Alcohol regulations in Turkey

Licences needed

Establishment Permit (Kurma İzni), Production/Operation Permit (Üretim İzni / İşletme Belgesi), workplace opening and operation license from the local municipality, environmental compliance permit

Authority

Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (Tobacco and Alcohol Department - TADAB)

Documents

Application form, capacity report, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) approval/certificate, architectural drawings and machinery layout, equipment specifications and distillation capacity documents, trade registry gazette, signature circular, title deed or lease contract

Fees

Statutory application and annual licensing service fees determined annually by the Ministry under Law No. 4733 based on production capacity

Time to obtain

not confirmed

Who can import

Corporate entities registered in Turkey with a valid tax ID and commercial registration holding an Alcoholic Beverage Distribution Authorization Certificate (Dağıtım Yetki Belgesi)

Licences or registrations

Alcoholic Beverage Distribution Authorization Certificate (Alkollü İçki Dağıtım Yetki Belgesi), Import Conformity Certificate (Uygunluk Belgesi) per product line, and TAREKS customs registration

Authority

Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (TADAB) and Ministry of Trade (Customs Administration)

Documents

Trade Registry Gazette, tax registration certificate, signature circulars, authorized agency/distribution agreement from the foreign manufacturer, Certificate of Free Sale, Certificate of Origin, Certificate of Analysis, specimen label layouts

Fees

Annual distribution authorization certificate fee and conformity certificate fees per product SKU set annually by Ministry tariff

Time to obtain

Approximately 1 to 3 months

Required: yes Process: Importers and domestic producers must submit product formulations and label designs to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry to obtain a Certificate of Conformity (Uygunluk Belgesi) prior to import or…

Requires an authorized Turkish importer of record holding a TADAB distribution certificate. State monopoly is abolished (private commercial import permitted). Mandatory physical tax banderols (excise stamps) must be affixed to…

0% for goods originating from the European Union with an A.TR certificate under the EU-Turkey Customs Union; 0% standard MFN customs duty on most spirits under HS 2208, but imports of spirits originating from the United States are subject to an additional 70% retaliatory customs tariff.

Special Consumption Tax (ÖTV - List III-A) levied as a specific excise tax assessed per litre of pure alcohol (exceeding 1,300 to 1,500+ TRY per litre of absolute alcohol, adjusted biannually to PPI inflation), plus 20% Value…

Private licensed retailers (specialty Tekel shops, supermarkets, groceries) and licensed on-premise establishments (bars, restaurants, hotels) holding retail sales certificates from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.…

banned (Law No. 4250, Article 6 prohibits any sale, marketing, ordering, or delivery of alcoholic beverages via the internet, telephone, mail order, vending machines, or courier delivery services).

Mandatory Turkish language information including commercial name, category, brand, producer/importer name and physical address, country of origin, nominal volume, batch/lot number, actual alcoholic strength (% vol). Must carry…

Completely banned under Law No. 4250. Prohibits all forms of direct, indirect, and digital alcohol advertising, including TV, radio, cinema, billboards, print media, social media, and influencer endorsements. Brand sponsorship of…

Regulated under Turkish Food Codex Communiqué on Distilled Spirits (No. 2016/55): Whisky: minimum 40.0% ABV; Rum: minimum 37.5% ABV; Vodka: minimum 37.5% ABV; Gin / London Gin: minimum 37.5% ABV; Brandy: minimum 36.0% ABV; Rakı:…

Nationwide ban on sales and consumption at motorways, highway service stations, health institutions, student dormitories, educational institutions, indoor sports arenas and stadiums during sporting events. Sales are prohibited…

On December 25, 2024, the government implemented an unscheduled 12.5% increase in the Special Consumption Tax (ÖTV) on imported distilled spirits (whisky, gin, vodka, rum), followed on January 3, 2025, by an automatic 7.56%…

Despite prohibitive excise taxes and strict advertising bans, premium imported spirits—particularly Scotch and Irish whiskies, premium vodka, and tequila—enjoy robust demand across urban centers and coastal tourism destinations.

1. USDA Foreign Agricultural Service: Türkiye - Unscheduled Increase of Special Consumption Tax (February 2025)
2. International Trade Administration (ITA) Commercial Guide: Turkey - Import Tariffs and Documentation
3. Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry: Communiqué on Packaging and Tax Stamping of Ethyl Alcohol (Official Gazette No. 32804)
4. Türk Gıda Kodeksi Distile Alkollü İçkiler Tebliği (Tebliğ No: 2016/55)
5. Law No. 4250 on Spirits and Alcoholic Beverages Monopoly (İspirto ve İspirtolu İçkiler İnhisarı Kanunu)