Duty-Free Online Shopping Ends in Turkey: €30 Limit Abolished

An Era Comes to an End for Cross-Border Shopping

The duty-free online shopping period in Turkey has officially come to an end. The €30 exemption limit for goods purchased from abroad via postal services or cargo shipments has been completely abolished.

According to a Presidential Decision published in the Official Gazette dated January 7, 2026, the regulation that allowed goods worth up to €30 to enter Turkey without customs procedures has been repealed. With this decision, duty-free shopping from abroad is no longer possible.

Customs Exemption Regulation Repealed

The amendment removes the first paragraph of Article 126 of the regulation governing the implementation of certain provisions of Customs Law No. 4458, which previously permitted duty-free imports for low-value items sent by mail or cargo.

The decision will come into force 30 days after publication. Once effective, individuals wishing to import goods from abroad will be required to obtain customs brokerage services, regardless of the item’s value.

This Change Had Been on the Agenda

The complete removal of duty-free online shopping had been discussed for some time. The European Union has already placed the elimination of its €150 customs exemption on its agenda, with plans to remove it by 2028.

Following evaluations by the Ministry of Trade, it had been widely anticipated that Turkey’s €30 duty-free online shopping threshold would eventually be reduced to zero — a move that has now become reality.

Previously, as of August 6, 2024, the individual customs exemption limit had already been lowered from €150 to €30.

Limits Were Gradually Tightened

Further adjustments were made in December 2024, when shipping costs were included in the product value calculation. This effectively reduced the threshold to €27, with a fixed €3 shipping fee added to every order.

As a result, even small purchases frequently exceeded the exemption limit, triggering customs procedures.

Customs Duties and Additional Taxes

Goods sent to Turkey via express cargo or postal services for non-commercial purposes are subject to customs duties. Products originating from EU countries are taxed at 30%, while those from non-EU countries face a 60% customs duty.

In addition, certain products are subject to a 20% fixed tax under Law No. 4760 on Special Consumption Tax (SCT).

Shipping Costs Were Already Included

With a regulation published in the Official Gazette on December 27, 2024, shipping fees were officially included in the total value of imported goods.

For example, a product purchased for €29 with an additional €2 shipping fee would reach a total cost of €31. Since this amount exceeded the €30 threshold, the item became subject to customs brokerage requirements — even before the exemption was fully abolished.

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