Ship a Car to Turkey from the USA: From $2,450 to Istanbul

Shared container shipping to Istanbul costs $2,450 from New Jersey, $2,700 from Florida, $4,000 from Texas and $5,100 from California, port to port. Istanbul destination charges are $1,750 excl. VAT, paid locally; they exclude VAT, duty, traffic insurance and inland delivery. Use our calculator for an instant rate on your car and route.

At sea: 25 days from New Jersey, 31 days from Texas, 36 days from Florida and 80–90 days from California to Istanbul. US export documents add time before the car sails: from drop-off to release, the fastest route is 37 days from New Jersey, and the transit timeline above shows every route. For a car on the West Coast, we can truck it east before it sails.

Turkish customs assesses three charges: import duty, set for the vehicle type, age and origin; the Special Consumption Tax (ÖTV), set by engine size, CO₂ emissions and value, and the largest tax on most imported cars; and VAT on the customs value plus duty and ÖTV. Your import agent in Turkey confirms the amounts for your car before it sails.

Turkey's import and registration requirements depend on who is importing (a resident or a non-resident), the vehicle type and whether the car will be registered. Your import agent in Turkey confirms whether your car needs an import permission before it is booked. We handle the shipping and the US documents.

Every car we ship to Turkey goes to Istanbul. Your import agent clears it there, and onward transport across Turkey is arranged after release. Storage is billed if the car isn't collected promptly.

We load Turkey-bound containers at our own warehouses in California, Florida and New Jersey, and at a partner facility in Texas, all sailing to Istanbul: 25 days from New Jersey, 31 days from Texas, 36 days from Florida and 80–90 days from California. We collect from any US address and bring the car to the nearest one.

Yes. Small cars fly from New Jersey to Istanbul Airport, from $16,900, with about 2 days in the air. Airport charges come on top, and documents decide the real timeline: plan up to two weeks for paperwork.

Yes. Classic and collector cars ship to Istanbul in an enclosed container, and we prepare the US documents. Classic cars can follow different import rules in Turkey, so your import agent confirms them before the car sails.

Turkish rules require the emissions, safety and tax steps to be complete before registration. You need the import declaration, customs duty and VAT payment records, a TÜVTÜRK technical inspection approval, the vehicle approval certificates Turkish rules require, proof of ownership, and the original bill of sale and shipping documents. US-spec cars can need changes such as amber rear turn signals.

Container, for standard cars and motorcycles: the car is fully enclosed, and running or non-running cars both fit. RoRo is for oversized vehicles, commercial trucks and heavy machinery that can be driven on and off the vessel; the vehicle must run and be empty.

Most US auto policies do not cover international transport. Our optional Cargo Damage Protection covers the car from the US warehouse to Istanbul, at 2% of the declared value above $500, with a $200 minimum. Without it, carrier liability is limited to $500 per package under COGSA.

In a container, personal belongings may go inside the car if they are properly secured and declared. RoRo does not allow personal items inside the vehicle.