Goods moving by road from Turkey to Romania always clear customs, because Turkey is outside the European Union. Industrial goods travelling with an A.TR certificate pay 0% customs duty under the EU–Turkey customs union, while Romanian import VAT of 21% is due in every case. Premium Express SRL, based in Bacău, Romania, runs weekly groupage from Turkey to Romania — collection across Turkey, consolidation in Istanbul, door-to-door transit of 7-10 working days — and full truck loads with a transit of 2-3 days.
This guide is written for Turkish exporters, their forwarders and buyers who need goods delivered in Romania. It covers the paperwork on the Turkish side, the costs on the Romanian side and the ten questions we are asked most often. For the service itself, see the Romania–Turkey freight page.
The route and transit times in brief
The most used road route is Istanbul – Edirne – Kapıkule (Turkish border) – Kapitan Andreevo (Bulgarian border) – Sofia – Ruse – Bucharest, continuing through Giurgiu towards Bacău and Iași. Istanbul – Bucharest is about 630 km by road. Three figures are worth planning around:
- Full truck load, Istanbul – Bucharest: 2-3 days, loading and customs included.
- Groupage from one pallet: weekly departures, 7-10 working days door-to-door, consolidation and customs included.
- Border queue at Kapıkule: 12-48 hours in peak periods, on top of a few hours of formalities.
Routes through Serbia are longer but can be used when the Bulgarian–Turkish border is congested.
What the Turkish exporter prepares before loading
A shipment from Turkey to Romania travels with up to five documents, and any mismatch between them can hold the goods at customs. Have them ready before the truck is booked:
- Commercial invoice — in the agreed currency, with a detailed description of the goods.
- Packing list — packages with gross and net weights and dimensions.
- CMR — the international road consignment note.
- A.TR certificate — for industrial goods in free circulation; it is issued at the exporter's request and endorsed by Turkish customs.
- EUR.1 certificate — for goods of preferential origin outside the customs union, such as agricultural products.
The Turkish export declaration (beyanname) is lodged on the exporter's side. On groupage, send us the invoice and the A.TR before loading, so that they are checked before the goods leave Turkey.
Two checks save the most time. First, agree the tariff code of the product with the buyer before the order is placed: a code declared by the exporter that differs from the one set by Romanian customs is one of the most common causes of delay. Second, confirm whether the product needs a CE certificate of conformity or falls into a regulated category, such as food or cosmetics.
What the Romanian importer pays
The Romanian importer pays three things on top of the price of the goods: transport, customs brokerage and import VAT of 21%. Customs duty is added where the goods are not covered by an A.TR certificate — agricultural products, for example.
Freight is quoted per full truck, or per pallet or loading metre on groupage, depending on weight and volume. The rate on the Turkey – Romania lane changes from one week to the next, so it is not published as a list rate: the firm quote comes within 2 hours. List rates for the other lanes are on the groupage prices page.
Practical questions
Ten practical questions that exporters and importers ask about bringing goods from Turkey to Romania, with a short answer and the rules that apply.
Do goods from Turkey have to clear customs when they enter Romania?
Yes, any goods brought from Turkey go through customs, because Turkey is not part of the European Union. The EU–Turkey customs union removes customs duty on industrial products accompanied by an A.TR certificate, but it does not remove the import customs declaration or the 21% VAT. Clearance takes place either on entry into the EU, in Bulgaria, or at a customs office in Romania, with the goods moving under T1 transit or a TIR carnet.
What is an A.TR certificate and when does it apply?
The A.TR is the movement certificate of the EU–Turkey customs union: it proves that industrial goods are in free circulation in Turkey and entitles them to 0% customs duty on entry into the EU. It is issued at the Turkish exporter's request and endorsed by the Turkish customs authority. It applies to industrial products, including those made in Turkey from imported components cleared there. It does not apply to agricultural products or to coal and steel products, where preferential origin is proved with a EUR.1 certificate.
What customs duty is paid on marble imported from Turkey?
For Turkish marble accompanied by an A.TR certificate the customs duty is 0%, because marble is an industrial product covered by the customs union. What is paid is VAT of 21%, calculated on the customs value, meaning the price of the goods plus transport and insurance to the EU border. The exact tariff code (heading 2515 for blocks and slabs that are rough or merely cut, 6802 for worked marble) is checked in the European Commission's TARIC database, which also shows any special measures. Without an A.TR, the standard TARIC duty for that code applies.
What documents are needed to import polyethylene bags from Turkey?
The commercial invoice, the packing list, the CMR, the A.TR certificate and the import customs declaration, lodged by a broker on behalf of the importing company, which must have an EORI number. Polyethylene bags normally fall under tariff heading 3923 and, with an A.TR, pay no customs duty, only VAT of 21%. If the bags come into contact with food, ask the manufacturer for the declaration of compliance required by Regulation (EU) No 10/2011. Check the exact code in TARIC and whether anti-dumping measures apply to that product and origin.
How long does customs take at Kapıkule?
The formalities themselves, with complete documents, are settled in a few hours; the real time is set by the queue of trucks, which reaches 12-48 hours in busy periods. Peaks occur before public holidays and around the Turkish holidays Ramazan Bayramı and Kurban Bayramı. When the queue is too long, the route through Serbia remains an alternative, longer in distance.
Can I ship less than a full truck from Turkey to Romania?
Yes, on Premium Express groupage, from one pallet, charged per pallet or per loading metre: we collect the goods across Turkey (Istanbul, Bursa, Izmir, Ankara, Gaziantep), consolidate them in Istanbul and bring them to Romania on a full truck. Groupage leaves weekly, with a door-to-door transit of 7-10 working days, consolidation and customs included. All the goods on the truck are cleared in Bucharest, and a mistake in the documents of a single shipper can delay the whole truck. Send the invoice and the A.TR certificate before loading, so they are checked before the goods leave Turkey.
Where is import clearance done: at the border or in Romania?
On Premium Express groupage, import clearance is done in Bucharest, at the Otopeni customs office or at the Târguri și Expoziții customs office; the goods travel there under transit and are then distributed across Romania, including through the hub in Bacău for the Moldova region. In the opposite direction, goods consolidated in Bacău are cleared on import in Turkey, in Istanbul. In general, goods from Turkey can also be cleared on entry into the EU, at Kapitan Andreevo in Bulgaria, or at another customs office in Romania, under T1 transit or a TIR carnet.
Does the Turkish export declaration matter for the truck's duty-free diesel?
Yes. On exit from Turkey, through Kapıkule or Hamzabeyli – Lesovo, the Turkish export customs declaration (beyanname) also counts for diesel. Duty-free diesel is granted only to trucks carrying goods of Turkish origin, meaning made in Turkey, on the basis of that export declaration. Goods merely in transit through Turkey, brought from a third country and re-exported, do not qualify. On entry into the EU, the diesel in the truck's standard tanks is not taxed.
How does the Romanian buyer pay and recover import VAT?
The 21% VAT paid at customs is deducted through the VAT return, provided the company is registered for VAT. Companies holding a certificate for deferment of import VAT do not actually pay at the border: the VAT is declared by reverse charge in the return, with a net effect of zero. The certificate is obtained from the customs authority, if the company meets the conditions of the Romanian Fiscal Code.
What duties apply to agricultural products from Turkey?
Agricultural products are outside the customs union, so an A.TR certificate does not exempt them from duty. For some products there are reductions or tariff quotas under the EU–Turkey agricultural agreement, with a EUR.1 certificate; for the rest, the standard customs duty applies, checked in TARIC against the product code. Plant and animal products also go through phytosanitary or veterinary control on entry into the EU. VAT is added at the rate for the product: 21% standard, 11% for most foodstuffs.
Shipping in the other direction, and next steps
From Romania to Turkey the flow is mirrored: goods are consolidated at the Premium Express hub in Bacău and cleared on import in Istanbul. Export goods are collected within 24-48 hours from seven counties in north-east Romania — Bacău, Neamț, Iași, Vaslui, Vrancea, Suceava and Botoșani.
To get a firm quote within 2 hours, send the collection address in Turkey, the delivery address in Romania, the number of pallets with dimensions and gross weight, and whether the goods can be stacked or are ADR. Use the quote request form or write to office@premium-express.ro.
Related pages: Romania–Turkey freight · groupage (LTL) to and from Romania · ADR dangerous goods · groupage prices · this guide in Romanian.