How to Get a Turkish Driver’s License as a Foreigner

By Justin Mays:

A driver’s license is essential and makes it convenient for one to travel from point A to B at any time of the day. Whether you are a parent, employee, or student, driving yourself around saves you time.

In Turkey, there are two ways to get a license for foreigners. You can get one either by converting a license from your country or by taking exams in Turkey. A total of 83 countries have a changeable status according to international agreements signed by Turkey. As long as you have a valid driver’s license from any of the 83 countries, you can easily get a driver’s license in Turkey.

Converting Your Driver's License

If you are a foreigner and you plan to drive throughout Turkey for 90 sequential days, you can make use of your home country passport, if you do not have this, apply for an international driving license. Expats can drive in Turkey using the home country license for the first 6 months and thereafter, it must be converted to a Turkish license through an application made to any traffic registration office.

You can get your license converted at any Nufus (Population registry office). However, in as much as you may be exempted from writing the exams, there are other factors that are considered which include the level of education, health status, and age.  Below is a list of countries that issue convertible driving licenses;

Albania, Austria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Belgium, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Chile, Central African Republic, Cuba, Costa Rica, Denmark, DR Congo, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guyana, Georgia, Holland, Hungary, Iran, Israel, Italy, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Kuwait, Latvia, Liberia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Morocco, Montenegro, Mexico, Mongolia, Moldova, Monaco, Niger, Norway, Pakistani, Philippines, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, San Mario, Spain, Senegal, South Africa, South Korea, Seychelles, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Swiss, Tajikistan, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom (UK), Uruguay, Vatican, Venezuela, Zimbabwe.

If you reside in a metropolitan area, make sure to book online for an appointment to submit the documents required to convert your driver's license. The documents are:

• Original and a Color copy of the Driving License (If any)
• Translation of your Driving License (from Turkish Public Notary or Turkish Consulate)
• Passport
• Criminal Record
• Declaration of blood type
• Fee
• Health report checking health requirements
• One biometric photograph
• Education documents (as proof that you have at least completed elementary school level)

The biggest drawback of this method is that the Turkish authorities will take your original driving license and deliver it back to your country’s issuing authority.

Obtaining a Driver's License Through Writing Exams

In order to obtain a driver’s license through the normal way of writing exams, you should enroll at a school that offers theoretical driving studies. The course lasts approximately three weeks and one should take it for at least 30 hours. During this course, one is taught about traffic rules, mechanics, first aid, and related subjects.

There is a lot of study material that you can get online such as books and study packs which are available in different languages. The exam has 50 questions with multiple choice answers and you have to get at least 35 correct to pass the exam. The driver's license exams are offered in Chinese, German, Persian, English, Arabic, and Russian.

After completing this phase, you can go ahead and take driving lessons. The required amount of time for the lessons is 12 hours before one goes for the driver’s test. You can retake the test three times after failing the first time.

After you pass, you will receive the driver’s license on the day, and the general directorate will send the license by mail in 2 weeks. 

 Drivers' licenses in Turkey fall under 17 classes; prices differ according to these classes and change yearly. 

The entrance fee for the theoretical exam for first-time drivers is 120 TL, the entrance fee for the steering wheel is 160 TL, and the driving test fee for upgrading a driver’s license is 160 TL. 

Advantages of a Turkish driver’s license 

•  Turkish driving license lowers your insurance premium for car rentals as well as your own car
• A Turkish driving license is EU compatible, and you can use it in EU countries as a valid driving license.
•  You will have a valid ID, and you will not need to carry your passport while driving.

• You can indefinitely have the right to drive in Turkey without any time limit.