Istanbul International Movers: Lorry Hours and Through-Freight Route
A move in Istanbul meets, according to two news reports of a 2020 decision, ban hours of 06:00 to 10:00 and 16:00 to 22:00 for heavy goods vehicles, permitted hours with a route permit, and a motorway for through freight. The municipality’s own page did not answer, so each point says what it rests on.
A few short questions. Nothing is sent until you check and confirm.
What do news reports say about lorries in Istanbul?
Two news reports of a 2020 decision by the city’s transport coordination centre give hours when heavy goods vehicles are kept out of the city, and a road for through freight. The municipality’s own decision page did not answer us.
Istanbul province had 15,754,053 residents in TurkStat’s 2025 results, the most of any Turkish province. The reports are in Turkish, from Türkiye Gazetesi dated 31 May 2021, and in English, from Hürriyet Daily News dated 3 June 2021. We read both on 4 November 2026. The English report names the body: “In line with the decision taken by the Transportation Coordination Center (UKOME)”. The city’s archive of the decision did not answer our request, so check the decision itself before you rely on these hours. English renderings of the Turkish wording are ours.
Which hours are heavy lorries kept out of Istanbul?
The reports give ban hours of 06:00 to 10:00 and 16:00 to 22:00 for heavy goods vehicles, and permitted hours of 10:00 to 16:00 and 22:00 to 06:00 with a route permit.
The Turkish report sets out the decision as “26.11.2020 tarih ve 2020/6-6 sayılı UKOME kararına göre 31.05.2021 tarihinden itibaren”. In English: under the decision of 26 November 2020, number 2020/6-6, from 31 May 2021. The first point keeps the ban hours: “yasak saat uygulamasının (06:00-10:00 ve 16:00-22:00) devam etmesi”. In English: the ban-hours rule in city traffic continues. It adds “(resmi plakalı araçlar hariç)”, which means vehicles with official plates are excluded.
The second point sets the permitted hours: “yasal saatlerde (10:00-16:00 ve 22:00-06:00) ve güzergah izin belgesi dahilinde İstanbul geneli faaliyetlerini yürütmesi”. In English: heavy-tonnage vehicles carrying goods across Istanbul work in the permitted hours, 10:00 to 16:00 and 22:00 to 06:00, within a route permit.
Does a removal lorry count as a heavy goods vehicle?
Only if it is in the vehicle classes the decision names, and neither report says whether a household removal is covered.
The Turkish report names the classes: “Kara Yolu Yük Taşımacılığı Yönergesinde belirtilen, N2/N3/O2/O3/O4 taşıt cinsi araçlar için uygulanan şehir içi trafiğinde”. In English: vehicles of classes N2, N3, O2, O3 and O4 under the road freight directive. N and O are the standard codes for goods vehicles and trailers.
An encyclopaedia entry on vehicle categories, a secondary source, defines them. Class N1: “Vehicles used for the carriage of goods and having a maximum mass not exceeding 3.5 tonnes.” Class N2: “Vehicles used for the carriage of goods and having a maximum mass exceeding 3.5 tonnes but not exceeding 12 tonnes.” Class N3: “Vehicles used for the carriage of goods and having a maximum mass exceeding 12 tonnes.” So N2 and N3 start above 3.5 tonnes. Whether the Turkish directive uses the same limits was not read, and the reports say nothing about a removal. Ask your removal company which class its lorry is in and whether it holds a route permit.
What do the reports say about permits?
They mention a route permit for the permitted hours but not how to get one for a household move.
The decision also keeps 24-hour permits for vehicles used “kamu yararına yapılan proje ve işlerde kullanılacak araçların” which are obtained from the Freight Transport Commission and the Logistics Management and Terminals Directorate: “24 saat izinlerinin, Yük Taşıma Komisyonu ve Lojistik Yönetimi ve Terminaller Müdürlüğünden alınmasının devamı”. In English: the continuation of 24-hour permits being obtained from those two bodies. The reports do not say whether a household move can use such a permit, so that is not yet confirmed.
Which road must through freight use?
Freight passing through Istanbul between Europe and Asia must use the Northern Marmara Motorway, not the D-100 or the TEM.
The Turkish report describes the vehicles as “Avrupa’dan Asya’ya Asya’dan Avrupa’ya yük taşımacılığı yaparak, İstanbul bölgesini transit kullanan araçların”. In English: vehicles carrying freight from Europe to Asia or Asia to Europe that use the Istanbul region in transit. It routes them “Silivri-Kınalı kavşağından, Kuzey Marmara Otoyoluna bağlanıp Paşaköy gişelerden çıkış yaparak”. In English: from the Silivri-Kınalı junction onto the Northern Marmara Motorway, leaving at the Paşaköy tolls.
The English report says: “will use the Northern Marmara Highway instead of the D-100 and TEM highways and its connection roads”. It adds that “vehicles with heavy tonnage capacity will no longer be allowed to run on the two major highways, D-100 and TEM highways”.
This concerns through freight, not a move to an address in the city. The toll rule for foreign-plated vehicles is on the country page, listed below; whether this motorway’s tolls fall under that rule was not read.
What is not yet confirmed for Istanbul?
Moving-day parking, any permit for a lorry that waits outside a home, its fee and how early to apply are all not yet confirmed.
The municipality’s archive of transport coordination decisions did not answer on 4 November 2026: our request ended with the message “The handshake operation timed out”. So the 2020 decision is known only through two news reports from 2021. Ask the municipality of the district where you live, and the metropolitan municipality, what applies to a removal vehicle today.
Where do the other Turkey pages help?
The Turkey removals page holds the duty relief for household goods, the toll rule for foreign-plated vehicles and the list of provinces. The international moving checklist puts the steps in order.
For the British end of the paperwork use the UK customs documentation checklist; for a move by sea, read the sea freight guide, and for a car, the car shipping guide.
Questions about moving to or from Istanbul
When are heavy lorries kept out of Istanbul?
Two news reports of a 2020 decision give ban hours of 06:00 to 10:00 and 16:00 to 22:00, and permitted hours of 10:00 to 16:00 and 22:00 to 06:00 with a route permit.
The decision itself was not read.
Does my removal lorry count as a heavy goods vehicle?
Only if it is in classes N2, N3, O2, O3 or O4, which start above 3.5 tonnes on an encyclopaedia’s definition.
The reports do not say whether a removal is covered, so ask your removal company.
Which road must through freight use?
The Northern Marmara Motorway instead of the D-100 and TEM, according to both reports.
That concerns freight passing through, not a move to an address in the city.
Is there a moving-day permit in Istanbul?
Not yet confirmed.
No source for a permit, fee or lead time for a lorry that waits outside a home was read; ask the district municipality.
Send us your Istanbul move details
Give the Istanbul district and street, say whether a lorry or a smaller van is planned, and add the target date and the size of the home.
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