Driving in Turkey: Converting a Foreign Driving Licence, Road Rules & Traffic Vocabulary

Driving opens up Türkiye: the Mediterranean coast, Cappadocia, the Black Sea highlands. But foreign residents need to know the licence rules, how electronic tolls and vehicle inspections work, and enough Turkish to manage at a fuel station. (For getting around cities without a car, see our public transport guide.)

Note: This is a language-learning guide, not legal advice. Traffic rules, fees and document lists change; check with your local nüfus müdürlüğü, the NVİ appointment system and the road signs themselves.

1. Driving on a foreign licence

• The six-month rule. Under Article 88 of the Highway Traffic Regulation (Karayolları Trafik Yönetmeliği), as amended in June 2020, foreigners may drive with a licence from abroad for at most six months from their date of entry into Türkiye.
• After six months: exchange it. After that period, the foreign licence must be exchanged for a Turkish licence (sürücü belgesi, informally ehliyet). (The longer two-year period you may read about applies to Turkish citizens returning with a foreign licence, not to foreigners.)
• Where. Applications can be made at any civil registry office (nüfus müdürlüğü), the same office that handles address registration.
• Which licences can be exchanged. Whether your licence can be exchanged without driving tests depends on the issuing country and Türkiye’s international agreements. Ask when you book; do not assume.

Documents for the exchange

The exact list is set by the General Directorate of Civil Registration and Citizenship (Nüfus ve Vatandaşlık İşleri Genel Müdürlüğü, NVİ). It typically includes:

1. your original foreign licence and a Turkish translation certified by a notary or your consulate (see our notary guide);
2. a driver’s health report (sürücü sağlık raporu) from an authorised health facility;
3. a recent biometric photo;
4. your blood group information;
5. your passport and residence permit;
6. proof that the fees have been paid. For 2026 the class B licence fee (harç) is 6,754.60 TL, plus a separate card fee. Fees change every January.

2. Tolls and vehicle inspection

• Electronic tolls (HGS, Hızlı Geçiş Sistemi). Turkish motorways and the big bridges have no cash booths. A car needs an HGS sticker on the windscreen linked to its number plate; the toll is deducted automatically when you pass under the gantry. HGS stickers are sold at PTT branches and through banks, and topped up online. Unpaid tolls lead to fines.
• Periodic inspection (araç muayenesi). Vehicles must be inspected at TÜVTÜRK stations; for private cars this is usually first after three years and then every two years, but check the due date on your registration document (ruhsat). Debts block inspection: TÜVTÜRK has said vehicles with unpaid motor vehicle tax (MTV), traffic fines, tax penalties or motorway and bridge tolls cannot be inspected until the debts are paid or restructured.
• Traffic fines (trafik cezası). Most fines are reduced by a quarter if paid within 15 days of notification. You can check and pay them on e-Devlet or GİB’s online services.

3. Dialogue at the fuel station (benzinlikte)

Most Turkish fuel stations are full-service: you stay in the car and an attendant (pompacı) fills the tank.

Pompacı:   Hoş geldiniz! Ne alalım?
           (Welcome! What shall we put in?)

Sürücü:    Merhaba! Dizel lütfen. Depoyu doldurur musunuz?
           (Hello! Diesel, please. Could you fill the tank?)

Pompacı:   Tabii. Cam suyuna da bakalım mı?
           (Sure. Shall we check the windscreen washer fluid too?)

Sürücü:    Çok iyi olur, bitmişti. Lastiklerin havasını da kontrol edebilir misiniz?
           (That would be great, it had run out. Could you also check the tyre pressure?)

Pompacı:   Memnuniyetle. Lastikler tamam. Depo doldu: 1.850 lira tuttu.
           (With pleasure. The tyres are fine. The tank's full: that comes to 1,850 lira.)

Sürücü:    İçeride mi ödüyorum, yoksa burada kartla ödeyebilir miyim?
           (Do I pay inside, or can I pay by card here?)

Pompacı:   Burada ödeyebilirsiniz, temassız da olur.
           (You can pay here; contactless is fine too.)

Sürücü:    Harika. Teşekkürler, kolay gelsin!
           (Great. Thanks, may your work go easily!)

Pompacı:   Sağ olun, iyi yolculuklar!
           (Thank you, have a good journey!)

You will also hear the colloquial Depoyu fulleyin or simply Full, lütfen (“Fill it up, please”).

Grammar in the dialogue

• Kontrol edebilir misiniz? Ödeyebilir miyim? (“Could you check? Can I pay?”) use the ability form -ebil/-abil, the standard polite request.
• Ne alalım? Bakalım mı? (“What shall we put in? Shall we check?”) are optative “let’s” forms, and road signs use the imperative: Yavaşlayın! (Slow down!), Durun! (Stop!). See imperative and optative moods.
• Cam suyuna bakmak (“to check the washer fluid”) takes the dative case: bakmak always takes -a/-e.
• Read prices like bin sekiz yüz elli lira aloud with the number converter.

4. Driving and road vocabulary

5. Practical tips

• Roundabouts. Give way to vehicles already in the roundabout, but expect other drivers to enter assertively, and approach carefully.
• Speed limits. In towns the limit for cars is usually 50 km/h. On motorways it depends on the section, so follow the signs.
• Safety equipment. Carry a first-aid kit, a fire extinguisher and two warning triangles (reflektör); inspection stations check safety equipment.
• Keep your papers in the car. Carry your licence, the registration (ruhsat), the insurance policy and, while you are still on a foreign licence, your passport showing your entry date.

Next steps

At the counter and the pump, almost every request uses -ebilir misiniz? Practice it in the ability verb guide, and learn the sign language of the road with imperative and optative moods.