Turkey tax-free shopping: how do you get your VAT refund?

Travellers who do not live in Turkey can get back the VAT on goods they buy at participating shops and take abroad. You pay VAT when you buy; it is refunded when the goods leave Turkey and customs stamps your invoice.

The short version

You pay VAT when you buy; it is refunded when you leave Turkey and customs stamps your invoice (VAT Law Art. 11/1-b).
The invoice total must exceed 1,000 TL excluding VAT.
You must take the goods out of Turkey within 3 months of the invoice date.
Only purchases from shops with a tax-free permit, or with a contract with an authorised refund company, qualify.
Services (hotels, restaurants, transport) are not covered.

Who can claim a VAT refund?

Foreign nationals who do not live in Turkey and take the goods abroad, and Turkish citizens living abroad who can show a residence permit or similar document from that country's authorities. According to the Ministry of Trade's guide, you must not have lived in Turkey for more than 185 days looking back.

Conditions

Condition	Rule
Minimum amount	The total value of the goods on the invoice must exceed 1,000 TL excluding VAT; different items on the same invoice are added together. The minimum was raised from 100 TL to 1,000 TL on 18 January 2024 — many guides still quote the old figure.
Time limit	The goods must leave Turkey within 3 months of the invoice date.
Customs approval	When leaving, you show the goods to the customs officer and have the invoice stamped.
Shop	A shop with a permit from the tax office, or one that has a contract with a refund company authorised by the Revenue Administration; contracted shops display a notice saying so.
Goods covered	Any goods a traveller can take in their luggage, except those on list (I) of the Special Consumption Tax Law. Services are not covered.

Step by step

In the shop: the shop writes your passport type and number on the invoice and gives you a printout of the e-invoice.
At departure: take the e-invoice printout and the goods to the customs tax-free desk. The officer checks the goods and the invoice and stamps it if the conditions are met. Because you have to be able to show the goods, make sure they are still with you before you go to the desk.
Refund: the approved invoice is passed to the refund company; you receive the refund from the refund company or the seller.

How is the refund paid?

The VAT Communiqué lists four ways:

At a bank branch at customs: if the seller gave you a cheque with the invoice, the customs-stamped cheque is paid out in cash, in foreign currency or lira, at the bank branch at customs.
By transfer after departure: you send the stamped invoice to the seller within 3 months of leaving; the seller transfers the refund to your bank account or address within 10 days.
In person: if you bring the stamped invoice to the seller within 3 months of leaving, the refund is paid in cash.
In advance: the seller may pay the refund at the time of sale; the goods must then leave Turkey within 3 months and the stamped invoice must reach the seller.

Shops working with an authorised refund company use an “invoice-cheque”: the original and copies are stamped at customs and the refund is made against the stamped original.

Tax-free vs duty-free

Duty-free shops at airports and border crossings sell tax-free goods and are subject to quantity limits: duty-free allowance. Tax-free shopping means buying in town at a participating shop, paying VAT, and getting the VAT back when you leave. Other rules for leaving Turkey: leaving Turkey: what you can take out.

Frequently asked questions

What is the minimum purchase for a VAT refund in Turkey?

The invoice total must exceed 1,000 TL excluding VAT; different items on the same invoice are added together. The minimum was raised from 100 TL to 1,000 TL on 18 January 2024.

Who can claim tax-free in Turkey?

Foreign nationals who do not live in Turkey, and Turkish citizens living abroad with a residence permit from that country. According to the Ministry of Trade, you must not have lived in Turkey for more than 185 days looking back.

How long do I have to take the goods out of Turkey?

Three months from the invoice date. At departure you show the goods to the customs officer and have the invoice stamped at the tax-free desk.

Where do I get the refund?

At the bank branch at customs with a cheque, by bank transfer after sending the stamped invoice to the seller, in cash from the seller, or as an advance at the time of purchase. In shops working with an authorised refund company, the refund company pays.

Can I get VAT back on hotels and restaurants?

No. The refund applies to goods; services are not covered.