Motorway and bridge tolls on a motorcycle: how HGS works

Türkiye's motorways and big bridges charge tolls, and there is nowhere to pay in cash. Every toll is collected electronically through HGS, and a foreign-plated bike is no exception. Motorcycles pay less than cars, and the rules are simple once you know the 15-day window.

What HGS is

HGS (Hızlı Geçiş Sistemi, "fast pass system") is the national electronic toll account. It is tied to your number plate. A tag or card registers the vehicle, and you keep money on the account. Each time you pass a toll point, the fee is deducted.

There used to be a second system, OGS. It was retired in 2022, so HGS is now the only one you need. If a tag cannot be read, cameras identify the plate and the fee is still taken from the account linked to it.

No cash, often no booths

Tolls apply on the motorways (otoyol) and on the big bridges and tunnels. Cash and cards are not accepted at the toll points.

Many toll stations have also lost their booths entirely. Under the free-flow system (Serbest Geçiş Sistemi, SGS), you ride through at normal speed with no barrier. By August 2026, 35 of the 106 stations run by the highways authority KGM had been converted, and eight more were due by the end of 2026. Without a barrier, nothing stops you riding on with no HGS account. The bill follows the plate instead.

Motorcycle class and 2026 prices

Motorcycles are class 6 in the Turkish toll system. Cars are class 1. On most roads a motorcycle pays well under the car price. Prices are adjusted at least once a year; the four private crossings below went up again on 1 July 2026.

Bridge and tunnel prices are from 1 July 2026. Some motorway examples for motorcycles in 2026:

• Gebze to İzmir via the Osmangazi Bridge, the full length: 1,795 TL (cars 2,525 TL).
• Istanbul (Mahmutbey) to Edirne: 69 TL (cars 168 TL). Useful if you arrive by the Greek or Bulgarian border.
• Istanbul (Çamlıca) to Ankara (Akıncı): 136 TL (cars 338 TL).

Are motorcycles allowed?

Yes, on all the crossings above. The Eurasia Tunnel under the Bosphorus has accepted motorcycles since 1 May 2022. Mopeds and electric scooters are still not allowed in it.

The two older Bosphorus bridges, 15 Temmuz Şehitler and Fatih Sultan Mehmet, are open to motorcycles. In strong southwest winds (lodos) the authorities can stop motorcycles from crossing, as happened on the 15 Temmuz Bridge in November 2021. On a windy day, the Eurasia Tunnel is the safer choice.

For how fast you may ride on motorways, see our speed limit guide.

Getting HGS for a foreign-plated bike

A foreign-plated vehicle using toll roads must have an HGS account with enough balance. You can open one at:

• PTT (the Turkish post office) branches and agencies.
• Banks and businesses that have an HGS agreement with PTT.
• Some border gates. PTT began selling HGS at the Dereköy gate from Bulgaria in 2022. Look for the PTT desk when you enter, and ask.

Bring your passport and the bike's registration document. In 2026 PTT charges 110 TL for a sticker tag and 160 TL for a card tag. Tags are designed for a car windscreen. Because the account works by plate, the important thing on a bike is a clean, readable number plate.

Topping up and checking passages

• Top up at any PTT branch or a PTT top-up machine (yüklematik), or through a partner bank.
• Check your balance on e-Devlet (HGS account query, under PTT), on the PTT website, or by calling the HGS line on 0 850 460 60 60, open 24 hours.
• Check unpaid passages on the KGM violation query page, using the "Yabancı Plaka" (foreign plate) tab. Recent passages can take a few days to appear.

Pay only through official channels: kgm.gov.tr, turkiye.gov.tr, the official operators' sites, the tax office's Digital Tax Office, PTT or a bank. Fake "HGS debt payment" websites exist.

If you pass without balance

Riding through with no account, or with too little money on it, counts as an unpaid passage. A regulation published on 29 July 2026 sets the rules for foreign-plated vehicles:

• Within 15 days: you pay only the toll. Open an account and load enough money, or pay the debt online.
• From day 16 to day 45: the toll plus a fine equal to the toll.
• After 45 days: the toll plus a fine of four times the toll.

You will not get a notice in the post, and there is no early-payment discount on these fines. The same rules apply on privately operated roads and bridges.

Unpaid tolls and fines are checked electronically when you leave. Customs will not let the bike out until the debt is paid. You can pay at the customs cashier by card or in cash, but it is quicker to settle everything beforehand and avoid the queue. The bike's entry and exit record matters for other reasons too; see our border checklist.

Rental bikes

Rental vehicles in Türkiye normally come with HGS already fitted. The company pays the tolls and charges your card after the rental, often with a service fee on top. Ask at handover how tolls are billed and what the fee is.

Quick checklist

• Open an HGS account at PTT, a partner bank or a border-gate PTT desk before your first motorway or bridge
• Carry your passport and the bike's registration document to buy it
• Keep the number plate clean and readable
• Keep money on the account; top up at PTT or a partner bank
• Check passages on the KGM page under "Yabancı Plaka"
• Missed a payment? Pay within 15 days to avoid any fine
• Clear all tolls and fines before you reach the exit border
• On a rental, ask how tolls and service fees are charged