Buying and Selling Cars and Transferring Ownership at the Notary Known as Noter

In Turkey, buying used cars is very common because of the high prices of new cars, and you can buy either directly from the car's owner or from a licensed car dealership.

In this article, we'll give you a summary of our experience with dealings at the notary, the most common problems, and the documents required for the ownership transfer. You can always reach out to us, Hallak Turkey Services Company, to get accurate and correct information. We always recommend that before buying or paying a deposit on any car, you have it inspected at specialized centers known as ekspertiz, and obtain the signed and stamped inspection report. Agree with the owner on the cost of the ekspertiz inspection based on the information the seller has provided, in case the information provided doesn't match the technical inspection of the car. We always advise gathering sufficient, thorough information about the car and its history, such as: accidents, the number of previous owners, whether the current odometer reading is accurate and hasn't been altered or tampered with, the car's mechanical condition, and the condition of the engine — it's best to make a checklist of the details to be verified. In general, though not always, it's preferable to buy directly from the owner, since prices tend to be more reasonable than dealership prices. There are also many websites where cars are listed, such as Facebook, Sahibinden, Arabam, and Hürriyet Oto.

Where Do I Start the Car Ownership Transfer Procedures in Turkey:

The procedure begins by going to the notary's office, but you must pay attention to the following:

-There must be no debts or violations on the car, otherwise the ownership transfer will not take place until the debts are paid off.-The car must carry traffic insurance (sigorta), or the ownership transfer will not take place.-If there is a lien or seizure on the car, it must be removed before starting the sale process, otherwise the sale will not go through.-Prepare the documents required for the ownership transfer (passport and residence permit for foreigners — the Kimlik from the same city for refugees — the Turkish national ID card for a Turkish citizen — the car's registration/license — bringing the car's license plates if the buyer wants to change the car's plates).-Prepare the notary fees, and it's preferable for them to be in cash, since some notaries do not accept payment by bank card.-Notify the bank in advance, at least one day ahead, that you will be making a bank transfer of a certain amount to buy a car, so that your account isn't frozen or the transfer isn't delayed.

**Warning: Do not agree to transfer the value of the car to anyone other than the car owner's own personal account. Many fraud cases have occurred because of transferring to a different account — even if a relative, friend, or acquaintance tells you to, do not accept transferring to anyone other than their own personal account.

-Make sure the information on the car's registration matches the car itself, in terms of the number of seats and passengers, the model, the engine number, and the chassis number.

Costs of Transferring Car Ownership in Turkey and How They're Split Between the Seller and the Buyer:

-In general and approximately, since the amount can vary depending on the case, the costs of transferring car ownership at the notary start at 300 lira and increase depending on the situations we mentioned earlier.-The seller bears all costs related to old debts, accumulated taxes, or violations that occurred before the sale date. As for the buyer, they bear the notary fees, and then the car's insurance after the purchase.-The sale takes place at the notary, and the new registration/license is handed over along with a copy of the sale contract from the same place. The procedure ends here if the buyer doesn't want to change the car's license plates; if they do want to change them, they take a copy of the sale contract and the car's mandatory insurance and go to the nearest plate-printing center to receive the new plates, which involves a fee of around 950 lira, which may increase over time.-Car taxes are due every 6 months and vary depending on the car's model, engine capacity, and fuel type; they start at around 300 Turkish lira every 6 months and exceed 2,000 Turkish lira for some models.

Replacing Car Plates and Registration in Turkey:

This is done if the car owner wants to change the car's registration plates, either by submitting an electronic application through the Ministry of Transport's website, or in person at the notary. It involves fees for the new plates and the car's new registration. If the person is a foreigner who has obtained Turkish citizenship (and the old registration plates were foreign-national plates, known as "traveler plates" / misafir plaka), they must change them, following the same procedure described above, while also making sure to update the vehicle's insurance information by contacting the same insurance company the policy was purchased from — this is done after changing the plates and the registration. The cost of this change is approximately 400–800 lira depending on the case. As for a foreign national who has become a Turkish citizen, they must also change their driving license to match their new information, by visiting the civil registry office (Nüfus) with a prior appointment only, and after paying fees of around 350, which may change over time.

**Important information: If the car was purchased using a passport and a tax number, the registration information must be updated after obtaining Turkish citizenship or a residence permit, so that the car officially shows as being in your name through the government's e-Devlet application, and the cost is roughly similar to the cost of transferring ownership again.

-The car ownership transfer process takes between half an hour and one hour at most, if everything is ready and there are no missing documents, debts, or violations. Keep in mind the notary's working hours, from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM, and from 1:30 PM to 5:30 PM. On holidays, there are notaries on duty, but it's not advisable to carry out the sale on holidays due to the heavy crowds at the notary.-Payment for the car is made directly, right before the seller's final signature.

**Hallak Turkey Services Company offers you all the services related to the notary, from buying and selling to car insurance.