Motorcycle insurance for Türkiye: Green Card or a border policy

You cannot ride into Türkiye without insurance that is valid there. Customs checks it at the border. Most riders use one of two routes: a Green Card from their own insurer, or a Turkish policy bought at the crossing.

Option 1: a Green Card that covers Türkiye

The Green Card is the international certificate that proves your motor insurance covers third-party liability abroad. Türkiye is part of the Green Card system, and its country code on the card is TR.

Check the card before you leave home:

• Find the TR box. Every country on a Green Card has its own box. If a country's box is crossed out, the card is not valid there.
• Ask about all of Türkiye. Some insurers limit or exclude cover for parts of the country. Get written confirmation that your policy covers the whole of Türkiye for the dates you will be there.
• Check the dates. The card must be valid for your whole stay, including the day you leave.
• Carry the original. A card with alterations or handwritten additions is not valid.

Option 2: buy a Turkish policy at the border

If you have no Green Card, or it does not cover Türkiye, you can buy a policy from an insurer near the customs post when you arrive. This is normal and customs expects it. Have cash or a card ready, and your registration document, since the policy is written for that specific bike.

Buy cover for your whole stay. Riding with expired insurance is a traffic offence, and an accident without cover is far more expensive than the policy.

What this insurance covers

Both the Green Card and a Turkish border policy cover third-party liability: damage and injury you cause to other people and their property. Neither pays for damage to your own bike, for your own injuries, or for getting a broken bike home.

For those you need separate cover:

• Breakdown and recovery that includes Türkiye. Check whether it covers the Asian side of the country and how far it will transport a bike.
• Travel health insurance that explicitly covers riding a motorcycle, at the engine size of your bike. Many travel policies exclude it or cap the engine size.
• Theft and damage cover for your own bike, if your home policy can be extended abroad.

If you have an accident

Call 112 if anyone is hurt. For any accident with another vehicle, a written report is needed for an insurance claim, so do not leave the scene before that has been sorted out with the other party or the police. Photograph the scene, both vehicles and the other driver's documents.

Quick checklist

• Green Card with the TR box not crossed out, valid for your whole stay
• Written confirmation from your insurer that all of Türkiye is covered
• If not: budget to buy a Turkish policy at the border
• Breakdown cover that includes Türkiye
• Travel health insurance that covers motorcycling