A Guide to Istanbul’s Customs Offices

Istanbul is Turkey’s largest trade city, so it has many customs offices. If you are new to shipping through Istanbul, the list of names can be confusing. This guide explains how the offices are organised and groups them by type.

One regional directorate

All customs offices in Istanbul report to the Istanbul Customs and Foreign Trade Regional Directorate (İstanbul Gümrük ve Dış Ticaret Bölge Müdürlüğü). It is part of the Ministry of Trade.

The regional directorate works from two campuses:

• Yeşilköy (Bakırköy district)
• Yenibosna (Bahçelievler district), in the Foreign Trade Complex (Dış Ticaret Kompleksi)

Customs work in the neighbouring provinces is handled by other regional directorates, for example Doğu Marmara (Kocaeli) and Batı Marmara (Tekirdağ).

The 18 customs directorates

The Ministry of Trade lists these 18 customs directorates (gümrük müdürlükleri) under the Istanbul region. We have grouped them by type:

Sea ports

• Ambarlı Gümrük Müdürlüğü, for the Ambarlı port area on the European side, Istanbul’s main container port area
• Haydarpaşa Gümrük Müdürlüğü, on the Asian side
• Pendik Gümrük Müdürlüğü, on the Asian side

Airports

• İstanbul Havalimanı Gümrük Müdürlüğü (Istanbul Airport)
• İstanbul Havalimanı Yolcu Salonu Gümrük Müdürlüğü (Istanbul Airport passenger hall)
• Sabiha Gökçen Havalimanı Gümrük Müdürlüğü (Sabiha Gökçen Airport)
• AHL Kargo Gümrük Müdürlüğü (Atatürk Airport cargo)

Inland customs (road and rail cargo, warehouses)

• Erenköy Gümrük Müdürlüğü
• Halkalı Gar Gümrük Müdürlüğü (Halkalı rail station)
• Muratbey Gümrük Müdürlüğü
• Yeşilköy Gümrük Müdürlüğü
• Zeytinburnu Gümrük Müdürlüğü

Free zones

• İstanbul Endüstri ve Ticaret Serbest Bölge Gümrük Müdürlüğü
• İstanbul İhtisas Serbest Bölge Gümrük Müdürlüğü
• Trakya Serbest Bölge Gümrük Müdürlüğü

Special offices

• İstanbul Posta Gümrük Müdürlüğü (postal shipments)
• Karaköy Yolcu Salonu Gümrük Müdürlüğü (sea passengers and cruise terminal)
• Beylikdüzü Akaryakıt Gümrük Müdürlüğü (fuel)

Watch out for old lists. Many websites still show offices that have been renamed, merged, or moved. This happened, for example, after passenger flights moved from Atatürk Airport to Istanbul Airport. Always check the current list on the Istanbul regional directorate’s website.

Which office will clear my cargo?

The answer depends mainly on where your goods arrive and where they are stored:

• By sea: usually the customs office responsible for that port, for example Ambarlı.
• By air: the customs office at the airport where the cargo lands.
• By road: trucks usually go to an inland customs office and its approved temporary storage areas or warehouses, unless the goods are cleared at a gate or under a special permit.
• Into a free zone: the free zone’s own customs office.

Companies with special permits, such as authorised consignee or consignor status, can sometimes clear goods at their own approved premises. Your customs broker will confirm the right office before the cargo arrives.

Practical tips

1. Ask early which office applies. Sending goods to the wrong warehouse costs time and money.
2. Keep documents in BİLGE order. Declarations are filed electronically, and details must match the transport documents.
3. Plan around traffic. Moving between the European and Asian sides of Istanbul can take hours at busy times.
4. Use a licensed broker. Most declarations in Turkey are made through a licensed customs broker (gümrük müşaviri).

AntEX is based in Beylikdüzü, close to the Ambarlı port area. We know Istanbul’s customs offices well, and we can guide your cargo to the right one.