Announcement on Pre-Authorization Practice for Machinery Imports and Imports from Free Zones

Circular No: 2026-18

Notice on Import Pre-Approval for Machinery and Imports Originating from Free Zones

Within the scope of the official correspondence issued by the General Directorate of Product Safety and Inspection of the Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Trade, important regulatory updates regarding import product safety inspections have been announced.

Product safety inspections in imports are carried out to protect human, animal and plant health, safeguard the environment, and prevent unfair competition against companies producing and importing in compliance with applicable legislation. These inspections are conducted in accordance with the Product Safety and Inspection Communiqués (ÜGD), which are updated and published annually.

In this context, pursuant to the Communiqué on Import Inspection of Machinery (ÜGD: 2026/32), published in the Official Gazette dated 31.12.2025 and effective as of 01.01.2026, and in line with the Communiqué on Import Inspection of Non-Road Mobile Machinery (ÜGD: 2026/2), an import inspection pre-approval requirement has been introduced for certain product groups.

For products listed in the relevant annexes of Communiqués No. 2026/2 and 2026/32, companies are required to submit applications via TAREKS (Risk-Based Control System in Foreign Trade) prior to importation and upload the mandatory documentation specified on a GTIP basis.

Furthermore, free zones are legally considered outside Türkiye’s customs territory. Accordingly, imports into Türkiye from free zones are subject to the same customs regulations and procedures as imports from third countries.

In this framework:

For products of European Union origin, approval from Trade Counselors/Attachés is not required.
For products imported from free zones, instead of Trade Counselor/Attaché approval, applications along with the relevant product documentation must be submitted to the competent Free Zone Directorate by the manufacturer, distributor, or importer, either in person, by post, or via Registered Electronic Mail (KEP).

To avoid potential delays and additional costs, companies are strongly advised to take these regulations into consideration and complete pre-approval applications prior to initiating import procedures.

Source:
https://files.igmd.org.tr/doc/20022026-152758_cevabi-yazipdf.pdf

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