Shipping IT Equipment to Turkey: Customs, IMEI and Importer Guide

KDV, the TRT levy and other charges

KDV applies at 20%, even when duty is zero. The rate has been 20% since 10 July 2023, under Presidential Decision 7346. A Turkish importer may be able to deduct import KDV, subject to the VAT rules, documents and restrictions. Decision 7846 makes only the KDV on certain surveillance-related value increases, safeguard duties and anti-dumping or countervailing charges non-deductible, not the KDV on the ordinary import value. KDV General Implementation Communiqué No. 57, published on 31 January 2026, introduced notification or certification requirements for affected importers, depending on the value of the relevant imports. See our guide to import VAT and the importer of record.

The listed computer and tablet lines carry a 4% TRT levy, not 2%. Law 3093 charges a one-off bandrol levy on devices able to receive visual or audio broadcasts, on the import KDV base excluding special consumption tax. The law text still says 2%, but Decision 5610 of May 2022 set 4% for 8471 30, 41, 49 and 50. Some server processing units fall under 8471 50, so confirm both the exact classification and whether the equipment is within the bandrol scope before quoting. A quote built on 2% understates the charge by half. See our guide to calculating landed cost.

Other import charges to check. KKDF, a fund levy, generally adds 6% to imports paid by acceptance credit, deferred letter of credit or open-account payment (mal mukabili). It does not apply where the import price is paid before the customs obligation begins and the payment is properly evidenced to customs. Special consumption tax (ÖTV) applies to some electronics, such as mobile phones, so check each line against the ÖTV lists. Agree the payment method before quoting, since it can change the landed cost.

IMEI checks and product inspection

Devices with an IMEI number need a check first. Import Communiqué 2026/7 applies before free circulation or temporary import. Laptops with cellular modules, cellular tablets and some routers are the usual IT cases.

1. Apply through the Single Window System to the Information and Communication Technologies Authority.
2. The IMEI is checked against GSMA brand and model records and for lost, stolen or altered numbers.
3. An IMEI number control letter is issued, and customs checks it electronically at registration. It does not replace product safety documents.

Product inspection can apply through TAREKS. Three 2026 product safety communiqués (the ÜGD series, numbered separately from import communiqués) matter most for IT kit. Whether a shipment is actually checked depends on its GTİP code and TAREKS risk rules.

• ÜGD 2026/8. Radio and telecom terminal equipment.
• ÜGD 2026/9. Certain CE-marked products, including electrical and electronic devices.
• ÜGD 2026/15. Batteries and accumulators.

Our guides to CE marking obligations for importers and our importer of record for telecom equipment service cover the documents.

Used and refurbished equipment

Used and refurbished kit generally needs a permit for free circulation. Import Communiqué 2026/9 sets two routes, one for listed goods and one for everything else, so the GTİP code decides which applies. The Ministry weighs the importer, the quantity, domestic supply and the equipment’s economic life and efficiency, so approval is not automatic.

The permit is not the only document. Product safety and other rules still apply. See our guide to importing used and refurbished IT equipment.

Temporary storage deadlines and charges in Turkey

Goods have 45 days by sea and 20 days by other modes. Article 46 of the Customs Law sets these limits for giving goods an approved customs treatment. The law counts from the summary declaration, but because that declaration is normally lodged before the goods arrive, Article 77(2) of the Customs Regulation starts the clock on presentation to customs. Miss it and liquidation rules can apply. Storage fees build up meanwhile, so ask for rates before booking, and see our guide to a customs hold on servers.

The clock can pause, but not on its own. Article 76 of the Regulation leaves out time spent on legal or administrative proceedings and on getting documents such as conformity documents, licences, permission letters or analysis reports, and the remaining days resume afterwards. Where customs may not know about the delay, tell the customs office in time and keep proof of the start and end dates.

Extensions must be requested before the deadline. Customs offices can extend the periods on a written application made before the existing deadline runs out, and a request for more than one month must give reasons. Extensions are not automatic and cannot go beyond real need.

Four issues that delay Turkey IT shipments

A missing country-specific check. An IMEI check, a radio equipment check or a used goods permit is slow to arrange after arrival. Confirm which apply to each model before dispatch.

Near-identical items with different specifications. Two lookalike models can sit on different tariff lines, or only one may have a cellular module. Match each line’s GTİP code and description to the datasheet, and see what to do about a wrong HS code on an invoice.

Value or invoice problems. Loaned, replacement and used equipment often travels with no sale behind it, and a pro forma with no supportable value invites questions. Our guide to an importer of record when there is no sale explains the options.

Battery refusals by carriers. Laptops, servers and storage often carry lithium-ion cells, and air carriers apply IATA’s dangerous goods rules plus their own limits. Confirm the battery configuration before booking, and see our guide to lithium battery customs clearance.

Shipping servers, network kit or laptops into Turkey? Send Carra Globe the model list, values and delivery address, and we will confirm the importer, GTİP codes, registrations and charges before anything is booked. Request a Turkey shipment check.

A six-point check before you book

1. Name the Turkish importer, meaning your customer, your local company or an importer of record.
2. Classify every line to 12 digits, including cables and power units.
3. Check the additional duty annex against the origin of each line.
4. Confirm the IMEI check for any device with an IMEI number.
5. Apply for a permit if any item is used or refurbished.
6. Check batteries and inspection with the carrier and against the 2026 communiqués.

How Carra Globe handles Turkey IT shipments

We settle the importer and registrations before the goods move. Carra Globe arranges importer of record services for IT equipment entering Turkey, through an importing structure suited to each shipment. Before dispatch, we confirm the legal entity that will be named as importer on the customs declaration and the responsibilities it accepts. We also handle onsite delivery through white glove delivery and larger projects through our importer of record for data centre equipment service.

Carra Globe works through importer-side registrations and local importing structures appropriate to the goods and destinations it accepts, its own in some markets and established local structures in others. Approvals falling outside the available structure are flagged before a delivery date is agreed.

When equipment later leaves Turkey, we can act as exporter of record, and our IOR by country page covers 175+ countries. For a quote, send your draft commercial invoice with models, quantities and values, datasheets, battery details, total weight and dimensions, and the delivery address. Reach us at info@carraglobe.com.