What is the Regulations for the entry and exit of foreign flagged yachts
Regulations for the entry and exit of foreign flagged yachts. Yachts entering or leaving Türkiye must do so only at frontier ports.
Ports of entry along the Turkish coasts are: Trabzon, Giresun, Ordu, Samsun, Hopa, Rize, Sinop, Zonguldak, Tekirdag, Istanbul, Çanakkale, Bandirma, Akçay, Ayvalik, Dikili, Izmir, Çesme, Kusadasi, Didim (Söke), Güllük, Bodrum, Datça, Marmaris, Fethiye, Kas, Finike, Kemer, Antalya, Alanya, Anamur, Tasucu, Mersin, Botas, Bartin, Gemlik, Mudanya, Bozyazi, Inebolu, Derince, Eregli, Iskenderun harbours.
Formalities concerning the documentation of yachts departing from their last port of call, or entering a port or mooring for a winter lay-up, shall be carried out at that port.
When entering Turkish Waters, foreign yachts must be recorded in the yacht owner’s or captain’s passport by the customs authorities. This will be cancelled by the customs authorities on departure for foreign ports, or when leaving the yachts for winter lay-up in marinas.
Travel documents / Visa Issues
While planning your trip to Turkey do not forget to check your passport if it is valid for at least 90 days. Depending on your nationality, most probably your stay as a tourist is limited up to 3 months (for one entrance). For tourist visas for many countries, there is no need to apply in advance or to fill in any forms. However, please check the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website ( www.mfa.gov.tr ) for updated information and information on which passport holders may require a visa before leaving their country. You may check with the Turkish Embassy in your country for the latest visa updates.
Custom Regulations
Yachts entering or leaving Turkey shall make their entry or departure at frontier ports. Ports of entry along the Turkish coast are listed per regions:
The Black Sea
Trabzon, Giresun, Ordu, Samsun, Hopa, Rize, Sinop, Zonguldak, Ereğli
The Marmara
Tekirdag, İstanbul, Bandırma, Derince, Gemlik, Mudanya
The Aegean
Akçay, Ayvalık, Çanakkale, Çeşme, Dikili, İzmir, Kuşadası, Didim ( Söke ), Güllük, Bodrum, Datça, Marmaris, Fethiye
The Mediterranean
Kaş, Finike, Kemer, Antalya, Alanya, Anamur, Bozyazı, Taşucu, Silifke, Mersin, İskenderun, Adana (Botaş)
Yachts entering Turkey, first and foremost, shall obtain a transit log ( yacht registration form ) either from marina management office ( note that not all marinas are giving this service ) or from an agency. Clearance process may be carried out by yachtsman himself or an agency.
Clearance process contains reference to Harbour Master, Coast Sanitary Center, Customs Enforcement and Passport Police. One should take into account that there comes to be various fees to be paid to these authorities. Foreign yachts are required to have authorisation on their ‘Transit Log’ only from the harbour-master while sailing between Turkish ports. While leaving Turkey one should follow the same process except referance to Coast Sanitary Center. Yacht owners or captains must surrender their transit log to the harbour-master when the cruise is completed. In the meanwhile, relevant authorities are carrying out a scheme that will enable all yachtsmen tocomplete this clearance procedure online.
TRANSIT LOG – YACHT REGISTRATION FORM
The Transit Log is a permit to sail in Turkish waters and to enter Turkish ports. Formalities are completed at the first port of entry. It is valid for a year and can be renewed up to 5 years. The Transit Log will be cancelled under the following circumstances:
- Departure for foreign ports, replacement of the person who has completed the Transit Log, when new crew join the yacht, when the yacht owner or captain leave the yacht in a marina for laying up under any of these circumstances, a new Transit Log will be required.
- Foreigners may leave their yachts in Turlkey at a licensed yacht harbour or yacht docking are for the purpose of storage, maintenance or repair, up to 5 years, provided that the yacht sails from the harbour at least once every 2 years. ( It is not necessary to leace Turkish waters ). At the end of 5 years, the Ministry of Tourism has the right to extend the permitted duration of stay.
Duration of Stay For Foreign Citizens in Turkey and Residence Permit Issue
Each foreign visitor is permitted a 90 day tourist visa to stay in Turkey for 90 days in 180 days.These 90 days can be used in one go or split over as many visits as one likes within the 180 days.
A yacht owner and his family visiting Turkey on a tourism visa of 90 days can obtain a residency permit from police department’s foreigners’ office. Documents required for long-term residence permit (for new applications) are as follows: residency declaration form, 4 passport-sized photos, passport, photocopies of the page bearing passport holder’s photo, the page stamped at the last entry, the page where the validity and expiry dates are marked, notarial rental contract if the foreign national lives in a rented house, reservation information if the foreign national stays at a hotel.
It should be indicated that there is a fee for obtaining the blue book and the visa required for the given residence duration. It should also be stated that visa fee varies according to different nationalities.
The Transit Log, delivered in accordance with Maritime Tourism Regulations and approved by the Harbour Master, is the relevant document for the residency permit application of yachtsmen subject to visa or with visa exemption, his spouse, children, crew and other employees of the yacht. As this document contains all declarations and formalities of the yacht, no further documents (like marina agreement, crew agreement, seaman’s license, proof of income) are required. It is accepted that yachtsmen could declare their yachts as their residency address, next to addresses of a house, hotel or pension.
The procedure is as follows
One should gather all documents and cash and go to the local police department’s foreigners’ office (note that the foreigners’ offices are not available in all districts, if not, one has to go to provincial police departments). Required documents shall be displayed and the duration of residence shall be stated. With the docket the officer provides, one shall go to the tax office to pay the fee and subsequently to get a receipt. One shall return to the police office where the officer gives one a form to fill in English and once one completes the form, he shall give it to the offices along with other documents. Normally it should take 1 to 2 weeks to get the permit.
If a yacht enters Turkey by sea for maintenance /refit /repair purposes, the yacht owner, captain and crew are entitled to apply for a residency permit by presenting the shipyard contract. The same procedure is valid for people planning on staying in Turkey for the purpose of building a yacht in a Turkish shipyard.
Weather Report Resources
Turkey’s climate is varied, but typically Mediterranean with hot summers and mild winters. Lighter winds prevail along the Mediterranean coast and nights are usually calm. There is a heavy swell along this coast. In summer, the Aegean is dominated by the northerly Meltemi wind, which blows from May till the end of August and at its peak can be very strong. The Black Sea has more extremes and is more humid with the most rain.
Weather Website – www.mgm.gov.tr (available in English and German) VHF Channel 67 is the meteorology channel broadcasting in English as well.
Money
The currency is Turkish Lira but Euro and Dollar is accepted at some venues. Foreign currency can be exchanged at banks, exchange offices, post offices, travel agencies and hotels.
Post and telecommunication
You can find post offices in every small town and they are open weekdays between 08.30 and 17.00. For further information about post offices and where to find the nearest one you can visit www.ptt.gov.tr.
Public telephones use phone cards which are sold in post offices and news-kiosks.
The major GSM operators in Turkey are Turkcell, Vodafone and Türk Telekom. You can use your mobile phone in Turkey if your provider has enabled international roaming. However, if you intend to stay for a long time in the country or make several calls, it may be preferable to buy a local prepaid SIM card. Take your mobile phone and passport to a Turkish mobile phone shop where your new SIM will be registered along with your handset’s IMEI number and your personal information. (Unregistered phones will be blocked and unable to receive or make calls.) Turkey has very wide mobile coverage networks so you should not have any problems in the main cities and tourist resorts.
Turkey has a wide public internet access and currently Türk Telekom’s TTNET service is the most widely used internet service in Turkey. Likewise prepaid SIM cards, you can access internet through mobile modems sold at communications centres.