The necessary period for tax exemption in bringing phones from abroad has been extended to three years, and a requirement of having a SIM card in the name of the person for whom the IMEI registration is made has been introduced. The Ministry of Trade and the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) are establishing a new tracking system to closely monitor the process.
According to passenger exemptions, one phone can be brought to Turkey customs duty-free within three calendar years. The Ministry of Trade is implementing a new system to prevent passengers from bringing multiple phones in three years. Customs Protection Officers will be able to see when a person last brought a customs duty-free phone by checking BTK data on their inquiry screens. This application will be implemented as of November 1, 2022. Starting from this date, it will be checked whether passengers have the right to bring a phone. Customs duties will be imposed on individuals found to have brought more than one phone in three years.
The statement also mentioned that the requirement of “using the lines registered with the passenger’s ID number” has been added for these phones, and it stated, “Within the scope of this application, an important regulation is being implemented under the coordination of the Ministry of Trade’s General Directorate of Customs Protection to enable the technical monitoring of the exemption limit (one device within three calendar years) for mobile phones brought by passengers. As part of the technical study carried out by the Ministry of Trade and the Information and Communication Technologies Authority, the number of mobile phones brought by passengers within a three-year period will be tracked, and the prevention of passengers bringing more than one phone beyond their exemption rights will be ensured.”
According to the statement, necessary control and inspection procedures will be carried out by customs protection officers at customs areas upon entry to the country through the inquiry screen created with the data network transferred by the Information and Communication Technologies Authority.
This application will be implemented as of November 1. Thus, by tracking the mobile phones brought with passengers, the abuse of personal exemptions will be prevented.
