COVID-19 Information

ByJhomps Frang

COVID-19 Information - Last Updated: March 15, 2022 

New Updates: 

  • Turkish Ministry of Health announced on March 2, 2022 that masks are no longer required outdoors and indoors if air circulation and social distancing are adequate. HES code requirement has been lifted in all institutions and entities. PCR tests will not be requested from those who have no symptoms. Education in schools will continue uninterrupted when two or more positive cases are seen in a class, isolation of the Covid positive student/s will be sufficient. 
  • U.S. citizens planning to travel overseas or currently overseas and planning to return to the United States should contact their airline for specific information about testing requirements for travelers. Airlines may adopt and modify their own specific policies to implement the CDC’s testing rule. 

Country-Specific Information: 

  • Turkey has confirmed cases of COVID-19 within its borders.
  • The Turkish Ministry of Health releases Turkey’s daily vaccination and COVID-19 numbers at https://covid19.saglik.gov.tr/. 
  • Tourists/Non-Citizens: 
    • Passengers, regardless of their nationality, over the age of 18 who have not been vaccinated or with no record of Covid-19 (recovery) are required to submit PCR tests with a negative result, performed at most 48 hours before their domestic flight, as of September 6, 2021. PCR tests are not required in domestic flights for those who are vaccinated and flight is at least 14 days after the second dose or for those who are in the immunity period after a Covid19 infection. 
  • Grocery and Other Food-Related Shop Curfew Operating Hours:  
    • Grocery and other food-related shops are open normal operation hours.
  • Dining Establishments: 
    • Dining establishments such as restaurants, patisseries, cafés, and cafeterias are open for in-person dining and delivery services with no restrictions.
    • Smoking in public spaces is banned.

Education:

Turkey has started face-to-face education as of September 6th. Please contact your school and see the Ministry of Education for the most up to date information.

Other Establishments :

  • Most services are available in Turkey without restrictions.

COVID-19 Testing:

  • Are PCR and/or antigen tests available for U.S. citizens in Turkey? Yes 
  • If so, are test results reliably available within one calendar day? Yes
  • 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. Further information can be found at https://www.istairport.com/en/announcements/istanbul-airport-test-center-is-at-your-service-24-7.
  • 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. Further information can be found at http://www.esenbogaairport.com/en-EN/passenger-guide/page/covid19-travel-safe.
  • 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
  • Are COVID vaccines available in Turkey for U.S. citizens to receive? Yes for U.S. citizens who hold residency in Turkey 
    • U.S. citizens who have residency in Turkey can get vaccinated by going through the same process as Turkish citizens. Prioritization by age group applies to residency holders and the eligibility can be checked at https://enabiz.gov.tr/. 
    • Information on how to register at e-nabiz can be found at the Turkish Ministry of Health’s pamphlet.  
  • Which vaccines are available in Turkey?
    • The government of Turkey administers SinoVac CoronaVac, Turkovac and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines. 
  • 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.  
  • Visit the FDA’s website to learn more about FDA-approved vaccines in the United States.  
  • For more information, please visit the Government of Turkey’s COVID-19 information page.  
  • Information from the CDC regarding COVID-19 vaccination.    

Entry and Exit Requirements: 

  • Are U.S. citizens permitted to enter Turkey? Yes
  • Is a negative COVID-19 test (PCR and/or serology) required for entry? Yes
    A PCR test is required for individuals over the age of 12 years old who are unable to show proof of vaccination.
  • 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. Passengers may be subject to a PCR test by means of the method of sampling at points of arrival in Turkey. Within this scope, these passengers shall be allowed to proceed to their final destination after their test samples are taken. If their test results are positive, they shall be taken under treatment in accordance with the COVID-19 Guidelines of the Ministry of Health. The passengers with positive test results and persons having been in close contact with such passengers shall be taken under quarantine for a period of 7 days at the addresses they have determined, and if the results of the PCR tests to be taken at the end of the 5th day are negative, the quarantine shall be ended. The quarantines of these people who are identified to have Delta variant shall be ended upon submitting a negative PCR test result at the end of the 7th day.
  • Passengers must have a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken at most 72 hours before arrival, if arriving from or they have been in Afghanistan, South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Brazil, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan in the last 14 days.  
    • This does not apply to passengers younger than 12 years.
  • Passengers arriving from Egypt and Iran must have a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken at most 72 hours before arrival.
    • This does not apply to passengers younger than 12 years.
  • Effective January 10, 2022, passengers arriving from a country other than above countries do not need to submit negative PCR /rapid antigen test if; 
    • passengers younger than 12 years;
    • passengers with a COVID-19 vaccination certificate showing that they were fully vaccinated at least 14 days before arrival;
    • passengers with a COVID-19 recovery certificate issued at most 6 months before arrival;
    • merchant seamen.
  • Passengers arriving into Turkey may be subject to a random PCR test at their final destination in Turkey.  
  • A completed “Traveler Entry Form” must be presented at check-in and upon arrival. The form can be obtained at http://register.health.gov.tr.  
  • Passengers could be subject to self-isolation for up to 14 days.  
    • This does not apply to passenger with a COVID-19 vaccination certificate showing that they were fully vaccinated at least 14 days before arrival.  
  • 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. 
  • For Travel to the United States:
    • Travel Requirements have changed. Starting December 6, 2021, all air travelers aged two and above, regardless of vaccination status or nationality, must show a negative COVID-19 test. Your negative test result must be from a COVID-19 viral test performed one calendar day before the day of your flight to the U.S. In other words, the testing window can be slightly more than 24 hours before your departure. If you recently recovered from COVID-19, you may instead travel with documentation of recovery from COVID-19 (i.e., your positive COVID-19 viral test result on a sample taken no more than 90 days before the flight’s departure from a foreign country, and a letter from a licensed healthcare provider or a public health official stating that you were cleared to travel).
    • Effective November 8, 2021, all non-immigrant, non-U.S. citizen air travelers to the United States will be required to be fully vaccinated and to provide proof of vaccination status prior to boarding an airplane to the United States.
    • Exemptions will be considered on an extremely limited basis.  Please contact your nearest embassy or consulate to apply for an exemption.  Please visit the CDC webpages for more information about exemptions and the requirement for proof of negative COVID-19 test or recovery from COVID-19 for all air passengers arriving in the United States.
    • Please note that individual airlines may require a negative COVID-19 test regardless of proof of recovery from COVID-19, please consult your airline for details.
  • U.S. citizens planning to travel overseas or currently overseas and planning to return to the United States should contact their airline for specific information about testing requirements for travelers. Airlines may adopt and modify their own specific policies to implement the CDC’s testing rule. 
  • Effective December 1, 2021, dogs vaccinated in the United States by a U.S.-licensed veterinarian may re-enter the United States from Turkey without a CDC Dog Import Permit if the dog:
    • has a valid (not expired) U.S.-issued rabies vaccination certificate from a U.S.-licensed veterinarian;
    • has proof of a microchip;
    • is at least 6 months old;
    • is healthy upon arrival; and
    • arrives at an approved port of entry

Movement Restrictions: 

  • Is a curfew in place? No. 
  • The Turkish Ministry of Health releases Turkey’s daily vaccination and COVID-19 numbers at https://covid19.saglik.gov.tr/. 
  • Are there restrictions on inter-city or inter-state travel? No.

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.
    -Passengers will not be required to quarantine or submit a negative PCR test result if they submit a document issued by the relevant country’s official authorities stating that they have been vaccinated at least 14 days before entrance to Turkey and/or have had the disease and were cured within the last 6 months.
  • 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 cancellations. Passengers should also carefully review transit information and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) landing requirements when booking connecting flights to the United States from Turkey.
  • 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. 
  • The European Union has created a website for researching transit and travel restrictions for all E.U. countries.  
  • 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 does not have a ban on importing or exporting pets. We refer you to the airline websites for more specific details.
  • Please see the U.S. Embassy Immigrant Visa page and the Non-Immigrant Visa page for further information if you are a visa holder seeking entry to the United States.   

Consular Operations: 

  • Due to COVID-19 precautions, if you have had cold or flu-like symptoms in the past 14 days, such as a fever, shortness of breath, or a persistent cough you must reschedule. 
  • The U.S. Embassy in Ankara, U.S. Consulate General in Istanbul, U.S. Consulate in Adana, and Consular Agency in Izmir are currently providing limited services.  Please see information at the following links for more information: 
  • Please see information at the following link for more information:
  • 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.

Local Resources: 

Other Links: 

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