Istanbul Airport tax refund

Istanbul International Airport (IST) > Guide > Tax refund

The main principles of refunding taxes at Istanbul Airport

The first and foremost thing to do for a tax refund in Istanbul is to discover the main principles to make your shopping planning flawless and affordable. Let’s list them briefly in this guide.

• Tax-free shopping refers to the return of specified taxes paid when a customer purchases something in Turkish stores.
• The taxes that can be refunded are called VAT or KDV in Turkish.
• These taxes can be reclaimed when a foreign customer returns home when he boards their flights at Istanbul Airport.
• There is a specific customs-related service designated for verification and tax refund at Istanbul Airport.
• Not every customer is eligible to apply for tax refund services, so it is better to check if you comply with the requirements for being refunded. Typically, from 10 to 12% of your purchase value can be returned in terms of tax refund in Istanbul Airport.

Who at Istanbul Airport is entitled to a VAT refund?

The main condition to be entitled to a VAT refund is not to be a legal resident of Turkey. People who are eligible to claim a refund should meet the following conditions:

• To be eligible to apply for VAT return, you must be a foreign citizen non-resident who entered the country and remained in it temporarily. If you were on a business trip, visited your friends or family, or simply entered the country as a tourist, you are eligible.
• One more eligibility principle for a tax refund in Istanbul Airport is that you should have a valid boarding passport where your entering and departure stamping is indicated by a local customs officer.
• You must shop for the products you want to claim a VAT refund in local stores affiliated with the tax-refund program and collect documents that prove your purchases.
• The date of your purchase must be no earlier than 3 months from your departure date.

By the way, do you know how to find stores participating in tax-free programs in Istanbul? There are numerous trendy and luxury stores which offer such a stunning opportunity to their clients who pay money to them for their products. All these shopping sites are marked by a special Tax-Free Shopping sign you can see right when you come close to their doors.

Where can I get a tax refund at Istanbul Airport?

In terms of shops and stores which provide tax-free shopping in Istanbul, you can find them anywhere around the city just while enjoying its architectural site options and museums as lots of such shopping sites are located around UNESCO-protected architecture and the historic center of Istanbul. That’s quite reasonable as these shopping sites are obtaining the highest income specifically from tourists. Even every marketplace in Istanbul where you can buy fruits, spices and traditional souvenirs provides tax-free shopping.
As for getting cash for your VAT amount paid before, you can be refunded right at the airport before your flight on the day of departure. There are special Tax-Free Refund Offices at the airport. Their location is the departure area, so you can visit them after you submit your baggage at the check-in point.

How to get a tax refund at Istanbul Airport?

A simple step-by-step guide for travellers of IST Claiming a tax refund at Istanbul International Airport requires just a bit of attention and time. There are four basic steps to take. You’ll be rewarded with a refund in cash or on your credit/debit bank card. Let’s discover them in our blog.

1. Make purchases in participating stores

You can join the tax refund shopping program in Istanbul almost everywhere. Enjoy your amazing shopping in a diverse range of stores offering the newest trends and located in all city areas: Topkapi, Taksim Square, Istinyepark, and Bosphorus area. Just check the label on the door of the shop you want to enter. If the label “Tax-free shopping” is here, you are welcome! Besides, you can browse the Internet in advance to search the most exciting shopping sites in Istanbul to shop tax-free and meet the best fashion novelties or electronics items. Do not forget that spice markets are also participants in tax-free shopping initiatives. So, spices and sweets you purchase can also be recouped. Take into account that you have to spend more than 1,000 TL to be eligible for refunding.

2. Get a stamp on the form

When you decide on purchasing something, especially of high price, and you want a recoup from Istanbul Airport customs, do not forget to apply for a special Tax-Free Form in a shop. Its owners may have various rules for providing that form, yet they cannot refuse you if the shop takes part in a tax refund. You have to fill in this form with the indication of your info and address, the specifications of the items you purchased in this shop and the amount of taxes you paid for them. Ensure that a stamp was placed on this Tax-Free Form.

3. Submit the form

When departing from Istanbul Airport, you should ask the Tax-Free Refund Officer to get your Tax-Free Form submitted. You can do that at the airport after receiving your boarding card and luggage labels. The customs office responsible for tax refund operations is placed in several locations across the airport:

• Check-in counters G3-4-5 (for Turkish Airlines passengers)
• Check-in counters K25-26-26 (for passengers of all other airlines)
• Right-hand after passport control (for passengers with hand luggage) Besides your forms for all the goods you need to be refunded, you have to provide the officer with your valid passport, and your receipts, and sometimes even showing purchased items is required too.

4. Get your VAT refund

After getting an exemption from the customs representatives, you are welcome to visit one of the Global Exchange Cashier Points to receive your tax recoup. Of course, it is not always convenient to spend time if you travel in a hurry, so you can get official informational support on how to receive refunds on the website. Here additional payment methods, tax rules, and lots of useful info about tax-free shopping are indicated.

Top tips to make the tax refund process go smoothly

If you still have some doubts about the tax refund policy of Istanbul Airport, let’s carefully highlight some tips to help you complete your VAT refunding application easily.
1. Collect all the checks and invoices from local sellers, keep and save them until your claim is endorsed and you are refunded.
2. If you do not know whether the store you want to shop in is affiliated with Tax-Free Shopping visit its website before an in-person visit or ask the seller about tax refund opportunities via email. Most businesses contact and provide newsletters in English and answer customers’ requests quickly.
3. Do not put great hopes on completing the tax refunding process a couple of minutes before your flight. Better leave some time reserved to pass check-in and get approval from Tax Refund Office representatives. You should come to the airport early. At last, there are lots of lively and popular shopping places to your choice, for example, Luxury District or Bazaar that sell designer items and luxury products of the finest quality where you can spend the time remaining before your departure.

Istanbul Airport tax refund FAQ for your clear understanding of the tax refund policy in the airport

It is essential to recap all the valuable things we talked about in this tax-free shopping services guide for Istanbul Airport travellers. Here are the answers globally asked about Türkçe services provided for tax refund completion.