How Can Foreigners Claim Compensation from Compulsory Traffic Insurance in Turkey? 2026 Updated Legal Guide

Learn how foreigners can claim compensation from compulsory traffic insurance in Turkey in 2026 for vehicle damage, bodily injury, permanent disability and death after a traffic accident.

Foreign nationals involved in a traffic accident in Turkey may be entitled to claim compensation from the compulsory motor liability insurance of the vehicle responsible for the accident. This protection can apply to foreign tourists, expatriates, international employees, students, investors, business travellers and other foreign nationals injured or financially harmed in Turkey.

Foreign nationality does not, by itself, prevent an accident victim from making a compulsory traffic insurance claim.

However, obtaining compensation is not automatic. The claimant must identify the responsible vehicle and insurer, document the accident and damage, comply with the applicable claim procedure and prove the losses for which compensation is requested.

For 2026, foreign accident victims should also be aware of significantly increased compulsory traffic insurance limits and important changes introduced by Turkey’s Insurance and Private Pension Regulation and Supervision Agency concerning motor insurance claims and damage notification procedures.

What Is Compulsory Traffic Insurance in Turkey?

Compulsory Motor Liability Insurance is mandatory liability insurance designed to cover qualifying damage caused to third parties through the operation of a motor vehicle.

It is fundamentally different from comprehensive motor insurance.

Comprehensive insurance primarily protects the insured vehicle against risks covered by the policy. Compulsory traffic insurance, by contrast, is principally concerned with the insured vehicle owner’s or operator’s liability toward third parties within the statutory coverage framework.

Therefore, if a foreign national is injured or suffers qualifying property damage because of another vehicle in Turkey, the responsible vehicle’s compulsory traffic insurer may become one of the principal sources of compensation.

Can Foreigners Claim Compensation from Turkish Traffic Insurance?

Yes, provided that the applicable legal conditions are satisfied.

The victim does not generally need to be a Turkish citizen.

A foreign claimant may potentially be:

• a foreign tourist;
• a foreign resident;
• an expatriate employee;
• a passenger;
• a pedestrian;
• a cyclist;
• a motorcyclist;
• a rental-car driver; or
• another foreign national affected by the accident.

The central issues are normally liability, fault, causation, insurance coverage and the amount of proven damage.

What Types of Compensation Can Be Claimed?

The available compensation depends on the accident and type of damage.

Compulsory traffic insurance may potentially become relevant to three principal categories:

Property Damage

This can include qualifying damage to a vehicle or other property within applicable policy and statutory limits.

Health Expenses

Qualifying accident-related health expenses fall within the relevant compulsory insurance framework, subject to the applicable legislation governing treatment expenses.

Permanent Disability and Death

Serious bodily injury causing permanent disability may generate substantial compensation. Where the accident causes death, qualifying persons may potentially pursue loss-of-support compensation.

Different legal requirements apply to each category.

What Are the Compulsory Traffic Insurance Limits in Turkey in 2026?

Turkey increased compulsory traffic insurance limits for 2026.

According to the official SEDDK table applicable from 1 January 2026 through 31 December 2026, for motor vehicles used to transport persons the principal limits are:

Property Damage: TRY 400,000 per vehicle and TRY 800,000 per accident.

Health Expenses: TRY 3,600,000 per person and TRY 18,000,000 per accident.

Permanent Disability and Death: TRY 3,600,000 per person and TRY 18,000,000 per accident.

Different aggregate limits apply to some other vehicle groups.

For example, motorcycles have a TRY 10.8 million aggregate accident limit for health expenses and disability/death, while certain goods-carrying vehicles have a TRY 36 million aggregate accident limit.

These amounts represent insurance coverage limits. They do not mean that every accident automatically produces compensation equal to the maximum limit.

What Changed in the 2026 Insurance Limits?

The increase is substantial.

For 2026, the property-damage limit increased from TRY 300,000 to TRY 400,000, while the bodily injury limit increased from TRY 2.7 million to TRY 3.6 million.

SEDDK also announced that the updated limits apply to existing compulsory traffic insurance contracts without collection of an additional premium.

For foreign victims involved in serious accidents, using the correct 2026 limits is particularly important. Older online guides may contain figures that are no longer applicable.

How Does a Foreigner Start a Compensation Claim?

The first stage is to identify the accident, responsible vehicle and applicable insurer correctly.

The claimant should collect the available evidence and submit the required compensation application with supporting documentation.

Depending on the claim, relevant documents may include:

Accident Report

Police or Gendarmerie Records

Vehicle Registration Information

Insurance Information

Passport or Identification Documents

Photographs and Videos

Medical Records

Disability Documentation

Repair and Expert Reports

Income Documentation

Death and Family Documents

The precise documentation required will depend on whether the claim concerns property damage, bodily injury, permanent disability or death.

Why Is Fault Important?

Compulsory traffic insurance is liability-based protection.

Therefore, fault can have a direct effect on compensation.

If the insured driver is entirely responsible for the accident, the analysis differs from a situation in which the claimant is also partly responsible.

Where legally relevant contributory fault exists, compensation may be reduced.

Foreign victims should therefore preserve independent evidence of the accident.

Dashcam recordings, CCTV footage, photographs, witnesses, accident reports, road conditions and expert evidence can become important where fault is disputed.

Can a Foreigner Claim Vehicle Repair Costs?

Potentially, yes.

If another insured vehicle causes damage to the foreigner’s vehicle, qualifying repair costs may be claimed within the applicable compulsory insurance framework.

Evidence can include:

• accident documentation;
• photographs;
• repair estimates;
• expert reports;
• invoices;
• damaged-part information; and
• vehicle records.

The 2026 property-damage limit for the principal vehicle categories is TRY 400,000 per vehicle.

Where actual losses exceed available insurance coverage, potential claims against the responsible persons may need separate consideration.

Can Foreigners Claim Vehicle Diminution in Value?

Potentially, where the legal requirements are satisfied.

A vehicle may be professionally repaired after an accident but still lose market value because of its accident and repair history.

This loss is commonly described as vehicle diminution in value.

The amount depends on factors such as the nature of the damage, repair history, vehicle characteristics and other legally relevant considerations.

Foreign owners should not assume that repair-cost reimbursement necessarily resolves every potential property-damage claim.

Can a Foreign Tourist Driving a Rental Car Claim Compensation?

Potentially, but rental-car cases require additional analysis.

The tourist should preserve the rental agreement and investigate:

• compulsory insurance;
• comprehensive motor insurance;
• collision damage waiver;
• deductible provisions;
• supplementary insurance;
• credit-card coverage; and
• accident-reporting requirements.

If another driver caused the accident, the rental arrangement does not automatically eliminate potential claims against that driver’s compulsory insurer.

However, vehicle ownership and the rental contract may affect who can claim particular categories of property damage.

Can Foreign Passengers Claim Compensation?

Yes, potentially.

Foreign passengers injured in taxis, private vehicles, airport transfers, buses, tour vehicles or rental cars may have compensation rights.

The fact that the victim was not driving does not eliminate compulsory traffic insurance protection.

Every vehicle involved in the collision should be investigated because the relevant insurer depends on the accident circumstances and allocation of liability.

Can Foreign Pedestrians Claim Compensation?

Potentially, yes.

A foreign pedestrian struck by an insured motor vehicle may have compensation rights under Turkish traffic and insurance law.

The pedestrian’s nationality or tourist status does not, by itself, prevent a claim.

Fault nevertheless remains important.

Traffic lights, pedestrian crossings, vehicle speed, visibility, road conditions, CCTV footage and witness evidence may affect the assessment.

Can Foreigners Claim Permanent Disability Compensation?

Potentially, yes.

Where a traffic accident causes permanent physical or functional impairment, permanent disability compensation may become one of the most valuable parts of the claim.

The calculation can depend on:

• age;
• income;
• occupation;
• medical disability;
• fault;
• accident-related causation;
• earning capacity; and
• applicable actuarial principles.

For relevant vehicle categories, the compulsory traffic insurance limit for permanent disability and death is TRY 3.6 million per person in 2026.

However, the actual compensation is calculated individually.

A 25% disability finding, for example, does not automatically mean that the claimant receives 25% of TRY 3.6 million.

Can Foreign Income Be Used in the Compensation Calculation?

Potentially, and this can be extremely important for foreign victims.

A foreign national may earn their income entirely outside Turkey.

Relevant evidence may include:

• employment contracts;
• salary statements;
• tax returns;
• bank statements;
• employer letters;
• social security documentation;
• invoices; and
• business records.

The treatment of income earned in euros, pounds sterling, US dollars or another foreign currency may require careful legal and actuarial analysis.

Foreign claimants should preserve original financial evidence rather than relying on unsupported statements concerning income.

What If the Accident Causes Death?

Where a foreign national dies in a traffic accident, qualifying family members may potentially pursue loss-of-support compensation.

The calculation may consider the deceased person’s age, income, profession, expected working period, spouse, children, other qualifying dependants, support shares and fault.

Foreign spouses and children living outside Turkey are not automatically excluded from compensation.

Foreign marriage certificates, birth certificates, income records and other official documents may need certified Turkish translation and, depending on their origin and intended use, appropriate authentication.

Can Compensation Exceed the Insurance Limit?

Potentially.

The insurer’s coverage ceiling is not necessarily the same as the total amount of damages for which all legally responsible persons may ultimately be liable.

For example, a young high-income foreign professional who suffers catastrophic permanent disability may have substantial long-term economic losses.

If the proven damage exceeds compulsory insurance coverage, additional claims against the driver, vehicle operator, owner, employer or another legally responsible party may need to be investigated.

Additional insurance policies may also exist.

What If Several People Are Injured in the Same Accident?

This is where the distinction between per-person and per-accident limits becomes important.

For motor vehicles used to transport persons in 2026, the disability/death coverage is TRY 3.6 million per person but TRY 18 million per accident.

Therefore, where a bus, taxi, transfer vehicle or another vehicle is involved in an accident affecting several people, the aggregate accident limit may become legally significant.

Foreign claimants should not examine only the individual limit.

What If the Responsible Vehicle Has No Compulsory Insurance?

The ordinary compulsory insurer cannot pay under a policy that does not exist.

However, this does not necessarily mean that an injured foreigner has no remedy.

Turkey’s Guarantee Account may provide protection for qualifying bodily injury and death claims in specified circumstances involving uninsured vehicles.

The Guarantee Account may also become relevant in certain cases where the responsible vehicle cannot be identified.

Property damage requires separate analysis because the Guarantee Account does not simply replace a missing compulsory insurer for every category of damage.

What If the Driver Flees the Accident Scene?

Hit-and-run accidents should be documented immediately.

Foreign victims should try to preserve police records, CCTV footage, witness details, dashcam recordings, photographs and medical evidence.

Where the responsible vehicle cannot be identified, Guarantee Account protection may potentially become relevant for qualifying bodily injury or death claims.

Early evidence preservation is particularly important because surveillance footage may be deleted after a relatively short period.

What If the Insurance Company Rejects the Claim?

An insurance rejection does not necessarily mean that the compensation process has ended.

The first step should be to determine why the insurer rejected or reduced the claim.

Common disputes can concern:

Fault

Causation

Insurance Coverage

Disability Percentage

Income

Vehicle Damage

Diminution in Value

Amount of Compensation

Missing Documentation

Depending on the circumstances, the claimant may submit additional documentation, challenge the insurer’s calculation, apply to the Insurance Arbitration Commission or pursue court proceedings.

Can Foreigners Apply to the Insurance Arbitration Commission?

Potentially, yes.

The Insurance Arbitration Commission provides a specialized dispute-resolution mechanism for qualifying insurance disputes.

However, there is an important practical rule for foreign nationals.

The Commission currently states that online applications require identity verification through the Turkish e-Government system. Therefore, foreign nationals can currently submit applications only physically.

A foreign claimant using a lawyer should also ensure that the power of attorney contains the special authority required for alternative dispute resolution or direct application to the Insurance Arbitration Commission.

This procedural detail can prevent avoidable delays.

What Are the 2026 Insurance Arbitration Application Fees?

The Insurance Arbitration Commission updated its application-fee tariff effective 16 July 2026.

Under the current tariff:

For disputes between TRY 0 and TRY 8,500, the application fee is TRY 600.

For disputes between TRY 8,501 and TRY 17,000, the fee is TRY 1,200.

For disputes between TRY 17,001 and TRY 85,000, the fee is TRY 1,750.

For disputes exceeding TRY 85,001, the fee is 1.8% of the disputed amount, subject to a minimum of TRY 1,750.

Foreign claimants considering insurance arbitration should therefore use the current tariff rather than outdated fee information.

Can Foreigners File a Lawsuit Against the Insurance Company?

Potentially, yes, subject to the applicable procedural requirements.

Insurance litigation may become necessary where liability or compensation remains disputed.

Depending on the case, proceedings may also involve the driver, vehicle operator, owner or other responsible persons.

The appropriate court, mandatory preliminary procedures, jurisdiction, evidence and limitation periods should be evaluated before filing.

For foreign claimants, representation through an appropriately authorized Turkish lawyer may make it possible to pursue much of the process without remaining physically in Turkey.

Can a Foreigner Continue the Claim After Leaving Turkey?

Yes, in many cases.

A tourist injured in Turkey may return home before the insurance claim is completed.

Before leaving, the claimant should try to obtain copies of all important accident and medical records.

A properly authorized Turkish lawyer may then potentially handle the insurance claim, arbitration or litigation.

Where a power of attorney is issued abroad, notarization, apostille or consular certification and Turkish translation may need to be considered depending on the country and document.

What Should Foreigners Avoid After an Accident?

Several mistakes can significantly weaken a compensation claim.

Foreign victims should be cautious about signing documents they do not understand, accepting fault without reviewing the evidence, discarding medical records, accepting an early settlement before permanent injuries are known or signing a full release without understanding its consequences.

The claimant should also avoid waiting unnecessarily.

Evidence can disappear and procedural deadlines can expire.

A well-organized claim should begin with evidence preservation.

What Changed in Compulsory Traffic Insurance Procedures in 2026?

Several important developments occurred in 2026.

SEDDK published amendments to the Compulsory Motor Liability Insurance General Conditions on 12 June 2026.

On 17 June 2026, SEDDK also published Circular No. 2026/13, concerning the submission of beneficiaries’ contact numbers in compulsory traffic insurance compensation claims.

Further developments followed in July.

SEDDK issued Circular No. 2026/21 concerning the Alo 193 Insurance Claim Notification and Complaint Line and Circular No. 2026/22 concerning motor vehicle insurance damage applications through the Common Claim Notification Center on 24 July 2026.

These developments form part of the continuing digitalization and centralization of insurance claim-notification procedures in Turkey.

Foreign claimants should therefore ensure that their applications comply with current 2026 procedures rather than relying exclusively on older online information.

Why Legal Assistance Can Be Important for Foreign Claimants

Compulsory traffic insurance claims may appear straightforward after a minor vehicle accident, but serious foreign-national claims can become technically complex.

A claim may involve permanent disability, foreign income, medical treatment in several countries, disputed fault, multiple vehicles, foreign family documents, uninsured drivers, Guarantee Account protection or damages exceeding insurance limits.

There may also be strategic choices between direct settlement, insurance arbitration and court litigation.

Fırat Fesih Kaya provides legal assistance to foreign nationals concerning compulsory traffic insurance claims, serious traffic accidents, permanent disability, death compensation, foreign income, vehicle damage, diminution in value, uninsured vehicles, Guarantee Account applications, Insurance Arbitration Commission proceedings and compensation litigation in Turkey.

A detailed legal assessment can help determine not merely whether insurance coverage exists, but whether all available compensation rights have been identified.

Frequently Asked Questions About Compulsory Traffic Insurance Claims in Turkey

1. Can a foreigner claim compensation from Turkish compulsory traffic insurance?

Yes, potentially. Foreign nationality does not generally prevent an accident victim from pursuing compensation where the applicable liability and insurance conditions are satisfied.

2. What is the compulsory traffic insurance limit in Turkey in 2026?

For the principal vehicle categories, the 2026 limits include TRY 400,000 per vehicle for property damage and TRY 3.6 million per person for health expenses and permanent disability/death. Aggregate per-accident limits also apply.

3. Can a foreign tourist claim after returning home?

Yes, in many cases. A properly authorized Turkish lawyer may potentially pursue the claim after the tourist has returned abroad.

4. Can foreigners claim permanent disability compensation?

Potentially, yes. Compensation can depend on medical disability, age, income, occupation, fault and applicable actuarial calculations.

5. Can my foreign salary be considered in the compensation calculation?

Potentially. Reliable evidence of foreign earnings can be highly important, particularly in permanent disability and fatal accident claims.

6. What if the insurance company refuses to pay?

Depending on the reason for rejection, additional claims procedures, Insurance Arbitration Commission proceedings or litigation may be available.

7. Can foreign nationals apply online to the Insurance Arbitration Commission?

The Commission currently states that foreign nationals can only make physical applications because its online application process requires e-Government identity verification.

8. What if the responsible vehicle had no insurance?

The Turkish Guarantee Account may potentially provide protection for qualifying bodily injury and death claims involving uninsured vehicles. Claims against responsible persons may also remain available.

9. Should I accept the insurer’s first settlement offer?

Not automatically. Before accepting a final settlement, the claimant should understand how fault, disability, income, insurance limits and other losses were calculated and whether a release affects future claims.

10. Can compensation be higher than the compulsory traffic insurance limit?

Potentially. The insurer’s coverage limit does not necessarily represent the maximum liability of every responsible person. Additional claims against the driver, operator, owner or other responsible parties may need to be considered.

Legal Support for Foreigners Claiming Traffic Insurance Compensation in Turkey

A foreign national injured in Turkey should not assume that dealing directly with an insurance company is the only step required to obtain full compensation.

Serious accidents can involve permanent disability, loss of earning capacity, foreign-currency income, vehicle damage, loss of support following death, multiple defendants and disputes concerning fault or insurance coverage.

Our law office provides professional legal assistance to foreign tourists, residents, employees, investors and other foreign nationals concerning compulsory traffic insurance compensation, permanent disability claims, fatal accident compensation, vehicle damage, diminution in value, foreign income claims, uninsured vehicles, Guarantee Account applications, Insurance Arbitration Commission proceedings and compensation lawsuits in Turkey.

If you have been involved in a traffic accident in Turkey, you may contact us for an individual assessment of the accident, applicable insurance coverage, potential compensation and available legal remedies.

Working with an experienced Turkish insurance and compensation lawyer can help identify all responsible parties, preserve critical evidence, evaluate the insurer’s offer and prevent a serious compensation claim from being undervalued.

Phone: +90 312 434 22 22
Mobile: +90 532 769 22 22
Email: info@firatfesihkaya.av.tr
Address: Mevlana Boulevard No: 221, Yıldırım Tower No: 148, 06520 Balgat, Çankaya, Ankara, Turkey

For professional legal assistance concerning a compulsory traffic insurance compensation claim in Turkey in 2026, you may contact our law office for a case-specific assessment of property damage, bodily injury, permanent disability, death compensation, foreign income, insurance limits and available legal remedies.