Drone regulations in Turkey
Last update on 01.08.2021 | 35 Kommentare
Find out in this post which rules apply in Turkey if you want to fly a drone there.
Depending on the weight of your drone, it can be difficult to get all the necessary permits in Turkey. In addition to registering for drones weighing 500 grams or more, you must also comply with local laws that may require further applications.
Overview: Drone rules in Turkey
Drone labels can be ordered here
Drones under 500 grams are not within the scope of Turkish drone regulation, so they are not subject to registration. Thus, it shouldn’t be a problem to bring a DJI Spark. In addition, private drones must not weigh more than 4 kilograms. You may need to register your flight or have it approved. Therefore, try to learn the regulations for your planned area of flight and, if necessary, apply for a permit from the local authorities.
Drones over 500 grams are subject to stricter rules that unfortunately do not allow drone pilots without a Turkish identification number to fly legally.
At the airport, it may happen that the drone is taken away from you until your departure and is kept for a fee. To avoid that, you need a letter of technical compliance. The application form is now also available in English.
In Turkey, all pilots must register before the flight. You may need to submit a criminal record. If you do not register and get caught during a flight, penalties are in the four-digit euro range.
When registering, a Turkish identity number is requested. This makes it almost impossible for most foreign drone pilots to register in Turkey. When registering, you’ll need to submit a photo of yourself, which allows you to pilot your drone as a registered pilot. The processing time for your registration is one to two weeks.
Once your registration has been accepted, you will need to report your drone (including photos from three perspectives) so that the drone can be clearly assigned to you. The necessary information includes: weight, manufacturer, model name, year of appearance, number of engines, engine model, color of the aircraft, battery capacity and camera specifications. After 3-5 days you will receive confirmation with an identification number. You have to print this confirmation and take it with you on the journey.
We have researched the listed drone regulations for Turkey to the best of our knowledge. We can not guarantee the correctness of the information. If you want to be on the safe side, please contact the competent aviation authority. Alternatively, you can also ask the embassy in your country for further information about the regulations. Please leave us a comment when you receive news and/or gain experience with your copter in Turkey!
This looks like for commercial use only:
I found this on the government website:
Granting the Letter of Technical Conformity for Importation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
Any persons, operators/companies or entities, intending to import an unmanned aerial vehicle from any country to Turkey, shall make an application for technical conformity regarding importation, in order to be submitted to the concerned Customs Office, in compliance with the requirements of Article 5 (2) of the SHT-IHA Instruction.
Model Aircraft (unmanned aerial vehicles, which can be used outdoors, and maximum take-off mass/weight of which is not more than 20 kilograms, and which have no autonomous flight capability, and which are flown within the field of vision of the user, and which are used only for sports and entertainment purposes); and any flyable toys or vehicles, which have been manufactured in order to be used at indoors; as well as UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle), maximum take-off mass/weight (MTOM/MTOW) of which is less than 4 kg, and maximum speed of which is less than 50 km per hour, and maximum altitude of which is not more than 100 meters to the ground, are excluded from the scope of this instruction.
Thank you, Bart, for this additional info!
I come to turkey but don’t active my drone. it is off in my backpack.
do i have to register if i wont active it ?
Hi Idan,
In this case, you might have to leave your drone at the airport. It also depends on the weight of your drone.
Idan, do you bring your drone in to turkey normal without any registration?? How pass rengen??
Hi, does the weight mentioned (500gr) relate to the drone with or without the battery?
Turkey only for citizens (as of April 2018). Registration required _BOTH_ for pilots and for drones over 500g. Foreigners/tourists can not fly anything (ever Spark or Mavic Air, which are under 500g). Here’s a response from Directorate General of Civil Aviation (http://web.shgm.gov.tr/en): “In order to fly your drone in Turkey, you have to register your drone and yourself in our reg.system. It is not required to register your drone since the MTOW is under 500 gr. But as a pilot you have to reg. Yourself. But fort he time being foreign people can’t register him/herself. Because reg.system connects to Ministry of Internal Affairs system to verify the citizen number. If you have not Turkish citizen number, you can’t do that.”
Dear Sir,
I am an Iraqi citizen who is willing to buy an apartment to live in Istanbul permanently. Can I as a Turkish resident be able to register using my residence ID? or should I be a Turkish citizen with Turkish ID to register?
I own a Mavic 2 Zoom and I’d hate to leave it back in Iraq when I move to Istanbul soon.
Thanks in advance.
Hello, I am going to visit Turkey soon. I am still confused as being the foreigner can I some how register or bring my phantom 4 drone with me to Turkey?
@Vision One Can you send me the link of the government announcement that you mentioned above
Hi.. I’m a working resident in Turkey and have brought my Phantom 4 Pro Plus to Turkey from Australia. I am going to go through the registration process over the next few weeks with the help of a Turkish colleague who is a professional in Community Relations with the company I work for. The questions I have read in this thread I will raise as I go and see if I can shed some light on this process. I am living in the eastern region of Turkey and the mountains are super pretty in springtime so my goal is to get some video and photos that give real justice to this beautiful country.
Earlier this month I had a friend who is on a work visa in Turkey register herself as a drone operator for hobby/sport. Actually, I took the online test and she provided the required documents and ID number. Still waiting for a response on permit approval/issuance. If issued, this will give me the opportunity to fly, as long is she is with me during flights. I travel to Istanbul from the U.S. on April 27, 2018. Am hoping the permit comes through before then; if not, my Mavic Pro stays home. (frown) I will not take the chance without her having a permit.
Hey Dave, do let us know how we can register as well and also do tell us when u get your permit.
Good day Dave! any news regarding your permit? I’d love to hear some good news. I am also willing to be a Turkish resident and wish to know if I can acquire a permit without being a Turkish nationality.
Hi guys I’m traveling from Vienna to Cape Town via Istambul. I don’t want to fly in Turkey just carrying my Mavic through transit airport procedures how should I transport it? Do you have any idea if they are cool with drone in hand luggage like a rest of normal world ? 😀
here is the link for registration
(only for turkish citizen 🙁
https://iha.shgm.gov.tr/public/register
Thanks Pierre.
If you also click on the 3 horizontal bars it also gives you the opportunity to select English
Hi Guys,
I have a DJI Spark, which weights about 300g..i try to understand if I need or don’t need to register the drone.
May you please tell me if its needed? Thank you
Why is there other links that say flying a drone in Turkey is ok, either it is or it isn’t, do you register or not and the Mavic Air is less than 500g. I took mine Turkey August 2018) and had no problems at all.
So i understand than mavic air doesnt need a registration, isnt it?
my drone is 430 grams with battery installed,i know it ok to bring with me , but do i have to have any papers to prove it, will the authority’s know what make my drone is, do i have to register myself, as the pilot,
Hello ,
If you have any questions or hesitations feel free to email me ! We can help you with your documentation and consultation in Turkey !
I went to Istanbul this year October and Customs took my Mavic 2 zoom while I was there. I had to pay $70 to get it back on departure. I also tried to apply for permission but do not have Turkish ID number it is very difficult to enter with a drone.
I’m planning a 7-week trip starting from Turkey, through Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and finishing in Prague. I have a Mavic 2 Pro and unfortunately, Turkey is my first stop.
The entire registration process seems convoluted and foolproof. If I put my Mavic 2 Pro in my checked luggage (rather than my carry on), will Turkish Customs scan my bag and seize the drone?
hi every one,
i want to buy dji agriculture product.
Where can I get it?
Does it have a central DJI in turkey?
Hi,
On its website, DJI only lists one retailer for agriculture drones in Turkey. It seems to be in Istanbul, you can search for it here. This retailer seems to have an online store, so you might be able to order it from there.
Going to turkey hopefully wanting to take my Mavic Pro 2, so I understand I have to register in order to get in in the country?
Hello,
Yes, because the Mavic 2 Pro weighs more than 500 grams, you need to register. But to bring your drone into the country, you need a letter of technical conformity, links to the application form can be found above.
Hello,
I’m travelling to Fethiye in the next few weeks and was hoping to take my DJI Mini with me. At only 249 grams, will I need to register, will I be able to fly at all?
All the guidance is so confusing, and yet I see people posting videos on YouTube of their flights over the blue lagoon!
please help.
Hello Paul,
Drones under 500 grams don’t need to be registered in Turkey. You should also be fine at customs, see the FAQ on the Turkish Directorate General of Civil Aviation website, question number 15 is in English. Just make sure that drones aren’t banned in the place where you want to fly, and especially avoid getting close to any military facilities.
Someone on one response said that you have to register as a pilot with the Turkish Aviation Authority in order to fly a drone such as the Mavic Min (i.e. below 500 grams) or anything else.
However, by translating the Turkish legislation for UAS at http://web.shgm.gov.tr/documents/sivilhavacilik/files/mevzuat/sektorel/talimatlar/2019/IHA_talimati_revizyon3.pdf
On Article 2 ( Madde 2) they say:
“ ARTICLE 2 – (1) This Instruction will be given by the UAVs to fly in the Turkish Airspace, the related systems, the real and legal persons who will import, sell, operate or use them, the personnel to be assigned in this scope, the UAV team and the use of the airspace. covers air traffic services.
(2) The following UAVs and systems are out of the scope of this Instruction:
a) State unmanned aerial vehicles,
b) UAVs and systems used only in closed areas,
c) Unmanned balloon and similar systems connected to the ground or any platform, ç) UAVs with a maximum take-off weight of less than 500 g.
Therefore it seems that this regulation doesn’t apply to a pilot of a drone with less that 500 grams in weight.
I understand that I do not need a registration for a drone lighter than 500 grams. But, as a foreigner, do I have to ask for a permit to fly for a drone lighter than 500g? It’s a Mini 2.
Hello,
can anyone tell me where to send the application form once has been filled out?
i am from kuwait
Do I have to get permission to photograph the Mavic Air 2 Drone?
how i can do this ?
i well come to trabzon in 17 july
HI All
I am from Portugal and I will go to Istambul – Capadocia – Maldives in september.
I wanted to buy a drone to capture my trip.
I was thinking about buying a Air 2S, but since it’s above 500g I would have to register but i’m not sure if it will be aproved because i have a lot of doubt on how to fill the FR.03 document, and it’s only 2 month for my trip. Can someone help me filling the document?
As a second alternative I could buy a Mini 2. Is it safer to buy a mini 2 ?
Another doubt is that even if I could register the drone, what would I have to do to fly in Istambul/Capadocia? Is it even possible for a foreigner?
Thanks for your help
Artur