Car Shipping Company from Kuwait to Turkey 0552803439 | RoRo & Containers from Shuwaikh Port to Mersin, Air to Istanbul

Home Safe is a car shipping company from Kuwait to Turkey that arranges the move of your car from your address in Kuwait to the Turkish port and on to your city there. The route is by sea from Shuwaikh Port around the Arabian Peninsula and through the Suez Canal to Mersin or Iskenderun, taking 22 to 35 days from the day of collection, or by air from Kuwait International Airport to Istanbul in 3 to 6 days. The price from Kuwait is set on request; for comparison, RoRo on our line from Jeddah port to Mersin starts from SAR 2,800 and a car in a 20ft container from SAR 4,600. To book: 0552803439.

In this guide46ShowHide

1. Who ships a car from Kuwait to Turkey?
2. Will Turkey accept your car? Temporary entry or permanent import
3. What does a car shipping company from Kuwait to Turkey handle, and how do we work there?
4. RoRo car shipping from Shuwaikh Port in Kuwait to Mersin and Iskenderun
5. Transit time from Kuwait to Turkey and the schedule plan
6. Price of shipping a car from Kuwait to Turkey
7. Sea freight for cars: RoRo or inside a container?
8. Types of car: saloons, 4x4s, family cars and others
9. Shipping sports and luxury cars to Turkey
10. Preparing the car before shipping from Kuwait to Turkey: fuel, belongings and photos
11. Leaving Kuwait: a temporary trip or final export?
12. Car shipping documents and what is not accepted
13. Clearance at the Turkish port and traffic insurance
14. Flexible insurance on the car during transport
15. Arrival ports and transport to and from Turkish ports
16. Delivering cars from Kuwait in Istanbul, Bursa and Trabzon
17. Temporary storage for the car before final delivery
18. Service for individuals, companies, embassies and consulates
19. Is the car moved overland from Kuwait to Turkey?
20. Air freight for cars from Kuwait to Turkey
21. Collecting cars from the governorates of Kuwait
22. Steps for shipping your car from Kuwait to Turkey
23. Follow-up, notifications and support in an emergency
24. Car shipping from Turkey to Kuwait
25. Home Safe’s tips before shipping your car to Turkey
26. Common mistakes when shipping cars from Kuwait to Turkey
27. How do you choose a car shipping company from Kuwait to Turkey?
28. Why choose Home Safe to ship your car from Kuwait to Turkey?
29. Related articles and pages
30. Tags
31. Frequently asked questions about car shipping from Kuwait to Turkey
32. How much does it cost to ship a car from Kuwait to Turkey?
33. How many days does the car need to reach the Turkish port from Kuwait?
34. Can a Kuwaiti car enter Turkey on its own plates?
35. Should I surrender my plates at the Kuwaiti traffic department before shipping?
36. Which Kuwaiti port does the car leave from: Shuwaikh or Shuaiba?
37. RoRo or container for a car going to Turkey?
38. Can I sell the car in Turkey or register it on Turkish plates?
39. Which papers do I prepare in Kuwait?
40. Do I have to be there in person when the car arrives?
41. Can I leave suitcases or belongings in the car?
42. Is there a limit on the weight or size of the car?
43. Can the car be shipped by air from Kuwait International Airport?
44. How do I pay, and can the delivery date change after booking?
45. When is the best time to ship a car to Turkey?
46. Do you bring the car back from Turkey to Kuwait?

Route: Kuwait → Shuwaikh Port → the Arabian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz → the Arabian Sea and the Red Sea → the Suez Canal → Mersin or Iskenderun · Transit time: 22–35 days by sea to the Turkish port, and 3–6 days by air to Istanbul.

Who ships a car from Kuwait to Turkey?

Turkey is one of the most popular summer destinations for people in Kuwait, and many of them own a flat in Istanbul or a house in Trabzon or Yalova. A family staying two or three months adds up the hire of a large car for the whole period and finds that their own familiar car is cheaper and more comfortable. On the same route are Turks who work in Kuwait, students and transferred employees. We start by asking about the owner, because his status decides how long his car may stay there:

The owner	Status before Turkish customs	What suits
A Kuwaiti family summering in Trabzon or Bursa	A visitor, whose car is tied to the length of his stay	RoRo or a container five weeks before travel, with the return booked
A Kuwaiti who owns property and visits it regularly	A person living abroad bringing his car in temporarily	A container to Ambarli if the property is in Istanbul
A Turk working in Kuwait and spending his leave at home	A person living abroad, with a longer period	RoRo to Mersin or Iskenderun
A student or employee moving to Turkey	A resident of Turkey, so he needs the Turkish automobile club carnet	A container, with the carnet papers prepared before arrival
The owner of a sports or classic car	A visit or taking part in an event	A private container or air freight

Will Turkey accept your car? Temporary entry or permanent import

This is the question that comes before the price and the port. Turkey lets a foreign car in temporarily without difficulty: it stays on its Kuwaiti plates, pays no import duty and is recorded against its owner’s passport until it leaves. Bringing it into the Turkish market to be sold or registered on Turkish plates, on the other hand, is an almost closed door for a used car. Anyone who did not learn the difference before shipping learns it in the port yard.

Item	Temporary entry	Permanent import
Who is entitled	Someone living outside Turkey who spent 185 days of the last year outside it	Limited cases with a permit from the Turkish Ministry of Trade
Plates	Kuwaiti, as they are	Turkish after registration
What is paid	No import duty; Turkish traffic insurance and port charges	Customs duty, special consumption tax and value added tax
How long it stays	As long as the visitor stays, and up to 730 days in total for a person living abroad	No time limit
Sale and rental	Prohibited	Allowed after registration
Number of cars	One car per person	According to the permit

The rule in force for a Kuwaiti visitor is that his car stays as long as he himself is allowed to stay, which is normally 90 days in every 180 days. Someone who studies or works in Turkey does not count as living abroad, so his car enters on a carnet issued by the Touring and Automobile Club of Turkey against a financial guarantee that is refunded when the car leaves for good. These rules are set and reviewed by the Turkish Ministry of Trade, and we confirm those in force before shipping.

What does a car shipping company from Kuwait to Turkey handle, and how do we work there?

We say from the start where we stand. Home Safe is a Saudi establishment based in Jeddah, and it has no yard and no office in Kuwait. Shipments that start in Kuwait are arranged through partner agents there: they collect the car, complete the Kuwaiti export declaration and take it into Shuwaikh Port. Our team manages the booking, the documents and the Turkish agent, and you keep one number to call from the first day to the last. What the service includes:

• Checking eligibility to enter: we ask about your residence and your days in Turkey over the past year before we mention a price.
• Collection inside Kuwait: a flatbed moves the car from the house or showroom to the loading yard, so it is not driven to the port.
• Exit papers: we check the registration book, fines and liens, and the agent lodges the declaration at port customs.
• Sea or air booking: a place on a RoRo vessel, a 20ft or 40ft container, or a pallet on a cargo aircraft.
• Reception in Turkey: a broker in Mersin, Iskenderun or Istanbul lodges the file and sets the date for your attendance.
• Delivery and insurance: a Turkish carrier to your city if you ask for it, and an insurance policy for the value of the car.

This article is about vehicles only. Furniture, parcels and goods to Turkey are explained in the article shipping company from Saudi Arabia to Turkey, our vehicle service to every destination is on the car shipping page, and what concerns departures from the Gulf states is on the car shipping from the Gulf page.

RoRo car shipping from Shuwaikh Port in Kuwait to Mersin and Iskenderun

Shuwaikh is Kuwait’s first commercial port, lying on Kuwait Bay immediately west of the capital, and both roll-on roll-off vessels and container ships berth there. On RoRo there is no crane and no box: a port driver takes the car from the yard, it is driven aboard uncovered over a wide ramp at the stern, then parked on an enclosed deck with its wheels lashed to the floor. On arrival it comes off the same way on to the quay at Mersin or Iskenderun.

Stage	What happens	Usual time
Collection from your address	Inspection, condition report and transport on a flatbed	One day
Papers and entry to Shuwaikh	Kuwaiti export declaration and delivery of the car to the yard before the cut-off	2–5 days
Sailing to the southern Turkish coast	The Arabian Gulf, Hormuz, the Arabian Sea, the Red Sea, the Suez Canal	About 14–22 days
Discharge and clearance	Customs yard, and recording the car against the owner’s passport	2–5 days
Transport to the Turkish city	A Turkish car carrier, or collection from the yard	1–3 days

The two arrival ports on the south coast are neighbours: Mersin is the larger and has more lines, and Iskenderun lies about 200 km to its east in the gulf that bears its name, with berths for roll-on roll-off and containers. We point out one thing frankly: RoRo sailings from Kuwait to the Mediterranean are fewer than container sailings, and the car may be consolidated at another Gulf port before sailing north. So we do not promise a direct sailing before we see the schedule, and we name the vessel and the port in the booking. Port details are on the ports and gateways page.

Transit time from Kuwait to Turkey and the schedule plan

A ship leaving Kuwait rounds the whole Arabian Peninsula before entering the Red Sea, which is why its voyage is a week or more longer than that of a ship leaving the Kingdom’s west coast. We write you a schedule plan of four dates: the collection day, the vessel cut-off day, the sailing day and the expected arrival day. Any date that changes is reported to you the same day together with the alternative.

Method	Arrives at	Time from collection	When it moves
Private 20ft container	Mersin or Iskenderun	22–30 days	On the first vessel after the papers are complete
Private container	Ambarli in Istanbul, or Izmir	25–35 days	On the first vessel after the papers are complete
RoRo	Mersin or Iskenderun	25–35 days, sometimes more	According to the RoRo schedule
Shared 40ft container	Mersin	28–38 days	When a second car completes it
Air freight	Istanbul Airport	3–6 days	After the space on the aircraft is confirmed

What lengthens the time?

• A fine or a lien that shows up in the Kuwaiti traffic record on the day of application.
• A change of vessel at an intermediate port, which is common on lines from the Gulf to the Mediterranean.
• The car arriving while its owner has not yet travelled, so it waits in the yard on daily storage.

Times for the other routes are on the transit times page.

Price of shipping a car from Kuwait to Turkey

For us, clarity on price means that you see the items, not a single figure. We send you five lines: collection inside Kuwait, export clearance, the sea or air rate, insurance, and delivery inside Turkey if you want it. Turkish port charges and Turkish traffic insurance are paid there, so we estimate them for you and do not mix them with our rate. The table shows what is priced on request, and ends with two figures from our Saudi line for comparison only:

Item	Price	Note
Saloon by RoRo from Shuwaikh to Mersin or Iskenderun	Set on request	According to the RoRo schedule available
4×4 or family car by RoRo	Set on request	Calculated on length and height
Car in a private 20ft container	Set on request	To Mersin, Ambarli or Izmir
Two cars in a 40ft container	Set on request	The rate is split between the two cars
Delivery from the port to the Turkish city	Set on request	According to the distance and the type of carrier
Air freight to Istanbul	Set on request	By weight and dimensions
For comparison: saloon by RoRo from Jeddah port to Mersin	Starts from SAR 2,800, about KWD 230	The price of our line from Saudi Arabia, not the price from Kuwait
For comparison: car in a 20ft container from Jeddah port	Starts from SAR 4,600, about KWD 375	A reference for the sea rate from the nearest priced line we have

Prices circulating in the market: we found no one publishing a specific price for shipping a car from Kuwait to Turkey. What used to circulate for this route was USD 600 to 900 for a small car by sea, and USD 950 to 1,400 for a luxury car with extra protection. For a 40ft container between Mersin and Shuwaikh a sea rate of USD 1,700 to 2,200 is quoted, and between Istanbul and Shuwaikh USD 1,800 to 2,400, which is the sea rate alone from port to port. For general air freight between the two countries the figure is USD 3.5 to 6.5 per kilogram. The difference between these numbers lies in what each one includes, so always ask at what point the price ends.

Factor	How it changes the price
Size of the car	RoRo charges for the space it takes on the deck, and a large family car costs more than a saloon
RoRo or container	A private container is paid for in full even if it carries one car
The Turkish port	Mersin and Iskenderun are nearer to the Suez Canal than Ambarli and Izmir
The Turkish city	Trabzon and Istanbul are far from the south coast; Adana and Gaziantep are close
The season	From May to July the rate rises and space becomes scarce

How do you cut the cost?

• Ship in April or early May, before the summer visitors’ season begins.
• Share a 40ft container with a relative travelling to the same city.
• Collect the car from the port yard yourself if your destination is near the south coast.
• Book the return on the day you book the outward trip.

The items are detailed on the pricing factors page.

Sea freight for cars: RoRo or inside a container?

The sea is the economical route for this line, and it is the right one for heavy and large cars whose air freight would come to an unbearable sum. Within it the choice is between two methods. RoRo is simpler and cheaper, but the car passes through the hands of drivers in two ports and its cabin stays open to them. A container is locked on the car in Kuwait, and its seal is only broken at the Turkish port in front of the broker.

Point of comparison	RoRo	20ft container	40ft container
What it carries	A car running under its own power	One car	Two cars, or a car and household effects
Securing	Wheels lashed to the ship’s deck	Straps over the tyres and chocks in the floor	As in the small container, with a divider between the two cars
A non-running car	Not accepted	Winched inside	Winched inside
Ports of discharge	Mersin or Iskenderun	Mersin, Ambarli, Izmir and Iskenderun	Mersin, Ambarli, Izmir and Iskenderun
Suits	Saloons, 4x4s and family cars	Luxury, sports and classic cars	A family with two cars, or someone moving house

Anyone who puts furniture with the car in one container opens two customs files in Turkey: one for the vehicle and one for the personal effects. The two methods are explained on the RoRo car shipping and container car shipping pages.

Types of car: saloons, 4x4s, family cars and others

Most of what leaves Kuwait for Turkey is the family car: a large 4×4 with seven or eight seats, carrying the family and its luggage on the mountain roads of the Black Sea. Any private vehicle registered in its owner’s name can be shipped, and the method and the maximum size change with it:

Vehicle	Method that suits	What we watch for
Saloon and hatchback	RoRo or a shared container	The lowest rate band, and it fits any container
Mid-size 4×4 and crossover	RoRo or a 20ft container	Width with the mirrors at the container door
Large family car and pickup	RoRo	Height with the roof rack; it may need a high-cube container
Sports and luxury	Private container or air	Ground clearance when loading
Classic	Private container	Oil leaks and the battery
Motorcycle	A wooden crate in a container, or by air	Draining the fuel and strapping it on four sides
A car whose engine does not turn	Container only	That its wheels turn and its steering works

The measurements of each category are in the car shipping guide.

Shipping sports and luxury cars to Turkey

A car of high value and low ground clearance is not suited to the method used for an ordinary car. We begin with an assessment in advance: we ask for side-on photos of the nose, the ground clearance and the width with mirrors, and on that basis we choose the container and the loading ramp. The car is then loaded alone in a container that it shares with nothing.

• Loading: long aluminium ramps that ease the approach angle, or a platform that lifts the car to the level of the container floor.
• Lashing: wide fabric straps around the tyres only, so no metal touches a rim or the body.
• Documentation: a video before the door is closed and a photo of the seal number sent to you at the time, and a second video when the container is opened in Turkey.

Lashing and wrapping methods are on the packing and lashing page.

Preparing the car before shipping from Kuwait to Turkey: fuel, belongings and photos

Three things are asked of the owner before the flatbed arrives, and they are the ones written on the image cards: little fuel in the tank, personal belongings emptied out, and photos inside and out. The first is a safety condition imposed by the shipping line. The second protects you from losing what no insurance covers. The third is what every party that touched the car between your house and Turkey is held to.

• Fuel: a quarter of a tank or less. It is enough to move the car around the yards, and anything above it is a reason to turn it back at the port gate.
• Belongings: take everything out of the cabin, the boot and the pockets, including the gate card, the phone charger and the child seat.
• Photos: photograph the four sides, the roof, the rims, the seats and the instrument panel, in daylight and after washing the car.
• A quick check: no oil leak, a sound battery, inflated tyres and a working handbrake.
• Keys: one key with the car, and the second with you in your travel bag.
• Alarm and tracking devices: switched off, since an alarm running for weeks at sea finishes the battery before arrival.

Leaving Kuwait: a temporary trip or final export?

The authority responsible for vehicles in Kuwait is the General Traffic Department at the Ministry of Interior. What you do there follows one answer: is the car coming back? One that returns after the summer stays on its registration book and plates. One that will not return has its licence cancelled for export and is given export plates. Confusing the two cases is the most expensive mistake on this route, because Turkey does not accept for temporary entry a car with no valid registration in its owner’s country.

Item	Temporary trip and return	Final export
For whom	The summer visitor, the property owner and the Turk on leave	Someone who sold the car abroad or moved with it for good
Plates	The Kuwaiti ones stay	Surrendered, and export plates fitted
What is required at the traffic department	A valid registration book and no fines	A vehicle export application, export insurance, a technical inspection and payment of the fees
At port customs	A declaration recording the temporary exit	A final export declaration with the export certificate
A financed car	A no-objection letter from the lender	Release of the lien first
On return	It goes back to its record	It is treated as an imported car

The vehicle export service is published by the Kuwaiti Ministry of Interior and is handled at the traffic department for your area. The rule in force is that export insurance is attached to the application, that the car passes the technical inspection, and that a base fee of KWD 4 is paid along with the plate fees. Export plates are valid for a short time, so they are only requested once the sailing date is firm. For anyone travelling with the car temporarily, the port broker may ask for an international carnet issued by the automobile club, explained on the triptik page. The procedures and fees are reviewed from time to time, and we confirm those in force before shipping.

Car shipping documents and what is not accepted

The car’s file is read in two countries in two languages. What is issued in Kuwait in Arabic is accepted at its port, and what is lodged in Turkey is accompanied by a Turkish or English translation when the broker asks for one. We receive photos of the papers first and check them, then the owner carries the originals with him; they are not left in the car.

Document	Source	Where it is required
Valid vehicle registration book	Kuwaiti traffic department	Both ports
Civil ID and passport	The owner	Both ports
Driving licence	The owner	Turkish customs and the insurer
Export certificate, or proof of temporary exit	Kuwaiti traffic department and customs	Shuwaikh Port
Lender’s letter	The bank or finance company	Kuwaiti traffic department
Turkish residence permit, or proof of residence abroad	The owner	Turkish customs
Notarised, translated power of attorney if the consignee is not the owner	The owner	Turkish customs
Bill of lading and condition report	Home Safe and its agent	Collection in Turkey

These are cases in which the car is refused, or held back until they are dealt with:

Case	Ruling
Unpaid traffic fines	The exit formality is not opened until they are paid
A car registered in a name other than the traveller’s, with no power of attorney	It is not recorded against his passport in Turkey
Excess fuel or a visible leak	Turned back at the port gate
Weapons, ammunition and flammable materials in the car	Prohibited in both countries
Medicines without a prescription, and drinks and cigarettes in commercial quantities	Taken out of the car, as they fall under Turkish customs restrictions

The general lists are on the shipping documents and prohibited items pages.

Clearance at the Turkish port and traffic insurance

The car does not leave the port gate on the day it comes off. It is moved to a customs yard, our agent lodges the bill of lading and the owner’s file, and the officer matches the chassis number against the registration book. It is then recorded against its owner’s passport with the date before which it must leave. These are four things worth knowing before you arrive:

• Your attendance: normally required, so arrange to be in Turkey on the day the ship arrives or the day after.
• Insurance: cover written in Kuwait normally stops short of Turkey, which means buying a Turkish traffic policy for your full stay while the car is still in the yard.
• Who drives it: you and the members of your family who live outside Turkey. A resident of Turkey may not drive it.
• Flying out while the car stays: it is first deposited in the customs yard or a permit is obtained from customs, otherwise a fine is imposed at the airport.

Our service at both ends is explained on the customs clearance page.

Flexible insurance on the car during transport

The shipping line bears a limited sum for its cargo that comes nowhere near the price of a car. So we offer cargo insurance written at the value of the car, and you choose its limits to suit it. It is not the same as Turkish traffic insurance: the first protects the car while it is being carried, the second while it is being driven.

• Basic cover: loss of or damage to the car from an accident to the ship, a fire or a fall during handling.
• Extended cover: adds scratches and dents in loading and discharge, and theft and loss of parts.
• What falls outside it: mechanical breakdown, anything left in the cabin, and old scratches noted in the collection report.
• The claim: the remark is written on the delivery report before the car is moved, together with photos in the yard.

The premium is a percentage of the declared value that rises with the value of the car and the type of cover, and we state it in the offer as a separate line. The terms are on the cargo insurance page.

Arrival ports and transport to and from Turkish ports

The port of discharge is chosen from your address in Turkey before it is chosen from the sailing schedule. The south coast is the shorter voyage, but it is far from Istanbul and the Black Sea. The Marmara and Aegean ports are nearer to the north and west, and it is mostly containers that reach them, not roll-on roll-off vessels. We add up sea and land together and propose whichever total is lower.

Port	Location	What it receives	Cities it serves
Mersin	The south coast on the Mediterranean	RoRo and containers	Adana, Antalya, Konya and Ankara
Iskenderun	The far east of the Mediterranean, in Hatay province	RoRo and containers	Hatay, Gaziantep and Adana
Ambarli	West of Istanbul on the Sea of Marmara	Containers	Istanbul and Tekirdag
Gemlik	The south of the Sea of Marmara	Containers	Bursa and Yalova
Izmir	The Aegean coast	Containers	Izmir and Manisa

After the port the car is loaded on a licensed Turkish carrier, open for several cars or enclosed for one. We inspect and photograph the car before it goes up, and give you the driver’s name and number. Everything about the destination is on the shipping to Turkey page.

Delivering cars from Kuwait in Istanbul, Bursa and Trabzon

Istanbul, Bursa and Trabzon are the three cities most of our customers from Kuwait ask for, followed by Ankara, Izmir and Antalya. We undertake that the car reaches you in the condition in which it left, whichever the city: it is checked against the Kuwait report and its photos in front of you, and the car is then handed over with its papers, meaning its registration book, the bill of lading, the Turkish insurance policy and the customs record slip.

City	How the car gets there	Worth knowing
Istanbul	A container to Ambarli, or from Mersin on a carrier, about 940 km	Say whether the address is on the European or the Asian side
Bursa	A container to Gemlik, or with the Istanbul carrier	It also serves Yalova and Uludag
Trabzon	From Mersin or Iskenderun on a carrier, about 900 km	Its carrier is booked before the ship berths, as summer demand is heavy
Ankara	From Mersin, about 490 km	One day on the carrier
Izmir	A container to its port, or from Mersin, about 900 km	A container to Izmir is shorter overall
Antalya	From Mersin, about 480 km along the coast	A road with many bends; the carrier is safer

The Black Sea roads around Trabzon, Uzungol and Rize are mountainous and rainy even in summer, so check the tyres and brakes before you hand the car over in Kuwait, not after you collect it there. Delivery to the address is on the door to door page.

Temporary storage for the car before final delivery

The ship often arrives days before the owner, or his journey is delayed. In that case the car stays in the customs yard at the port, and its storage is charged by the day after the free period. When customs allow it, the car is moved to a licensed yard outside the port where the rate is lower.

• In Turkey: a fenced, monitored yard, with the car covered and the battery disconnected if the period is long.
• For anyone flying out of Turkey and leaving the car: deposit in the customs yard is the proper route, and we arrange it with the broker.

The period and the rate are written down before the car is deposited. The terms of the service are on the storage page.

Service for individuals, companies, embassies and consulates

An individual ships one car and cares about finding it on the day he arrives. An organisation ships several and cares about the file, the invoice and the correct channel. A car registered in a company’s name does not get an individual’s period under temporary entry; the rule in force is that it is given a shorter period with an authorisation for whoever drives it.

• Individuals and families: a plan built on your flight ticket, and one coordinator who knows your file.
• Companies: a contract and an invoice, a list of chassis numbers and a condition report for each car.
• Embassies and consulates: diplomats’ cars go through the foreign ministries of the two countries. We coordinate the shipping with the mission by official correspondence, keep its data confidential and do not interfere in the exemption papers.

Is the car moved overland from Kuwait to Turkey?

We do not rely on an overland route for moving cars on this line. The road exists on the map through Iraq to the Turkish border and goods trucks use it, but the transit procedures and times change with the state of the crossings, and car carriers do not work it regularly. So the sea from Shuwaikh and the air from Kuwait International Airport remain the two routes whose dates we commit to. The general comparison is on the shipping methods comparison page.

Air freight for cars from Kuwait to Turkey

The aircraft is for luxury and urgent cars: a car whose price justifies the air rate, or a date that cannot wait a month at sea. The car is handed over at the cargo village of Kuwait International Airport, strapped to an aircraft pallet and lifted into the hold of a cargo aircraft. The flight between the two countries is about four hours, and delivery is in Istanbul after airport clearance.

Item	Air freight for the car
Loading airport	Kuwait International Airport
Arrival airport	Istanbul Airport
Time	3–6 days from collection to delivery
Preparation	Fuel at its minimum and a secured battery, with a dangerous goods declaration prepared by a specialist
Restrictions	Height, width and weight of the car according to the aircraft type
Price	Set on request by weight and dimensions

The conditions of temporary entry do not change with the means of transport: a car arriving by air is recorded against its owner’s passport at airport customs. Flights between Kuwait and Istanbul are many, but acceptance of a car on a particular flight depends on the aircraft type and the space available, so we confirm the booking before the car leaves the house. From Istanbul it continues on a carrier to Bursa or any other city. Air services for cargo other than vehicles are on the air freight page.

Collecting cars from the governorates of Kuwait

Kuwait is small in area, and the furthest inhabited address in it is about an hour from Shuwaikh Port. The collection stage is therefore short and is done in one day from any governorate. The driver calls before he arrives, the car is inspected at your door, and it is then loaded on the flatbed.

Governorate	Some of its areas	Collection note
Capital	Shuwaikh, Shamiya, Kaifan, Rawda, Dasma	The nearest to the port
Hawalli	Salmiya, Jabriya, Salwa, Bayan, Mishref	Blocks with underground parking, so a point for the flatbed is agreed
Farwaniya	Khaitan, Ardiya, Andalus, Ishbiliya	Close to Kuwait International Airport
Mubarak Al-Kabeer	Sabah Al-Salem, Qurain, Adan	Morning collection before the ring-road traffic
Ahmadi	Fahaheel, Mangaf, Mahboula, Sabah Al-Ahmad City	The south of the country, near Shuaiba Port
Jahra	Jahra, Saad Al-Abdullah, Qasr	A time set the day before

Steps for shipping your car from Kuwait to Turkey

Eight steps, and the first three come before any payment:

1. On 0552803439 we need four things from you: the car’s model and year, a photo of the registration book, the Turkish city, and the date you fly.
2. We ask about your residence and your days in Turkey, and tell you whether the car enters temporarily and for how long.
3. We send the price item by item, the time and the names of the two ports.
4. You pay the fines and prepare the papers, and export is requested from the traffic department if the car will not return.
5. The agent collects the car from your address with a report and photos.
6. The Kuwaiti declaration is lodged, the car goes aboard the RoRo or the container is sealed on it, and you receive the bill of lading number.
7. You travel to match the ship’s arrival, and our broker meets you at the port.
8. The car is recorded against your passport, the Turkish insurance is bought, and you inspect it, sign and take the key and the papers.

Follow-up, notifications and support in an emergency

At sea there are days when nothing moves on the tracking screen, and that is normal on a voyage that rounds the Arabian Peninsula. We give you the bill of lading or container number and the name of the vessel, so you can see it on ship-tracking sites whenever you like. From us you receive a message at each point: collection, entry to Shuwaikh, sailing, passage through the Suez Canal and berthing in Turkey, with photos at every handover between two parties.

• One coordinator: answers the phone and WhatsApp from 7 am to 11 pm, and knows your file without your explaining it again.
• In an emergency: if the ship is delayed or a paper is asked for at the port, the coordinator calls you the same day with the proposed solution; we do not wait for you to ask.

How follow-up works is on the shipment tracking page.

Car shipping from Turkey to Kuwait

The opposite direction has two cases. The first is a Kuwaiti car that entered Turkey temporarily and is going back: its exit is stamped at Turkish customs so the record is lifted from its owner’s passport, it sails from Mersin, Iskenderun or Ambarli to Shuwaikh, and it returns to its record with its registration book and plates. Without the exit stamp the record remains open even if the car is in Kuwait.

The second is a car bought in Turkey to be registered in Kuwait, and this one enters as an import. The rule in force in Kuwait is customs duty of 5% of the value, a restriction on the age of a used car, a left-hand steering wheel, and passing the technical inspection before licensing. The age limit is reviewed from time to time, so we confirm the one in force before you buy.

Home Safe’s tips before shipping your car to Turkey

These are remarks we make to every customer from Kuwait on the first call, and most of them are settled before the car moves:

• Count the days you spent in Turkey during the last twelve months. If they exceed 180, tell us before any booking.
• Renew the registration book if it will expire while you are there, as Turkish customs look at the validity of the registration.
• Register the car in the name of whoever will actually travel, or prepare a notarised, translated power of attorney.
• Book your ticket after the sailing date is firm, and make it changeable.

Common mistakes when shipping cars from Kuwait to Turkey

Seven mistakes recur on this route, and correcting them at the Turkish port costs more than avoiding them in Kuwait:

• Cancelling the car’s licence for export when it is coming back after the summer.
• Shipping with the intention of selling in Turkey, then discovering that sale is not available.
• Sending the car in the father’s name when the traveller is the son, with no power of attorney.
• Comparing a price that ends at the quay in Mersin with one that reaches Trabzon.
• Leaving suitcases in a car travelling on RoRo.
• Flying out of Turkey while the car is still recorded against the passport.
• Lending the car to a relative who lives in Turkey.

How do you choose a car shipping company from Kuwait to Turkey?

Offers resemble one another in their wording, and the difference shows in the questions the carrier asks you before pricing. These are signs of someone who knows the route:

The sign	What it tells you
Asks about your passport and residence before the car model	Knows that Turkey records the car against its owner
Distinguishes a temporary trip from final export	Will not push you to surrender plates that need not be surrendered
Names the Kuwaiti port, the Turkish port and the broker	Has a real booking, not a general promise
Says plainly who collects the car in Kuwait	Does not claim a presence it does not have
A visible commercial registration, a contract and a condition report	A party that can be held to account in a dispute

Why choose Home Safe to ship your car from Kuwait to Turkey?

Because we start from the end of the journey: we make sure Turkey will accept the car and that its owner knows how long it may stay, then work back to the port, the method and the right Kuwaiti paper. We do not present customer experiences as slogans; what matters to a customer on this route is four things we commit to in the contract:

To book: 0552803439 by call or WhatsApp, from 7 am to 11 pm. Or through the request a quote page.

Related articles and pages

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• Car shipping company from Jeddah to Turkey
• Car shipping company from Kuwait to France
• Car shipping company from Kuwait to Spain
• Car shipping company from Kuwait to Morocco
• Sea freight

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Frequently asked questions about car shipping from Kuwait to Turkey

How much does it cost to ship a car from Kuwait to Turkey?

We do not fix a published figure for departures from Kuwait, because the vessel rate out of Shuwaikh Port changes with every schedule; the price is set on request once we know the model, the shipping method and the Turkish port. So that you have a yardstick: RoRo on our line from Jeddah port to Mersin starts from SAR 2,800 for a saloon, about KWD 230, and a car alone in a 20ft container from SAR 4,600.

How many days does the car need to reach the Turkish port from Kuwait?

Between 22 and 35 days at sea and in the ports together, counted from the day it is collected in Kuwait to the day it comes off at Mersin or Iskenderun. A private container sits nearer the start of that range; RoRo and a shared container sit nearer the end because they wait for a schedule or a partner. By aircraft to Istanbul it is 3 to 6 days including clearance.

Can a Kuwaiti car enter Turkey on its own plates?

It enters temporarily. The rule in force is that its owner lives outside Turkey, has spent at least 185 of the previous twelve months outside it, and has the car registered in his name in Kuwait. The Kuwaiti plates stay on the car, no import duty is collected, and it is recorded against the owner’s passport until he takes it out.

Should I surrender my plates at the Kuwaiti traffic department before shipping?

Not if you are bringing the car back. For temporary entry Turkey accepts a car that is still registered in its owner’s country, and a car whose licence has been cancelled for export loses that status. Cancellation and export plates are for someone who has sold the car or is leaving Kuwait with it for good, and we settle this with you on the first call.

Which Kuwaiti port does the car leave from: Shuwaikh or Shuaiba?

From Shuwaikh in most cases. It is the main commercial port on Kuwait Bay just west of the capital, and it receives roll-on roll-off vessels and container ships. Shuaiba in the south is a port for containers and industrial cargo, and a container leaves from it when its shipping line berths there. The actual booking decides the port, and we write it in your shipping order.

RoRo or container for a car going to Turkey?

RoRo for a saloon, 4×4 or family car that runs under its own power and whose owner wants the lowest rate. A container for a luxury, sports or classic car, for a car that does not run, and for anyone who wants to land at Ambarli near Istanbul or at Izmir instead of the south coast. From Kuwait container sailings are more frequent than RoRo sailings, so we offer you what is available with its date.

Can I sell the car in Turkey or register it on Turkish plates?

Under temporary entry there is no sale, no rental and no lending to a resident of Turkey. Permanent import of a used car needs a permit that is not granted in most cases, and its taxes are heavy. So anyone shipping with the intention of selling is told before paying that the road is normally closed.

Which papers do I prepare in Kuwait?

The valid vehicle registration book in the shipper’s name, the civil ID, the passport, the driving licence, and proof that the car is free of fines and liens. Anyone exporting the car for good adds the export certificate and its plates from the General Traffic Department. For Turkey: Turkish traffic insurance, and your Turkish residence permit if you hold one.

Do I have to be there in person when the car arrives?

Usually yes, with your original passport, because Turkish customs record the car against its owner’s passport. An agent holding a notarised power of attorney translated into Turkish may be accepted at some offices. That is why we ask you to book your ticket after the ship’s arrival date is firm, not before.

Can I leave suitcases or belongings in the car?

On RoRo nothing stays in the car except the spare wheel and its tools, since the cabin is opened in at least two ports. In a private container belongings can be placed beside the car if they are written on a separate list and declared to Turkish customs. Anything hidden in the boot holds up the container when it is opened.

Is there a limit on the weight or size of the car?

Each method has its limit. The door of a 20ft container takes a saloon and most 4x4s, and a tall car with a roof rack may need a high-cube container. A RoRo deck accepts large family cars and pickups, and they are priced on length and height. On an aircraft the height of the hold and the width of its door decide, so we ask for the measurements before booking.

Can the car be shipped by air from Kuwait International Airport?

It can. The car is strapped to a metal aircraft pallet and leaves the cargo village at Kuwait International Airport for Istanbul Airport, and is handed over within 3 to 6 days of collection. This route is for luxury and urgent cars, and its price is set on request once the weight, dimensions and fuel type are known.

How do I pay, and can the delivery date change after booking?

Payment is by bank transfer to the establishment’s account against an invoice, and the offer states what is paid on booking and what is paid before delivery; Turkish port charges are settled there. The delivery date inside Turkey can be changed as long as the car is still in the yard and has not been loaded on the carrier.

When is the best time to ship a car to Turkey?

Five to six weeks before your travel date for sea freight, and two weeks for air. The busiest months are May to July, when summer visitors from the whole Gulf head for Turkey and both the ships and the Turkish carriers going up to Trabzon fill.

Do you bring the car back from Turkey to Kuwait?

Yes, and most cars on this route go back at the end of the summer. The car is handed to our agent in Mersin or Istanbul, its exit is stamped at Turkish customs so the record is lifted from your passport, and it then sails to Shuwaikh. A car that left on its own plates and registration book returns to its Kuwaiti record with no import formality.