How can you leave a foreign-registered car or motorcycle in Turkey and fly out temporarily — do you need to notify customs and how is it arranged?

From messages by 3 participants in 3 sources · Last activity: 67 days ago

TL;DR

If you leave Turkey temporarily without the foreign-registered car or motorcycle you brought in, travelers report that you need to notify Turkish customs in advance and file a written request to leave the vehicle in the country. It is also wise to get supporting paperwork for your return flight and for collecting the vehicle again.

What the community said

According to the most recent traveler reports, you can leave a car in Turkey for a short trip abroad, but you generally need to file a customs statement explaining that the owner is leaving temporarily without the vehicle.

customs statement

For motorcycles, travelers describe the same process: before flying out, you should notify customs that the vehicle will remain in Turkey for a limited period, such as 2 weeks.

2 weeks

Travelers specifically note that this is handled through Turkish customs, not just with the airline or a parking lot: leaving a temporarily imported vehicle without customs formalities can be risky.

Turkish customs

The discussion suggests asking for return-trip paperwork as well, so that when you come back to Turkey you have proof that the vehicle was left officially.

return-trip documents