A Guide to Mersin Customs and Port

Mersin, on Turkey’s eastern Mediterranean coast, is one of the country’s most important ports. Cargo for southern and central Turkey arrives here, and so does a large share of transit cargo heading overland to the Middle East.

Mersin International Port (MIP)

The main port in Mersin is Mersin International Port (MIP). It was originally a state port run by TCDD, Turkey’s state railways. In 2007 its operating rights were transferred for 36 years to a company set up by PSA International and Akfen Holding, and IFM joined as a shareholder in 2017.

Key facts:

• In 2023 MIP handled about 2 million TEU of containers and more than 8 million tonnes of conventional cargo.
• It is a multi-purpose port, handling containers, general cargo, bulk, and vehicles.
• An expansion project known as EMH2 aims to raise container capacity from about 2.6 million to 3.6 million TEU a year.

Who runs customs in Mersin?

Customs in Mersin and Adana is run by the Central Mediterranean Customs and Foreign Trade Regional Directorate (Orta Akdeniz Gümrük ve Dış Ticaret Bölge Müdürlüğü). It is part of the Ministry of Trade and is based in Mersin.

The customs directorates in the region include:

In Mersin

• Mersin Gümrük Müdürlüğü, the main customs office for the port
• Mersin Serbest Bölge Gümrük Müdürlüğü, for the Mersin Free Zone (Karaduvar, Akdeniz district)
• Mersin Akaryakıt Gümrük Müdürlüğü, for fuel
• Taşucu Gümrük Müdürlüğü, at Taşucu port in Silifke, west of Mersin

In Adana and the surrounding area

• Adana Gümrük Müdürlüğü
• Çukurova Havalimanı Gümrük Müdürlüğü (Çukurova Airport, set up in 2022)
• Botaş, Gölovası, and İncirlik customs directorates, plus the Yumurtalık Free Zone office

As always, check the regional directorate’s website for the current list. Office names and duties can change.

Mersin Free Zone

The Mersin Free Zone, right next to the port, is one of Turkey’s oldest free zones. Goods can be stored, processed, or re-exported there without first being imported into Turkey. This makes it useful for regional distribution and transit trade.

Mersin as a transit gateway

Many shipments reach Mersin by sea and then continue by road under transit to the Middle East. A common route runs east to the Habur gate with Iraq. Other cargo leaves Mersin for the rest of the Mediterranean, or arrives from Asia for distribution inside Turkey.

For transit cargo, the usual steps are:

1. The ship arrives and the cargo is unloaded into temporary storage at the port.
2. A transit declaration (TIR or NCTS) is opened at Mersin customs.
3. The truck travels under customs control to the exit gate, where the transit is closed.

Practical tips

1. Book trucks early. When the port is busy, trucks and storage space at the port can be hard to find.
2. Watch free time and storage charges. Containers left too long at the port can cost demurrage and storage fees.
3. Prepare transit documents before the ship arrives. This helps the cargo leave the port faster.
4. Check final-destination rules. If cargo goes on to a neighbouring country, make sure its certificates and permits are ready too.

AntEX connects Turkey’s seas to its roads. We follow sea cargo from Mersin to its final border with care and attention, and with continuous tracking.