Paying a foreign supplier from your Turkish account: the documents the bank wants before it sends
An outgoing foreign-currency transfer for goods is an import payment, and the bank records it as one: payment form (advance, cash against goods, against documents, letter of credit), the proforma or invoice, the contract, and the customs declaration once the goods clear. Where payment follows clearance, the Resource Utilisation Support Fund (KKDF) may apply and the bank collects it. We prepare the pack for one payment, check the KKDF position with your customs broker and SMMM, draft the answers to the bank's questions in Turkish for your signature, and track the transfer to the beneficiary's bank.
Price — one outgoing payment
State fees and the notarial tariff are paid by you directly to the state or to the notary. We are not a notary and receive no remuneration from any notary, bank or lawyer.
Last verified: 24.10.2026 · source: KKDF — gib.gov.tr (Decision 88/12944 and 2015/7511); import regime and payment forms — ticaret.gov.tr; TCMB — tcmb.gov.trPilot price, valid until 31.12.2026, incl. KDV. Bank fees, state fees and the notarial tariff are separate and paid by you to them.
Payment forms and what each means at the bank
| Payment form (ödeme şekli) | When the money moves | Bank asks for | KKDF |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peşin — advance | Before shipment | Proforma, contract; GÇB later to close the file | 0% |
| Mal mukabili — cash against goods | After clearance | Commercial invoice, GÇB, contract | 6% unless goods are on a 0% list |
| Vesaik mukabili — against documents | On presentation of shipping documents | Invoice, BL/CMR, bank's collection instruction | 0% if paid before clearance; 6% if after |
| Akreditif — letter of credit | Per L/C terms | L/C application, proforma, contract | 0% sight; 6% deferred, unless listed |
| Kabul kredili — acceptance credit | At maturity of the accepted draft | Invoice, draft, GÇB | 6% unless listed |
The KKDF rate and the 0% goods lists are set by Presidential Decision and administered by the Revenue Administration; your customs broker and SMMM confirm the position for your tariff heading. We write it down; they confirm it. Source: gib.gov.tr.
How it works
Send the supplier's documents
Proforma or invoice, contract or order confirmation, the agreed Incoterm and payment form, and the bank's questions if it has already asked. Scans are fine.
Consistency and KKDF check
We check that seller, buyer, goods, amount, currency, Incoterm and payment terms agree across the documents, screen the beneficiary and its bank against public lists, and note the KKDF position for your broker and SMMM to confirm. Within one business day.
Bank pack and transfer form data
You receive the pack in the bank's order, the data for the transfer notification form, and the answers to the bank's questions in Turkish with a copy in your language. Your signatory signs.
Tracking and file closure
We log the transfer, follow it to the beneficiary's bank by reference, and remind you of the customs declaration the bank will need to close the import file on advance payments.
Typical cases
- Advance payment for machinery from Italy. Bank asks for the proforma and contract and later the customs declaration; no KKDF.
- Spare parts from China paid after arrival. Cash-against-goods; 6% KKDF unless the heading is on a 0% list; the bank will not send without the GÇB.
- Payment to an intermediary in Dubai for goods shipped from a third country; the bank wants the chain documented party by party.
- Service invoice from abroad (software licence, consulting fee); no import regime, but the bank asks about withholding and the SMMM's KDV reverse-charge note.
- Supplier's bank changed on the invoice. The bank's fraud unit asks for a confirmation on company letterhead; so do we.
What can go wrong
- Payment form on the transfer order does not match the contract. The bank's import file and your broker's declaration then disagree, and the mismatch surfaces at the tax audit.
- KKDF ignored. It is collected by the bank; if it is missed, it is assessed later with interest. We flag it; your broker and SMMM confirm.
- Advance paid, file never closed. The bank keeps asking for the customs declaration for months; unclosed advances are reported. We put the deadline in your calendar.
- Changed beneficiary bank details by e-mail. The classic invoice-redirect fraud. Confirm by phone with a known number before any change.
- A beneficiary or bank on a list. If screening shows a listed party we tell you and stop; what follows is a question for your lawyer.
Questions
What is KKDF and do I always pay it?
The Kaynak Kullanımını Destekleme Fonu is a levy on imports that are financed on credit — in practice, paid after customs clearance. The general rate is 6% of the amount; advance payments are at 0%, and Presidential Decisions set lists of goods at 0%. The bank collects it when it sends the payment. The rate and lists are published by the Revenue Administration (gib.gov.tr); your SMMM and customs broker confirm your heading.
Can you make the payment for us?
No. We never hold or move money (Law 6493). We prepare the pack and the answers; your authorised signatory orders the transfer in your own internet banking or at the branch.
The bank asked a compliance questionnaire about this payment. Is that the same service?
No. A compliance questionnaire — nature of the transaction, origin and route, documents, sanctions confirmation — is our bank compliance reply at ₺4,000. The outgoing payment pack is the routine document set the bank files for every import payment. Many clients order both for the first payment to a new supplier.
Is this included in the Desk?
Yes: Start up to 4 transfer packs per month, Trade up to 12, Group unlimited.
Related: incoming transfer pack · bank compliance reply · import/export document pack · guide: customs broker and GTİP · back to banking & finance
Paying a supplier this week? Send the proforma
Opens in WhatsApp. Documents are sent through WhatsApp or e-mail during the pilot. Reply within one business hour.