Shipping From Turkey to the UK: 2025 Shipping Guide

When shipping from Turkey to the UK, you should compare the offers from multiple Turkey freight forwarders before making your decision. There are several transit options available, and the ideal solution for you will depend on the timeframe in which you need the goods and the amount of money you have budgeted to spend.

KG Logistics is a UK-based freight forwarding company offering expert shipping solutions from Turkey by air, sea, road, and rail.

Content last updated: November 2025

Key Takeaways

• There are four main shipping options from Turkey to the UK: air, sea, road, and rail, each with different speeds, costs, and suitability for cargo type.
• Air freight is fastest but most expensive, sea freight is cost-effective but slower, and road or rail provides moderate speed at lower cost.
• Major Turkish ports for exports include Istanbul, Mersin, and Gemlik, and UK customs require accurate declarations and duty payment.
• KG Logistics offers expert guidance, competitive rates, and manages the entire shipping and customs process.

Cost of Shipping From Turkey to the UK

Before deciding on your method of transport, it is best to compare the offers from different forwarders. The cost will be dependent on a range of factors, such as:

• The type of cargo
• Method of transit: air, sea, road, or rail
• The chosen freight forwarder
• The shipping ports in Turkey you are transporting from
• Whether the shipment is door-to-door or port-to-port
• Fuel costs

Top Tip: Explore our guide on the main trading lanes for global freight forwarding, including Turkey.

What Are the Freight Transportation Options From Turkey to the UK?

Air Freight

Air freight is the fastest way to transport your goods and is recommended for smaller shipments and valuable or fragile goods. Due to the short transit time of 1-3 days, it is commonly used to transport goods with a short expiry date, such as food, flowers, and pharmaceutical products.

While it is the quickest and most convenient method to transport goods, this also makes it the most expensive one. The two main cargo airports in Turkey are Istanbul Airport (IST) and Ankara Esenboğa Airport (ESB).

Sea Freight

As the most common form of transporting cargo in international trade, sea freight is the most cost-effective solution. It allows for goods to be transported in containers, which means you must decide between full container load (FCL) and less than container load (LCL). FCL means you will be renting the entire container, and all the space inside is dedicated to your shipment. LCL involves renting part of the container space and is appropriate when you do not have enough goods to fill an entire container. The rest of the space will be rented by other senders in the same situation.

The transit time for sea freight from Turkey to the UK is between 9 and 19 days. The main cargo ports in Turkey are Ambarli, Haydarpaşa, Mersin, and İzmir.

Road Freight

Road freight from Turkey to the UK is an excellent alternative as it is significantly cheaper than air freight but faster than sea freight. Road freight also allows for door-to-door delivery, which makes it even more convenient if you need the goods to arrive quickly. Some freight forwarders will be able to transport your goods via road freight between 8 and 12 days.

Rail Freight

Another ideal solution for those wanting a reasonable delivery speed at a cost-effective price is rail freight. With both LCL and FCL options available, this is an eco-friendly alternative that is twice as fast as sea freight and cheaper than air freight. The transit time is between 8 and 14 days.

Main Shipping Locations

With almost 200 ports and piers across Turkey, there are 3 main shipping ports that KG Logistics operate to and from, including:

• Istanbul: Also called the Port of Haydarpaşa, this port is the country’s third-largest, with an annual cargo volume exceeding 60 million tonnes.
• Mersin: This is the largest container port in Turkey, with production capacity amounting to 2.6 million TEU. It features 26 berths and can accommodate 30 vessels at a given time. It is currently undergoing an expansion project called East Med Hub 2 (EMH2) to increase its capacity, scheduled for completion in early 2026.
• Gemlik: a port on the northwest coast, handling more than 336 thousand TEU containers. A large part of its exports includes passenger cars, which are manufactured in the region.

The five largest container terminals in the UK are:

• Port of Felixstowe
• Port of Southampton
• Port of Immingham
• Belfast Harbour
• Port of Grangemouth

Customs Regulations in the UK

The UK customs process may appear complicated, but an experienced freight forwarder will be able to guide you through the process of shipping from Turkey to the UK. Here is our basic outline of what it includes:

• You are required to create an inventory (packing list) of the items that you are bringing into the UK. It is important that you declare everything and that nothing is missed.
• If importing from outside the EU (such as Turkey), you will need to pay a duty tax on the goods.
• Customs officials may physically inspect your containers, so knowing exactly what is not allowed into the country is important. More information can be found on the UK customs website.

Why Choose KG Logistics?

As a freight forwarding company with years of experience, we have developed our Turkey to the UK import and export solution to include air, sea, road, and rail freight forwarding. We have the expertise and knowledge to advise and quote on the most suitable method for you and your business. We can offer competitive rates and fast delivery times, and are able to manage the entire customs clearance process to ensure a smooth transportation of your goods.