Shipping Samples and Products to Turkish Trade Fairs: Planning Backwards from Opening Day | 0551247117
Shipping samples and exhibits from Saudi Arabia to trade fairs in Turkey: planning backwards from the fair date, air or sea, customs points and temporary import, and delivery to the fair venue.
Taking part in a trade fair in Istanbul or another Turkish city has one rule that allows no flexibility: the date. A sample or product that arrives a day after the fair opens is worth almost nothing — the booth is paid for and visitors won’t wait. That makes shipping samples and exhibition goods a different kind of shipping, planned backwards from the fair date, with customs documentation suited to the exhibits and arrangements for what returns afterwards. In this guide we explain all of it step by step.
Article map12ShowHide
- Planning backwards from the fair date
- Air or sea?
- Customs points specific to fairs
- Delivery to the fair venue
- After the fair
- Frequently asked questions
- When should I ship samples for the fair?
- Are samples subject to duties in Turkey?
- What documents does a fair shipment need?
- Do you deliver directly to the fair venue?
- Can exhibits be returned after the fair?
- Can food be shipped as samples?
Planning backwards from the fair date
Air or sea?
| Criterion | Air | Sea |
|---|---|---|
| Timing | A few days | Weeks |
| Cost | Higher per kilogram | Lower for large quantities |
| Best for | Samples, small products and promotional materials | Large, heavy exhibits and pallets |
| Room for delay | Greater | Smaller; needs very early planning |
Customs points specific to fairs
- Samples aren’t always commercial goods: their classification may differ, but it needs clear documentation from the start.
- Proof of participation: the fair invitation or booth contract supports classing the shipment as exhibits.
- A detailed list with values: each sample with its estimated value speeds clearance a lot.
- What returns and what stays: exhibits that will return after the fair may be admitted under temporary import with conditions and guarantees — tell us in advance, as it changes the procedure.
- Promotional materials: brochures and giveaways are listed separately from samples.
- Food and cosmetics: need extra requirements even as samples.
Delivery to the fair venue
After the fair
Plan what happens after the fair before it starts: what returns to Saudi Arabia, and what is sold, given away or stays in Turkey? Exhibits admitted temporarily must leave within the permitted period with the same documents. For those continuing to export to Turkey after the fair, read import and export with Turkey.
For the destination page see shipping to Turkey.
Frequently asked questions
When should I ship samples for the fair?
We work it out backwards from the booth build-up date with a safety margin: days ahead by air, weeks by sea.
Are samples subject to duties in Turkey?
It depends on their nature, value and whether they return after the fair; some exhibits are admitted temporarily under conditions.
What documents does a fair shipment need?
Proof of participation, a detailed list with values, an invoice, and the consignee’s details in Turkey.
Do you deliver directly to the fair venue?
Yes, coordinating with the fair’s delivery times and official forwarder if there is one, or to a nearby warehouse.
Can exhibits be returned after the fair?
Yes, and this must be planned before shipping because it changes the customs procedure.
Can food be shipped as samples?
It can, with extra requirements, so tell us early.
Turn what you just read into a quote
Send your shipment details and receive a written quote with the price, transit time and the best shipping mode.
More from this section
Related reads on the same type of service.
