Converting a UK driving licence in Turkey

Where the exchange happens and how long you have

Since 2018 driving licences in Türkiye are issued by the district population directorate (nüfus müdürlüğü), not the traffic police. A UK licence holder who settles in Türkiye applies there to exchange the UK photocard for a Turkish sürücü belgesi. Türkiye has no bilateral exchange agreement with the UK that we can point to, so the office relies on the general rules in the Highway Traffic Regulation (Karayolları Trafik Yönetmeliği), which allow a foreign licence to be converted on production of a certified translation and the standard medical and education papers.

How long you may drive on the UK licence before converting is the point on which sources disagree, and we would rather show you the disagreement than pick a side. The law firm quoted below reads the regulation as allowing a Turkish citizen to drive on a foreign licence for up to two years from entry, and a foreign national for up to six months. Other summaries used in our research give a single one-year limit. The regulation has been amended more than once. Before you drive, ask the nüfus office or a Turkish lawyer which period applies to your status; the difference decides whether a traffic stop ends in a caution or a fine for driving without a valid licence.

Papers the office checks

1. UK licence and its translation. The office keeps a copy of the photocard and wants the Turkish translation certified by a Turkish notary or a Turkish consulate. We translate the front and back, including the category codes and their dates, and an Ankara notary certifies it. Because a photocard is not a document the FCDO legalises directly, an apostille is rarely asked for; where an office insists, a UK notary certifies a copy and the FCDO apostilles that certification, and we translate the bundle.
2. Medical report (sürücü olur raporu). Issued in Türkiye by a family doctor or hospital; a UK GP letter does not replace it, though we translate one if a specialist opinion is being carried over.
3. Education certificate. Turkish licences require proof of at least primary education. A UK school leaver shows GCSE certificates or a degree; these are translated and, if the office asks, apostilled.
4. Identity and residence. Kimlik kartı for Turkish citizens; passport and a valid residence permit for foreign nationals. Two biometric photographs and a blood-group card complete the file.

The office may retain the UK licence; practice on returning it to the DVLA has varied, so ask at the counter if you expect to drive in the UK again on the same card.

Documents you will need

• UK driving licence, both sides, translated and notarised
• GCSE or A-level certificates or a degree certificate as the education document
• UK medical report only where a condition noted on the licence needs explaining
• British passport translation for foreign nationals, if the office asks
• DVLA check code or driving record printout, where the office wants to confirm the licence is current

Common pitfalls

• Driving past the grace period while the paperwork is gathered; the clock runs from your entry date, not from when you decided to convert.
• Presenting a UK-certified translation; the office is trained to look for a Turkish notary's or consulate's certificate.
• Forgetting that the paper counterpart no longer exists; the DVLA online driving record replaces it if the office asks about penalty points.
• Category codes: a UK category B with automatic-only restriction (code 78) carries over as automatic-only in Türkiye. We keep every code in the translation.
• Expired photocards cannot be exchanged; renew with the DVLA before you leave the UK.

How we help and what it costs

The licence itself is one page of 1,000 characters, so £6.50 for the translation, plus the Ankara notary tariff of about £13.50 and £5 handling. Adding a GCSE certificate and a short GP letter brings a typical file to £20 to £35 before notary fees. No UK VAT is charged. Scans arrive within 1 to 2 working days; the notarised original, which the nüfus office keeps in the file, goes by courier for £30 to you in the UK or to your address in Türkiye. We do not have a UK office for collection, and we do not deal with the DVLA or the nüfus office on your behalf. If you only plan to visit rather than settle, read driving in Türkiye on a UK licence; for the reverse direction, see Turkish driving licences and the DVLA.