Syria Turkey
Syria 
TurkeyLast reviewed July 2026
Crossing the border
Syria and Turkey share a land border you can cross by car. Keep your passport, national driving licence and International Driving Permit together, and check opening hours and any toll or vignette requirements before you travel.
Driving rules in Turkey
- HGS/OGS electronic tolls on motorways and bridges.
- Headlights and seatbelts mandatory.
- 0.05% alcohol limit; zero if towing.
- Carry passport, licence and IDP.
What to see when you arrive in Turkey
- Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque in Istanbul
- the fairy chimneys of Cappadocia
- the travertines of Pamukkale
- the ruins of Ephesus
- the beaches of the Turquoise Coast
Once you're driving in Turkey
Destination-specific detail sourced from national road authorities, motoring clubs and rental policies — the things that catch cross-border drivers out.
Driving on a foreign licence
A valid foreign licence in the Latin alphabet can be used for up to six months from entry; licences in non-Latin scripts require an accompanying International Driving Permit. An IDP is not mandatory for Latin-script holders but eases police checks and car hire.
Tolls & road charges
Motorways and bridges use the electronic HGS sticker-tag (OGS was retired in 2022); foreign-plated cars must have an HGS tag with sufficient balance. Rental cars come with an HGS device fitted and tolls are billed to your rental account afterward.
Parking in the cities
Cities use the municipal İSPARK paid system with signed bays paid by attendant, kiosk or app; unauthorised street parking is ticketed or towed, and hotels often provide private parking.
Fines & camera enforcement
Speeding, mobile-phone and seatbelt fines are issued by patrol or camera; police can take on-the-spot payment and tourists often get a discount for immediate settlement. Rental firms forward camera fines to your card with an admin fee.
If you have an accident
Call 112 (single emergency number) and, on any injury or disagreement, the traffic police (155). Do not move the vehicles until police arrive unless they block traffic dangerously; a police report ('kaza tutanagi') is needed for insurance.
Driving in the capital
Istanbul's traffic is notoriously dense and the two Bosphorus bridges (15 Temmuz Sehitler and FSM) are HGS-only with no cash lane, so an unloaded tag means an automatic penalty when crossing between the European and Asian sides.
Sources: turing.tr · tollguru.com · turkiyetoday.com · avis.co.uk