Moving from Germany to Turkey
A practical guide to the road move from Germany to Turkey, clearing Turkish customs on your used effects, and getting your tax number and residence permit once you arrive.
Moving from Germany to Turkey, in one honest summary.
A move from Germany to Turkey is most often a road haul. A removals truck loads in Germany and drives south through Austria and the Balkans into Turkey, usually delivering around Istanbul or onward to Izmir, Ankara or the coast. It is one of the busiest household corridors in Europe, with decades of traffic between the two countries, so movers know it well. Plan on roughly seven to twelve days in transit for a dedicated truck, with a few weeks of booking and packing first.
For very large households a sea option also exists, with a container leaving Hamburg or Bremerhaven for the terminals around Istanbul, taking longer at three to five weeks but sometimes better value for a big load. Either way, cost is driven by volume and by whether you take a dedicated truck or share space. As an indicative 2026 range, a two to three bedroom home runs about 4,000 to 13,000 euros door to door.
The part that shapes this corridor is Turkish customs and the fact that many movers are returning Turkish citizens or dual nationals. Turkey allows people transferring their residence to import used household goods with relief, but the conditions differ for Turkish passport holders, who must have lived abroad for a continuous period. Almost everything also hinges on getting a Turkish tax number early.
Below you will find indicative 2026 costs by home size and mode, a realistic timeline for the road route, how Turkish customs treats used household goods, the residence routes that fit a typical mover on this corridor, and how to choose a mover without guesswork.
What it costs in 2026, by home size and method.
These are indicative 2026 ranges in euros for the Germany to Turkey road move, door to door. Your volume, access at both ends, the season, and whether you take a dedicated truck or share a part load move the number more than the distance does.
A shared or part load is cheaper because your goods travel with other shipments on the same truck, but it is slower and less flexible on dates. A dedicated truck carries only your household and delivers on a schedule you control, which is worth the premium for a full house or a firm timeline.
- +Lowest cost for small volumes
- +Sensible for a studio or a one bedroom flat
- −Slower, with wider delivery windows
- −Less control over the exact delivery date
- +Your goods travel alone, faster transit
- +Delivery on a date you choose
- +Right for a two to three bed home or larger
- −Higher cost than sharing space
- +Can be better value for a very large home
- +Hamburg or Bremerhaven to Istanbul terminals
- −Slower than a direct truck
- −Adds port handling and a final road leg
Get moving quotes for Germany to Turkey.
Tell us your home size and timing and we put your Germany to Turkey move in front of vetted movers who run this lane. Free, no obligation.
A realistic schedule for this route.
A realistic schedule for the Germany to Turkey road move. Turkish customs clearance depends on your tax number and residence evidence, so start those before the truck arrives.
Get quotes and book
Request a binding pre move survey from movers who run the Germany to Turkey lane. Book early for a summer move, when this busy corridor is at its peak.
Start Turkish paperwork
Apply for your Turkish tax number, the vergi numarasi, and prepare your residence permit application or, if you are a returning citizen, evidence of your time lived abroad, since these shape the customs clearance.
Pack and load
Movers pack over one or two days. Keep passports, your itemized inventory and residence or property documents in a bag that travels with you, since you need them at the Turkish border.
On the road
The truck drives south through Austria and the Balkans into Turkey, clearing at a Turkish customs office on arrival. Sailing schedules apply instead if you ship by sea from a North German port.
Clear customs and deliver
Your goods clear Turkish customs against your tax number, residence evidence and inventory, then deliver. Complete your address registration so banking, utilities and health cover can follow.
How Turkey treats your used household goods.
Turkey allows people transferring their normal residence into the country to import used household goods and personal effects with relief from import duty, provided the goods are genuinely used and the move is tied to credible evidence of settling. For a move from Germany the file is built around a Turkish tax number, the vergi numarasi, a residence permit application or your status as a returning citizen, an address that matches your rental contract or title deed, and a clear itemized inventory.
This corridor has a particular feature: a large share of movers are Turkish citizens or dual nationals returning home. For Turkish passport holders the relief carries its own condition, namely having lived abroad for a continuous period, commonly understood as more than two years with limited time spent back in Turkey. If that describes you, gather evidence of your residence in Germany, such as registration and employment records, well before you ship.
A few categories carry their own rules regardless. Vehicles are treated separately and are complex to import, so many people sell before they leave. Alcohol and tobacco beyond small personal quantities, firearms, and certain electronics can attract duty or controls. Many movers appoint a customs broker in Turkey under a narrow power of attorney with sworn translations so the clearance at the border or at the Istanbul terminals runs smoothly.
Keep a clear, valued inventory beyond what customs strictly asks for, because it also protects you on the insurance side if anything is lost or damaged on the road or sea leg.
The routes in for this corridor.
Many people moving from Germany to Turkey are returning Turkish citizens or dual nationals who need no visa, while others come for work, retirement, family, or on income. Each route is summarised in two sentences. None of this is immigration advice, so confirm the current rules before you rely on them.
A large share of movers on this corridor hold Turkish citizenship and need no residence permit, though they still complete address registration and a tax number. Returning citizens should keep evidence of their years lived in Germany for the customs relief.
The short term residence permit, the kisa donem ikamet, covers foreign nationals living in Turkey on income, owning a home, or staying for an extended period. You apply through the Presidency of Migration Management.
A work permit is sponsored by a Turkish employer and processed through the Ministry of Labour, with the residence right flowing from it. It suits people moving for a job rather than independent means.
Family members of a Turkish citizen or permit holder can apply for family residence, and buying property can support a short term residence permit. The relationship or the property drives the paperwork.
How to pick a mover for this route, without the guesswork.
We do not rank or recommend individual companies. We teach you the criteria that separate a safe international move from an expensive mistake, then put your request in front of vetted movers who run this lane.
Look first for membership of FIDI or IAM, the two international moving networks whose members are audited for financial stability and quality. A mover that runs the Germany to Turkey lane regularly will know the road route through Austria and the Balkans, the clearance routine at the Turkish border or the Istanbul terminals, and how to coordinate with a broker so your goods are not held while paperwork catches up.
Insist on a binding pre move survey, in person or by video, so the quote reflects your actual volume rather than a guess. Ask exactly what the price includes: packing and materials, the road or sea freight, Turkish customs clearance, delivery and unpacking, and any long carry or stairs where a truck cannot reach the door in an older building.
Compare like with like. Get two or three quotes on the same scope and the same dates, check each carries proper transit insurance with a clear claims process, and read recent reviews from other movers on routes between Germany and Turkey. The cheapest headline number is rarely the cheapest move once you add what was left out.
Questions people ask about this move.
How much does it cost to move from Germany to Turkey?
As an indicative 2026 range, a one bedroom home runs roughly 2,000 to 6,500 euros and a two to three bedroom home roughly 4,000 to 13,000 euros door to door, depending on volume, access, the season and whether you take a dedicated truck or share a part load.
How long does the move from Germany to Turkey take?
A dedicated truck is usually about seven to twelve days in transit through Austria and the Balkans. A sea container from a North German port to Istanbul takes longer, around three to five weeks, but can be better value for a very large home.
Do I pay duty on my furniture moving to Turkey?
People transferring their residence can usually import used household goods with relief from import duty, but Turkish passport holders must have lived abroad for a continuous period, commonly more than two years, to qualify. Verify the current rules for your status before you ship.
Can I bring my car from Germany to Turkey?
A vehicle is treated separately from household goods and importing one into Turkey is complex and often costly, so many people sell before they leave. Confirm the current position if you are set on bringing one.
What is the vergi numarasi and why do I need it?
The vergi numarasi is the Turkish tax number, available from a local tax office. You need it to apply for a residence permit, open a bank account, and clear your household goods, so get it early.
Last reviewed: 2 February 2026. We refresh this guide as costs, customs, and visa rules change.