Official Gazette dated 14 October · one publication
Ministry permit requirement introduced for geographic data collection and sales activities
Regulation on Geographical Data Permits
Laws concerned: Income Tax Law No. 193 · Tax Procedure Law No. 213 · Corporate Tax Law No. 5520 · Turkish Commercial Code No. 6102
The Regulation on Geographic Data Permits, published by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change, reorganizes the procedures and principles regarding the collection, production, sharing, or sale of geographic data by real and legal persons. Individuals wishing to engage in commercial activities involving data included in the National Geographic Data Responsibility Matrix are now required to obtain a permit from the Ministry via electronic infrastructure, while application processes, requested information and documents, and methods for calculating permit fees have been detailed.
The calculation of permit fees makes reference to the revaluation rate determined pursuant to the provisions of the repeated Article 298 of Tax Procedure Law No. 213, with provisions enacted to increase these fees annually at this rate. Furthermore, while Turkish Financial Reporting Standards serve as the basis for calculating annual net sales amounts for banks and financial institutions, Turkish citizens commencing commercial activities for the first time are exempt from the permit fee for their first year. Electricity and natural gas companies holding distribution licenses are also among those exempt from the permit obligation under specific conditions.
Rather than requiring branches or agencies of commercial companies to obtain separate permits, a mandate has been introduced requiring the operational headquarters to secure a single permit. Companies trading in geographic data are obligated to employ the necessary technical personnel. Special provisions regarding applications by foreign real and legal persons, audit procedures, and penal sanctions have been established, and existing license and permit documents obtained within the framework of the repealed former regulations shall remain valid until the end of their validity periods.
Effective date
14 October 2026
MADDE 20- (1) Bu Yönetmelik yayımı tarihinde yürürlüğe girer.
Who is affected
Real persons, private law legal entities, foreign firms, branches, agencies, banks, and financial institutions that collect, produce, share, or sell geographic data.
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