Driving in Turkey on a UK licence

Who this is for

Three groups read this page: British citizens who drive in Türkiye on holiday and want to know whether the photocard is enough; British spouses, retirees and remote workers who hold or are applying for a residence permit (ikamet izni); and Turkish citizens who passed their test in the UK and are moving back with a GB licence and no Turkish one. The rules are the same for all three, but the point at which conversion becomes necessary differs.

Visiting: the photocard is enough

A valid UK photocard licence is accepted for driving a hired or borrowed car during a visit. Türkiye and the UK both recognise each other’s licences for temporary use, and hire companies at Turkish airports take the photocard without an International Driving Permit, although carrying one costs little and settles arguments at a roadside check. British citizens can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180, and the licence question does not arise within that.

Living there: how long before you must convert

Here we have to be straightforward about the sources. Turkish traffic regulations allow a foreign licence to be used for a period after arrival, after which a resident must convert it; Turkish legal commentaries most often give that period as one year, some describe six months from entry as the trigger for residence-permit holders, and others cite a two-year figure for particular categories. We have not found a single authoritative English statement, and practice at police checks varies. Our working assumption, and the one the conversion page uses, is that once you hold a residence permit or have registered a Turkish address you should treat one year as the outside limit and convert before it. Turkish citizens returning permanently are, on the same commentaries, expected to convert within the same window after their address is registered in Türkiye.

The conversion file at the Nüfus Müdürlüğü

Foreign licences are converted at the Nüfus ve Vatandaşlık İşleri Genel Müdürlüğü’s district offices (Nüfus Müdürlüğü), not by the traffic police. The commonly listed file is:

• the original UK licence (both sides of the card) and a Turkish translation notarised in Türkiye or certified through the Turkish consulate;
• a driver health report (sürücü sağlık raporu) from a Turkish hospital or family health centre, including blood group;
• proof of education: the Turkish rules set a minimum schooling level for licence holders, so a school-leaving certificate or diploma is asked for, and a UK certificate goes in with a notarised Turkish translation;
• identity: kimlik kartı for citizens, passport and residence permit for foreigners, with a notarised translation of the passport for foreigners;
• biometric photographs, the licence fee and, for the new card, a criminal record check the office runs itself.

The office normally keeps the foreign licence and issues a Turkish one in its place; ask what happens to the UK card before you hand it over, and photograph it. A GB licence surrendered this way is not automatically reissued by the DVLA later, so a person who expects to return to the UK should think before converting rather than driving on the UK card within the permitted period.

Translation: what the office will accept

The Nüfus Müdürlüğü does not accept a UK-style certified translation on its own. Either a translator on the Turkish consulate’s list translates the licence and the consulate certifies the signature, or a translator sworn before a Turkish notary translates it and the notary in Türkiye notarises it. We do the second in Ankara: you send a scan of both sides of the card, we produce the Turkish translation of the UK licence, have it notarised and courier it to your address in Türkiye or the UK. The licence carries no apostille and offices have not asked for one to date; the education certificate is a different matter, and an office that treats it as a foreign public document may want the FCDO apostille on it first.

Health report, education proof and the unexpected

The health report is quick and cheap and is issued in Turkish, so nothing to translate there. The education certificate catches people out: a Turkish citizen who left school in Türkiye can pull a diploma record from e-Devlet, but a British citizen needs a UK school or degree certificate, translated and notarised, and occasionally apostilled. Category differences also arise: a UK category B licence converts to a Turkish B, but automatic-only restrictions (code 78) and motorcycle sub-categories are read from the card, which is why the translation reproduces the whole category table and the codes.

Costs and timing

• Notarised translation of the licence: £6.50 for the translation plus the Turkish notary tariff (about £13.50 per page plus a £5 handling fee); a school or degree certificate the same again; courier £30. Two to four working days. No UK VAT.
• Health report: a modest local fee.
• Licence fee: set annually by the Turkish government and paid at the office or online.
• Issue of the new card: typically posted within a couple of weeks.

Mistakes to avoid

• Driving on the UK licence for years after taking up residence and finding, after an accident, that the insurer treats you as unlicensed.
• Bringing a translation done by a UK agency; the office will send you to a notary.
• Forgetting the education proof and having to return.
• Surrendering the UK licence when you intend to move back to Britain within a year or two.

We translate and notarise; the traffic rules and their interpretation are for the Nüfus Müdürlüğü and, where money is at stake, a Turkish lawyer.