Europe - Currency Declaration at Istanbul airport

I might be taking some $10k via Istanbul in a while. I will be in transit only and not exiting passport control, but was wondering whether this requires a declaration or not.

Has anyone declared currency in Istanbul ? Was it painless or slow and cumbersome ?

D.

If you don't go through passport control, how would they know?

I entered Turkey last month and made no declaration of any kind. If you buy a beer in transit, you'll spend about half of that $10,000.

Fortunately, you are in transit - no problem is likely, IMO. If you were staying, according to the IATA Travel Centre (http://www.iatatravelcentre.com/TR-Turkey-customs-currency-airport-tax-regulations-details.htm),

Currency rules

Currency Import regulations:
Local currency (Turkish Lira-TRY): unlimited; foreign currencies: unlimited, but passengers should have the imported foreign currencies declared and specified in their passport on arrival, in order to avoid difficulties on departure.

Currency Export regulations:
Residents & nationals of Turkey living and working in Turkey: local currency (New Turkish Lira-TRY) and foreign currencies: up to USD 5,000.- or equivalent. Amounts in excess should be bought from a bank in Turkey (with an entry to this effect in the passport); non-residents and nationals of Turkey living and working abroad: local currency (New Turkish Lira-TRY) and foreign currencies: up to USD 5,000.- or equivalent. Amounts in excess should have been declared to the customs on arrival with an entry to this effect in the passport. In case of re-exchange of TRY into foreign currency a bank voucher is required for amounts exceeding the equivalent of USD 5,000.-.

The big problem is, of course, detected excess is confiscated and instantly becomes property of the Turkish government.

$10,000 also happens to be the limits for the many Money Laundering Prevention acts - including, iirc, Turkey's. And it's a heckuva bundle to be relieved of by a thief. (I'd not discount the possibility of a customs agent in some countries passing on the information to accomplices.)

I think some bright spark may take it upon himself to do a customs check at security (I did pass through Turkish security, even in transit) a la TSA....

I may be carrying more than the $5000, and the reason I am slightly worried is that I assume that things go a little bit less according to the rule book in Turkey than its neighbors to the west...


If you don't go through passport control, how would they know?

I entered Turkey last month and made no declaration of any kind. If you buy a beer in transit, you'll spend about half of that $10,000.