How to import a Chinese electric car into Türkiye (2026)

CRAVEUO EV Export · Sources last checked 2026-10-30 · General information, not legal advice. We do not clear customs in Türkiye. Nothing here is a promise or a quote.

Quick answer

The permit is the main obstacle, not only the tax. A Chinese electric car needs an import permit that depends on the importer's own service network, call centre and a local representative of the maker. The rules have no private-use exception, so our understanding is that a private person cannot import one in practice. Taxes are also high: 10% duty, then 30% or at least USD 8,500 per car, then ÖTV and KDV.

Key facts

The charge on Chinese cars

Decision 10436 took effect on 22 Sep 2025. It removed the China-specific duties and replaced them with one charge on cars from outside the EU and free-trade partners. Older articles still quote 40%. That figure is history: 40% on electric cars from March 2023 and 40% or USD 7,000 on other Chinese cars from 2024.

Routing a car through the EU does not avoid the charge. Goods imported with an A.TR that are not of EU or Turkish origin pay it under the "other countries" column (tariff list, footnote 2).

Two decisions on 11 Jul 2026 did not change whole cars. We did not check every gazette since then.

ÖTV

For pure-electric cars under heading 87.03 (Decision 10115, July 2025):

Plug-in cars with CO2 under 25 g/km and at least 70 km of equivalent electric range have their own rates. Up to 1,600 cc and a tax base up to TRY 1.35 million pays 45%, and above that base 75%. From 1,600 to 1,800 cc and a tax base up to TRY 1.35 million pays 85%. This is our reading of the Turkish text, so have your broker confirm it. Plug-ins that miss these conditions appear to fall back to the normal rates, which is also our reading.

We found no ÖTV change after July 2025 as of October 2026. We did not check every gazette.

A seller's blog says the KDV base includes CIF value, duty and ÖTV. We did not open that page or an official source for it, so ask your broker.

What the import permit requires

All five conditions apply at once (Communiqué 2025/7):

1. The importer has set up "7 coğrafi bölgede en az 20 yetkili servis istasyonu": at least 20 authorised service stations in 7 geographic regions, certified by TSE. The text does not make clear whether 20 is a total or a figure per region.
2. Repair staff hold TSE or MYK electric-vehicle qualifications.
3. Each brand has a Turkish-language call centre with at least 40 people.
4. The maker has an authorised representative in Türkiye.
5. The importer commits in writing to battery monitoring.

These are duties of an importer with a network in Türkiye. They are not steps a private buyer can complete. A car with an A.TR or a free-trade origin proof falls outside the rule, but a Chinese-origin car does not have that origin.

The texts do not mention TAREKS, EU type approval or a CoC, so we found no official rule on how those apply. We also found no official rule for returning citizens, inheritance or diplomats. Only seller blogs mention them.

Used cars

Used goods need a permit. Heading 87.03 is not on the listed annex, so an applicant files for a 0962-TPS permit, and the trade authority decides case by case. A permit lasts 6 months and cannot be extended (Communiqué 2026/9). We found no data on how often one is granted.

Models to ask about

China guide prices, not delivered prices.

A model on this list is not a model with the permit or the conformity letter in Türkiye. The taxes above come on top, and they are high.

Send your city, model and version through the inquiry form. We tell you whether we can supply that car before any contract.

How an order works

1. Confirm who the importer is and whether it holds the İzin Belgesi for this brand and power type.
2. Ask a Turkish customs broker for every charge on your version: duty, the additional charge, ÖTV and KDV.
3. Get a quote from the licensed Chinese export company named in the contract.
4. Sign the contract. Nothing is paid before it is signed, and payment goes only to the company account on the invoice.
5. The importer clears the car in Türkiye and pays the taxes due.