Europe
Container Shipping from the UK to Turkey
Istanbul, Izmir and Mersin cover the Marmara, Aegean and Mediterranean regions — a growing lane for machinery, textiles and project cargo.
Container shipping from the UK to Turkey runs full container load to Istanbul (Ambarlı) (TRAMB), Izmir (TRIZM) and Mersin (TRMER). There is no scheduled less than container load service to Turkey at present. Sea transit is 11–18 days port to port and air freight 1–2 days. We collect from any UK address and handle UK export clearance; customs charges in Turkey are not included.
Where we ship
Ports in Turkey
Full container load and groupage both go to Istanbul (Ambarlı), Izmir and Mersin. Select a port for its location, code and indicative transit.
- UK door
- UK port
- Istanbul (Ambarlı), Izmir or Mersin
Packed and sealed at your premises, then straight to the port — usually London Gateway.
Less than container load
There is no scheduled groupage service to Turkey at present. Smaller consignments are quoted case by case — tell us the volume and we will say which option is genuinely cheaper.
Get a price for Turkey
The three modes are quoted separately — they are priced on different things entirely: a container, a cubic metre and a kilo.
Indicative pricing
Starting points for sea freight from the UK, not port-specific figures — the rate for your shipment depends on the arrival port, the sailing and the commodity. Customs charges, duty and taxes in Turkey are payable there and are not included.
| Service | From | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| FCL — 20ft General Purpose | £1,200.00 | per 20ft container |
| FCL — 40ft General Purpose | £1,850.00 | per 40ft container |
| LCL groupage | £64.00 | per cubic metre |
| Air freight | Please check with our team | per 100kg chargeable weight |
These are starting prices for the freight, not shipment totals. A groupage rate is what one cubic metre of cargo costs, so a 10 cubic metre consignment costs roughly ten times the figure shown. Figures are indicative, in GBP, and cover the sea freight from the UK only — customs charges, duty and taxes in the destination country are payable there and are not included. Your firm quote depends on the exact route, the cargo and the sailing.
What can you ship to Turkey?
Machinery and spare parts, textiles and garments, automotive components, chemicals and plastics in packaged form, and building materials move through Istanbul Ambarlı and Mersin as routine palletised cargo.
Cargo needs to be palletised, shrink-wrapped and labelled with the consignee, because groupage is handled several times between your loading bay and the delivery address. Anything containing lithium batteries, aerosols, paints, solvents or compressed gas needs declaring at booking — it usually still travels, it just changes the packing and the paperwork rather than simply the price.
What tax and duty applies on import into Turkey?
Turkey charges KDV at a standard rate of 20%, charged on the customs value plus duty plus freight and insurance, which makes the declared CIF value the number that drives the bill. Customs duty is separate and runs at 0% on industrial goods with an A.TR certificate, otherwise 0–20%, set by the commodity code of the specific goods.
Turkey is not in the EU but is in a customs union with it for industrial goods, and that changes the paperwork rather than the tariff schedule. An A.TR movement certificate lets qualifying industrial goods enter duty-free regardless of where they were made, which is a different test from the rules-of-origin test used for EU trade — goods that fail an origin check can still qualify for A.TR treatment. Agricultural products and coal and steel sit outside the customs union and follow their own rules.
What are the import restrictions in Turkey?
Four things are worth checking before you book rather than after the vessel sails.
What documents do I need to import into Turkey?
These cover the far end of the journey and belong to your consignee. We prepare and file the transport and commercial paperwork, but their own registrations are issued to them by their own authorities and cannot be obtained on their behalf.
What documents do you need in the UK to export?
A second, separate set of paperwork — and this one is yours rather than your consignee's. It is the part first-time exporters are most often caught by, because the destination requirements get all the attention and the British side looks like a formality until it stops a booking.
Duty depends on the commodity code of the specific goods, and rates change. This is general guidance, not tax or legal advice. Customs charges, duty and taxes in the destination country are payable there and are not included in our freight quote. Rates last reviewed .
Shipping to Turkey: FAQs
How long does shipping from the UK to Turkey take?
Sea freight runs about 11–18 days port to port, and air freight 1–2 days airport to airport. Izmir is the quickest sea gateway on this lane at around 11 days. These are indicative figures measured port to port; the transit for your exact collection address and delivery address, including the inland legs at both ends, is confirmed at quote stage.
Which ports do you ship to in Turkey?
We move cargo through 3 ports in Turkey: Istanbul (Ambarlı) (TRAMB), Izmir (TRIZM), Mersin (TRMER). Full container load goes to Istanbul (Ambarlı), Izmir and Mersin. We have no scheduled groupage service to Turkey at present, so part loads are quoted case by case. Each port page lists its location, code and indicative transit.
Do you handle customs clearance for Turkey?
We handle the UK side: we file your export declaration with HMRC against your GB EORI number and raise the transport and commercial documents that travel with the shipment. Customs charges in Turkey — duty, import tax and any local clearance fees — are payable there by the consignee and are not included in our rates, unless you have agreed a DDP Incoterm that puts them on you. Budget for them separately; they are the most common reason a landed cost comes in above the freight quote.
What should I know before shipping on the Turkey lane?
Turkey is a common origin for out-of-gauge and project cargo moving in the other direction, which means specialist equipment is generally available on this lane. Raise heavy-lift or flat-rack requirements at enquiry stage. Cargo commonly moving on this lane includes machinery and production equipment, chemicals and industrial inputs, automotive components.
Compare lanes
Other countries we ship to and from
Rates and transit times for countries near Turkey — each one works as an origin or a destination.
Netherlands
Import & export · Rotterdam
LCL from
£55.00
per cubic metre
3+ days
View lane
Germany
Import & export · Hamburg
LCL from
£58.00
per cubic metre
4+ days
View lane
France
Import & export · Le Havre
LCL from
£52.00
per cubic metre
2+ days
View lanePlan the rest of the move
Shipping to Turkey? Get a quote.
Any country to any country, import or export — send us the origin, destination and cargo details and we'll come back with a competitive rate within one business day.