New Updates:
As of March 15, all passengers arriving in Turkey (except the transit passengers) are now required to fill out “Form for Entry to Turkey” at “http://register.health.gov.tr” within the last 72 hours before their flights.
Local restrictions may require the use of HES codes to enter state buildings, schools, and public spaces such as malls, restaurants, cafes, libraries, sport centers, wedding halls, barbers, beauty parlors, massage parlors and game halls.
Country-Specific Information:
Turkey has confirmed cases of COVID-19 within its borders.
On March 1, the Government of Turkey announced a four-tier system on local COVID-19 related restrictions. Provinces are now divided into 4 different risk groups: low (blue), medium (yellow), high (orange), and very high (red) based on infection and vaccination rates. To view the map, please visit the following page: https://covid19.saglik.gov.tr/..
The nationwide curfew between 9PM and 5AM. Monday through Friday, will continue throughout Turkey.
For regions in the “high” and “very high” category, Sunday curfews remain in effect starting from 9 p.m. on Saturday through 5 a.m. Monday.
Dining establishments (restaurants, patisseries, cafes, and cafeterias) will be open for in-person dining at half capacity nationwide between 7AM and 7PM, excluding “very high”-risk regions. A HES code is required to enter these dining establishments.
Local restrictions may require the use of HES codes to enter state buildings, schools, and public spaces such as malls, restaurants, cafes, libraries, sport centers, wedding halls, barbers, beauty parlors, massage parlors and game halls.
Shopping malls, supermarkets, barbers and hairdressers will only be open for service during the hours of 07:00-19:00.
Movie theaters, soccer fields, and similar facilities are open for regions in the low and middle category.
The Ministry of Education has released information about the current operating plan for public educational institutions throughout Turkey. For detailed information, please visit http://www.meb.gov.tr/basin-aciklamasi/haber/22651/tr. Parents of all school-aged children are encouraged to contact their schools for additional information.
Smoking in public spaces is banned.
Please see Turkish Ministry of Interior’s circular for more information.
COVID-19 Testing:
Are PCR and/or antigen tests available for U.S. citizens in Turkey? Yes
Are test results reliably available within 72 hours? Yes
For information on limited humanitarian exemptions to the CDC requirement for a negative-19 test prior to entering the United States, please review the following page:
PCR testing while staying in Turkey for foreigners is limited to those who have symptoms, or those who may have an entry requirement back to their home country. Testing is paid for by the traveler.
The government of Turkey has updated their website with the list of facilities in Turkey that perform COVID-19 tests.
PCR testing is available at Istanbul Airport. There is no need for an appointment to visit the airport’s testing center, as it is open 24 hours a day and seven days a week. The testing center is in front of Entrance 14 in Arrivals Hall. The test fee is 250 TL or about $35 for all ages. You must arrive at the airport at least 6 hours prior to your flight with a valid ticket and a valid passport, test results take up to 5 hours.
PCR testing is now available at Ankara Esenboğa Airport. There is no need for an appointment to visit the airport’s testing center, as it is open 24 hours a day and seven days a week. The testing center is located in the International Departures Terminal, past the checkpoint, on the ground floor by the First Aid Office. The test fee is 250 TL or about $35 for all ages. You must arrive at the airport at least 7 hours prior to your flight with a valid ticket and a valid passport, as test results take up to 6 hours.
Passengers in transit, with less than six months validity left on their passports will not be allowed to depart the airport transit areas in order to obtain a COVID test. Passengers who are unable to exit the transit area and require a COVID-19 test can request it at the transit area information desk.
COVID-19 Vaccine Information:
Has the government of Turkey approved a COVID vaccine for use? Yes
The United States Government does not plan to provide COVID-19 vaccinations to private U.S. citizens Please follow host country developments and guidelines for COVID-19 vaccination.
The government of Turkey received the first batch of 3 million doses of the SinoVac CoronaVac vaccine on December 30. Since January 13, 800,000 health personnel in Turkey have been vaccinated, and other priority groups have started receiving vaccinations.
For more information, please visit the Government of Turkey’s COVID-19 information page.
Entry and Exit Requirements:
Is a negative COVID-19 test (PCR and/or serology) required for entry? Yes
A PCR test is required.Are health screening procedures in place at airports and other ports of entry? Yes
COVID-19 control measures for air, land, and sea travel continue. Passengers arriving in Turkey will be required to complete an information form and will be checked for symptoms. Anyone suspected of having COVID-19 will be transported to a hospital for examination or to a dormitory to self-isolate. If an individual on a particular aircraft/vehicle/vessel is found to have COVID-19, the information forms completed upon arrival will be used to identify others have been in contact with them; those individuals will then be subject to 14-day isolation/quarantine.All international passengers age 6 years and older traveling to Turkey are required to have taken a COVID-19 PCR test with a negative result within 72 hours prior to their flight. Passengers must submit their test results to the airline at the time of check-in. Passengers failing to submit a negative PCR test will not be permitted to board the flight to Turkey. This requirement will remain in effect until March 1, 2021.
All travelers age 6 years and older who arrive in Turkey through land or sea will be asked to present a negative PCR test result document issued 72 hours prior to arrival. Those who fail to do so at the border gate or sea port will be quarantined in the address to where they are going.
As of March 15, all passengers arriving in Turkey (except the transit passangers) are now required to fill out “Form for Entry to Turkey” at “http://register.health.gov.tr” within the last 72 hours before their flights.
Direct flights from Brazil, Denmark, South Africa, and the UK remain cancelled:
PCR tests will be performed on the 10th day of the quarantine period and the quarantine of those who have negative test results will be ended at the end of the 10th day, the treatment of those who have a positive PCR test will be carried out in accordance with the Ministry of Health COVID 19 guidelines; the quarantine of those who do not have the PCR test will be completed after 14 days.
All passengers traveling through another country who have been in Brazil and South Africa in the last 10 days will continue to be quarantined in places determined by the governorships for a period of 14 days following their entry into Turkey.
PCR tests will be performed on the 10th day of the quarantine period and the quarantine of those who have negative test results will be ended at the end of the 10th day, the treatment of those who have a positive PCR test will be carried out in accordance with the Ministry of Health COVID 19 guidelines; the quarantine of those who do not have the PCR test will be completed after 14 days.
Medical tourism travelers will need a medical visa and specific health documentation to enter Turkey. Please see the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ website for information about how to obtain visas for this purpose.
Residency permit information is available at Turkish Ministry of Interior’s website.
Movement Restrictions:
Is a curfew in place? Yes
A partial curfew is in effect.The Government of Turkey announced a four-tier system on local COVID-19 related restrictions. Each province is categorized as being “low-,” “middle-,” “high-,” or “very high-” risk based on infection and vaccination rates. To view the map, please visit the following page: https://covid19.saglik.gov.tr/.
Weekend curfews during the day have been lifted for regions in the “low” and “middle” category (https://covid19.saglik.gov.tr/).
Daily curfews between 9:00 p.m. and 5 a.m. remain in effect nationwide regardless of the locality’s risk category.
In provinces with a “low’ or “middle” category of risk, the curfew for Turkish citizens and residents aged 65 and over and children under the age of 20 has been lifted.
In provinces with a “high” or “very high” category of risk, Turkish citizens and residents age 65 and older are restricted to their place of residence, and only allowed outside between 10:00-14:00.
In provinces with a “high” or “very high” category of risk, Turkish citizens and residents age 20 and below are only allowed outside during the hours of 14:00-18:00.
Are there restrictions on intercity or interstate travel? Yes.
Intercity travel permits are required for Turkish citizens and residents aged 65 and over.Starting January 15 the use of all means of public mass transport in Istanbul has been banned for persons under 20 and over 65 part of COVID-19 restrictions.
Exceptions to the Weekend Curfew include:
Turkish Airlines and Pegasus announced Turkish citizen and resident customers with purchased tickets, can travel to the airport for flights regardless of curfew restrictions. We refer you to the airlines for further information. Individuals should be prepared to show tickets (paper, or on mobile devices) at vehicle checkpoints.
Workplace, businesses and institutions
Public and private health institutions and organizations, pharmacies, veterinary clinics, and animal hospitals
Public institutions and organizations and enterprises required for the maintenance of compulsory public services (Airports, ports, border gates, customs, highways, nursing homes, elderly nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, Emergency Call Centers, etc.)
Companies engaged in domestic and international transportation and logistics
Animal shelters, animal farms and animal care centers
Vegetable and fruit wholesale markets
Fuel stations and tire repair centers: those that may remain open during curfews will be determined by the Governors of each province. NOTE: At this time, we do not have information on which stations and centers will remain open.
Turkish citizen and residents
Those assigned to ensure public order and security (including private security officers)
Those who maintain or repair infrastructure systems for electricity, water, natural gas, telecommunications, and other utilities.
Technical service employees, provided they document that they are out to provide service.
Those with a mandatory health appointment
Veterinarians
Those with special needs, and their parents/guardian/accompanying persons.
Those who go out to meet the compulsory needs to their pets, provided that it is limited to the front of their residence.
Drivers and officers of urban public transportation vehicles, including taxis.
Intercity travel permits are required for Turkish citizens and residents aged 65 and over. Please apply for an intercity travel permit by calling 199 or apply through the e-devlet system here: https://www.turkiye.gov.tr/. When calling 199 for an intercity travel permit, prepare to share the following relevant information:
Name of person requesting the permit
Mobile number (you will receive a text in Turkish that your travel permit has been issued)
Kimlik number
Travel dates
Mode of transportation (if via private vehicle, provide the vehicle license plate number)
Reason for travel
Turkish citizen and resident children under the age of 20 are able to travel within the city and intercity during restricted hours without seeking any travel permit, provided that their parent/guardian is with them.
Turkish citizen and resident children under the age of 20 may travel to and from caregivers during the restricted curfew hours.
Quarantine Information:
Are U.S. citizens required to quarantine? No
If they have not submitted a PCR test within 72-hours of boarding their flight, or arrived via land border or sea port without a PCR test, they will be required to quarantine where they planned to stay.Foreign passengers who test positive for COVID-19 on landing flights will be referred to a private hospital by the Ministry of Health – Border Health Unit, whereas Turkish passengers will be referred to a state hospital.
Transportation Options:
Are commercial flights operating? Yes
Passengers should check with airlines for up-to-date schedules, work with them to address flight changes, and be prepared for possible cancelations.Is public transportation operating? Yes
Buses, ferries, and trains are operating but there are limits to passenger capacity on buses and all passengers must wear a mask.Transit passengers are not required to submit a PCR test in Turkey however they are advised to review the flight restrictions applied by the destination country regarding the PCR test requirements, age limits and the duration.
Passengers failing to submit a digital or paper copy of a negative PCR test result are not permitted to board the flights.
Given the strict travel and transit restrictions in the Schengen Zone, U.S. citizens who wish to transit via the Schengen Zone must have onward tickets to the U.S., and meet the Schengen Zone and U.K. exceptions as passengers in transit.
Effective January 15, Istanbul will implement a new law that states the Istanbul Kart for anyone over six (6) years old has to be connected with your HES code in order to use public transportation. We highly suggest you buy an Istanbul Kart for each person in your family and pair the Istanbul Kart with HES Code.
Airlines and airports have implemented new procedures for travelers, and passengers must comply with these to travel. For example, masks must be worn in the airport and on airplanes, and arriving passengers are subject to health checks and PCR tests. Please check airport and airline websites for more information and specific guidance.
Turkey lifted the ban on importing and exporting of pets as of May 1, 2020. We refer you to the airline websites for more specific details.
Please note: There are a series of Presidential Proclamations related to the suspension of entry of certain additional persons who pose the risk of transmitting the COVID-19 outbreak. These restrictions do not apply to U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents.
The Government of Turkey requires everyone traveling in Turkey to present a Hayat Eve Sigar (HES) code. All persons must request a HES (Hayat Eve Sigar) Code for domestic and international flights, while staying in hotels, using inner city public transport, and at inter-city bus travel rest stops. This does not apply to foreign tourists.
Information on how to obtain this HES code is available at Hayat Eve Sigar web portal. The procedure is as follows:
FOR THOSE WHO HAVE TURKISH CITIZENSHIP: Send a text message to phone number 2023 that includes:
the letters “HES”
your Turkish Kimlik number
the last four digits of the series number of your ID
the number of days you will be traveling, (we recommend adding 7 days as a safeguard)
NOTE: Put a single space between each item (e.g., HES 1234567 1234 09).
FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT TURKISH CITIZENS BUT ARE RESIDENTS AND POSSES A KIMLIK: Send a text message to phone number 2023 that includes:
the letters “HES”
your Kimlik number
your year of birth
the number of days you will be traveling (we recommend adding 7 days as a safeguard)
NOTE: Put a single space between each item (e.g., HES 1234567 1972 14).
On November 12, the government announced that obligatory HES codes are required for entering Usak and Zonguldak provinces.
Airlines also have information on their websites in English about the HES code including:
If you require financial assistance through the U.S. Government’s repatriation loan program please review the Department of State’s information on emergency financial assistance and contact us.
Fines for Non-Compliance:
We understand that a fine of 900 TL will be imposed on those who do not comply with the requirement. Similar to a traffic fine, these fines will be mailed to the individual’s home address, and be payable only at the following government-affiliated banks: Halk Bank, Vakif Bank, and Ziraat Bank.
