ checks electronically where it can.
The conditions in Article 41 of the Highway Traffic Law No. 2918 still apply: age, education, health and no disqualifying convictions. Only the training and exam requirement is dropped.
### Step 5: Pay the fees
For an exchange, you pay the same fees as for a **first-time licence** of the class you receive: the licence charge (harç), the security card fee (değerli kâğıt bedeli) and the foundation share (vakıf payı). The amounts are updated every year and published on randevu.nvi.gov.tr. According to NVİ, you can pay the harç and card fee at tax office counters, contracted banks or PTT branches. The foundation share is paid at banks that have an agreement with the police. We have not quoted 2026 amounts because we could not confirm them on an official NVİ page.
### Step 6: Book and apply
Book through **randevu.nvi.gov.tr** or **Alo 199**. You can apply at any population directorate. NVİ asks applicants to arrive at least 30 minutes early. If you are more than 30 minutes late, you are only seen if time is left after the scheduled appointments.
### Step 7: Verification and your new card
NVİ checks that your licence is genuine through a Turkish mission abroad before it processes the exchange, so allow time for this. Note two things:
– Your **original licence is sent back to the issuing country**. Only diplomats and their families get theirs returned. If you will need a licence at home, ask your home licensing authority about a replacement first. – Licences issued to foreigners carry the code **"Ticari Araç Kullanamaz"**, which means you may not drive commercial vehicles. Turkish citizens do not get this code.
B-class licences are valid for 10 years. Heavy-vehicle classes are valid for 5 years.
Getting a Turkish licence from scratch
If your licence cannot be exchanged, you go through a licensed driving school (motorlu taşıt sürücüleri kursu), supervised by the Ministry of National Education (MEB).
1. **Check eligibility.** A car (B) licence requires you to be at least 18, to have at least a primary-level education and to have a health report. 2. **Enrol at a driving school** for theory classes and driving lessons. 3. **Pass the theory exam.** It is scored out of 100, with a pass mark of 70 according to licence guides. 4. **Pass the practical exam.** Under MEB’s 2024 changes, the route is drawn by lot on the morning of the exam. The exam lasts about 40 minutes, and exams run between 07:00 and 21:00. If you fail four attempts, you can move to another school for a second set of four. 5. **Apply to NVİ.** The course certificate is issued through e-Devlet. Then book an NVİ appointment with your health report, photo and fees.
Ask the school whether its classes and exams are offered in a language you understand. For e-Devlet access, see our guide to getting an e-Devlet password as a foreigner.
Penalties for driving without a valid licence
Law No. 7574 (Official Gazette, 27 February 2026) rewrote the fines in Article 36 of the Highway Traffic Law:
– Driving a motor vehicle **without a licence**: **40,000 lira**. – Driving while your licence is withdrawn or cancelled: **200,000 lira**. – A **vehicle keeper** who lets an unlicensed person drive: **40,000 lira**.
Lawyers who advise foreigners warn that driving on a foreign licence after six months can be treated as driving on an invalid licence, which can lead to a fine and a ban from driving the car.
A note on insurance
Compulsory traffic insurance (zorunlu trafik sigortası) covers damage to third parties. Under its General Conditions, the insurer can recover what it paid from the policyholder if the driver lacked the required licence. Turkish courts link this rule to Article 95 of the Traffic Law. Comprehensive (kasko) policies have their own exclusions, so read yours. If you bring a car from abroad, the UK government advises carrying a green card as proof of third-party cover. Car hire firms set their own licence rules.
Settling in? See our moving to Turkey checklist, the address registration guide for foreigners, our guide to HGS motorway tolls and how to renew a residence permit.
Frequently asked questions
Q: How long can I drive in Türkiye with my foreign licence?
A: Up to six months from the date you entered Türkiye. After that, you need to exchange it for a Turkish licence.
Q: Does the six months restart when I get a residence permit?
A: No. Article 88 counts from your date of entry, for tourists and residents alike.
Q: Can I exchange my international driving permit?
A: No. Only your original national licence can be exchanged.
Q: Will I get my foreign licence back?
A: Usually not. NVİ sends it back to the authority that issued it. Only diplomats and their families get it returned.
Q: How much does the exchange cost?
A: The same as a first-time licence of the same class. The fees change every year, so check randevu.nvi.gov.tr before you go.
Planning to buy a home in Türkiye? Download our free property guide for a step-by-step checklist.
Sources
- Highway Traffic Regulation Art. 88 as amended (RG 5 June 2020, no. 31146): foreigners may drive on a foreign licence for max six months from entry, then must exchange; citizens two years; applications at any nüfus müdürlüğü, documents set by NVİ (text via Alomaliye)
- Interior Ministry/NVİ circular of 11 June 2020 on Art. 88: six months for foreigners, Convention/bilateral condition, class equivalence, Law 2918 Art. 41 conditions except training and exam (nvi.gov.tr)
- Driving Licence Procedures Implementing Instruction, Arts. 4, 12, 14, 20: documents incl. translation, health report, biometric photo, criminal record; health report sources; any directorate; IDPs and temporary licences not exchanged; expired licences exchangeable; verification via Turkish missions; foreign licence returned to issuing country; Ticari Araç Kullanamaz code (NVİ Bursa)
- Documents for foreign licence exchange (tebdil); fees as for first-time licence, amounts on randevu.nvi.gov.tr (NVİ Alo 199)
- NVİ driving licence FAQ: appointments via randevu.nvi.gov.tr / Alo 199, arrive 30 minutes early; where fees are paid; B class valid 10 years, heavy classes 5 years; Convention country table
- Decision 2017/11163 (RG 31 Dec 2017): transfer of passport and driving licence services from EGM to NVİ extended to 2 April 2018 (Lexpera)
- October 2016 state-of-emergency decree ordering transfer of licence services to NVİ (Bloomberg HT, 31 Oct 2016)
- Law No. 7574 (RG 27 Feb 2026, no. 33181) amending Art. 36 of Law 2918: 40,000 lira for driving without licence, 200,000 lira for withdrawn or cancelled licence, 40,000 lira for keeper (text via Alomaliye)
- MEB: 2024 changes to driving course exam rules (route by lot, 40-minute exam, 07:00-21:00, second set of four attempts at another school, e-Devlet certificate), 9 July 2024
- B licence: minimum age 18, primary education, theory exam pass mark 70 (Türkiye Sigorta guide, Dec 2025)
- Driving after the period treated as invalid licence, fine and driving ban possible (Harbiye Hukuk, updated July 2026)
- Compulsory traffic insurance: recourse against insured where driver lacks required licence, reflecting KTK Art. 95 (Hukuki Haber, Yargıtay case law)
- UK FCDO travel advice for Türkiye: 1968 IDP or notarised Turkish translation, 1949 IDP not accepted, green card for own vehicle
Photo: Nedim Ardoğa / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
