Turkey: Harbours, bridges and formalities for sailors

129 harbours

Turkey: 129 harbours, clearing in, papers and fees. Plan your trip with weather, tides and route.

Formalities

outside the EU customs unionCurrency: Turkish lira

Clearing in: Outside the EU and Schengen (the EU customs union with Turkey does not change customs clearance for yachts). Entry only via a port of entry; according to the list of the yacht tourism association (Yat Turizm Derneği) e.g. Çanakkale, Ayvalık, Dikili, İzmir, Çeşme, Kuşadası, Didim, Güllük, Bodrum, Datça, Marmaris, Fethiye, Kaş, Finike, Kemer, Antalya, Alanya, Mersin, İstanbul, on the Black Sea Samsun, Sinop and Trabzon. The Transit Log (Yat Kayıt Belgesi) is issued there, now electronically, in turn at the health office, passport police, harbour office and customs; an agent is not mandatory but saves legwork. The Transit Log is valid for one year as long as no foreign port is visited; have crew changes entered at the harbour office and hand it in on final departure. Private yachts under a foreign flag may only be sailed with the owner on board. Germans need no visa for up to 90 days within 180 days.

Documents: Passport or identity card, boat papers with proof of ownership, certificate of competence (ICC recommended), SRC, insurance valid in Turkish waters, Transit Log and proof of pump-out (Mavi Kart).

Fees: Transit Log with issuing fee (officially last documented at 50 euros for 2022; in 2026, according to agents, around 70 euros for private yachts under a foreign flag) and harbour office fees by length; a sector contribution each time you leave harbours and marinas in the area of the Chamber of Shipping. Harbour dues in marinas; at restaurant jetties mooring is usually free if you eat there.

Fairway: Meltemi in the northern and central Aegean in summer; on the south coast an afternoon sea breeze with downdraughts at the capes. In the Dardanelles and the Bosphorus a strong southbound surface current (sometimes over 4 knots), traffic separation and reports to the traffic centres (Çanakkale Traffic, İstanbul Traffic); pleasure craft keep to the edge. Greek islands often lie only a few kilometres off the coast: do not cross the border without clearing out.

Nature: Blue Card (Mavi Kart): in the Muğla area from Bodrum to Fethiye, all yachts must prove that they discharge their black water at pump-out stations; discharges are recorded digitally and checked during coastguard inspections, and fines are imposed without proof. Special environmental protection areas (Fethiye-Göcek, Datça-Bozburun, Köyceğiz-Dalyan with turtle beach, Gökova, Foça) with anchoring restrictions. Do not take antiquities, including shards, worked stones and fossils from bays or the seabed: the German Federal Foreign Office warns of prison sentences of up to ten years.

Emergency: 112 or 158 (coastguard, Sahil Güvenlik); MRCC Ankara, VHF channel 16 and DSC.

Sources: Yat Turizm Derneği: rules for yachts under a foreign flag, ports of entry, İMEAK Deniz Ticaret Odası: Transit Log and sector contribution, RYA: Turkey, country specific advice, Noonsite: Blue Card in the Muğla area, Auswärtiges Amt: Turkey, travel and safety advice (as of 2026-10-20)

Local winds

Meltemi: summer northerly of the Aegean under clear skies, strongest in the afternoon and often lasting for days; downdraught gusts in the lee of high islands, acceleration zones between the islands, short, steep seas

Harbours by cruising area

Central Aegean (Izmir, Çeşme, Sığacık, Kuşadası)

Eastern Black Sea (Samsun, Ordu, Trabzon, Rize)

Eastern Mediterranean (Mersin, Taşucu, İskenderun)

Lycian coast (Marmaris, Göcek, Fethiye, Kaş, Kemer)

North Aegean and Dardanelles (Çanakkale, Gökçeada, Ayvalık)

Sea of Marmara and Istanbul (Bosphorus, Princes' Islands, Erdek)

South Aegean (Didim, Bodrum, Datça)

Turkish Riviera (Antalya, Side, Alanya)

Western Black Sea (Kıyıköy, Şile, Amasra, Sinop)

Frequently asked questions

Turkey: Do I need to clear in?

Outside the EU and Schengen (the EU customs union with Turkey does not change customs clearance for yachts). Entry only via a port of entry; according to the list of the yacht tourism association (Yat Turizm Derneği) e.g. Çanakkale, Ayvalık, Dikili, İzmir, Çeşme, Kuşadası, Didim, Güllük, Bodrum, Datça, Marmaris, Fethiye, Kaş, Finike, Kemer, Antalya, Alanya, Mersin, İstanbul, on the Black Sea Samsun, Sinop and Trabzon. The Transit Log (Yat Kayıt Belgesi) is issued there, now electronically, in turn at the health office, passport police, harbour office and customs; an agent is not mandatory but saves legwork. The Transit Log is valid for one year as long as no foreign port is visited; have crew changes entered at the harbour office and hand it in on final departure. Private yachts under a foreign flag may only be sailed with the owner on board. Germans need no visa for up to 90 days within 180 days.

Turkey: Which documents do I need on board?

Passport or identity card, boat papers with proof of ownership, certificate of competence (ICC recommended), SRC, insurance valid in Turkish waters, Transit Log and proof of pump-out (Mavi Kart).

Turkey: What fees apply?

Transit Log with issuing fee (officially last documented at 50 euros for 2022; in 2026, according to agents, around 70 euros for private yachts under a foreign flag) and harbour office fees by length; a sector contribution each time you leave harbours and marinas in the area of the Chamber of Shipping. Harbour dues in marinas; at restaurant jetties mooring is usually free if you eat there.

Turkey: What is the emergency number at sea?

112 or 158 (coastguard, Sahil Güvenlik); MRCC Ankara, VHF channel 16 and DSC.

Turkey: Which local winds blow there?

Meltemi.

Turkey: How many harbours does Sailseer cover?

Sailseer covers 129 harbours with harbour info, weather and route planning.