useful information
Currency Regulation
Limits:
There is no limit on the amount of foreign
currency that may be brought into Turkey,
but not more than 5 5,000 worth of Turkish
currency may be brought into or taken out of
the country.
Exchange slips:
The exchange slips for the conversion of
foreign currency into Turkish lira should be
kept, since you may be required to show
these when reconverting your Turkish lira
back into foreign currency, and when taking
souvenirs out of the country (to prove that
they have been purchased with legally
exchanged foreign currency).
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Customs Regulations
On Entry
- The following items may be brought
into the country duty free
- personal effects of the tourist.
- one TV, one colour pocket TV
(maximum 16 cm screen), one
TV-tape-radio combination, one video
recording camera and 5 video
cassettes (blank); 5 records, 5 tape
cassettes or compact discs.
- one video player, cine-projector
(8 mm) and 10 rolls of film (blank),
one slide projector.
- one pocket computer (maximum main
memory capacity Ram 128k. Byte),
electronic playing devices (without
cassette - keyboard).
- one transistor radio and portable
radio - tape player (its
specification to be determined by
the Ministry of Finance and
Customs), one Walkman or pocket tape
recorder, one portable compact disc
player.
- Binoculars (one pair, except night
binoculars)
- harmonica, mandolin, flageole,
flute, guitar, and accordion (only
one of each type, maximum 3 musical
instruments).
- personal sports equipment.
- necessary medical items.
- bicycle, baby buggy, toys.
- 200 cigarettes and 50 cigars.
- 200 grams of tobacco and 200
cigarette papers, or 50 grams of
chewing tobacco or 200 grams of pipe
tobacco, or 200 grams of snuff
- (In addition to the above
allowances, it is possible to
purchase 400 cigarettes, 100 cigars,
and 500 grams of pipe tobacco from
the Turkish Duty Free Shops upon
entering the country).
- 1.5kg. coffee, 1.5kg. instant
coffee, 500 grams of tea.
- 1 kilo chocolate and 1 kilo
sweets.
- 5 (100 cc) or 7 (70 cc) bottles of
wines and/or spirits.
- five bottles of perfume (120 ml
max. each).
- one portable typewriter.
- one camera with 5 rolls of film.
- First aid, and spare parts for the
car.
- Other items necessary during the
journey.
- Valuable items and all items with a
value of over $ 15,000 must be
registered in the owner's passport upon
entering Turkey, for control upon exit.
- Antiques brought into the country must
be registered in the owner's passport to
avoid difficulties on exit.
- Sharp instruments (including camping
knives) and weapons may not be brought
into the country without special
permission.
- The bringing into the country, trade,
and consumption of marijuana and all
other narcotics is strictly forbidden
and subject to heavy punishment.
- Gifts, not exceeding 500 DM in value
and not for trading purposes, may be
brought into the country duty free. In
addition, gifts not exceeding 500 OM in
value may be posted to Turkey duty free,
if the date stamped by the sending post
office falls one month before, or one
month after the following holidays:
Seker Bayrami, Kurban Bayrami,
Christmas, and New Year's.
Note:
Cellular Telephones entering the country
must be accompanied by a certification form
showing ownership. Ownership must be
documented in the passport of the owner and
will be checked on entry and exit. For more
information contact the Ministry of
Transportation, General Directorate at Tel:
(312) 212 35 72 - 212 60 10 (10 lines), Fax:
(312) 221 32 26 or write to Ulastirma
Bakanligi Telsiz Gn. Md. Emek - Ankara.
On exit
- Gifts and souvenirs: for a new carpet,
a proof of purchase; for old items, a
certificate from a directorate of a
museum is necessary.
- Exporting antiques from Turkey is
forbidden.
- Valuable personal items can only be
taken out of the country providing they
have been registered in the owner's
passport upon entry, or providing they
can show they have been purchased with
legally exchanged currency.
- Minerals may only be exported from the
country with a special document obtained
from the MTA (General Directorate of
Mining Exploration and Research). Etüdler
Dairesi 06520, Ankara
- Tel: (312) 287 3430 /1622, Fax: (312)
285 42 71
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Tax Refund
You Can Receive a Tax Refind for the
Goods You Purchased In Turkey!
- Refunds will be made to travellers who
do not reside in Turkey.
- All goods (including food and drinks)
are included in the refunds with the
exclusion of services rendered.
- The minimum amount of purchase that
qualifies for refund is 5.000.000 TL.
- Retailers that qualify for tax refunds
must be "authorised for
refund." These retailers must
display a permit received from their
respective tax office.
- The retailer will make four copies of
the receipt for your refund, three of
which will be received by the purchaser.
If photocopies of the receipt are
received the retailer must sign and
stamp the copies to validate them. If
you prefer the refund to be made by
check, a Tax-free Shopping Check for the
amount to be refunded to the customer
must be given along with the receipt.
- For the purchaser to benefit from this
exemption he must leave the country
within three months with the goods
purchased showing them to Turkish
customs officials along with the
appropriate receipts and! or check.
- There are four ways to receive your
refund:
- If the retailer gives you a check
it can he cashed at a bank in the
customs area at the airport. If it
is not possible to cash the check
upon departure or if you do not wish
to cash it then, .e customer must,
within one month, send a copy of the
receipt showing that the goods have
left the country to the retailer who
will, within ten days upon receiving
the receipt, send a bank transfer to
the purchaser's hank or address.
- If the certified receipt and check
are brought back to the retailer on
a subsequent visit thin one-month of
the date of customs certification,
the refund can be made directly to
the purchaser.
- Retailers may directly refund the
amount to trustworthy customers upon
purchase
- The refund may be made by the
organisation of those companies that
are authorised to make tax refunds.
Additional
information: Ministry of Finance and
Tax Dept. General Directorate, (Maliye
Bakanligi, Gelirler Genel Müdürlügü) KDV
Subesi 06100, Ulus - Ankara
Tel: (312) 3103880/725 - 728 - 735, Fax:
(312) 311 45 10
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Health Regulations for
Pets
For those who wish to bring domestic
animals into the country the following are
required:
- Pets have to be 3 months and older
- An International Certificate of Health
issued within 15 days before the travel
- The Identification Card
- Vaccination Card
Note: If
you have an official certificate, you may
bring one cat, one bird, one dog and 10
aquarium fish into the country.
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Motorist Rules
General: Those who wish to enter the
country with their vans, minibuses,
automobiles, station wagons, bicycles,
motorcycles, motorbikes, sidecars, buses,
motor coaches, trailers, caravans or other
transport vehicles, will have to provide the
following documentations:
- Passport.
- International driving license.
- Car license (document where all
details related to the car and the
owner's name are registered). If it is
somebody else's vehicle a power of
attorney should be provided.
- International green card (Insurance
card). The TR sign should be visible.
- Transit book "Carnet de
passage" (for those who want to
proceed to the Middle East).
Period:
The vehicle can be brought into Turkey for
up to 6 Months. The owner should declare on
the opposite form, the date of departure at
the border gate and should absolutely ve the
country at the date declared. If for any
important reason the staying period has to
be ended, it is necessary to apply to;
- The Turkish Touring and Automobile
Club (Türkiye Turing ve Otomobil Kurumu)
1. Sanayi Sitesi Yani, 4.Levent,
Istanbul, Tel (212) 282 81 40(7 lines).
Fax (212) 282 80, or to
- The General Directorate of Customs (Gümrükler
Genel Müdürlügü), Ulus Ankara Tel
(312) 310 38 80,310 38 18, Fax (312)
31113 46, before the end of the period
declared.
In Case of
Accident: The accident should be
reported to the police or gendarme. That
report has to be certified by the nearest
local authority. The owner should apply to
the customs authority with his passport and
report.
If the vehicle can be repaired, it is
necessary to inform the customs authority
first and take the vehicle to a garage. If
the vehicle is not repairable and if the
owner wishes to leave the country without
his vehicle, he has to deliver it to the
nearest customs office, and the registration
of his vehicle on his passport will be
cancelled. (Only after the cancellation can
the owner of the vehicle leave the country.)
Following an accident, you can telephone:
- Trafik Polisi (Traffic Police), Tel
:154,
- Jandarma (Gendarme), Tel :156.
For more information, contact the Touring
and Automobile Association of Turkey.
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Underwater Diving
Diving for purposes of sport, with proper
equipment and in non-restricted areas, is
permitted. Foreign divers should have
official documentation of their specifics
and training and must be accompanied, when
diving, by a licensed Turkish guide.
The limit for diving with diving gear is
30 metres. For educational purposes, this
limit is extended to 42 metres. Dives
exceeding 30 metres must be carried out with
proper diving and medical equipment. In
arder to protect Turkish archaeological and
cultural values. It is strictly forbidden to
transport Turkish antiquities or natural
specimens.
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Postal System
Turkish post-offices are easily
recognized by their black PTT letters on a
yellow background. Major post offices are
open from 8:00 a.m. till 12:00 p.m.,
Monday/Saturday, and 9:00 a.m. till 7:00
p.m., Sunday. Small post-offices have the
same hours as the government offices.
Postal charges vary for different
services depending on destination. Post
restante letters should be addressed "postrestant"
to the central post-office Merkez Postanesi,
in the town of your choice. You have to show
your identification card to collect your
letters.
All PTT branches have the facilities to
exchange money at the current international
exchange rates, as well as international
postal orders and travellers' cheques. There
is also an express postal service (APS)
operating to 90 countries for letters ,
documents and small packages. A wide variety
of special stamps are available in all PTT
centers for philatelists.
To phone from PTT telephone booths, which
are extensively found in all areas;
telephone cards , and tokens (";jeton")
in three sizes are used. Local, inter-city
and international calls can be made from all
PTT offices. Besides these main offices
there are also mobile PTT services in the
touristic areas. For the area codes of major
cities and touristic areas in Turkey, please
see the "Area Codes" list. Foreign
countries area codes are indicated in the
International Telephone Codes list.
Some important service numbers are;
- 155 Police
- 112 Emergency
- 110 Fire
- 118 Unknown Numbers
- 161 PTT Information.
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Tourist Health
Turkish Tourist Health Society (Turizm
Sagligi Dernegi-Hacettepe Üniversitesi Tip
Fakültesi Plastik ve Rekonstrüktif Cerrahi
Ana Bilim Dali, Sihhiye 06100 ANKARA Tel:
(312) 311 93 93-310 98 08) perfoms the
functions below, to provide the travellers
in the entire country, mainly in the
touristic regions, with proper health care:
- to secure food hygiene
- to prevent environmental pollution
- to ensure hygiene and healthy
working-conditions in touristic
establishments.
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Working Hours
Government
Offices
Monday-Friday (8:30-12:30) , (13:30-17:30)
Saturday-Sunday (closed)
Banks
Monday-Friday (8:30-12-00) , (13:30-17:00)
Saturday-Sunday (closed)
Shops
Monday-Saturday (9:30-13:00) , (14:00-19:00)
Sunday (closed)
Istanbul Covered market: Monday-Saturday
(8:00-19:00)
Sunday (closed)
During summer months, the government
offices and many other establishments in the
Aegean and Mediterranean Regions are closed
in the afternoon. These fixed summer hours
are determined by the governing bodies of
the provinces.
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Banks and Currency
Currency
The unit of Turkish currency is the New
Turkish Lira (YTL:
Yeni Türk Lirasi; international
symbol: TRY), put
into circulation on January 1)
Banks and Credit Cards:
Although all credit cards are accepted throughout Turkey, Visa and Master Card
are most commonly used. Automated teller machines are typically available in
larger cities. However, it is important to know that your PIN number must be all
numerals, (no letters), and that the money dispensed will be in Turkish Lira.
Banking hours are 8:30AM to 12:00PM, and 1:00PM to 5:00PM Monday through Friday,
throughout Turkey. Although commission rates and exchange rates vary from
bank-to-bank, commission rates typically remain within 1% to 3%. Money exchange
bureaus usually offer a decent rate for cash, while hotels are as good a place
as any to cash travelers checks. Please note that a passport is required when
exchanging travelers checks for large amounts of cash.
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Other Practical
Information
Local time:
GMT+3 hours (April-September) GMT+2 hours
(October-March)
Time Differences:
Argentina -5, France -1, Netherlands -1, Australia +8, Germany -1, Saudi
Arabia+1, Austria -1, Greece 0, Sweden -1, Egypt 0, Italy -1, Switzerland -1,
England -2, Japan +7, Spain -1, USA -7 (EST) -10 (WEST)
* These time differences are for the period October-March; however, they may
show variances according to each country's own time-saving adjustments.
Petrol:
Super (peremium) - Unleaded (at some
places). Normal (regular) - Diesel.
Electricity:
220 volts AC/50 Hz. all over Turkey.
(Industrial:380 V) Plug: European round/
2-prong plug.
Water:
Although tap vater is safe to drink since it
is chlorinated, it is recommended to get
advice from the concemed authorities of the
places resided.
Weights and
Measures:
1 inch = 2.54 centimeters , 1
centimeter = 0.3937 inches
1 yard = 0,9144 meters, 1 meter = 1.0936
yards
1 mile = 1,6093 kilometers, 1 kilometer =
0.6214 miles
1 pound = 0,4536 kilograms, 1 kilogram =
2.2046 pounds
Area:
1 acres = 0,4047 Hectares, 1 hectare
= 2.471 acres
Capacity:
1 UK gallon = 4.546 litres, 1 litre = 0.2199
UK gallons
1 US gallon = 3.7831 litres, 1 litre =
0.2643 US gallons
Newspapers and
Magazines:
Foreign newspapers and magazines are
available in big cities and tourist areas.
Also there is a Turkish daily newspaper,
Daily News, published in English.
Tipping:
At various establishments like hotels,
restaurants, Turkish baths, barbers and
hairdressers, tipping at a rate of 5%-15% of
the total is common. Taxi and "dolmus"
drivers on the other hand, do not expect
tips or even rounded fares.
Visiting a
mosque:
Five times a day, the "müezzin"
calls the faithful to prayer in thi mosque.
Before entering a mosque, Muslims wash
themselves and remove their shoes. Foreign
visitors should also remove their shoes and
show the respect they would any other house
of worship and avoid visiting the mosque
durin prayer time. Women should cover their
heads and ams, and not wear miniskirts. Men
should not wear shorts. (In certain famous
mosques, overalls are provided for those not
suitably dressed.)
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