Car Shipping from Turkey to Afghanistan
With Delta Global, car shipping to Afghanistan from Türkiye runs by road from Mersin port to the border. Cars that arrive at Mersin by sea are transferred inside the port onto an open car carrier, trucked across Iran in transit under a TIR guarantee and delivered to Islam Qala, the main crossing into western Afghanistan. A sealed container is available on request.
How Car Shipping to Afghanistan from Turkey Works
In one line: the car arrives at Mersin port by sea, is transferred inside the port onto a car carrier, leaves Türkiye in transit, drives about 1,150 km to the Gürbulak–Bazargan border, crosses roughly 2,070 km of Iran under a TIR carnet and is delivered at Dogharoun and Islam Qala.
So the whole trip after Mersin is road freight, with no second sea leg and no Gulf port. As a result, car shipping to Afghanistan through Türkiye avoids the two routes that are blocked in 2026. At Islam Qala, your clearing agent takes over.
Mersin port → Gürbulak / Bazargan → Tabriz → Tehran → Mashhad → Dogharoun → Islam Qala
Why Car Shipping to Afghanistan Now Runs Through Türkiye
For years, most cars for western Afghanistan came through the Gulf and Bandar Abbas. However, 2026 changed that.
- The Gulf sea legs are not running. Since late February 2026 the Strait of Hormuz has been largely closed to commercial shipping. In addition, Iran’s ports, including Bandar Abbas, have been under a naval blockade since April 2026.
- The Pakistan crossings are closed to trade. Torkham has been shut since October 2025, so the old Karachi route is not an option either.
- Islam Qala keeps working. Around 1,200–1,300 trucks a day still cross there, and it remains the main western gateway into Afghanistan.
Live conditions, October 2026: because so much trade has moved onto the roads, border queues are long. Trucks waited 12–25 days for Iranian customs at Gürbulak in September (Reuters via TimesLive), and long queues also built up at Dogharoun in October.
Therefore we never promise a fixed date. Instead, we check the live queue at each border and give you an honest transit window with the quote.
The Route for Car Shipping to Afghanistan, Leg by Leg
Mersin is Türkiye’s main Mediterranean gateway, so cars from Europe, the US and Asia arrive there by sea. From the port onwards, these are road distances on the standard truck route. Some trucks cross at Kapıköy–Razi or Esendere instead of Gürbulak–Bazargan when the queue is shorter.
| Leg | Road distance | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Mersin port | — | First, we collect the car against the bill of lading and transfer it onto the car carrier inside the port. Then Turkish customs records it in transit and the TIR carnet is opened. |
| Mersin → Gürbulak (Türkiye exit) | ≈ 1,150 km | The car carrier crosses Türkiye, so the car never enters the Turkish market. |
| Bazargan → Tabriz | ≈ 280 km | Iranian customs records the truck in transit, so the car stays transit cargo. |
| Tabriz → Tehran | ≈ 625 km | The truck then follows the main east–west highway, without unloading. |
| Tehran → Mashhad | ≈ 900 km | This is the longest leg, so it normally takes one to two days. |
| Mashhad → Dogharoun / Islam Qala | ≈ 270 km | Iranian exit at Dogharoun comes first; after that, the car is delivered at Islam Qala. |
| Mersin → Islam Qala, total | ≈ 3,230 km | About 9–11 days when borders run normally |
Distances are rounded road distances on the main highway route. Herat lies about 120 km beyond Islam Qala.
How Your Car Travels: Car Carrier as Standard, Container on Request
Open car carrier (standard)
- The most economical way to move a car on this lane
- Loads straight from the ship’s cargo inside Mersin port
- Quick to dispatch, so the car spends less time at the port
- Suits everyday running cars, which is almost every car we move
- Cars travel empty, apart from their standard equipment
Sealed container (on request)
- Fully enclosed, so dust, stone chips and weather never reach the paint
- Better for high-value, classic or non-running cars
- A 20ft carries one car, while a 40ft high-cube carries two to four
- Costs more per car than a car carrier
- Tell us when you book, because it needs a box and loading time
In short, almost every customer chooses the car carrier. However, if the car is valuable or cannot drive, a container is worth the extra cost, and we arrange it on request.
How Long Car Shipping to Afghanistan Takes from Mersin
These are typical times when borders run normally. However, in 2026 we add the live queue at each border to every quote.
| Stage | Normal time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Transfer and transit papers at Mersin port | 1–2 days | Faster when the bill of lading and title are ready before the ship arrives. |
| Mersin → Gürbulak | About 2 days | About 1,150 km across Türkiye. |
| Iranian border formalities | 1 day or more | In autumn 2026 this is where most of the delay sits. |
| Bazargan → Dogharoun | 4–5 days | About 2,070 km across Iran in transit. |
| Delivery at Islam Qala | On arrival | Then your clearing agent takes over the car. |
| Mersin port → Islam Qala | 9–11 days | Plus any border queue |
On the other hand, a missing title, a wrong VIN on the invoice, a pre-2005 model or a right-hand-drive car would stop the car at the border. That is why we check those points before the car leaves Mersin.
Will the Car Be Accepted at Islam Qala?
We deliver to the border, but a car that Afghanistan refuses is wasted freight. So check these points before you buy or ship.
Sources: pre-2005 import ban (Khaama Press, June 2024) · right-hand-drive ban (Etilaatroz, July 2026).
Documents for Car Shipping to Afghanistan from Turkey
| Document | Who provides it | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Bill of lading to Mersin | Seller or shipper | We need it to collect the car at Mersin port. |
| Original title / registration | Seller or owner | It travels with the car, so the VIN and year can be checked at both borders. |
| Purchase invoice or sales contract | Seller | It shows the value, so the VIN and year must match the title. |
| Turkish transit declaration | Delta Global (Türkiye team) | It lets the car pass through Türkiye in transit, without being imported. |
| TIR carnet and CMR | Carrier, arranged by us | It keeps the car under bond across Iran, so no Iranian duty applies. |
| Consignee name and ID | Afghan importer | It goes on the transit papers, and your clearing agent also needs it at Islam Qala. |
We send a document checklist with every booking. In addition, we check the scans before the ship reaches Mersin, because a problem fixed early costs far less than one found at the border.
What Delta Global Handles, and What the Importer Handles
We handle
- Collecting the car at Mersin port against the bill of lading
- Transferring it onto the car carrier inside the port (or into a container on request)
- The Turkish transit declaration, and then the TIR carnet
- Trucking through Iran in transit until Dogharoun
- Delivery at the Islam Qala border
- Milestone updates at Mersin, at each border and on arrival
Your side
- The ocean freight to Mersin, booked by the seller or shipper
- Buying an eligible car: left-hand drive, 2005 or newer, clean papers
- Afghan customs clearance at Islam Qala through your licensed clearing agent
- Duty, taxes and onward transport inside Afghanistan
What Decides the Price of Car Shipping to Afghanistan
We quote each car instead of publishing one rate, because road freight through Iran moves week to week. Instead, here is what moves the number:
- Car carrier or container. This is the biggest lever. A space on a car carrier costs far less than a dedicated container.
- Vehicle size and weight. A sedan fits any carrier deck, whereas a large SUV, pickup or van takes more space.
- Number of cars. Several cars arriving together are easier to plan, so they can lower the cost per car.
- Border conditions. Queue times at Gürbulak and Dogharoun, and the season, both affect truck rates.
Afghan duty and taxes are not part of our price, because clearance happens on your side of the border.
Other Ways to Get a Car into Afghanistan in 2026
| Route | How it works | Status and best use |
|---|---|---|
| Türkiye overland (this page) | Mersin port, then car carrier through Iran to Islam Qala | Running. Best when the car arrives at Mersin by sea from Europe, the US or Asia. |
| Dubai via Bandar Abbas | Jebel Ali to Bandar Abbas by sea, then road to Islam Qala | Blocked while Iran’s ports are under blockade. See UAE to Afghanistan shipping for the latest. |
| Karachi via Torkham | Sea to Karachi, then road through Pakistan | Closed to trade since October 2025. |
| Caucasus and Caspian | Türkiye to Georgia and Azerbaijan, then a Caspian ferry to Turkmenistan and Torghundi | More borders and a sea crossing, so it is worth it only when Iran transit is not possible. |
Why Afghan Importers Ship with Delta Global
An Office in Türkiye
A Delta Global office in Bursa handles the Türkiye side, so problems at Mersin get fixed locally.
Transfer Inside the Port
Cars move from the ship’s cargo onto the car carrier inside Mersin port, so they never leave customs control.
Transit, Not Import
The car crosses Türkiye and Iran in transit under a TIR guarantee, so no Turkish or Iranian duty applies.
On This Corridor Since 2011
Delta Global has run the Türkiye–Afghanistan road corridor for years, for cargo and now for cars.
Dari, Turkish and English
Talk to someone who knows Mersin, the Iranian borders and Islam Qala, in your own language.
Milestone Updates
You get updates at Mersin, at the Iranian border, in Iran and at Islam Qala, so you always know where the car is.
انتقال موتر از ترکیه به افغانستان: از بندر مرسین با موترکش، از راه ایران، تا مرز اسلام قلعه. این صفحه را به دری بخوانید.
Car Shipping to Afghanistan from Turkey — FAQ
Route and transit
How long does car shipping to Afghanistan from Turkey take?
When borders run normally, a car takes about 9–11 days from Mersin port to Islam Qala: one to two days for the transfer and transit papers at Mersin, about two days to the Iranian border, then four to five days across Iran. However, in autumn 2026 queues at Gürbulak and Dogharoun have added one to three weeks, so we confirm a live transit window with every quote.
How far is Mersin from Afghanistan?
By road, Mersin to the Islam Qala border is about 3,230 km on the main route through Gürbulak, Tabriz, Tehran and Mashhad. Herat is a further 120 km, so Mersin to Herat is about 3,350 km.
How many kilometres is it from Mersin to Bazargan?
About 1,150 km by road from Mersin port to the Gürbulak (Türkiye) – Bazargan (Iran) border gate near Doğubayazıt. A loaded truck normally drives it in about two days, before any border queue.
How the service works
Does my car travel on a car carrier or in a container?
Almost every car on this lane travels on an open car carrier, because it is the most economical option and the car loads straight from the port. If you prefer, we can ship it in a sealed container instead, which suits high-value, classic or non-running cars but costs more per car.
Can you move a car bought in Europe or at a US auction?
Yes, as long as it arrives at Mersin port. The seller or shipper books the ocean leg to Mersin; we then collect the car in the port against the bill of lading, transfer it onto the car carrier and send it on to Islam Qala. The car must be left-hand drive and a 2005 model or newer.
Do you clear the car through Afghan customs?
No. Our service ends at Islam Qala. Afghan customs clearance, duty and taxes are handled by the importer through a licensed clearing agent at the border, and onward transport inside Afghanistan is arranged by the importer too.
Eligibility and price
What does “delivered Islam Qala, duty unpaid” mean?
It is how many Herat dealers price imported cars: the car is delivered to the Islam Qala border, and the buyer then clears it and pays the Afghan duty. Our price works the same way, so you can compare it directly with dealer offers.
Can I ship a right-hand-drive or pre-2005 car to Afghanistan?
No. Afghan customs stopped clearing right-hand-drive cars on 2 July 2026, and since June 2024 cars made before 2005 have been banned. Such a car would be stopped at Islam Qala, so we do not ship it.
How much does car shipping to Afghanistan from Turkey cost?
The price depends on the transport mode (car carrier or container), the size of each car, how many cars you send and the border situation. Rates on this lane move week to week, so we quote the live rate on request, usually the same business day.
Ship Your Car from Mersin to Islam Qala
Send the car’s make, model, year, VIN and expected arrival date at Mersin. We reply with the transport option, the live rate and an honest transit window, usually the same business day.