Carriers and services on this route
Five carriers cover this route. DHL Express offers the fastest air service to Istanbul and Ankara. UPS provides reliable express delivery with strong business address coverage. FedEx connects through its international air network with competitive rates for documents and small parcels. TNT (now part of FedEx) maintains its own Turkey network. DPD covers the route via its Balkans partner network at economy rates.
Turkey is a transcontinental country spanning southeastern Europe and western Asia, with a population of 85 million and the largest city Istanbul as its main commercial hub. Turkey and the EU have had a Customs Union since 1996, covering manufactured and industrial goods - meaning electronics, textiles, machinery, and most consumer goods from Spain enter Turkey at 0% import duty. Agricultural products and food are NOT covered by the Customs Union and face Turkish tariffs. Around 30,000 Spanish nationals live in Turkey, primarily in Istanbul, Ankara, and coastal resort areas.
Delivery times in detail
Transit times are in business days from pickup in Spain to delivery in Turkey. Turkish customs declaration (CN23 + commercial invoice) is mandatory on every shipment. Parcels travel by air - Istanbul Airport (IST) and Sabiha Gokcen (SAW) are the main air hubs. Express services reach Istanbul in 4-5 days; Ankara in 5-6 days; economy services in 7-8 days. Remote eastern provinces may add 1-2 days.
How to pack your parcel for this route
Use double-wall boxes on this route: parcels travel by air with multiple handling points. Wrap fragile items individually with 3 cm of bubble wrap. Seal all seams with strong packing tape.
Practical tips for this route
Two route-specific points. First, Turkish customs requires HS codes on the commercial invoice for all shipments with goods value over 150 EUR. JetSend auto-fills common HS codes, but verify for unusual items. Electronics from Spain enter at 0% duty under the EU-Turkey Customs Union; food and agricultural products face Turkish import tariffs (typically 25-150% depending on the product). Second, Turkish postcodes are 5 digits starting with the two-digit province code. Istanbul addresses use 34xxx (European side) and 34xxx-36xxx (Asian side); Ankara uses 06xxx; Izmir uses 35xxx. The recipient's Turkish ID number (TC Kimlik) is required for parcels above 150 EUR to facilitate customs clearance.
For a complete list of prohibited and restricted items on this route, see the customs section below.