COVID-19 Information

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Last Updated: July 16, 2021

New Updates:

  • On Sunday, June 27, 2021, the Government of Turkey (GoT) announced that all curfew and inter-city travel restrictions, regardless of weekdays and weekends, will end effective 5 a.m. on July 1.
  • The COVID-19 related restrictions apply to all citizens and residents of Turkey. Tourists are exempt from COVID-19 restrictions.
  • Please see the Turkish Ministry of Interior’s June 27th dated circular for more information.

Country-Specific Information:

  • Turkey has confirmed cases of COVID-19 within its borders.
  • On March 1, 2021 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/.
  • Tourists/Non-Citizens:
    • Foreigners who are in the country as residents, under protected status, or international status are required to provide a Hayat Eve Sigar (HES) code for inner city public transportation, inter-city bus travel rest stops, hotel reservations, and international and domestic flights.
  • Grocery and Other Food-Related Shop Curfew Operating Hours:
    • Grocery and other food-related shops will be open for normal operation hours starting July 1.
  • Dining Establishments:
    • Dining establishments such as restaurants, patisseries, cafés, and cafeterias will be open for in-person dining and delivery services with no restrictions as of 5 a.m. on July 1.
    • Smoking in public spaces is banned.

Education:

Please contact your school and see the Ministry of Education for the most up to date information; some educational institutions may be open.

Other Establishments :

The services of the following establishments will now be permitted on all days of the week starting July 1 at 5 a.m.:

  • Movie theaters
  • Coffee houses, clubs, pubs, and tea gardens 
  • Amusement and theme parks 
  • Educational institutions for certain ages, for certain days (Educational institutions will share guidance directly with families/students.) 
  • Internet cafés, game/billiard halls 
  • Soccer fields, swimming pools, gyms 
  • Turkish baths, saunas, and massage parlors 
  • The services of the following establishments will remain suspended temporarily until further notice: 
  • Hookah lounge/cafes

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
  • 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
  • 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 mainly SinoVac CoronaVac vaccine. On March 24, Turkey received about 1.4 million doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
  • 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.
  • 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.   
  • Effective January 26, 2021, the United States requires all air passengers, including U.S. citizens, arriving from a foreign country to get tested for COVID-19 infection no more than 3 days before their flight departs and to provide proof of the negative result or documentation of having recovered from COVID-19 to the airline before boarding the flight.  The link at the bottom of the page in Local Resources has testing centers listed by each province in Turkey.
  • On Monday, June 28, 2021, the GoT announced the suspension of all flights (as of July 1) from Bangladesh, Brazil, South Africa, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka until further notice. Passengers who have been in Bangladesh, Brazil, South Africa, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka in the last 14 days must submit a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours prior to entering Turkey and undergo a mandatory 14 day quarantine. Passengers will be given a PCR test on the 14th day of quarantine and, if the test result is negative, they will be released from quarantine.  If the PCR test result is positive, passengers will be placed in isolation and tested again after 14 days.
  • Passengers who traveled to Turkey from Afghanistan and Pakistan or who have been in these countries in the last 14 days must undergo quarantine for 10 days.  Passengers will be given a PCR test on the 7th day of quarantine and, if the test result is negative, they will be released from quarantine.  If the PCR test result is still positive, measures will be taken in accordance with the Ministry of Health COVID-19 guidelines.
  • Passengers who are subject to mandatory quarantines may quarantine in dormitories, as well as in other accommodation facilities serving as quarantine hotels, as determined by the Governorships. The procedures and principles regarding the quarantine hotels, accommodation fees, transfers of these travelers from the border gates, etc., will be determined and announced by the Governorships.
  • Turkish citizens who cannot present a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours before entry through the border gates will be allowed to go to their residence after taking a PCR or rapid antigen test at the border gates. Those with positive test results will be isolated in their residences.
  • Passengers departing from the United Kingdom, Iran, Egypt and Singapore will be required to submit a negative PCR test result which has to be made maximum 72 hours before entry.
  • When entering Turkey from countries not included in the first two paragraphs above, passengers will not be required to 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 cured within the last 6 months. Quarantine measures will not be applied for these passengers.If passengers departing from these countries cannot submit a vaccine certificate or the documents proving that they have had the disease according to the stated rules, submission of a negative PCR test result  taken within 72 hours before entering  Turkey or negative rapid antigen test result taken within 48 hours before entering  Turkey will be deemed sufficient.   
  • Except for passengers departing from the countries listed above, people entering Turkey may be subjected to PCR test on the basis of sampling at their destination. In this context, passengers will be allowed to go to their final destination after the test samples are taken, and if the test results are positive, they will be treated in accordance with Republic of Turkey Ministry of Health COVID–19 guidelines. Passengers with positive test results will be quarantined for 14 days at the addresses they shared and if the PCR test results to be made at the end of the 10th day are negative, the quarantine conditions will be terminated. The quarantine conditions of those who are found to have the Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus will be terminated with a negative result of the PCR test at the end of the 14th day.
  • As of March 15, all passengers arriving in Turkey (except the transit passengers) are now required to fill out "Travel Entry Form" at "http://register.health.gov.tr" within the last 72 hours before their flights.
  • For latest travel restrictions to the United States, visit the Department of Homeland Security’s website.
  • As of June 28, 2021, direct flights from Bangladesh, Brazil, South Africa, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka are suspended:    
    • All passengers traveling through another country who have been in Bangladesh, Brazil, South Africa, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka in the last 14 days will  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 14th day of quarantine and those who have negative test results will be released from quarantine at the end of the 14 day period. 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.
  • Effective July 14, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will temporarily suspend importation of dogs to the United States from designated "high-risk" countries for rabies. Turkey is among these high-risk countries. The Embassy strongly recommends anyone traveling to the United States with a dog to closely monitor the CDC website for updated guidance. The U.S. Department of State also has updated information in the customs information section of TSG.

Movement Restrictions:

  • Is a curfew in place? No, effective 05:00 a.m. on July 1. 
    • On May 31, 2021, the Government of Turkey (GoT) announced a gradual normalization period to stop the spread of COVID-19, imposing a curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. from Monday through Saturday, and a full lockdown in effect during Sundays beginning at 10 p.m. on Saturday and ending at 5 a.m. on Mondays.  weekdays until July 1st. Effective 05:00 a.m. July 1st all nationwide curfew will be lifted. 
  • 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/.
  • Tourists/Non-Citizens:
    • Foreigners who are in the country as residents, under protected status, or international status, are required to provide a Hayat Eve Sigar (HES) code for inner city public transportation, inter-city bus travel rest stops, hotel reservations, and international and domestic flights. You can find more information below.  
  • Are there restrictions on intercity or interstate travel? No, effective 05:00 a.m. on July 1.
  • Inter-city Travel:
    • Intercity travel is allowed without restriction, effective 5 a.m. on July 1.
  • Hotel/Lodging/Accommodation Reservations:
    • A hotel/lodging/accommodation reservation will require a Hayat Eve Sigar (HES) code for Turkish citizens and residents of Turkey. Please find more information below.
  • Intercity travel permits are  no longer required, effective 05:00 am on July 1.

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 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.  
    • During the weekday and weekend curfew, those aged 65 and over and young people under 18 and children will not be allowed to use public transportation vehicles (metro, metrobus, bus, minibus, minibus, etc.).
  • 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.
  • Some of the more common transit hubs for direct flights to the U.S. are Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, and Paris. For information on travel restrictions and transit regulations, please visit the relevant U.S. Embassy website in the country in which you will be transiting. Additionally, the European Union has created a website for researching transit and travel restrictions for all E.U. countries.
  • U.S. citizens traveling via passenger airplane are now able to enter the U.S. via any port of entry. For more information, please review the official Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announcement. Air travelers are advised to include their travel document (Passport/I-551) information in their reservations to help ensure they do not encounter issues when boarding their flights.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • HES Codes: 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.

Consular Operations:

  • 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:

Local Resources:

Other Links:

Transit Information:    

By | 16 July, 2021 | Topics: Alert, Security & Emergency Messages

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U.S. Embassy Ankara

U.S. Embassy Ankara
110 Atatürk Blvd.
Kavaklıdere, 06100 Ankara - Turkey
Phone: (90-312) 455-5555
Fax: (90-312) 467-0019

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