A.TR and EUR.1 are not two alternative documents showing the same information. A.TR states that the goods are in free circulation within the scope of the Customs Union between Türkiye and the European Union; EUR.1 serves to prove origin according to the rules of the relevant preferential trade regulation.
Indicates free movement
It indicates that the goods are in free circulation in Türkiye or the EU. It does not prove that the goods are of Turkish origin.
Indicates preferred origin
It shows that the goods meet the rules of origin of the relevant agreement and allows you to benefit from a discounted tariff if the conditions are met.
Where are the A.TR and EUR.1 certificates issued?
Looks at circulation status
- It is used within the framework of the Türkiye-EU Customs Union.
- The basic criterion is that the item is in free circulation.
- The product does not necessarily have to be of Turkish origin.
- It cannot be considered automatically valid for every product group.
Looks at rules of origin
- It is based on the relevant free or preferential trade arrangement.
- The product must meet the preferential rule of origin in the agreement.
- It is not enough to just look at the target country; Product coverage is also checked.
- Depending on the agreement, an invoice declaration or other proof of origin may be used.
Origin and free circulation are not the same thing
Origin is the economic nationality of the goods. Free circulation describes the circulation status of goods whose import procedures have been completed and the customs duties to be paid have been collected. Therefore, a product originating from a third country may enter free circulation in Türkiye after the import procedures are completed; However, this process does not give the product Turkish origin.
Let's Clarify the Difference with Three Examples
Product imported and tax paid
If the product originating from a third country is duly imported and put into free circulation in Türkiye, it can be sent to the EU via A.TR if the Customs Union scope and other conditions are suitable. The product is also of third country origin.
Product manufactured in Turkey
Production in Türkiye alone does not provide preferential Turkish origin in every agreement. The product must meet the production and input rules in the relevant agreement.
Product within the scope of inward processing
If the obligations regarding imported inputs have not been completed, the free circulation status of the goods is also examined. Meeting the origin requirement and being in free circulation are again separate checks.
How to Determine Which Document to Use?
destination country
Determine whether the shipment is going to the EU, a STA country, or another market.
GTIP and product
Check whether the product is within the scope of agreements and concessions via GTIP.
circulation status
If A.TR is considered, verify that the goods meet the free movement conditions.
rule of origin
If EUR.1 is considered, examine the production, input and clustering conditions
Document type
Select A.TR, EUR.1, declaration or another document according to the current agreement text.
Is A.TR Always Used in Exports to the EU?
No. The Türkiye-EU Customs Union mainly covers the industrial share of industrial products and processed agricultural products. For basic agricultural products and some products within the scope of the European Coal and Steel Community, preference may arise not from free movement but from rules of origin. For this reason, an A.TR decision should not be made simply by saying "the product is going to the EU".
A.TR evaluation
EU shipment is made if the product within the scope of the Customs Union and free movement conditions are met together.
EUR.1 assessment
It is made if there is an origin-based preferential regulation for the relevant product and the product meets the rules in that regulation.
Is EUR.1 Mandatory in Every Free Trade Agreement?
No. Depending on the agreement and shipping conditions, invoice declaration, declaration of origin, EUR-MED or another agreement-specific proof document may be used instead of EUR.1. According to the statement of the Ministry of Commerce, the invoice declaration may also indicate preferential origin. For this reason, the document type accepted in the current protocol and the value or authorization condition, if any, should be checked on a shipment basis.
Do not reduce the document selection to a list of countries
Trade agreements, protocols of origin and electronic documentation practices may change. Instead of a fixed list of "this document for this country", the target country, the HS Code of the product, the scope of the agreement, the rule of origin and the current practice on the date of shipment should be checked together.
The Effect of Wrong Document Selection on the Business
Customs delay
Incompatibility of the scope or information of the document may result in additional control and subsequent verification processes.
Failure to use tax advantage
If preference conditions cannot be proven, a normal tariff or guarantee requirement may arise in the importer’s country.
Document correction burden
Differences between invoice, declaration, parcel information and circulation document create repeat work for the operations team.
Delivery and customer risk
Delayed customs clearance may affect the delivery date and the total cost calculation given to the customer.
Pre-Shipment Checklist
Have the destination country and applicable trade regulation been verified?
Have the HS code and the product's concession scope been checked?
Can free movement or preferential origin conditions be documented?
Are the invoice, declaration, package and transportation information compatible with each other?
Has the type of document or statement accepted by the agreement been verified against the current text?
Has the verification and acceptance method of the electronic document been checked with the importing party?
Manage document information along with order and shipping records
The right document decision requires expertise and control of current legislation. The software's job is not to make this decision; It is to ensure that country, GTIP, customer, invoice, foreign currency, package, transportation and customs records are monitored on the same transaction.
Multiple currencies, exchange differences and export costs In the guide to export and foreign exchange management with ERP; Product scope of foreign trade operations KG Herme in foreign trade solution you can review. To identify recording and checkpoints in your current process our business analysis approach You can take a look.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the A.TR document prove Turkish origin?
No. A.TR indicates that the goods are in free circulation; It is not a document of origin.
Is EUR.1 required for every export?
No. It is used only within the scope of the relevant preferential regulation, product and origin conditions. Other proof of origin may also be accepted according to the agreement.
Does A.TR remove all taxes at customs?
No. The document is only relevant to the preferential customs treatment within its scope. VAT, trade policy measures or other product-specific financial obligations may remain.
Is only country information sufficient for document selection?
No. In addition to the target country, GTIP, product scope, free movement status, rule of origin and current agreement provisions should be examined together.
Verify current app before release
This content was checked on 9 August 2026 based on the Ministry of Trade’s origin statements, the current free‑trade agreements page and electronic document announcements. The current country and agreement coverage Ministry of Commerce Origin FAQ with Free Trade Agreements Verify from the pages.
This article is for general information purposes; It does not replace customs consultancy or legal advice. Before shipment, confirm the current application regarding the product, GTIP, country and agreement with your authorized customs consultant.
To edit business records associated with the document Scope of import and export program you can review. A.TR or EUR.1 compliance should be verified from current customs rules, not from the software page.
Let’s review the data flow in your foreign trade process together
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