Shipping a container of furniture, books and kitchenware to Türkiye can save you the cost of refurnishing a home, but only if you understand how Turkish customs (gümrük) treats used household goods. The rules come from the Customs Law No. 4458, a 2009 presidential (then Council of Ministers) decision on exemptions and a Ministry of Trade communiqué, and they are written mainly with returning Turkish citizens in mind. Foreigners can still benefit, usually through a route tied to owning or renting a home. This guide explains who qualifies, the deadlines, the paperwork and how the clearance works in practice, as of November 2026.
This is general information, not legal advice.
Key points
- Used household goods can enter Türkiye free of customs duty under several routes; the Ministry of Trade (Ticaret Bakanlığı), which runs customs, sets out the conditions.
- The main test is time abroad: in most routes you must have lived outside the Turkish customs territory for at least 24 months, or for at least five of the last ten years.
- Foreigners who buy a home, or rent one on a notarised lease of at least one year, can import used household goods duty-free once per home, whatever their nationality.
- Goods must be declared when you arrive, before you arrive, or within six months after your arrival; they can come in one shipment or several within that window.
- The exemption covers the family unit (parents and children under 18), not each spouse separately.
- Cars follow a separate regime, a TRT "bandrol" fee is still charged on TV and radio receivers, and storage, inspection and broker fees are payable even when duty is waived.
Step 1: Work out which exemption route fits you
The Ministry of Trade’s customs FAQ on household goods lists several categories of people who can bring used household goods in without paying duty:
- People moving their residence to Türkiye who have lived outside the customs territory for at least 24 months. Stays in Türkiye of up to six months within a year do not break that continuity, but those months do not count towards the 24, and visits of up to 45 days count as time abroad. Anyone who has lived abroad for at least five of the last ten years is exempt from the 24-month test. This route is used mainly by returning citizens, who must show a residence transfer certificate (ikamet nakil belgesi) issued by a Turkish consulate.
- Foreign nationals who acquire Turkish citizenship and move their residence to Türkiye, without the 24-month test.
- Non-residents who buy or rent a home in Türkiye. This is the route most relevant to foreigners. You must have been resident outside the customs territory for at least 24 months before your last entry (stays of up to 185 days a year in Türkiye do not break continuity), and nationality is irrelevant. The home must be owned, or rented for at least one year. The exemption can be used once per home and per person.
- Heirs living in Türkiye of someone who died abroad, and people marrying a Turkish citizen, who have their own rules and time limits.
The ministry’s FAQ does not create a separate category for residence permit holders, so a residence permit alone does not unlock the exemption. If you do not meet any route, used goods can still be imported, but they are then treated like any other import and may attract duties and taxes. A licensed customs broker (gümrük müşaviri) can confirm your position before you book a container.
If you have bought or rented but the one-year condition is not met, the regulation allows the goods to be temporarily imported with full exemption from import duties, with the taxes secured by a guarantee (teminat).
Step 2: Respect the time limits
Timing is where many moves go wrong. For the home-owner and residence-transfer routes, the goods must be declared to customs together with you, before your arrival, or within six months after you arrive. The ministry says you may bring everything at once or in several batches inside that window.
Once you have used the exemption, you must again live abroad for at least 24 months before you can claim it a second time.
Step 3: Prepare the documents
For a foreigner using the home-owner or tenant route, the Ministry of Trade lists:
- a family registry document: Turkish and dual nationals give a civil registry extract (vukuatlı nüfus kayıt örneği), while foreign nationals may present a family document obtained from Turkish missions or their own country’s mission; if none can be obtained, a written declaration is accepted;
- the title deed (tapu) in your or your spouse’s name, or a notarised lease of at least one year;
- an itemised list of the goods, attached to the oral declaration form (sözlü beyan formu).
In practice you will also need your passport, so customs can check your entry date, and the bill of lading or transport document if a carrier brings the goods. People moving their residence present the residence transfer certificate; new citizens add proof of citizenship.
Make the inventory detailed, with brands and serial numbers for electronics; customs may open the shipment and compare it with the list. Have the title deed or lease ready before the container lands, as goods waiting at port run up storage charges.
Step 4: Know what is excluded or limited
The exemption is for used personal and household items in non-commercial quantities. Watch these points:
- Trade and professional goods. Items used for a trade or profession are not accepted as household goods, apart from portable tools and devices. Stock, raw materials and commercial vehicles are out.
- Electronics. Computers and accessories count as household goods, but radio and TV receivers attract the TRT bandrol fee even when the rest of the shipment is duty-free. Several identical new devices will look commercial.
- Mobile phones. Phones have their own regime. The customs FAQ allows one phone per three calendar years as a personal item and sets a 2026 phone usage permit fee of 54,258 TL, paid before IMEI registration. Check the IMEI rules before packing spare handsets.
- Alcohol and tobacco. Passenger allowances are 1 litre of spirits above 22% (or 2 litres of weaker drinks) and 600 cigarettes, for travellers aged 18 or over. Do not pack a wine collection in the container without asking your broker first.
- Cars. A vehicle is not part of the household goods exemption. The Foreign Ministry’s vehicle guidance says foreigners working, studying or retired in Türkiye with a residence permit may temporarily import a car registered in their name abroad, applying to customs within 30 days of first entry. Our guide to cars and foreign plates explains the options.
- Pets are not freight: they need a microchip, rabies vaccination and titre test. See our pet import guide.
Step 5: Choose an international removal firm and broker
Most people use an international mover that works with a Turkish agent and customs broker. Ask for a door-to-door quote that says clearly who handles Turkish customs, whether storage (ardiye) and inspection charges are included, and which port or customs office the goods will clear through, for example Mersin, Izmir or an Istanbul port. A lires.com.tr guide stresses that storage, inspection and brokerage costs remain payable even when duty is waived, so compare these lines carefully. For the domestic leg and local firms, see our guide to removal companies in Türkiye.
Step 6: Clear the goods at customs
Clearance is done at the customs office where the goods arrive. The oral declaration form and item list are submitted, often by the broker on your behalf, customs checks your eligibility and whether the exemption has been used before (the ministry verifies repeat use through its electronic system), and the shipment may be physically inspected. Once released, the mover delivers to your home.
The timeline depends on the shipping route, port congestion and how quickly your documents are complete; your mover should give you an estimate for your specific route. If anything is unclear, the Ministry of Trade’s customs helpline is 444 8 482.
For the bigger picture of a move, use our moving to Türkiye checklist.
FAQ
Q: Can a foreigner with a residence permit bring used furniture to Türkiye duty-free? A: Not because of the permit alone. Foreigners usually qualify through the home-owner or tenant route: at least 24 months living abroad, plus a title deed or notarised lease of at least one year. Nationality does not matter for that route.
Q: How long do I have to bring my household goods? A: Goods must be declared with you, before your arrival, or within six months after you arrive. You can split them into several shipments within that period.
Q: Can I use the exemption twice? A: The home-owner route can be used once per home and per person. After using the exemption, you must live abroad for at least 24 months again before claiming it again.
Q: Is my car included in the household goods exemption? A: No. Vehicles follow separate rules. Foreigners with residence permits for work, study or retirement can temporarily import a car registered in their name abroad and must apply to customs within 30 days of first entry.
Q: Do I pay anything if the goods are duty-free? A: Yes. TV and radio receivers attract the TRT bandrol fee, and port storage, inspection and customs broker fees still apply.
Sources
- Ev Eşyası İşyeri Nakli Muafiyeti – Sıkça Sorulan Sorular (T.C. Ticaret Bakanlığı)
- Yolcu Muafiyetleri – Sıkça Sorulan Sorular (T.C. Ticaret Bakanlığı)
- Geçici İthalat – Sıkça Sorulan Sorular (T.C. Ticaret Bakanlığı)
- Kullanılmış Ev Eşyası İthali Genelgesi 2012/10 (orgtr.org)
- Gümrük mevzuatında muafiyetler (Muhasebetr.com)
- Kesin dönüş ev eşyası bilgi notu (T.C. Guangzhou Başkonsolosluğu)
- Araçlarla İlgili Hususlar (T.C. Dışişleri Bakanlığı)
- Yurt dışından taşınma ve ev eşyası ithali (Lires)
Photo: SeyfettinGündoğdu / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
