Driver’s License

To drive in our country, you must have a driver’s license. The license system and licenses were renewed with a change made in 2016. Drivers now use their new chip driver’s license, which has been brought to the European Union within the framework of harmonization. Many innovations have been made in the conditions that you need to meet to get a license. If you cannot be subjected to the conversion process, you can benefit from a private transfer in Istanbul.

The Conversion Process of Foreign Driver’s License

Driver’s licenses obtained from different countries must meet certain conditions to be used in Turkey. When these conditions are met, you can safely use your own driver’s license. These conditions cover Turkish citizens and foreign nationals. All driving license procedures were taken from the General Directorate of Security with the previous decision and transferred to the General Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs. You should make an appointment for the conversion process of your driver’s license. Also, you can find more general information about getting a new driver’s license there. 

Citizens residing in our country who do not have a driving license from any country must apply to courses by completing the attached documents to obtain a driving license. Foreign citizens can also take the exam in Arabic or English. You should gather some documents for the conversion process of your driving license from a foreign license to a Turkish one. 

• Passport

• Residence permit (at least six months)

• Four biometric photos

• Notary Turkish translation of diploma or student certificate

• Health report

• Criminal Record 

Citizens who have an international driving license from their own country can drive with their own country’s license for six months from the date they enter our country. After six months, their license is subjected to the conversion process. Foreign citizens who have completed six months in our country can drive for another six months by having their current foreign driver’s license translated into Turkish by a notary public or getting a translation from their country’s consulate. You can find more general information from the notary or translators for the conversion process. 

Foreign citizens who will stay in our country for more than two years are obliged to obtain a Driver’s License from the Republic of Turkey. The documents required for foreign citizens to obtain a driving license are listed above. The price of the license conversion process changes every year. It must belong to the country that is a party to the “Road Traffic Convention” for a foreign driver’s license to be translated. As of 2021, there are 84 countries with which agreements have been made on this issue. If the country where you obtained your driver’s license is not suitable for the conversion process, you must obtain a driving license from scratch by enrolling in the driving school.

To Get New Driver’s License

If you can’t be subjected to the conversion process, you must take a new driver’s license and enroll in a driving school. First, decide which vehicles you will use, that is, from which license class you will apply. We think you will get a B class license to drive a car. We assume that you are 18 or older than 18 because you can get the license if you are 18 or more.

To get a driver’s license, it is necessary to be at least a primary school graduate. Also, candidates who want to be drivers; should get a health report from any institutions such as family health centers, public hospitals, or private hospitals that they do not have an obstacle to being a driver. Also, you need to collect the other documents requested by the driving courses, which we mention under the general procedure title. Then you should pay the fee for the driver’s license course. When you apply to the course with these documents, they will also ask you to fill in an application form, address declaration form, signature declaration form, criminal statement form, course contract form. 

Driver candidates who have completed the documents we have given above and have completed the registration process by paying the driving course fee can now start their theoretical and practical training. Your courses include traffic and environmental information, first aid, engine, vehicle technology, and traffic etiquette. You can take the driver’s license exam to get a driving license without attending any theoretical lessons. So, you can learn general information about real traffic.

You must complete the driver’s license exam and steering exam stages after your training in the driving school. There are 50 questions asked in the exam, and you must answer at least 35 questions correctly. 4 wrongs do not make a right in this exam. Therefore, by answering 35 questions correctly, getting at least 70 points is sufficient to pass the exam.

Penalty for Driving with a Foreign Driver’s License

Suppose the 2-year period has expired and you have not converted your driver’s license. In that case, this is subject to a penalty according to the Traffic Law. Accordingly, in accordance with Article 39/4 of the Traffic Law, an administrative fine of 1.647  TL is imposed on those who do not comply with this rule. If you pay this penalty within 15 days, a 25% discount will be applied, and you will pay 1.235,25 TL. This fee is valid for 2023 and increases every year. This penalty can be paid through PTT branches, tax offices, or banks. You can find general information about Istanbul’s traffic and driver’s license from Traffic Law.