Free Trade Zone Consulting

For operating in the free trade zones, an operating licence must be obtained from Ministry of Economy Genaral Directorate of Free Zones, Foreign Investment and Services.

To obtain the operating licence, those documents below must be completed with Operating Licence Application Form an done photocopy of it which are obtained from Free Zones General Directorate, Free Zones Directorate or Free Zone Operator/Founder-Operator Company.

  • Introductory information about the Applicant and its activities will be held in a free zone,
  • Circular of signature and authorization certificate of the owner of the signature and if exists, authorization certificate and signature declaration of the representative of the company,
  • Trade registration gazete and trade registration certificates that issued the recent capital and shareholder structure of the company (For foreign companies, the legalized copy of their trade registration certificate in their country)
  • Balance sheet, profit&loss statement of the company for the last 3 years
  • Payment receipt of application fee that was deposited to Central Bank – The original an done copy
  • (If available) The documents which shows the amount of foreign Exchange brought to Turkey,

These documents can be sent with a petition to the address of “Ekonomi Bakanlığı Serbest Bölgeler, Yurtdışı Yatırım ve Hizmetler Genel Müdürlüğü 06510 Emek/ANKARA–TÜRKİYE”, or they can be submitted to the related Free Zone Directorate.

Operating License Application Process:

  • Operating Licence Application Form will be filled which is received from Head Office, Regional Office or Free Zone Operator or Founder / Operator company
  • Application fee (US $ 5,000) will be credited to USD account numbered of 951 101 301 of Central Bank.
  • The application will be made to the Directorate General or District Office along with application file (Operating License Application Form, attachments and photocopies) and the original receipt showing the application fee paid to apply with a petition.
  • The application is considered by the General Directorate.
  • In case of the result is negative, the application fee will be refunded.
  • If the application result is positive, a lease contract will be signed between Free Zone Founder and Operator / Operator company or Operating Licence holder and users in 30 days.

The application will be made to the General Directorate with the lease contract.

The Operating Permit will be issued.

  • Trade Registration:
  • Individuals and legal entities can operate in free zone.
  • For companies to operate in the free zones are no domestic or foreign capital restrictions. One hundred percent domestically owned companies or wholly foreign-owned firms can operate in a free zone.
  • Exemptions provided in the free zone and incentives are not taken in terms of domestic and foreign companies.

The eligible firms after the examination carried out by the General Directorate will sign a rental contract within 30 days; with the free zone operator / promoter-operator company if they will rent the open space; if they will rent one of the  ready business places, they will sign the rental contract with any organization who have a renting licence in the area.

Investor users will obtain Construction Permit by applying to the Region Directorate with the prepared construction Project after obtaining the Operating Licence. After completeing the construction work, they will begin to their commercial operations by obtaining their Settlement Permit.

The application fees will be refunded to whom could not obtain the Operating Licence.

All the individual and legal entity companies in Turkey have to carry out their operations in free zones by their branches would be formed. In this case, during the examination of the balance sheet, the considerations such as capital structure and profitability will be considered.

A capital will be allocated and an operation cost will be projected for the branch which will have activity in order to start to operation in the free zone.

All the companies who will have activity in the free zones must have trade registration even if their scopes of activities are restricted with free zones.

SERVICES in the FREE ZONES:

  1. Electricity
  2. Water
  3. Phone
  4. Fuel
  5. Warming
  6. Vehicle entry
  7. Handling
  8. Food

The unit prices of these services varies for each free zone.

THE FISCAL BENEFITS

A. FOR MANUFACTURER ACTIVITY LICENCE:

  1. Corporate tax and income tax will not be paid.
  2. In case of selling %85 of the products to abroad, they will not pay stoppage for personnel.

B. FOR SERVICE ACTIVITY LICENCE:

  1. They will not pay VAT for buying goods and service in Turkey.
  2. They don't pay Customs tax and VAT for the goods that are imported to Turkey.