Turkey — motorway tolls and road charges

Some roads are tolled – motorways and some bridges and tunnels. You pay only electronically, from an account in the HGS system (Hızlı Geçiş Sistemi). There are no staff or cash desks at the toll gates.

Register a car with foreign plates in HGS before you drive onto a tolled section, and make sure there is money in the account. You can open and top up the account in the app, at PTT post offices, at motorway service areas with the HGS logo and at selected petrol stations. If you get a sticker with a code, put it on the windscreen under the rear-view mirror.

Unpaid tolls or fines can stop your car at the border – customs may not let it leave the country.

Documents: third-party motor insurance and a Green Card are compulsory. If you drive someone else’s car, you need the owner’s authorisation, issued or certified by a Turkish embassy or consulate. Whether your driving licence is recognised – check with your country’s foreign ministry before you travel.

Note: there are dangers in the immediate border area with Syria and Iraq – check your foreign ministry’s travel advice before you go, e.g. the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Odyseusz: Turkey (in Polish) or the German Federal Foreign Office (in German).

Sources: Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Odyseusz – Turkey profile (updated 2 July 2026, in Polish); German Federal Foreign Office – Turkey: travel and safety advice (30 September 2026). Last updated: October 2026.