How can a Turkish brand sell to Germany with Shopify in 2026?

Note: This article is general information, not legal or tax advice. Confirm your decisions with a German tax adviser (Steuerberater) and a lawyer. We checked all sources on 29 October 2026.

Should you sell through your Turkish company or set up a German/EU entity?

For a market test, your Turkish company shipping from Türkiye can be enough. A German or EU entity usually makes scaling easier, and it is the route to Shopify Payments and to some marketplaces.

Turkish company, shipping direct from Türkiye. Consignments up to €150 can use the EU Import One-Stop Shop (IOSS). Non-EU sellers must appoint an EU-established intermediary to use it. If you register in Germany, the BZSt requires you to appoint a representative resident in Germany and notify the BZSt. IOSS returns are monthly.

Turkish company, selling from German stock. If you import stock in bulk into a German warehouse (your own or a 3PL's) and sell from there, your sales are domestic German supplies. That means you need to register for German VAT. Under §1 UStZustV, the competent tax office for businesses resident in Türkiye is Finanzamt Dortmund-Unna. The standard VAT rate is 19% under §12 UStG, with 7% for certain goods.

German or EU entity. A German GmbH is another option. Its minimum share capital is €25,000 under §5 GmbHG.

Model	When it fits	VAT/customs	Watch out for
Turkish company, direct from Türkiye	Market test, low volume	IOSS (≤€150) + EU intermediary, or VAT collected at import	Customs on every parcel; €3 per item duty
Turkish company, German warehouse/3PL	Fast delivery, local returns	German VAT registration (Dortmund-Unna)	Bulk import, storage costs
German/EU company (e.g. GmbH)	Long-term growth	German VAT; OSS for intra-EU sales	Setup and accounting costs

The EU's €10,000 threshold only covers intra-EU distance sales by sellers established in the EU. According to the EU OSS portal, it does not apply to distance sales of imported goods.

How do customs and VAT work for parcels under €150 in 2026?

On 1 July 2026 the EU ended the duty exemption for consignments of €150 or less and introduced a temporary customs duty of €3 per item. VAT is still collected either at the point of sale via IOSS or at import.

The European Commission explains that the duty follows tariff classification, not quantity. Five T-shirts cost €3, while three T-shirts and a watch cost €6. The Access2Markets notice adds the following:

• The legal basis is Council Regulation (EU) 2026/382, and the duty is scheduled to run until 1 July 2028.
• It applies to B2C distance sales whatever the VAT regime, IOSS or standard import VAT.
• Product identifiers (PIDs) become mandatory for import distance sales from 1 November 2026.
• A separate customs handling fee is under discussion.

Specific to Türkiye: Hürriyet Daily News reports the Turkish Trade Ministry as saying that goods in free circulation in Türkiye keep preferential treatment under the H1 declaration when accompanied by an A.TR certificate. We could not verify this in an official EU text; confirm it with your carrier and customs broker.

Which legal texts and buttons does a German shop need?

Every shop selling to German consumers needs an Impressum and withdrawal information. Since 2026 it also needs a "Vertrag widerrufen" withdrawal button. On top of that come a "zahlungspflichtig bestellen" order button, a privacy policy with cookie consent, and prices shown including VAT.

• Impressum: §5 DDG requires certain details to be easy to find and always available. They include your name and address, the legal form and authorised representatives for legal entities, electronic contact details including email, the commercial register and number, and your VAT ID if you have one.
• Withdrawal information (Widerrufsbelehrung): The withdrawal period is 14 days under §355 BGB. The official model text is in Annex 1 EGBGB.
• Withdrawal button (new): §356a BGB requires a prominent function labelled "Vertrag widerrufen" for the whole withdrawal period, followed by a "Widerruf bestätigen" confirmation step. The consumer must then receive a receipt on a durable medium. IHK Braunschweig states the rule has applied since 19 June 2026.
• Order button: §312j BGB requires the label "zahlungspflichtig bestellen" or an equally unambiguous wording. In Shopify this is usually set through the theme or checkout translations.
• AGB (terms and conditions): These are not mandatory by law. In practice they are standard, because general terms within the meaning of §305 BGB set out delivery, payment and warranty rules.
• GDPR and cookies: According to the European Commission, the GDPR applies to non-EU companies that offer goods to people in the EU. Non-essential cookies require consent under §25 TDDDG.
• Price display: §3 PAngV requires total prices. For goods sold by weight, volume, length or area, §4 PAngV also requires a unit price (Grundpreis). The units are set in §5 PAngV: 1 kg, 1 l, 1 m, 1 m² or 1 m³.

Which registrations do you need before your first sale: LUCID, GPSR, ElektroG, BattDG?

Anyone shipping packaged goods to Germany must be registered in LUCID. Non-EU manufacturers need an EU-based responsible economic operator under the GPSR. Electronics and batteries need further registrations.

Packaging (VerpackG/LUCID): According to the Zentrale Stelle Verpackungsregister, anyone distributing packaged goods in Germany must be registered in LUCID, and registration is free. Its online retail page says shipping packaging always requires system participation, meaning a contract with a "duales System". Marketplaces and fulfilment providers must check your registration. Companies based outside Germany that ship directly to consumers must appoint an authorised representative (Bevollmächtigter) in Germany. The ZSVR states this has applied since 12 August 2026. The LUCID registration itself stays with you: the representative cannot do it for you.

GPSR: The General Product Safety Regulation (EU) 2023/988 has applied since 13 December 2024. Under Article 16, an economic operator established in the EU must be responsible for the product. Under Article 19, online offers must show the manufacturer's name, postal address and email, the responsible person's details if the manufacturer is outside the EU, a product image and identifiers, and any warnings. Shopify does not provide responsible-person services itself, but you can show this information with product metafields.

Electronics (ElektroG): Producers must register before placing equipment on the market (§6 ElektroG). A producer without a German establishment must appoint an authorised representative (§8). Marketplaces must not list unregistered equipment, and fulfilment providers must not handle it. The registration number must appear in offers and on invoices.

Batteries (BattDG): Batteries, including those built into products, must be registered before they are first made available (§5 BattDG). Retailers and fulfilment providers must not handle batteries from unregistered producers (§4).

How should you set up Shopify for the German market?

Set up Germany as its own market in Shopify Markets, add German as a language and manage prices in EUR. Be aware that charging customers in their local currency only works with Shopify Payments or Adyen.

• Markets: Shopify lets you run country or regional markets from one store. Germany can have its own prices, domain and shipping rules.
• German: Translate & Adapt supports manual and AI translation, and each language gets its own URLs. Don't rely on machine translation for legal texts.
• EUR pricing: Market pricing supports rounding and percentage adjustments. The full feature set is only available to stores using Shopify Payments.
• Critical point: According to Shopify, with third-party gateways the customer is charged in the store's default currency. If your store currency is TRY, German customers will see EUR prices but be charged in TRY. Check that your provider supports EUR settlement.

How do you take payments from German customers without Shopify Payments?

Shopify Payments is not available to businesses registered in Türkiye. A Turkish company can work with a third-party provider such as iyzico. With a German or EU entity, Shopify Payments, Stripe and Klarna become options.

Provider	Status for a Turkish company	Source
Shopify Payments	Türkiye not on the supported list; the business must be located in a listed country (Germany is listed)	Shopify
PayPal	Has not operated in Türkiye since June 2016	PayPal TR
Stripe	Türkiye not among supported countries	Stripe
Klarna	Türkiye not among Klarna markets; Germany is	Klarna
iyzico	Ready-made Shopify integration	iyzico Docs

Shopify charges additional transaction fees on third-party gateways; rates depend on your plan. Before signing with iyzico, PayTR or a similar provider, get written confirmation on EUR settlement, foreign card acceptance and conversion terms. German shoppers are familiar with PayPal, invoice payment (Kauf auf Rechnung) and SEPA direct debit, which are generally easier to offer with an EU entity.

Should you ship directly from Türkiye or use a German/EU warehouse?

Shipping directly from Türkiye keeps start-up costs low at low volume. As volume grows, a warehouse in Germany or the EU usually wins on delivery times, returns handling and marketplace eligibility.

Criterion	Direct from Türkiye	German/EU warehouse (3PL)
Customs	Every parcel; IOSS/PIDs, €3 per item	Bulk import, not per parcel
VAT	IOSS or at import	German VAT registration
Delivery	Longer and less predictable	Domestic parcel speed
Returns	Costly back to Türkiye; an EU returns address is advisable	Local returns, fast restocking
Compliance	LUCID, Bevollmächtigter	The 3PL also checks LUCID/ElektroG/BattDG registrations

Because of the withdrawal right, returns are a core part of selling in Germany. State clearly in your Widerrufsbelehrung who pays the cost of returns.

How do marketplaces (Amazon.de, Kaufland, OTTO) complement a Shopify store?

Marketplaces bring demand and trust while your own brand is still building awareness. Their entry requirements differ, and they check registration numbers such as LUCID.

• Amazon.de: Turkish sellers can reach European stores through Amazon Global Selling; confirm the current terms in Seller Central. The ZSVR states that marketplaces must check LUCID registration. For electronics, §6 ElektroG applies as well.
• Kaufland: Kaufland Global Marketplace accepts non-EU sellers if they have an EU returns address, a VAT ID per channel, an EU responsible person for CE products, proof of DDP imports and an EAN per product.
• OTTO Market: OTTO only accepts companies headquartered in Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Austria, France or Denmark. A Turkish company cannot join directly.

What is the step-by-step launch checklist, and which cost items should you plan for?

Settle structure and tax first, then the registrations, then the shop and payment setup. Don't take your first order until the registrations are complete.

#	Step	Note
1	Choose the model (TR company/direct, TR company/EU warehouse, DE/EU company)	With a Steuerberater
2	IOSS (intermediary/representative) or German VAT registration	BZSt / Finanzamt Dortmund-Unna
3	Customs flow: HS/TARIC codes, A.TR, PID data	Carrier, customs broker
4	LUCID registration + system participation + Bevollmächtigter	ZSVR
5	GPSR responsible person; product page information	Articles 16/19
6	ElektroG/BattDG registration where relevant	stiftung ear
7	Shopify Markets, German, EUR, tax settings	Shopify admin
8	Payment provider: test EUR settlement	iyzico etc. / EU entity
9	Impressum, Widerruf, withdrawal button, AGB, privacy policy, cookie consent	German lawyer
10	Prices: totals incl. VAT, Grundpreis, shipping information	PAngV
11	Shipping and returns flow, EU returns address	3PL/carrier
12	Test order, withdrawal test, go live	Team

Cost item	Sourced price information
Company setup (optional GmbH)	Minimum share capital €25,000 (§5 GmbHG)
Tax adviser, VAT returns, IOSS intermediary	On quotation
Customs duty (≤€150 B2C consignments)	€3 per tariff item (European Commission)
LUCID registration	Free (ZSVR)
Packaging system participation, Bevollmächtigter	Provider-dependent
GPSR responsible person, ElektroG/BattDG representative	Provider-dependent
Shopify plan + third-party transaction fee	Shopify payment providers page
Payment fees and FX spread	Provider-dependent
Legal texts, cookie consent tool, translation	On quotation
Shipping, 3PL, returns logistics	On quotation
Marketplace fees	Marketplace-dependent