Freight from Turkey to the UK

Freight from Turkey to the United Kingdom moves by road (full or part load), by Ro-Ro via Italy or France or by sea container; a truck from Istanbul to London typically takes 7–10 days. Since Brexit the A.TR no longer applies: duty relief comes from the UK–Turkey Free Trade Agreement (applied since 1 January 2021) and needs an origin declaration on the invoice. The UK importer needs a GB EORI number and usually pays 20% import VAT.

Road, Ro-Ro or container: which route from Turkey to the UK?

By road it is roughly 3,000 km: out of Turkey at Kapıkule or Hamzabeyli, through Bulgaria and Romania or Serbia to the Channel, then Calais or Dunkirk to Dover by ferry or Eurotunnel from Coquelles to Folkestone. Unaccompanied trailers can also sail from Zeebrugge or Rotterdam to ports such as Purfleet, Killingholme or Hull.

With Ro-Ro shipping, trailers sail from Pendik, Ambarlı, Mersin or Yalova to Trieste or Sète and continue by road or rail. For heavy, non-urgent cargo, a container into Felixstowe, Southampton or London Gateway is often cheaper.

How long does a truck take from Turkey to the UK?

Plan on 7–10 days for a full load. The main variables are queues at Kapıkule, Channel congestion, weekend driving bans, seasonal peaks and whether the UK import entry is ready before arrival. Groupage adds a few days. See our Turkey–Europe transit times guide.

What documents are needed to import from Turkey after Brexit?

• Commercial invoice with the origin declaration, and a packing list
• Turkish export declaration and a CMR (bill of lading or AWB for sea and air)
• T1 (NCTS) or TIR carnet for transit through the EU and Serbia; Turkey and the UK are both Common Transit Convention parties, so the T1 can close at a UK office
• In the UK: an import declaration on CDS, a safety and security declaration (ENS) and a GMR in GVMS at Ro-Ro points such as Dover and Eurotunnel
• Product-specific: health certificates for food, plant and animal products; CE marking is still accepted in Great Britain for many goods, some need UKCA

The importer needs an EORI number starting with GB; the Turkish exporter needs no UK EORI or REX registration.

Do you pay UK import duty and VAT on goods from Turkey?

Under the FTA, industrial goods meeting the rules of origin enter duty-free; agricultural goods get reduced rates or quotas. Proof is an origin declaration on the invoice or another commercial document, valid for 24 months for UK imports. Without it, the UK Global Tariff applies.

Import VAT is charged at the standard 20% (some goods are reduced or zero-rated). VAT-registered importers can use postponed VAT accounting instead of paying at the border. Confirm the commodity code first (HS code guide). Talks on an enhanced FTA were still under way in 2026, so current rules apply.

Groupage or full truckload to the UK?

A standard curtainsider takes around 33 euro pallets and up to about 24 tonnes. For a few pallets, groupage shares the cost but takes longer; from roughly 12–15 pallets a full load often makes more sense. Price depends on weight and loading metres, addresses, the Channel crossing, customs and transit work, season, fuel and the agreed Incoterms.

What we do

• Full and part loads to the UK with international road freight
• Ro-Ro and container options through sea freight, plus air freight for urgent cargo
• Export declarations and origin checks with our customs clearance services
• T1 movements across the EU with transit freight
• Delivered-duty-paid shipments via DDP import solutions

Moving goods from Turkey to the UK? Request a quote and we will propose the right route and documents. See our international road freight service for details.