The A.TR movement certificate (A.TR dolaşım belgesi) is a document showing that industrial products and processed agricultural products are in free circulation under the Customs Union between Türkiye and the EU. No customs duty is charged in the importing EU country on goods travelling with an A.TR. The certificate does not prove the origin of the goods; it is issued electronically by the exporter and endorsed by the customs office.
In which trade and for which products is the A.TR used?
The Customs Union between Türkiye and the EU, which entered into force on 1 January 1996, subjects industrial products and processed agricultural products to the free circulation rule. If goods within this scope are in free circulation in Türkiye, i.e. customs duties have been paid and they have left customs supervision, they enter EU countries duty-free with an A.TR. The same rule applies to goods coming from the EU to Türkiye. For how the Customs Union works, see the Türkiye–EU Customs Union.
Two groups fall outside the scope: unprocessed agricultural products and European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) products. Trade in these products with the EU is subject to separate preferential agreements and, if they meet the preferential rules of origin, is carried out with an EUR.1 or an invoice declaration.
Why is the A.TR important?
The benefit of the certificate goes not to the exporter but to the importer in the EU. A shipment can be made without an A.TR and the exit from Türkiye is completed; in that case, however, the importer pays the customs duty the EU applies to third countries. For a EUR 100,000 shipment subject to a 4% duty under the Common Customs Tariff, this means an extra cost of EUR 4,000 for the importer. This is why buyers often write an A.TR requirement into the sales contract from the start.
What is the difference between the A.TR and the EUR.1?
| Criterion | A.TR | EUR.1 |
|---|---|---|
| Legal basis | Türkiye–EU Customs Union | Free trade and preferential trade agreements |
| What it proves | Free circulation | Preferential origin |
| Rules of origin required? | No | Yes |
| Typical use | Trade in industrial products with the EU | FTA partner countries; agricultural and ECSC products with the EU |
For a detailed comparison, see A.TR vs EUR.1.
Who issues the A.TR and how?
- Scope check: Whether the goods fall within the Customs Union is determined from their GTİP (Turkish HS/tariff code). An unprocessed agricultural product such as fresh fruit, or a steel product within the ECSC scope, cannot be shipped with an A.TR.
- Free circulation check: Goods imported from a third country on which duties have been paid are also in free circulation and can obtain an A.TR. For goods produced with imported inputs on which duty has not been paid under the inward processing regime, however, the legislation should be examined separately, as additional obligations may arise before an A.TR is issued.
- Electronic application: Through MEDOS (Menşe İspat ve Dolaşım Belgelerinin Otomasyonu Sistemi – the automation system for origin and movement certificates), launched by the Ministry of Trade (Ticaret Bakanlığı) on 24 April 2018, A.TR certificates linked to an export declaration are issued only electronically. The approval stage runs through the body under TOBB, TİM or TESK to which the exporter belongs.
- Customs endorsement: The certificate is endorsed electronically by the customs office together with the export declaration.
- Transmission to the buyer: The certificate details are sent to the buyer for use in the import declaration in the EU.
Common mistakes
- Treating the A.TR as proof of origin. For a product subject to an anti-dumping measure, the importer in the EU may additionally request a certificate of origin.
- Shipping to the United Kingdom with an A.TR. Since the UK has left the EU, its trade with Türkiye is subject to a separate free trade agreement and its rules of origin.
- Mismatches between the number of packages and weight on the invoice and the details on the A.TR.
- Shipping an agricultural product outside the Customs Union with an A.TR and causing the buyer to pay duty.
How does Voltim Global support this?
For road shipments to the EU, Voltim Global determines at the export customs clearance stage whether an A.TR or an EUR.1 is needed based on the product scope, and compares the certificate details with the invoice and packing list. Transit procedures towards Europe are handled in the same file.