Table of Contents
Driving license in Turkey “Ehliyet” is a card that is required to drive cars vehicles in general within Turkish cities and states.
A comprehensive guide about driving licenses in Turkey What types of international driving licenses are acceptable? How can you obtain a Turkish drivering license? And more about driving certification in Turkey.
About the Driving license in Turkey
The driver’s license in Turkish is called Ehliyet, which is a an ID that allows individuals to drive motor vehicles or non-motorized land vehicles such as cars, buses and tractors on the road.
The driving license is issued by the Traffic Department, and the Turkish license can be used as an identity card in most cases.
There are about 17 different categories of Turkish driving licenses, which vary according to the type of vehicle you intend to drive.
You will need a driver’s license in Turkey to drive any type of vehicle, even for a motorcycle.
Accepted driving licenses in Turkey
It is possible to use a driver’s license that you obtained from a foreign country outside Turkey, under certain conditions, which differ between foreign and Turkish citizens.
Foreigners
Foreign citizens can drive in Turkey for a maximum period of 6 months starting from the date of entry, provided they present a foreign driver’s license.
After the end of the 6-month period, a foreign citizen in Turkey is required to replace a foreign driver’s license with a Turkish one.
Turks
Turkish citizens who obtained a driving license from a foreign country can drive for a full year from the date of entering the country.
In the event of driving for more than 6 months, the Turkish citizen must present the foreign driving license with a Turkish translation notarized by the embassy or notary.
Foreign driving licenses in Turkey
You can drive as a foreigner in Turkey in general for a period of 6 months with a driver’s license issued by any country, but after this period ends, you must replace your license with a Turkish one.
Turkey has signed an agreement with the following countries, so that if you hold a driving license for one of the countries in the table below, you can exchange it with a Turkish license directly without undergoing a test.
In the event that your license was not issued by any of these countries, you must complete reading the article and use the international driving license or obtain a Turkish driving licence.
We present to you a table of countries entitled to transfer a driver’s license in Turkey:
| Country |
| Germany |
| Albania |
| Austria |
| Azerbaijan |
| Bahamas |
| the two seas |
| Belgium |
| Belarus (Belarus) |
| The United Arab Emirates |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| Brazil |
| Bulgaria |
| Czech Republic |
| Denmark |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Ecuador |
| Indonesia |
| Armenia |
| Estonia |
| Morocco, West, sunset |
| Ivory Coast |
| Philippines |
| Finland |
| France |
| Ghana |
| Guyana |
| South Africa |
| South Korea |
| Georgia |
| Croatia |
| Holland |
| England |
| The Islamic Republic of Iran |
| Spain |
| Palestine (driver’s license issued by the Israeli occupation authority) |
| Sweden |
| Switzerland |
| Italy |
| the black Mountain |
| Diameter |
| Kazakhstan |
| Kenya |
| Kyrgyzstan |
| Costa Rica |
| Kuwait |
| Cuba |
| Latvia |
| Liberia |
| Lithuania |
| Luxembourg |
| Hungary |
| Macedonia |
| Mexico |
| Mongolia |
| Moldova |
| Monaco |
| Niger |
| Norway |
| Central African Republic |
| Uzbekistan |
| Pakistan |
| Peru |
| Poland |
| Portugal |
| Romania |
| Russia |
| San Marino |
| Senegal |
| Seychelles |
| Serbia |
| Slovakia |
| Slovenia |
| Chile |
| Tajikistan |
| Thailand |
| Tunisia |
| Turkmenistan |
| Ukraine |
| Uruguay |
| Vatican |
| Venezuela |
| Greece |
| Zimbabwe |
Converting foreign driving licence in Turkey
To exchange your foreign license with a Turkish one, you must carry go to the General Directorate of Population and Nationality Affairs (Nüfus), and to achieve this, follow the following steps
- Go to the General Directorate of Population and Nationality Affairs website / click on the heading “Sürücü Belgesi / Randevu Al” in the second tab and set your appointment.
- After setting your appointment, prepare the following documents:
- An original and colored copy of the foreign driver’s license
- Turkish translation certified by a notary or consulate for the licence
- Personal identification card “Turkish residency or passport”
- Translation of your passport certified by notary or consulate
- A health report proving the driver’s capacity to drive
- Biometric photos
- A document or written statement stating the blood type
- Judicial Record Certificate (to be audited electronically by the system)
After that, you will have to pay an amount ranging from 225 TL to 1300 TL depending on the type of license you are trying to obtain.
You will get a Turkish driver’s license after you pay the fees and bring all the required documents.
Turkish driving license categories
In Turkey, there are many different driving licenses for driving different types of vehicles, the most important of which are motorcycles, cars, trucks, trailers, small and large buses, tractors, and work machines.
| Type of license | Type of the vehicle | Minimum age | Duration |
| M. | Motorized bike | 16 | 10 years |
| A1 | Motorcycle up to 125 cc | 16 | 10 years |
| A2 | Motorcycle of no more than 35 kW | 18 | 10 years |
| A | Motorcycle over 35 kW | 20 | 10 years |
| B1 | 4 wheel motorcycle | 16 | 10 years |
| B | Cars and trucks | 18 | 10 years |
| BE | Truck, trailer, cars and vans | 18 | 10 years |
| C1 | Trailer truck towing capacity up to 7,500 kg | 18 | 5 years |
| C1E | Trailer truck towing capacity up to 12,000 kg | 18 | 5 years |
| C | Truck | 21 | 5 years |
| CE | Trailer truck | 21 | 5 years |
| D1 | Mini bus | 21 | 5 years |
| D1E | Small trailer | 21 | 5 years |
| D. | Minibus and bus | 24 | 5 years |
| DE | Minibus and coach with trailer | 24 | 5 years |
| F | Tractor | 18 | 10 years |
| G | Working machines | 18 | 10 years |
There are many driving schools in Turkey, where the school prepares you for the theoretical and practical tests. Many schools also offer many languages, the most important of which are English and Arabic.
Steps to obtain a Turkish driver’s license
You can obtain a Turkish driver’s license after taking the theoretical and practical test easily by following the following steps:
- Find a driving school in your language, if you are not familiar with the Turkish language
- Prepare for the driving license theoretical test
- Prepare for the practical driving test
- Book an appointment by visiting the General Directorate of Population and Nationality Affairs website.
You must go to your appointment with the following papers:
- 4 biometric photos (for driver’s license)
- Education certificate that proves you have learned how to drive
- Address proof certificate
- Criminal report
- Health report
- Passport and residence card
After that, you will get your driver’s license, which you can use in all Turkish cities to drive vehicles.
international driving license Turkey
The international driving license is accepted in Turkey in all cities, as you must always show the license in case it is requested from you at the checkpoints.
The same conditions for regular driving licenses apply to the international license, as you can drive with it for a limited period and after that you must obtain a Turkish license.
Turkish driver’s license test
You can get a Turkish driver’s certificate easily by taking a license test.
The Turkish driving license exam is divided into two types, theoretical and practical, as the driving school sets an appointment for you to sit the exam.
Buying a used car in Turkey
There are many used cars in Turkey, which provide you with the ability to have your own car easily and at an affordable price.
There are many things that you should pay attention to while buying a car, in addition to the laws on buying tax-free cars for foreigners, which you can learn about in our comprehensive guide to buying used cars in Turkey.