Tax-free shopping in Istanbul

Yes: visitors who live outside Turkey can get part of the VAT back on goods they buy in Nişantaşı (Nisantasi) and take home. Ask for a tax-free form when you pay, have it stamped by customs at the airport before you check in your bags, then collect the refund at the refund desk or on your card. Without the customs stamp there is normally no refund.

Prices in Turkish shops include VAT. If you live outside Turkey, you can usually claim part of it back on goods you take home, which makes a real difference on fashion, leather and jewellery bought in Nişantaşı. The process is simple, but it has one step you cannot skip: the customs stamp at the airport, before you check in your bags.

Who can claim

• Visitors who live outside Turkey. You show your passport when you buy and again at the airport.
• The refund applies to goods you take out of Turkey, not to services such as hotels, restaurants or tours.
• The goods have to leave Turkey within three months of the purchase date.

In the shop

1. Look for the tax-free sign on the door or at the till, or ask before you pay: “Tax free var mı?” Most fashion and jewellery shops in Nişantaşı and the big malls take part.
2. Check the minimum. There is a minimum amount per receipt, and it changes from time to time. Purchases in the same shop on the same day can usually go on one receipt, so ask the shop to combine them.
3. Show your passport and ask for the tax-free form along with the invoice. Some shops issue the form on paper, others electronically; either way, check that your name and passport number are correct.
4. Keep everything together: invoice, tax-free form and the goods with their tags and packaging. Do not wear or use the items before you leave if you can help it; customs may ask to see them.

At the airport

1. Arrive early. Allow an extra 30 to 45 minutes, more in summer and on holiday weekends, when queues at the customs desk can be long.
2. Before check-in, take your purchases, forms, invoices, passport and boarding pass to the customs (Gümrük) tax-free validation point in the departures hall. Customs check the goods and validate your forms.
3. Then check in your bags as normal. If all your purchases are in your hand luggage, ask at the information desk where to have the forms validated.
4. After passport control, take the validated forms to the desk of the refund company printed on your form, and choose how you want to be paid.

The steps are the same at Istanbul Airport (IST) and at Sabiha Gökçen (SAW). Signs to the tax-free desks are in English.

Without the customs validation there is normally no refund, and you cannot get it once you have left Turkey. If you are short of time, the stamp matters more than the cash: some refund companies will process a validated form later, by post or online.

Getting your money

• Cash at the airport: the quickest option, usually in lira, euros or dollars, with a service fee deducted.
• Refund to your card: often a better rate, but it can take several weeks to arrive.
• City refund offices: some refund companies pay out in the city before you fly, against a card guarantee. You still need the customs validation at the airport, or the amount is charged back to your card.

The refund is the VAT minus the refund company’s fee, so expect to receive less than the full VAT on your receipt. The form shows the amount you can expect.

Tips

• Pay in Turkish lira when the card terminal offers a choice; letting it convert to your home currency is usually more expensive.
• For gold and jewellery, ask for a detailed invoice and a certificate. Keep them with your tax-free form.
• Photograph each form and invoice in case you lose the paper.
• Leave your heaviest shopping for the end of your trip, and book your ride to the airport early enough to allow for the customs desk.

For where to shop in the first place, see our guide to shopping in Nişantaşı.

Frequently asked questions