Türkiye: duty-free import with an ATR certificate

An ATR certificate is a customs document. You can use it for the trade of goods between EU countries and Türkiye. An ATR certificate testifies to the origin of a product. You do not have to pay import duties. Read what origin means and how to use an ATR certificate.

Importing from Türkiye

The EU and Türkiye are members of a customs union. This means you can import products of Turkish origin free of import duties. Origin means that the product was manufactured in Türkiye, or that it has been imported from a third country into Türkiye previously. The Turkish origin is recorded in the ATR certificate. Your Turkish supplier applies for the certificate at Turkish customs.

Exporting to Türkiye

You can also use the ATR certificate for exports to Türkiye. The customs union with Türkiye exempts products of EU origin from import duties upon entry in Türkiye. EU origin means that the product was manufactured in the EU, or that it has been imported from a third country into the EU previously. However, there are some EU products for which extra duties have to be paid upon import into Türkiye. The EC Access2Markets database lists the products for which you have to pay extra duties, despite the use of an ATR certificate.
You, as the exporter, can fill in the ATR certificate yourself. If you find this difficult, ask your customs expeditor to do it for you. You can order blank ATR certificates from printing businesses or suppliers of export forms and freight bills. The filled-in certificate has to be validated by customs, together with the export declaration.

Excluded products

On the website of Dutch customs, there is an overview (in Dutch) of the agricultural and steel products for which you cannot use the ATR certificate. These do not fall under the customs union with Türkiye. You can only get a reduction on import duties for these products if you can show an EUR.1 or EUR.MED certificate or an invoice declaration at the Turkish customs. The products need to be of preferential origin. If you cannot use an EUR1., EUR-MED, or an invoice declaration, the import will be taxed with the amount of import duties that applies to the product you are importing.

Also good to know

An ATR certificate is valid for four months after it has been issued by customs. You can only use it within this period when filing an import declaration in the destination country. The value of the shipment does not matter when applying for an ATR certificate.

Licenced exporters may issue ATR certificates

Companies that export products of origin to Türkiye regularly can apply for a licence to issue ATR certificates themselves: the ‘Toegelaten Exporteur zelfafgifte certificaten inzake goederenverkeer ATR’ licence (in Dutch). The licence gives exporters permission to issue ATR certificates themselves, without having them validated by customs. The licence is issued by customs.