Turkish Transit Log procedures for Istanbul

[Maringret]

All foreign flagged ships entering Turkish waters must purchase a Transit Log which is basically a permit to sail in Turkish waters. Governmental procedures such as the purchase and renewal of Transit Logs vary from place to place. As Istanbul is the largest centre it is more complex than other harbours where the different offices can often be walked to from a moorage area. This is certainly not the case with Istanbul.

We have documented the procedures with text and photographs for locating a mooring that is approved for the purpose of Transit Log registration, purchase of the Transit Log and the required signatures and stamps to activate the Transit Log.

These procedures seem to change slowly year by year and we have documented the initial registration of the Transit Log as it was administered in 2013 as well as the renewal of the Transit Log as it was administered in 2014.

For boats coming down the Danube River into the Black Sea, Istanbul is the first and closest port of entry, the next closest being Ereğli which is 100 nautical miles to the east of the Bosphorus.

The procedure for getting a Transit Log upon entering the country is located at:

New Transit Log 2013

and the slightly different procedure for renewing the Transit Log after the first year is located at:

Transit Log Renewal 2014

Dean
s/y Maringret

[MarkJ]

Excellent report! Well done. That should help people.

If we had that for all the difficult ports of the world it would make things easy.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Dean.

[Polux]

That was complicated! I entered last year by Datça, a nice small port and paid to an agent to take care of that. I don't remember the price (more than that) but the commission the agent took was small compared with the total amount and certainly saved me a lot of paper work and time, specially if we consider that they had done that on a Saturday. It took about 2 hours (I waited on his office drinking tea).

Regarding the papers you had to buy, did you not have to buy a blue card (for black water pumped out)? It is mandatory by Turkish law even if they only take it seriously on the southern more touristic areas...and even so only sometimes if you are lucky.

[Maringret]

hi Polux

don't quote me, but my impression is that the Blue Card you refer to is administered by the Mugla region, not at the national level. Certainly here in Istanbul there are no pump-outs in the marinas we frequent. And on the Black Sea this summer there were also no such facilities. I have asked Turkish friends here and they all indicate that the Blue Card scheme is linked to Mugla region (which includes most of the popular cruising areas). I suspect there has been some discussion of making it national though. As for the prices here for agents, they range from 300 euros through to 800 US dollars.

[Polux]

Originally Posted by Maringret

hi Polux
.... As for the prices here for agents, they range from 300 euros through to 800 US dollars.

Hi!
That's a huge difference!!! I don't remember exactly but I paid something like 200 euros for all, including the blue card and the agent fee. The agent was indicated by another sailor in Greece and it was a kind of man of all trades, from dealing with papers to charter boats. If i remember right is fee was 60 euros or something like that. It seems however that the Transit log fee on the touristic region (Datça is between Marmaris and Bodrum) is bigger than on Istanbul (also a 41ft).

[svBeBe]

To further confuse, it must be noted that there are several different kinds of transit logs. Some marinas sell transit logs but not necessarily all of the different kinds. We were able to purchase our own transit logs (without using an agent) in 2011 and 2012 in both Tasugu and in Fethiye; but were unable to purchase without using agent in August 2103. We were told that the Ece Saray Marina in Fethiye could sell us a transit log but upon personal investigation learned that the marina sells every kind of transit log EXCEPT the transit log for a foreign flagged pleasure yacht -- the kind that most of us need to buy. A transit log for a foreign flagged pleasure yacht was only available through an agent. Cost including agent's fee was negligible. Do not remember exact cost but somewhere around 150TL in Fethiye in August 2013.

Judy

[Polux]

Looking at your post, I felt I was cheated but then I remember that I have paid also the visa for 2 besides the transit log and the blue card.