Car Rental in Turkey: Papers, HGS Tolls, Fines, Accidents
What rental companies ask for, how the HGS toll tag works, speed limits, fines and what to do after an accident, with the Turkish words for the desk.
Table of Contents
Renting a car in Türkiye (araç kiralama) comes down to a few papers and a few words: a driving licence and a passport, a card in the renter’s name, an HGS tag for the toll roads and bridges, and the speed limits and fines every driver meets. What a rental company asks for is its own term; the state’s rules are on the pages named below. The sheet under the box goes round a car and gives the Turkish line to say at the desk for each part.
In short · checked 28.10.2026
A few papers, a toll tag, and each company’s own terms.
- A foreign licence works for 6 months. A driving licence issued abroad lets a foreigner drive in Türkiye for 6 months; after that a Turkish licence is needed (NVİ, the population and citizenship directorate).
- Age, card and deposit are each company’s own terms. Europcar, Hertz and Sixt print theirs, and they differ.
- Tolls are paid with an HGS tag. It is a prepaid account tied to the plate. A pass without balance has 15 days before a fine (KGM, the state highways directorate).
- A car may drive 130 km/h on a KGM motorway and 140 on a build-operate-transfer motorway; 50 in a settlement (KGM table).
- After an accident with damage only, drivers who agree and need no officers may fill in the report themselves (the traffic-check directive of EGM, the police directorate).
Tool · pages checked 28.10.2026
The hand-over sheet
The form a rental company hands over with the key, with a car drawn on it from above. Press a numbered circle, a part of the car or a tab to open its card: the rule or term, who prints it, and Turkish lines to copy for the desk.
- a state page prints it
- a company’s own term
- a fine
- a word explained
Licence and contract
- A foreign licence
- A driving licence issued abroad lets a foreigner drive in Türkiye for 6 months, and a Turkish citizen for 2 years. After that a Turkish licence is needed.
- Licence not carried
- A driver who does not carry the licence and does not show it when asked: 2,719 TL, with a second amount of 2,039.25 TL, 25 % lower, as the guide lists.
- Company terms
- Minimum age, years of licence, card and deposit are each company’s own terms. Europcar, Hertz and Sixt print theirs; they are in chapter 2.
- Words
- ehliyet or sürücü belgesi: driving licence. kira sözleşmesi: rental contract. depozito or provizyon: an amount held on the card.
NVİ · 2026 fine guide · company terms · checked 28.10.2026
Teslimde mevcut çizikleri forma birlikte işaretleyelim mi?Can the scratches already on the car be marked on the form together at hand-over?
Depozito ya da provizyon ne kadar, ne zaman iade edilir?How much is the deposit or card hold, and when is it released?
HGS tag windscreen
- What it is
- HGS (Hızlı Geçiş Sistemi, the fast pass system) is the prepaid toll tag of KGM, the state highways directorate; PTT sells the tags. Class 1, for cars, means an axle distance under 3.20 m.
- No balance
- Open an HGS account on the plate or load balance within 15 days of the pass: no penalty toll. Otherwise the toll plus a fine of four times the toll; paid from day 15 to day 45 after the pass, the toll plus a fine of one times the toll.
- Rental cars
- Europcar and Hertz: every car carries an HGS tag and the toll is charged to the card after the rental. Sixt: the usage fee plus 185 TL per rental. Europcar adds TRY 150.
KGM · company terms · checked 28.10.2026
HGS etiketi var mı? Bakiyesini nasıl takip edebilirim?Is there an HGS tag? How can I keep track of its balance?
Fuel the flap and the tank
- Words
- kurşunsuz benzin 95 oktan: unleaded petrol, 95 octane. motorin: diesel. depo: tank. dolu depo: full tank. yakıt: fuel.
- Company terms
- Europcar, Hertz and Sixt hand a car over with a full tank and ask for it back the same way. Missing fuel is charged with a service fee: Europcar TRY 350, Sixt 325 TL; Hertz adds a service fee, as printed.
EPDK · company terms · checked 28.10.2026
Araç hangi yakıtı kullanıyor? Depo dolu mu teslim ediliyor?Which fuel does the car take? Is it handed over with a full tank?
Papers the glovebox
- Checked at a stop
- The traffic-check directive lists the tescil belgesi (the registration certificate, which people call ruhsat) with the plate, the zorunlu mali sorumluluk sigortası (compulsory liability insurance) and the driver’s licence.
- No compulsory insurance
- 1,246 TL, with a second amount of 934.50 TL, 25 % lower, on the işleten, as the guide words it.
- Words
- sigorta poliçesi: insurance policy. kasko: the cover for damage to the car itself, a different policy from the compulsory one.
EGM directive · 2026 fine guide · checked 28.10.2026
Ruhsat ve sigorta poliçesi araçta mı?Are the registration paper and the insurance policy in the car?
Boot what a car carries
- Checked at a stop
- Fire extinguisher, first-aid kit, wheel chock, tow rope, chains for snowy and icy days, spare wheel, reflector, spare headlamp and signal bulbs (EGM directive).
- Equipment not carried
- 1,000 TL for the driver and 2,000 TL for the operator, with second amounts of 750 TL and 1,500 TL, as the guide lists.
EGM directive · 2026 fine guide · checked 28.10.2026
Araçta yangın söndürme cihazı, ilk yardım çantası ve reflektör var mı?Are there a fire extinguisher, a first-aid kit and a reflector in the car?
Speed the dial
- A car, in km/h
- 50 in a settlement; 90 on a two-way road outside; 110 on a divided road; 130 on a KGM motorway; 140 on a build-operate-transfer motorway.
- First bands
- In a settlement, 6 to 10 km/h over: 2,000 TL (1,500 TL). Outside, 11 to 15 over: 2,000 TL (1,500 TL). The tables are in the speed chapter.
- Paying
- A fine paid within 15 days is reduced by a quarter, as the EGM directive has officers remind drivers.
- Company terms
- The renter is responsible for fines. Europcar and Sixt pass them on with a service fee; Hertz pays them and adds a service fee.
KGM · 2026 fine guide · EGM directive · company terms · checked 28.10.2026
Para cezaları ve geçiş ücretleri bana nasıl yansıtılıyor?How are fines and toll charges passed on to me?
Accident the corner of the sheet
- 112
- 112 is the emergency health number (the Ministry of Health’s emergency services page).
- Damage only
- If all drivers agree and need no officers, they fill in the damage-only accident report themselves, sign it together and may leave. The traffic police prepare it, among other cases, for one vehicle, an uninsured vehicle, public or third-party property, or a driver without the right licence (EGM directive).
- The app
- MKT (Mobil Kaza Tutanağı) is the mobile report in the Sigortam360 app of SBM, the insurance information and monitoring centre. SBM’s claims line is ALO193.
- Company terms
- Europcar, Hertz and Sixt each print what they ask after an accident; see the accident chapter.
EGM directive · SBM · Ministry of Health · company terms · checked 28.10.2026
Kaza olursa ne yapmalıyım? Araçta kaza tespit tutanağı var mı?What do I do after an accident? Is there an accident report form in the car?
Nothing you press is stored or sent. Rules, fees and company terms can change; each card names who prints it.
Your licence and your passport
A driving licence issued abroad lets a foreigner drive in Türkiye for 6 months; a Turkish citizen with a foreign licence has 2 years. NVİ (Nüfus ve Vatandaşlık İşleri Genel Müdürlüğü, the state directorate for population and citizenship) states this, and that after the period a Turkish licence is needed.
At the desk
- The licence. The driving licence is the ehliyet, also called sürücü belgesi. Each company says which licence it takes and for how many years it has been held (chapter 2).
- The passport. Hertz asks a foreign-licence holder for the passport page with the entry into Türkiye; Sixt asks a non-citizen for the passport and a document showing the entry; Europcar asks for it with a licence not in the Latin alphabet.
NVİ FAQ · company terms · checked 28.10.2026 · NVİ
- Licence not carried
- Not carried, or not shown when asked: 2,719 TL (2,039.25 TL, the second amount, 25 % lower).
- Foreign licence misused
- A licence issued abroad used against the duration and conditions the rules set: 4,712 TL (3,534 TL).
2026 fine guide · checked 28.10.2026 · PDF
A resident who wants to exchange a foreign licence for a Turkish one will find the steps in Turkish Driving Licence.
What a rental company asks for
Minimum age, years of licence held, the card and the deposit are set by each company in its own rental conditions; they are not a rule of the state. Three companies’ pages are printed here, in alphabetical order, as each prints them on 28.10.2026.
Which company’s terms?
- Age and licence
- Economy 21 and 1 year of licence; intermediate 23 and 2 years; SUV 25 and 2 years; minivan, premium and luxury 27 and 3 years.
- Papers
- A credit score check is required. A licence not in the Latin alphabet needs an international driving permit with the original licence and, for a non-citizen, the passport.
- Card and hold
- A credit card in the renter’s own name with enough credit. Hold TRY 4,000 to 10,000 by group, released within 21 business days of the return; 2 cards for the upper groups. Cash deposits and debit cards are not accepted.
- Excess (CDW)
- TRY 30,000 to 70,000, by group.
- Mileage
- 400 km a day and 4,000 km at most for 10 days or more.
- Fuel
- Full tank out, full tank back; otherwise the fuel plus a service charge of TRY 350.
- Tolls and fines
- Every car has an HGS tag; tolls are collected from the card after the rental plus TRY 150. A pass through an OGS lane in an HGS car is an unauthorised passage that Europcar pays and recovers from the card. Fines are collected at the legally discounted amount plus TRY 150.
- Damage
- A damage administration fee of TRY 500. Winter tyres TRY 350 a day.
Europcar Türkiye, rental conditions (FAZ Otomotiv A.Ş.), English · checked 28.10.2026
- Age and licence
- Economy and mid-size 23 and 3 years of licence; luxury 25 and 5 years. A foreign-licence holder shows the passport page with the entry into Türkiye.
- Check
- A FINDEKS check (a credit-score query) for a first-time customer; where the data do not fit, the rental may not be made.
- Card and hold
- A credit card in the renter’s name, shown at the desk. A pre-authorisation hold is placed at the start, by vehicle group; what remains after any differences are collected is released in 7 to 10 working days.
- Mileage
- 500 km a day up to 8 days; 4,000 km in all for longer rentals.
- Fuel
- Handed over with a full tank (8/8) and returned full; otherwise the missing fuel plus a service fee.
- Tolls and fines
- Every car has HGS; the toll is charged to the card when the rental ends. An OGS lane in an HGS car is an unauthorised passage that Hertz pays and charges to the card. Fines are the renter’s; Hertz charges a service fee for those it pays.
- Damage covers
- Mini, Midi and Maxi: the renter’s share is capped at TRY 4,500, 5,500 or 6,500, VAT included.
- Border
- Cars may not leave Türkiye.
Hertz Türkiye, rental conditions, Turkish · checked 28.10.2026
- Age
- Economy 21; mid-size and van 25; upper and luxury 30.
- Licence held
- At least 2 years (economy), 3 (mid-size), 5 (upper and luxury). A non-citizen brings a passport and a document showing entry under 6 months ago; a foreign-licence holder in Türkiye for over 6 months shows a Turkish licence.
- Card and hold
- A credit card in the renter’s own name, open for online use. Hold TRY 4,000 (economy), 4,500 (mid-size), 5,000 (upper and van), 6,000 (luxury); the bank is written to 10 working days after the rental to lift it.
- Credit report
- A customer with no rental in the last 6 months may be asked for a Findeks report; without one, only economy cars, against three cards from three banks with TRY 15,000 held on each.
- Fuel
- Full out, full back; otherwise the fuel cost plus a TRY 325 fuel-fill fee.
- Tolls and fines
- HGS: the usage fee plus 185 TL a rental. Fines are the renter’s; Sixt pays them and charges the renter plus 275 TL a fine.
- Damage
- Collision damage cover with an excess is included (Muafiyetli Kaza Teminatı); tyres, glass and lights are not covered unless bought separately. Damage service fee 475 TL. Extra kilometres 5 TL each; late return 30 % of the day rate for each hour.
Sixt Türkiye, rental conditions, Turkish · checked 28.10.2026
Words on a rental contract
- kira sözleşmesi
- The rental contract, signed at the desk.
- depozito, provizyon
- The deposit; the amount a company holds (blocks) on the card at the start. Hertz and Sixt call it ön provizyon, a pre-authorisation, and say it is released after the rental.
- kredi kartı
- A credit card. All three companies ask for one in the renter’s own name.
- hasar
- Damage; the companies name their covers hasar güvencesi (Hertz) and Muafiyetli Kaza Teminatı (Sixt, a collision damage cover with an excess).
The three companies’ own pages · checked 28.10.2026
The HGS tag and the tolls
HGS (Hızlı Geçiş Sistemi, the fast pass system) is the prepaid toll tag of KGM, Karayolları Genel Müdürlüğü, the state highways directorate. It started on 17.09.2012 and PTT sells the tags. The toll comes off a prepaid balance as the car passes a toll booth (gişe) on a motorway (otoyol) or a bridge (köprü); the balance is topped up at PTT or by a free automatic-payment order on a credit card.
Tag, lane, balance
- The tagA prepaid account tied to the plate. Europcar and Hertz say every car in their fleet carries one.
- The laneThe signs name the lane: HGS, the older OGS, or cash (nakit).
- The balanceThe toll is taken from it as the car passes. A rental company charges it to the card after the rental.
- No balanceThe pass is an ihlalli geçiş, a violating pass; the dates are in the box below.
KGM, HGS page · checked 28.10.2026 · page
KGM · checked 28.10.2026
A pass without balance has 15 days before a fine.
Within 15 days of the pass: open an HGS account on the plate or load balance, and no penalty toll is charged.
Otherwise: the toll plus an administrative fine of four times the toll for the distance driven.
Paid from day 15 to day 45 after the pass, whether or not the fine has been served: the toll plus a fine of one times the toll.
Payment is on KGM’s «İhlalli Geçiş Sorgulama ve Ödeme» page or on e-Devlet. KGM’s help line is 0 850 460 60 60.
The six classes
- Class 1
- An axle distance under 3.20 m: cars.
- Class 2
- An axle distance of 3.20 m or more, two axles.
- Class 3
- Three axles.
- Class 4
- Four or five axles.
- Class 5
- Six or more axles.
- Class 6
- Motorcycles.
KGM, HGS page · checked 28.10.2026 · a vehicle needs the tag of its own class; where mismatches go on, the page says the account goes on the black list (Kara Liste)
What a class 1 pass costs, as KGM prints it
- 15 Temmuz and Fatih Sultan Mehmet bridges
- 59.00 TL, in each direction since 01.01.2022; the tariff holds from 01.01.2026.
- 1915 Çanakkale Bridge
- 1,170.00 TL; the tariff holds from 01.07.2026. Without an entry record the toll of the farthest distance for the exit station applies, and so after a U-turn.
KGM 2026 tariffs, VAT included · checked 28.10.2026 · Istanbul bridges · Çanakkale · all 20 tariffs
A foreign-plated car
A foreign-plated vehicle on the toll motorways and bridges needs an HGS account holding at least the toll. The account can be opened at the customs gates, at PTT branches and at bank branches. A pass without one has 15 days to open an account, load balance or pay on the tax office website or on KGM’s page; otherwise the vehicle is not let out at a border gate until the toll and the fines are paid.
KGM, foreign-plated vehicles · checked 28.10.2026 · page
Speed limits and fines
KGM’s table gives the legal limits by vehicle and road. For a car: 50 km/h in a settlement (yerleşim yeri), 90 on a two-way road outside, 110 on a divided road, 130 on a motorway run by KGM and 140 on one run under a build-operate-transfer contract (YİD). A note under the table says the car limit on motorways was raised by the Interior Ministry’s letter of 02.06.2022.
Which road?
- Car
- 50 km/h
- Minibus and bus
- 50 km/h
- Pickup
- 50 km/h
- Panel van
- 50 km/h
- Motorcycle (L3)
- 50 km/h
- Car
- 90 km/h
- Minibus and bus
- 80 km/h
- Pickup
- 80 km/h
- Panel van
- 85 km/h
- Motorcycle (L3)
- 80 km/h
- Car
- 110 km/h
- Minibus and bus
- 90 km/h
- Pickup
- 85 km/h
- Panel van
- 100 km/h
- Motorcycle (L3)
- 90 km/h
- Car
- 130 km/h
- Minibus and bus
- 100 km/h
- Pickup
- 95 km/h
- Panel van
- 110 km/h
- Motorcycle (L3)
- 100 km/h
- Car
- 140 km/h
- Minibus and bus
- 100 km/h
- Pickup
- 95 km/h
- Panel van
- 110 km/h
- Motorcycle (L3)
- 100 km/h
KGM, speed limits table · checked 28.10.2026 · page · a pickup is a kamyonet (N1), a panel van a panelvan (N1); for vehicles other than the car the table has one figure for both kinds of motorway
The 2026 fine guide (Trafik İdari Para Ceza Rehberi, on trafik.gov.tr, the traffic site of the police directorate) prints each fine and a second amount marked %25 indirimli, 25 % lower. The EGM directive for traffic checks tells officers to remind a driver that a fine paid within 15 days is reduced by a quarter, and that an objection can be made within 15 days.
In a settlement: kilometres over the limit
| Over by | Fine | Fine, 25 % lower | Licence withdrawn |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 to 10 km/h | 2,000 TL | 1,500 TL | — |
| 11 to 15 | 4,000 TL | 3,000 TL | — |
| 16 to 20 | 6,000 TL | 4,500 TL | — |
| 21 to 25 | 8,000 TL | 6,000 TL | — |
| 26 to 35 | 12,000 TL | 9,000 TL | — |
| 36 to 45 | 15,000 TL | 11,250 TL | — |
| 46 to 55 | 20,000 TL | 15,000 TL | 30 days |
| 56 to 65 | 25,000 TL | 18,750 TL | 60 days |
| 66 and over | 30,000 TL | 22,500 TL | 90 days |
Outside a settlement: kilometres over the limit
| Over by | Fine | Fine, 25 % lower | Licence withdrawn |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 to 15 km/h | 2,000 TL | 1,500 TL | — |
| 16 to 20 | 4,000 TL | 3,000 TL | — |
| 21 to 25 | 6,000 TL | 4,500 TL | — |
| 26 to 30 | 8,000 TL | 6,000 TL | — |
| 31 to 40 | 12,000 TL | 9,000 TL | — |
| 41 to 50 | 15,000 TL | 11,250 TL | — |
| 51 to 60 | 20,000 TL | 15,000 TL | 30 days |
| 61 to 70 | 25,000 TL | 18,750 TL | 60 days |
| 71 and over | 30,000 TL | 22,500 TL | 90 days |
2026 fine guide, speed fines · checked 28.10.2026 · PDF
Other rows a driver meets, as the guide prints them
- A phone held in the hand while driving. 5,000 TL (3,750 TL); 10,000 TL (7,500 TL) on a repeat within a year; 20,000 TL (15,000 TL) on the next repeat, as the guide lists.
- A red light. 5,000 TL (3,750 TL) the first time; the guide lists higher amounts for repeats within a year.
- A seat belt not used. 2,500 TL (1,875 TL).
- A child under 15 without a child restraint. 5,000 TL (3,750 TL).
- Defective brakes, tyres or lights. 1,246 TL (934.50 TL).
2026 fine guide · checked 28.10.2026 · the amount in brackets is the second amount, 25 % lower
What a car carries, and its papers
Traffic checks look at the car’s papers and at its equipment. The EGM directive for traffic checks (Trafik Denetimlerinde ve Trafik Kazalarında Alınacak Önlemlere İlişkin Yönerge, approved 31.10.2011) lists what the officers check; EGM is the police directorate, Emniyet Genel Müdürlüğü.
What the directive lists
- The papers. The registration certificate (tescil belgesi) with the plate, the compulsory liability insurance and the driver’s licence.
- The equipment. A fire extinguisher, a first-aid kit, a wheel chock, a tow rope, chains for snowy and icy days, a spare wheel, a reflector, and spare headlamp and signal bulbs. Further items concern trucks, tractors and taxis.
EGM directive · checked 28.10.2026 · PDF
- ruhsat
- The registration paper; its full name is tescil belgesi.
- zorunlu trafik sigortası
- The compulsory liability policy; its full name is zorunlu mali sorumluluk sigortası.
- kasko
- The word for a policy on the car itself. SBM’s claims centre takes claims under the traffic policy or under kasko.
- reflektör
- The warning reflector. EGM’s page of 28.09.2023 says the traffic law provides for two reflectors kept and used in vehicles.
EGM directive and page · SBM · Hertz · checked 28.10.2026
What the guide fines
- Equipment the regulation lists, not carried
- 1,000 TL for the driver (750 TL second amount); 2,000 TL for the operator (1,500 TL).
- No compulsory liability insurance
- 1,246 TL (934.50 TL), on the işleten, as the guide words it.
- Defective brakes, tyres or lights
- 1,246 TL (934.50 TL).
2026 fine guide · checked 28.10.2026
Fuel and the tank
Europcar, Hertz and Sixt all hand a car over with a full tank and ask for it back full; the fee for missing fuel is each company’s own (chapter 2). The words at the pump are short.
The words at the pump
- kurşunsuz benzin 95 oktan
- Unleaded petrol, 95 octane. The list also has 98 octane.
- motorin
- Diesel.
- LPG
- Liquefied petroleum gas.
- depo, dolu depo
- The tank; a full tank, as Hertz words it.
- yakıt
- Fuel.
The product names are those of the price portal of EPDK, the energy regulator · checked 28.10.2026 · page
Fuel costs per kilometre and the prices on the day are in Fuel Prices in Turkey and the Distance and Fuel Cost Calculator.
After an accident
The state’s steps stand on the 2026 fine guide, the EGM directive and the Sigorta Bilgi ve Gözetim Merkezi (SBM, the insurance information and monitoring centre); a rental company’s own demands come after them and are marked as the company’s.
What the guide and the directive say
- StopNot stopping and not taking the safety measures: 2,719 TL. Changing the scene: 46,000 TL (34,500 TL).
- Health112 is the emergency health number. Not giving first aid, or not taking the injured to the nearest health facility: 2,719 TL.
- DetailsGive the other party the name, address, licence and policy details when asked; not doing so: 2,719 TL.
- The reportWhere only damage was done and all drivers agree and need no officers, they fill in the Maddi Hasarlı Trafik Kazası Tespit Tutanağı (the damage-only accident report), sign it together and may leave. Otherwise the officers are told: not telling them is 2,719 TL; leaving before they arrive or allow it is 46,000 TL (34,500 TL). The guide makes the agreed-report exception for both.
- Injury or deathLeaving the scene: 46,000 TL (34,500 TL), the licence withdrawn for 2 years, and a prison sentence of one to three years.
2026 fine guide · EGM directive, articles 53 and 54 · Ministry of Health emergency services · checked 28.10.2026
When the traffic police prepare the report
- One vehicle. A damage-only accident with a single vehicle.
- No insurance. A vehicle without the compulsory liability insurance valid in Türkiye.
- Public vehicle or property. A vehicle owned by a public body, or damage to public property or to a third party’s goods.
- Licence. A driver without a driving licence, or without a licence right for the type of vehicle.
EGM directive, article 54(2) (traffic police, or the general police force where there are none); the list names further cases · checked 28.10.2026 · PDF
The mobile report and the claim line
- Open the appMKT (Mobil Kaza Tutanağı), the mobile accident report, runs in the Sigortam360 app; sign-in is with e-Devlet.
- Fill it inEnter the plates, add photos; the location is added by itself. Each driver completes the driver and accident details and gets a QR code.
- Add the othersThe driver who opened the report adds the other drivers by their QR codes, and all draw the accident scenario together.
- ApproveThe opener checks the preview and sends it on; the report is ready when the other drivers have approved it.
SBM, mobile accident report · call centre 0 850 222 0 726 · checked 28.10.2026 · page
Claim line
ALO193 (OHİM, the joint claim notification centre) takes claims under the traffic policy or kasko by phone, on alo193.gov.tr or in an app, every day of the week. It needs an ID or passport number, the plates, and the date and type of the damage; it finds the other side’s insurer from the plate and gives a notification number, and the insurer is to get in touch by the next working day. SBM says it has run since 1 September 2026.
SBM page · checked 28.10.2026 · page
What each company prints for an accident
| Company | Its own terms, as printed |
|---|---|
| Europcar | Tell its 24/7 Full Support Line (+90 850 377 03 77) and contact the police or gendarmerie no later than 24 hours after. In a single-vehicle accident, contact the nearest police or gendarmerie before moving the car. In a two-vehicle accident the drivers fill in the Property Damage Accident Report unless one of its listed circumstances applies (a driver under age or without a licence, a vehicle on government plates or without liability insurance, public property or only third-party property damaged, death or injury, no agreement). It asks for copies of the other drivers’ licences, registration papers and policies and photos with the plate visible. If the required reports are not obtained, the renter is fully responsible for the damage. Theft: police and Europcar within 24 hours. |
| Hertz | Tell Hertz at once; hand in the accident report and details from the nearest authority (traffic police in town, gendarmerie outside) within 48 hours. Its damage covers apply on that condition. |
| Sixt | Report the accident at once to the contact phone numbers and obtain the reports from the authorities within 48 hours; otherwise its collision damage cover is void. |
The companies’ own pages · checked 28.10.2026 · the terms of a rental company, not the law
Care after an accident, and how emergency services work, is in Healthcare in Turkey.
The words for the desk
Every part of the sheet has Turkish lines to copy. These are the words they use, with the plain meaning beside each.
- ehliyet, sürücü belgesi
- Driving licence.
- pasaport
- Passport.
- ruhsat
- Registration paper.
- kira sözleşmesi
- Rental contract.
- depozito, provizyon
- The deposit; the amount held on the card.
- HGS, OGS
- The toll tag; the older toll system, still named on lane signs.
- otoyol, gişe, köprü
- Motorway; toll booth; bridge.
- hız sınırı, ceza
- Speed limit; fine.
- sigorta poliçesi, kasko
- Insurance policy; the policy on the car itself.
- kaza tespit tutanağı
- The accident report.
- trafik polisi, jandarma
- Traffic police; the gendarmerie, which Hertz names for outside the towns.
- kurşunsuz benzin, motorin, depo
- Unleaded petrol; diesel; the tank.
Words from the pages named in this guide · checked 28.10.2026
Without a car, the other ways to get around are in Taxis in Turkey, Istanbul Public Transport, Public Transport in Izmir and Kamil Koç Bus.
Quick answers in a few lines
Does a foreign driving licence work in Türkiye, and for how long?
Yes, for a foreigner for 6 months, and for a Turkish citizen for 2 years (NVİ). After that a Turkish licence is needed.
What does a rental company ask for?
Each company sets its own: Europcar from age 21, Hertz from 23 and Sixt from 21, by vehicle group, with a credit card in the renter’s name and a hold on it. The three companies’ terms are in chapter 2.
What is an HGS tag?
The prepaid toll tag of KGM, tied to the plate. The toll comes off the balance as the car passes a toll booth. A car is class 1.
What if I pass a toll without balance?
Within 15 days open an HGS account on the plate or load balance and no penalty toll is charged. Otherwise the toll plus a fine of four times the toll; paid from day 15 to day 45 after the pass, the toll plus a fine of one times the toll (KGM).
What speed is allowed for a car on a motorway?
130 km/h on a KGM motorway and 140 km/h on a build-operate-transfer motorway; the KGM note says the limit was raised by the Interior Ministry’s letter of 02.06.2022.
Do I need the police after a scratch?
Where only damage was done and all the drivers agree and need no officers, they may fill in the damage-only accident report themselves and leave (EGM directive). A rental company’s own terms may ask for more: Europcar asks for police or gendarmerie contact in a single-vehicle accident, Hertz for the nearest authority’s report within 48 hours and Sixt for the authorities’ reports within 48 hours.
Which fuel does the car take?
The company says; the words at the pump are kurşunsuz benzin (unleaded petrol) and motorin (diesel). Europcar’s terms say to use the correct fuel.
What does speeding cost?
From 2,000 TL for 6 to 10 km/h over in a settlement and for 11 to 15 over outside, up to 30,000 TL and a licence withdrawn for 90 days, as the 2026 guide prints them.
Sources and limits
Show the pages checked
- Sürücü Belgeleri Hizmetleri, sıkça sorulan sorular — NVİ, the population and citizenship directorate, checked 28.10.2026
- HGS — KGM, the state highways directorate, checked 28.10.2026
- Yabancı Plakalı Araçlar — KGM, checked 28.10.2026
- Hız Sınırları — KGM, checked 28.10.2026
- Otoyol ve Köprü Geçiş Ücretleri — KGM, checked 28.10.2026
- 15 Temmuz Şehitler Köprüsü ve Fatih Sultan Mehmet Köprüsü geçiş ücretleri tarifesi (valid from 01.01.2026) — KGM, checked 28.10.2026
- 1915 Çanakkale Köprüsü geçiş ücretleri tarifesi (valid from 01.07.2026) — KGM, checked 28.10.2026
- 2026 Yılı Trafik İdari Para Ceza Rehberi — trafik.gov.tr, the traffic department of the police directorate EGM, checked 28.10.2026
- Trafik Denetimlerinde ve Trafik Kazalarında Alınacak Önlemlere İlişkin Yönerge (approved 31.10.2011) — EGM, the police directorate, on trafik.gov.tr, checked 28.10.2026
- Yol kenarında bekleme yapan araçların denetimi gerçekleştirildi (28.09.2023) — EGM, checked 28.10.2026
- Mobil Kaza Tutanağı (MKT) — SBM, the insurance information and monitoring centre, checked 28.10.2026
- ALO193 Ortak Hasar İhbar Merkezi (OHİM) — SBM, checked 28.10.2026
- 112 Acil Sağlık Hizmetleri — Ministry of Health, emergency services, checked 28.10.2026
- Akaryakıt Bayi Fiyatı Raporu — EPDK, the energy regulator, checked 28.10.2026
- Europcar Türkiye, rental conditions — company, checked 28.10.2026
- Hertz Türkiye, kiralama koşulları — company, checked 28.10.2026
- Sixt Türkiye, araç kiralama koşulları — company, checked 28.10.2026
- Pictures: BSRF, Kızıldeniz, Ben Welle, Kerim333, Falk2 and VynedJ, Wikimedia Commons, licences in the captions; three illustrations
General information on rules, fees and company terms that change; check the page and the contract on the day. This guide gives no advice on which company or policy to choose.
