How can I rent a car from Istanbul Airport? Meeting, documents and return step by step

Short answer: You give us your flight number and landing time when you book. Our team calls you before you land and meets you at the arrivals exit after passport control and baggage claim, or you collect the car from our office at the airport. You sign the contract there with your driving licence, passport or ID and a credit card in your name. On the way back we take the car at the terminal or from your address in Istanbul. For prices and booking, see our Istanbul Airport pick-up point; this article walks through the process from start to finish.

What to prepare before your flight

• Flight number and landing time: we plan the handover around your landing time. Without these two details in the booking, we cannot plan the meeting.
• Driving licence: it must suit the car class. The minimum age and licence period for the car you choose are shown on that car's page. The full list is in our car rental requirements article.
• Passport or ID: visitors from abroad need a passport with an entry stamp dated within the last six months; residents of Turkey need their ID card.
• Credit card in your name: the card must be in the driver's own name; the deposit is taken from this card.
• A car that fits your luggage: international passengers usually land with large suitcases. Two people with two large cases are comfortable in a saloon with room for 4 bags; families with a lot of luggage are better off in an SUV. See the models on our cars page.

If you are coming from abroad

You can rent with your passport, your own national driving licence and an international driving permit. A licence issued abroad can be used in Turkey for up to 6 months from your date of entry. Visa and Mastercard cards issued abroad are accepted. The details are in our renting a car in Istanbul as a foreign visitor article. Our cars cannot be taken outside Turkey.

How the meeting at the terminal works

Istanbul Airport is a very large terminal, so we do not leave the meeting to chance. Our team phones you before you land and confirms the meeting point. You are met at the arrivals exit for domestic or international flights. On an international flight you first pass passport control and collect your bags, and we meet you as you come out. If you would rather collect the car from our office at the airport, just say so when you book.

The contract and the handover

• Documents: we check your licence, passport or ID and credit card, and you sign the contract. Keep a copy of the signed contract with you.
• Checking the car: we go over damage, mileage and fuel level together and write them on the handover form. Photograph all four corners of the car and the dashboard with your phone. Our pickup and return checklist lists what to look at, point by point.
• Fuel: the car is handed over with a full tank; on return, the level written in the contract is expected.

What to know as you drive out of the airport

Every car in our fleet has an HGS toll tag. Bridge, tunnel and toll motorway crossings are paid through it: the usage record reaches us from the highways authority after your rental ends and is charged to the card you used for the rental. Because that record sometimes arrives late, the charge can appear some time after your rental. The airport is on the European side, in Arnavutköy: by car it is about 1 hour 10 minutes to Taksim and 1 hour 15 minutes to Kadıköy without traffic. To see which airport is closer to where you are staying, read our Istanbul Airport or Sabiha Gökçen? comparison.

What if my flight is delayed or I land at night?

If your landing time changes, call our 24/7 line: +90 850 305 00 45. We re-plan the handover for your new landing time. We also deliver to the airport for night arrivals.

How to return the car

• At the terminal: you can hand the car back at the terminal before your return flight. If you are not flying, the airport is on the M11 Gayrettepe – Istanbul Airport – Halkalı metro line, so you can leave the car there and take the metro into the city.
• From your address: we can also collect the car from your address in Istanbul; on rentals of 3 days or more, delivery and collection at your address are free.
• At another point: dropping the car at Sabiha Gökçen or another of our points carries a one-way fee; see our one-way car rental article.
• Time and deposit: a grace period of up to 60 minutes applies on return. The deposit is refunded to the same card after any charges not included in the booking are deducted, and it shows on your card within 3–5 business days.

If your flight time and the handover time do not line up, you can also collect the car from our Yenibosna Airport AVM point on the European side. Landing at Sabiha Gökçen instead? The process is in our Sabiha Gökçen article.

What changes on 1 January 2027?

Under the new regulation, a copy of the contract must be given to the renter before the car is handed over; no charge can be made for returns up to one hour late; and a toll tag is fitted free of charge at the renter's request. The full list is in our 2027 regulation article.

Frequently asked questions