Turkey Reveals New PCR and Quarantine Requirements

Whether you are interested in exciting sightseeing or carefree beach holidays, Turkey can offer all these and much more. The country is a popular tourist destination that never ceases to attract new guests. Starting from June 1, 2021, Turkey has an updated policy regarding tourists who enter the country. The official authorities decided to make the following changes.

Tourists arriving from certain countries (South Africa, India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Brazil, Nepal, and Sri Lanka) are obliged to have a negative PCR test made no longer than 72 hours before the arrival in Turkey. Additionally, these passengers are due to be quarantined for 14 days in specially designated places. One more PCR test will be performed on the last day of the quarantine. If the result is negative, the passenger can terminate it. Note that not only citizens of the countries mentioned above but also people who visited these countries during the last 14 days must be quarantined. With the new regulations coming into force, Turkey lifted flight bans to South Africa and Brazil.

Tourists arriving from the United Kingdom, Singapore, Egypt, and Iran are required to have a negative PCR test result made no later than 72 hours before the entry. No quarantine is required, and tourists can head to their hotels in Istanbul or Antalya immediately after the customs control.

There are slightly different regulations for passengers coming from the countries not listed above. They do not need to have a valid PCR test if they can submit a document proving that they have been vaccinated at least 14 days before the arrival to Turkey or a document that proves that they have had COVID-19 within the last 6 months. No quarantine is required for these passengers as well. People who cannot submit any of these documents can still enter Turkey if they have a negative PCR test result made no longer than 72 hours before the arrival or a negative rapid antigen test result made at least 48 hours before the arrival.

Everyone who arrives in Turkey except for passengers eligible for the mandatory quarantine measure can be subjected to a PCR test at the airport. This process is random and is made for sampling purposes. Visitors who test positive will be treated in accordance with the COVID-19 guidelines and will be quarantined for 14 days. If the PCR test made on the 10th day of the quarantine is negative, the quarantine is terminated.