Driving license in Turkey for foreigners – all terms and conditions 2023

How to obtain a driving license in Turkey for foreigners is one of the questions that may arise for people who intend to emigrate to Turkey, study in Turkey, work in Turkey…

One of the questions that these people may face is how long can they drive in Turkey using their country’s driving license or international license? What are the steps to obtain a Turkish driving license for foreign citizens? What do they do to buy a car in Turkey? This article attempts to answer some of these questions:

Obtaining a Turkish driving license in 2023

What are the requirements for a driving license in Turkey? As a foreign citizen in Turkey, are there any restrictions on obtaining a driving license or not? These questions may be clear examples of dozens of questions that you will face if you want to obtain a Turkish driving license. In this article we have tried to share with you the answers to these questions and dozens of other cases.

In 2021, there were changes in how to obtain a driving license in Turkey. The first change was made in the order to obtain a driver’s license. According to the new regulations, the process of obtaining a driving license in Turkey relates to the General Directorate of Population and Citizenship of Turkey.

In the process of obtaining a driving license, there are certain steps, such as taking a driving course, passing a two-stage exam, and setting an appointment for registration with the General Population Directorate. To reach the stage of obtaining a driving license, you must also meet the criteria for obtaining a driving license in Turkey.

The issue of obtaining a driving license may seem very complicated for foreign citizens who do not have sufficient knowledge of the subject. As people who want to do this in Turkey are most concerned about the licensing process.

In fact, it is very easy to get a driving license in Turkey. All you need is a simple plan, study and regular practice.

Conditions for obtaining a Turkish driving license for foreign citizens

First of all, keep in mind that the requirements for obtaining a license can be updated any time, and this can vary depending on the type and grade of the driving license.

Do you know anything about driving license categories? If you are not familiar with the important points of these categories, continue reading this article. Because before you get your license, there are some things that you need to know.

You should also bear in mind that your circumstances will vary depending on the type of driver’s license application you intend to obtain. There are 17 categories of driver’s licenses that you can obtain according to the conditions for obtaining a driver’s license in Turkey for 2023. For these classes, you need to know six things:

1. Age requirements for the applicant to obtain a Turkish driving license
2. Experience required to obtain a driver’s license
3. Training is required to apply for a driver’s license
4. Medical requirements for obtaining a driver’s license
5. Forensic registration is required to obtain a driver’s license
6. The conditions of obtaining a driver’s license

Amendments to the driving license law in Turkey in 2021

As of 2018, new categories have been added to the driving license law. Let’s take a look at how it changed from the old system.

• Class B drivers can no longer use minibuses without experience.
• The age limit for (small motorbike) drivers has been reduced to 16 years.
• While the motorcycle group was A1 and A2, it is now placed in M, A, A1 and A2.
• Class H drivers licenses are no longer available to disabled citizens. Where the health status of the citizens will be written directly in the driver’s license.
• If your car has automatic transmission, from 2018, if you wish, you can enter directly into your transmission system.

Age limits to obtain a Turkish driving license in 2021

The age limits required to qualify are as follows:

• To obtain driving licenses of Class M, A1 and B1, the applicant must be at least 16 years old.
• For licenses A2, B, BE, C1, C1E, F and G, the applicant must be at least 18 years old.
• The driving age required for Category A is (20) years.
• Age requirements for C, CE, D1 and D1E driver licenses are 21 years.
• The minimum age requirement for driving classes D and DE is 24

Experience requirements for obtaining various driving licenses

• If you want to obtain a Class A license, you must have a minimum of two years of A2 driving experience. But there is one exception to this, which is that if you want to get a Class A driver’s license and you are 24 years old, the need for experience is automatically deactivated.
• If you want to get a Class C1, C, D1 and D license, you must have at least a B license.
• To obtain a BE-Class driver’s license, applicants must have a B-Class driver’s license.
• If you want to get a CE class license, you need a Class C license.
• If you want to obtain a C1E driver’s license, you must have a CE driver’s license.
• The experience required to obtain a DE class license is to obtain a Class D license.
• If you want to obtain a D1E class license, you must also have a DE class license.

The minimum degree for obtaining a Turkish driving license

According to the traffic regulations, applicants for a driving license in Turkey must be at least primary school graduates.

Upon registration, you must present your primary school certificate.

Health conditions for obtaining a driving license in Turkey

According to the traffic regulations in Turkey, every driver must have certain medical conditions. When you start your driving course and apply for a driving license in Turkey, you must submit a medical report from a reputed medical institution to the traffic police.

Applying for a medical health card, not only required to obtain a driving license, but also to renew it.

The institutions that can issue a medical report when obtaining a Turkish driver’s license are:

• Medical centers of the Ministry of Health and universities (public hospitals, educational and research hospitals, medical colleges)
• Family health centers (family doctors)
• Private hospitals, private medical centers, and private clinics licensed by the Ministry of Health.

The costs of the medical report to obtain a driving license in Turkey

• You can get a medical report to obtain a driving license from family doctors for free.
• In public hospitals, the doctor’s report is 150 Turkish lira and a minimum of 500 liras.
• If you apply for a medical health card to obtain a driver’s license in Turkey from educational and research hospitals or university hospitals, the cost is 175 liras for the doctor and 600 liras for the report of the medical committee.

If you are planning to get a medical report from a private hospital, be aware that the amount paid may vary from one hospital to another.

Do we need a criminal record to obtain a Turkish driving license?

According to the traffic police regulations, and Article 76 of the Driving License Law, a medical health certificate is required. Also, with regard to criminal records, the person must not have committed the following crimes:

• Not to commit the crimes stipulated in Articles 188, 190 and 191 of the Turkish Penal Code.
• Not committing crimes under Article 4, paragraph 7 of the Anti-Trafficking Law.
• Failure to commit the crimes referred to in Article 12, Paragraph 2 and subsequent paragraphs of the Firearms, Knives and Other Equipments Act.

Driving tests required to obtain a Turkish driving license

Driving applicants must take two two-step tests to obtain a driver’s license in Turkey.

The first stage passes the written test and the second stage passes the practical driving test.

• If you want to get a driving license category M, B1, B, A1, A2, F and G, you must pass a two-step driving test.
• If you intend to obtain a driving license category A, C1, C, D1, D, BE, CE, C1E, DE and D1E, you are exempt from the written test, but you must pass the practical test.

The costs of obtaining a driving license in Turkey

Note that the cost of taking a driving test in Turkey is updated every year. The cost of the test is 100 Turkish lira. You can pay these fees one day before the exam in state-owned banks, or you can pay through your driving school. The cost of a driver’s license is as follows:

• The average driving class A1, A2, A and F cost 5074 liras
• The average cost of a Class B driver’s license is 7048 liras
• The average cost of other categories (C1, C1E, C, CE, D1, D1E, D, DE) is 5,886 liras
• Average cost of international driving lessons: 335 liras
• Average cost of other driving categories: 134 liras

The validity of the Turkish driving license

The driving license in Turkey is valid for 10 years, and people who have passed a written and practical exam can use it for up to 10 years. It should be noted that the Turkish driving license is valid as a national card and people can do many legal and banking work with it. This license is valid in more than 140 countries around the world, as it is recognized by many countries and there is no need to change or replace it.

Steps to obtain a Turkish driving license

• In the first step of obtaining a Turkish driving license for foreigners, it is necessary to refer to the embassy of your country of origin in Turkey, in order to translate your personal documents, such as: passport, ID card, driver’s license in your country of origin, if any.
• In the next step to obtain a Turkish driving license, it is necessary for the applicant to go to a public or private clinic, in order to obtain a medical report related to his health while driving in Turkey. Where simple checks will be done by the doctor that will include an eye examination and a description of the applicant’s medical history. Regardless, the applicant for a driving license in Turkey is required to have a blood test, which will be completed after receiving the test results and the doctor’s report. The cost of this is 15 liras for the blood test (determine the type of blood type) and 45 liras for a medical report.
• After completing the above-mentioned steps, it is necessary for the applicant to return to the tax office in his or her place of residence. In this step, it is necessary to deposit 300 TL in the account declared by the Turkish government to obtain a driving license in Turkey. And receiving a receipt for that from the Tax Authority.
• The applicant must enter the police station’s website and submit the documents in person.
  The website of the Police Department to make an appointment is https://randevu.nvi.gov.tr.

• On the specified date and time, the applicant must have a printed copy of the appointment, blood test results, medical report, tax office receipt, driver’s license from the country of origin, translation, original passport, residence card and a copy of it.
• Your fingerprints will be taken in person at the police station, but this will not take long.
• After taking fingerprints and submitting documents to the responsible person in the police department, you have to pay 120 liras in cash. Of course, at this point, a number of signature samples will be taken from you for use in your driver’s license.
• Your Turkish driving license will be issued within 12 days.

The documents necessary to obtain a Turkish driving license for foreigners

• passport
• The original driver’s license
• Colorful copy of the license (front and back)
• Turkish translation of the license
• Original ID with official Turkish translation
• Driver’s medical report
• Four photos
• Deposit fees related to obtaining a Turkish driving license (payment voucher of 346.7 for the second basic license) will be paid in all banks in Turkey.
• Driver blood type report