First import shipment into Türkiye: a checklist for a foreign-owned company

A first import is easier when the steps are done in order: classify the goods, check whether product control applies, appoint a customs broker, prepare the documents and plan the bank payment. This guide lists each step for a company with foreign participation, as of 6 November 2026. It is descriptive only; the customs declaration is made by a licensed broker.

Step 1: classify the goods (GTİP)

Every imported item needs a tariff position, the GTİP code (Gümrük Tarife İstatistik Pozisyonu). The code decides the duty, any additional charges and which controls apply, so it is the first thing to fix, before the order is placed.

If the code is unclear, the Ministry of Trade issues binding tariff information (bağlayıcı tarife bilgisi) on request. A broker can also give an opinion, but the declared code is the importer’s responsibility.

• Describe the goods: material, use, composition
• Collect catalogue pages or technical sheets
• Ask the broker for a written classification
• Check duty and any additional charges for the origin country

Keep the classification file: the code, the reasoning and the supplier’s catalogue page. If the customs office or the broker later reads the goods differently, this record shows how the code was chosen. A wrong code can change duty and controls, so do not copy it from the supplier’s invoice.

Step 2: check TAREKS and product control

Many goods are checked before release. TAREKS is the electronic system of the Ministry of Trade that handles product safety and inspection of imports under Law No. 7223. Each year communiqués named “Product Safety and Inspection” list the products under control; 2026 editions cover, for example, CE-marked goods, consumer products and textiles.

Other agencies may add their own approvals for food, medicines, chemicals or telecom equipment. Whether a control applies to your code is decided on the basis of the code and the current communiqué list, so verify it before the goods ship.

• Match the GTİP code to the current communiqués
• Ask the supplier for test reports and conformity documents
• Register in TAREKS through the broker if required

Control can also depend on how the goods are used or on the supplier’s country. Ask the broker to confirm in writing whether an inspection, a document check or no control applies to your goods, and what the supplier must send before shipment.

Step 3: customs broker and power of attorney

In practice, customs declarations are lodged by a licensed customs broker (gümrük müşaviri) on behalf of the importer. The importer gives the broker a written power of attorney (vekâletname). Brokers use their own forms and often ask for the company’s tax number, signature circular and trade registry extract.

The company’s authorised person normally also needs an electronic signature (e-imza), because the customs and TAREKS systems are electronic. Ask the broker which signature type and which authority are required in your case.

• Compare two or three brokers and their written scope of work
• Sign the power of attorney with the correct authority
• Order the e-imza early; issuing takes time

Agree in writing what the broker does and does not do: the declaration, the TAREKS entry, document storage and contact with the customs office. The broker sets its own fees, so request a written scope before the first shipment and note what it excludes.

Step 4: invoice, packing list and origin

The customs file starts with the commercial invoice and packing list. Names, addresses, goods description, quantities, weights, currency and the Incoterms term must match across all papers and the transport document. Ask the supplier to avoid generic descriptions, because the broker needs them for classification.

Origin matters for duty. A preferential rate may require a movement certificate such as A.TR or EUR.1, or an origin certificate; without it the standard rate usually applies.

Check the documents before the goods leave the supplier, not after arrival. Correcting a name or a description on a foreign invoice takes days once the shipment is at the port. Send the supplier a short template showing exactly how your company name and address must appear.

Step 5: bank payment and timing

Payment to the foreign supplier goes through a Turkish bank, and the bank asks for the invoice and often the customs declaration or the contract. The documents and payment forms are explained in our article on import payment documents at a Turkish bank. Make sure the supplier’s name and the beneficiary account name match the invoice.

We found no officially confirmed fixed timeline that covers all goods, so plan buffers: product control, broker preparation and port storage costs can add days. Agree the sequence with the broker before the vessel or truck arrives.

1. Fix GTİP and control status
2. Appoint the broker and sign the power of attorney
3. Receive the document set and send it to the broker
4. Pay through the bank per the agreed form
5. Keep the declaration, invoice and payment proof together

Bring the company’s own papers to the bank as well: charter, registry extract, signature circular and the authorised person’s passport. If any is in a foreign language, translations and an apostille may be required. The bank decides what it accepts.

Sources

• ticaret.gov.tr — Ministry of Trade (customs): import regime, tariff, binding tariff information, customs broker rules
• tareks.ticaret.gov.tr — TAREKS: risk-based product safety and inspection system for imports
• mevzuat.gov.tr — Customs Law No. 4458, Product Safety and Technical Regulations Law No. 7223, Import Regime Decision
• tcmb.gov.tr — Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye: exchange rate bulletins
• orgtr.org — consolidated copy of 2026 import-inspection communiqués (Product Safety and Inspection 2026/9, 2026/12, 2026/18); secondary copy used because mevzuat.gov.tr blocks automated access

Questions