How to Sell on Etsy and Amazon from Turkey: E-Export Steps for 2026

To sell abroad from Turkey through Etsy or Amazon, you need a registered business, a payment setup that can move money from foreign buyers into your account, and a platform that fits your product. For handmade, design-led, personalized and vintage products, Etsy is usually the better starting point; for mass-produced, stocked and barcoded products, Amazon usually is. The hard part is not opening the store but working out shipping, tax and returns before the first order arrives.

This guide is written for sellers based in Turkey. The platform and EU rules apply more widely, but the company, customs and support details are specific to Turkey.

Etsy or Amazon: how do you decide based on your product?

The two platforms do not serve the same buyer. On Etsy, people look for "something different": a handmade ceramic piece, a personalized necklace, a digital drawing template. On Amazon, buyers want a product they already know, delivered as quickly and reliably as possible; price, delivery time and number of reviews come first.

• Suited to Etsy: handmade products, small-batch designs, personalized gifts, vintage items, digital downloads.
• Suited to Amazon: reproducible stocked products, products where you own the brand and barcode, categories where you can compete on price.
• Suited to both: products with both a design side and a mass-production side, such as textiles, home decor and accessories. In this case, most sellers lead with craft-focused products on Etsy and a standard product range on Amazon.

When deciding, ask yourself: is what sets your product apart from competitors its story and design, or its price and delivery speed? The first points to Etsy, the second to Amazon.

What do you need to prepare before selling abroad?

Both platforms require sellers to verify identity, business and bank details. Settling these four points before opening the store helps you avoid account suspensions or tax problems later.

1. Company structure: decide with your accountant whether to set up a sole proprietorship or a limited company, how to invoice foreign sales and how to keep export records.
2. Payment account: check in which currency and to which account the platform will transfer your sales income. If currency conversion is automatic, it may carry a separate fee.
3. Product compliance: check whether the target country has labelling, safety or content rules for your product. These rules are stricter for cosmetics, food, toys and electrical products.
4. Customs classification: determine each product's customs tariff code (GTİP in Turkey, internationally the HS code) from the start. Both the courier and customs will ask for it.

How much does it cost to sell on Etsy?

Etsy does not charge a monthly subscription; most fees are deducted when a sale happens. As of September 2026, Etsy's seller page as viewed from Turkey lists these items:

• Listing fee: a fixed fee per listing; the listing stays live for four months or until the item sells.
• Transaction fee: 6.5% of the sale price.
• Payment processing fee: 6.5% plus a fixed amount.
• Offsite Ads fee: 15% on sales that come from ads Etsy runs outside its site.
• Currency conversion fee: 2.5% if your shop currency differs from the currency of your payment account.

The page also notes that a one-time setup fee may be requested when opening a shop and that a regulatory operating fee may apply in some countries. When setting your price, add these deductions, shipping costs and possible return losses to your product cost. Once the deductions add up, profit on low-margin products can disappear quickly.

Selling to Europe on Amazon: accounts, FBA and VAT

An Amazon Turkey seller account is used only for sales on Amazon.com.tr. According to Amazon Turkey's selling page, a seller who wants to sell in Europe needs to open a separate European seller account.

There are two ways to ship. You can ship orders yourself (FBM), or send products to Amazon's warehouses and leave storage, packing and delivery to Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA). FBA brings the advantage of fast delivery, but it also brings an obligation: Amazon states clearly that sellers using FBA in Europe must register for VAT in the country where their products are stored. Using warehouses in more than one country can mean more than one VAT registration.

A mistake we often see at the start is moving straight to FBA without accounting for VAT and warehouse costs. A more controlled path is to test demand first with a small number of products and your own shipping, then move the products that sell to FBA.

What changed in 2026 for small parcels to Europe?

Most Etsy sellers ship individual small parcels to Europe. Two rules matter for these shipments.

The first is VAT. The European Union's Import One-Stop Shop (IOSS) lets sellers and marketplaces outside the EU collect VAT at the point of sale on orders of up to 150 euros. This way, the buyer does not have to pay VAT separately when receiving the parcel. Check in your seller panel whether the platform or you collect VAT on your orders.

The second is customs duty. According to the European Commission's announcement, from July 1, 2026, a temporary 3 euro customs duty replaces the customs duty exemption on low-value parcels of up to 150 euros coming from outside the EU. The duty is calculated not per parcel but per distinct tariff class in the parcel: five of the same T-shirt count as one class, while a T-shirt and a watch together count as two. This temporary measure is expected to last until July 1, 2028, with the seller or importer responsible for declaration and payment.

In practice, this means a higher unit cost for Etsy shops that sell low-priced products. Because combining products from different categories in one parcel can increase the cost, you may need to rethink your basket and packing setup.

Product listings: what do foreign buyers look at?

A buyer abroad does not know you; the listing page builds all of the trust.

• Title and description: write in the language of the target market, using the words buyers will type into the search box. Instead of publishing machine translation as is, have someone who knows the language well check it.
• Size and material: centimeters and inches together, material composition stated clearly. A significant share of returns comes from unclear sizing.
• Photos: show the product in use, next to an object that gives a sense of scale, and with detail shots.
• Delivery time: state a realistic time. Missing the delivery time you promised lowers your shop rating, and with it your visibility.

For more on titles, attributes and images, see our guide to marketplace product listing optimization.

How do you plan shipping, customs and returns?

Small-volume shipments abroad from Turkey are usually made with an electronic commerce customs declaration (ETGB). Confirm the value and weight limits that apply with your courier and your customs broker, because these limits affect your export records and support applications.

For returns, there are two options: bringing the returned item back to Turkey, or using a return address in the destination country. For low-priced products, shipping the item back often costs more than the item itself, which is why some sellers offer a refund instead of a return. State your policy clearly on the listing page.

Is there government support for e-exports from Turkey?

Turkey's Ministry of Trade runs support for e-exports under Decision No. 5986 on E-Export Support. The ministry's page publishes the circular on the decision, lists of fulfillment companies and marketplaces, and the 2026 support limits. Check in the current circular which of your expenses are covered and what the application conditions are before you spend.

Checklist before you start

1. Have you decided whether your product suits Etsy or Amazon better?
2. Have you settled your company structure, invoicing and export records with your accountant?
3. Have platform fees, shipping and return costs been added to your price?
4. Have the tariff codes (GTİP/HS) of your products been determined?
5. If you will sell to Europe, have you calculated the effect of VAT and the 2026 customs change on your costs?
6. Are your listings ready in the target language, with correct sizes and realistic delivery times?

If you want store setup, listing optimization and advertising handled together, see our marketplace management service. If you are also thinking about your own international online store alongside marketplaces, our e-commerce solutions are a suitable starting point.