V5C vehicle logbook translation into Turkish

What the V5C is and is not

The V5C registration certificate (araç tescil belgesi, ruhsat) is issued by the DVLA for every vehicle registered in Great Britain; the DVA issues it in Northern Ireland. It records the registration number, the VIN, make, model, colour, engine size, fuel, CO2 figure, date of first registration and the registered keeper's name and address, with tear-off sections for a change of keeper and for export. The document states on its face that it is not proof of ownership; it identifies the keeper, and we carry that note into the Turkish translation because Turkish officers read a ruhsat as proof of ownership and need to know the difference. A replacement costs £25 from the DVLA.

Taking the car out of the UK

GOV.UK says you must tell DVLA if you are taking your vehicle out of the UK for 12 months or more, and that you do so by filling in the permanent export section of your V5C, detaching it and keeping the rest of your log book. For a stay of under 12 months you keep the full V5C and take it with you. Turkish customs will want to see the remaining document in either case, so do not send the whole logbook to the DVLA.

Turkish customs and the three ways a UK car enters

• Temporary import. A person resident abroad can bring a foreign-registered car into Türkiye for a limited period under the tourist vehicle rules; customs records the V5C details in the passport and the vehicle must leave before the period ends. The V5C in the driver's name, or a notarised authorisation if it is not, is checked at the border.
• Duty-free import by a retiree or on relocation. A Turkish citizen who retires abroad, or who moves back after at least 24 months' residence abroad, can import one vehicle under the customs relief rules. The file includes the V5C, proof of the pension or the İkametgâh Nakil Belgesi, and the translated documents; the London consulate's note on the scheme asks for translations by a translator on its register for the papers it certifies. See taking a UK vehicle to Türkiye and pension statement translation.
• Registration and sale in Türkiye. After customs clearance the trafik tescil office registers the car on Turkish plates from the V5C and the customs papers; a later sale at a Turkish notary uses the same chain.

Turkish customs brokers have accepted notarised translations of the V5C from Ankara to date; our guide taking your car to Türkiye lists the rest of the file.

Legalisation route for a DVLA document

The V5C is issued by a government agency but carries no signature the FCDO can verify, so it is not apostilled as issued. Customs and registration offices in Türkiye have not asked for an apostille on the V5C in cases we have handled; they want the original and a translation by a sworn translator notarised in Türkiye. If an apostille is demanded, a UK solicitor or notary certifies a copy of the V5C and the FCDO apostilles that certification, e-Apostille £35 or paper £45, and we translate the copy with the certification and the apostille.

Translating vehicle data

We translate the field labels and the notes, keep the registration number, VIN, engine number and figures exactly as printed, render UK taxation class and body type with the terms used on a Turkish ruhsat, and add a note where a UK category has no Turkish counterpart. If the keeper's name differs from the name on your Turkish ID, tell us and we add a translator's note reconciling the spellings.

Price

The V5C is 2 pages of 1,000 characters once the notes are included, so £13.00, plus the Ankara notary tariff of about £13.50 per page and £5 handling, and £15 for an apostille of the translation if required. No UK VAT is charged. Translation is done in one working day and the notary signs within a day. The PDF is e-mailed; customs keeps the wet-sealed original, which goes by courier for £30 to the UK before you travel or to your address in Türkiye. No collection.