Erdal Nuhbasa – Law and Consulting Firm – Legal Services
ERDAL NUHBASA
LAW AND CONSULTING FIRM
Erdal Nuhbasa – Law and Consulting Firm – Legal Services
ERDAL NUHBASA
LAW AND CONSULTING FIRM
If you want to drive when you come to Turkey for a short-term vacation or when you get a residence permit and reside legally, it is important to know whether your driving license is valid or not. There is no problem for foreign citizens to use international driving licenses, especially for short-term visits.
– Foreigners can use their driver’s license for 6 months after entering Turkey.
– While Turkish citizens with a foreign driver’s license can use their driver’s license for one year from the date of entry into Turkey.
What should be done after this period?
If you’re a foreigner living or visiting Turkey, understanding how to legally drive here is important to avoid possible fines. Whether you already have a driving license from your home country or need to start fresh, this article will answer all the questions you have and explain the steps through the process. I’ll cover everything from converting your existing license, getting a new one, whether you need a driving course or not and more.
There are two main ways for foreigners to obtain a driving license in Turkey:
1. Converting a Foreign Driver’s License to a Turkish Driver’s License.
2. Getting a new driver’s license by enrolling in a driving school.
Let me briefly explain these two ways before going into the details.
Some countries have reciprocal agreements with Turkey. If your country is on the list, you can convert your license by submitting the required documents without taking a driving test. But on this case you deliver your foreign license to the Turkish authorities.
If your country does not have a reciprocal agreement with Turkey or If you want to keep your driving license and have also Turkish one. You will need to pass both a written test and a practical driving test. In this case, enrolling in a driving course is a must to familiarize yourself with Turkish traffic laws and road conditions.
If you already hold a valid driving license from your home country, you may be eligible to convert it to a Turkish driving license.
The first thing to do is to check whether your country is a party to the Convention on Road Traffic. If the country where you have your driver’s license is on this list, your license is eligible for the change. In other words, If you have a driving license issued in one of the following countries, you can benefit from the right to exchange driving licenses for foreigners in Turkey. (See below for the list)
After you see your country on the list above, you can change your driving license by making appointment at the District Population Directorates where your address is registered through https://randevu.nvi.gov.tr/ under the “driving license” tab. The documents you need to take to the Population Directorate when you go for your appointment are:
Once you have submitted these documents, the Civil Registry Office will contact your country to confirm your driver’s license. After receiving confirmation, they will send you a message and you will need to make appointment from the same page above under the “driver’s license” tab. After paying the related fees, you need to take some documents for the second appointment. These are:
After you submit the documents, they are evaluated by the Population Directorate and if there are no problems, the Turkish driver’s license is prepared and delivered to the address and person you specified during the application via PTT secure transportation service. This cargo service is also free of charge.
If we briefly summarize the process step by step:
When a foreigner changes his/her driver’s license into Turkish one, he/she must go to the District Population Directorate twice. In the first appointment, the documents that we will explain in detail below are given and the application for change is made, and in the second one, after the approval message for the driver’s license exchange arrives, the necessary fees are paid and documents such as identity card and driver’s license are delivered.
1. First Appointment (Application Stage)
You must first schedule an appointment and visit the District Population Directorate on your appointment date. The following documents must be submitted during the first visit:
After submitting the documents, the Directorate will conduct an official verification process with the issuing country to confirm the validity of the driver’s license. If the license is valid, a confirmation message will be sent to the phone number you provided during the application. Upon receiving the confirmation message, you must schedule a second appointment at https://randevu.nvi.gov.tr/ under the “Driver’s License” section.
2. Second Appointment (License Issuance Stage)
Documents required for the second visit:
It is very important that before attending the second appointment, you must pay all the required fees. These fees are:
Payments can be made via mobile banking or tax offices. Since payment records are automatically visible in the system, there is no need to present a receipt.
It is possible to get a Turkish Driving License by enrolling in a driving license course for foreigners as well. After enrolling the course you will get lessons and also some books for studying for the written exam. So, you will know all the details about written exam. Afterwards, you will receive 8 hours of driving training at total by the driving school instructors and you will be told what you need to do in the driving test.
At the end of the course, to get the driving license, you must successfully pass the written and practical exams. For foreigners who don’t know Turkish, there are language options such as English, Arabic, Persian, Russian, and Chinese.
The time it takes to get a driver’s license may vary according to the exam dates, training process, individual success level and the density of the city where you live. However, in general, this process is completed between 2 and 3 months.
The driving license exam consists of two stages. The first stage is a 50 questions written test exam. You must get 70 points from this exam. After passing the written exam, there is a driving test to see if you know the rules and your driving skills. If you pass this exam, you are entitled to get a driver’s license.
Documents required when registering for a driving license course;
For April 2025, the total fee you will pay until you register for the course and then get your driver’s license is approximately 15.000-25.000 TL. The payment items are detailed below in the table.
Driving school fee varies between 10.000TL and 20.000TL, but the fee for state for B Class driver’s license is 7438,60 TL. If you want to enroll in a driving school and carry out every step of the process of obtaining a driver’s license with a lawyer, you can contact us and get service from us. You can be sure that we will relieve you in this process with our experience.
| Unit | Price |
|---|---|
Driving Course Fee |
$250 – $400 |
E-exam Fee |
$25 |
Driving Test Fee |
$35 |
Driving License Fee |
$200 |
TOTAL |
$500 – $650 |
* These prices were updated in April 2025, but the prices of Driving School Fees may vary by course. | |
After successfully passing the driving test, you can log into the e-Government portal (e-Devlet) and type “Motor Vehicle Driver Certificate Inquiry” in the search bar. Once your certificate appears on that page, you can schedule an appointment for your driver’s license through the following link: https://randevu.nvi.gov.tr/
From the “e-Services” menu, select “Driver’s License Appointment” to book your slot.
Before your appointment, you are required to make a payment of 5,165.45 TL. This can be done via any Ziraat Bank ATM or through the Ziraat mobile app by following these steps:
On the day of your appointment, please make sure to bring the following with you:
✔ One biometric photo
✔ Payment receipt from the bank (You do not need to bring your health report, as it is already available in the system)
You must apply in person with these documents on the day of your appointment.
There are language options such as English, Arabic, Persian, Russian, and Chinese.
Traffic and environmental knowledge
Vehicle technique
First Aid
Traffic etiquette
The e-Exam appointment is made by the course. Exam details:
The result of the driving test is announced on the same day.
8 hours
Minimum age is 18
Driving courses are INCLUDED in the course price, no extra money is charged.
No, you are not, it is enough if you have a primary school education and can document this.
Valid in 84 countries under the Road Traffic Convention (check local laws for duration).
For non-member countries, an International Driver’s License (from the Turkish Touring Association) is required.
We guide you through every step of obtaining your driver’s license—from selecting the right driving course to securing all necessary appointments—ensuring a seamless and hassle-free process.
Driving in Turkey as a foreigner is completely feasible once you understand the process. Whether you’re converting an existing license or obtaining a new one, following these steps will ensure you meet all legal requirements. Remember to always check the latest regulations, as policies can change. Stay safe and enjoy your drive in Turkey!
For further details and any changes in the process, about getting Turkish Driving License, feel free to reach out. As Erdal Nuhbasa Law and Consulting Firm we will be happy to guide you through the process and ensure that you make a well-informed decision!
