Exporting software: selling software abroad from Türkiye
Ways to sell software abroad, international payments and invoicing, contracts, localisation, data protection, incentives and reaching first foreign customers.
By Editorial Team
Unlike physical goods, software can be sold anywhere without customs or logistics. Strong engineering talent and competitive costs in Türkiye let software startups reach global customers from day one. For the strategic side, see our international expansion guide.
Sales channels
- Online self-serve: sign-up and card payment on your site; the most scalable route for SaaS
- Direct enterprise sales: reaching companies in the target market with a sales team
- App and software marketplaces: cloud providers' and big platforms' app stores; see our ASO guide
- Local partners and resellers; see our partnership guide
Payments and invoicing
- Payment infrastructure supporting international cards and foreign currencies
- Showing prices in local currency raises conversion.
- Some countries impose local tax (VAT etc.) on digital services; check the markets you sell into and their thresholds.
- Work with your accountant on foreign-currency revenue and FX risk; see our accounting and tax guide.
Incentives
Turkish legislation provides, under certain conditions, arrangements such as VAT exemption and income deductions for services rendered abroad; technopark and R&D incentives can also support software exports. Conditions and rates change, so consult your accountant before relying on them; see our technopark guide.
Contracts
Prepare English terms meeting international standards: SLAs, liability caps and governing law; see our terms of use guide.
Data protection and security
Selling to Europe brings GDPR; the US has rules varying by sector and state. Where data is hosted is a key question for enterprises. Security certifications ease enterprise sales; see our ISO 27001 and SOC 2 guide.
Localisation
- Translated interface and documentation
- Date, time, currency and address formats
- Local payment methods and integrations
- Support in the target market's time zone
First foreign customers
- Interviews with potential customers in the target market; see our customer interview guide
- English content and SEO
- International events and accelerators
- Targeted outreach on LinkedIn; see our LinkedIn guide
Conclusion
Software export is one of the most direct ways to grow globally from Türkiye. This guide is general information; get expert tax and legal advice.
This guide is for general information only and is not legal, financial or investment advice. Check official sources and consult professionals for current terms.
