Arriving in Türkiye through Istanbul: a checklist for the days before you fly

The authoritative source is the visa page of the Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Foreign Affairs, mfa.gov.tr. As of our check in November 2026, it lists these rules for ordinary passport holders.

• Visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period: United Kingdom (tourist travel), Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, France, Romania (tourist travel), the United States, Canada, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar and Australia.
• China: visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period, since 2 January 2026.
• Russia: visa-free for up to 60 days for tourist and business travel.
• Ukraine: visa-free for up to 90 days; the ministry also notes that a biometric ID card can be used on direct flights from Ukraine.

The ministry page also says a passport should be valid for at least 60 days beyond the length of your stay, and it advises six months of validity from the day you arrive. Rules change, and the details depend on the type of passport and the purpose of the trip, so check the Ministry of Foreign Affairs page before you travel.

If your nationality needs a visa, Türkiye issues electronic visas through evisa.gov.tr, the only official site for them. The ministry describes it as an online application with identity, passport and travel details and an online fee.

• Apply before you fly, not at the airport, so the visa is ready when you reach passport control.
• Search results show lookalike sites that charge extra fees. Type the address yourself rather than clicking an advert.
• Print the e-visa or keep it on your phone, and carry the passport you used to apply.
• At Istanbul Airport, two visa offices stand before passport control, but planning ahead saves a queue.

The currency in Türkiye is the Turkish lira (TRY). Exchange rates move often, so we do not publish any; your bank or the cash machine shows the rate on the day.

• Cash machines: both Istanbul airports have banks or ATMs in the terminal. Istanbul Airport describes them as widely available.
• Cards: accepted in many shops and restaurants in the city. Tell your bank you are travelling, so the first payment abroad is not blocked.
• The transfer: no lira needed. You pay the driver at the end of the ride in cash (EUR, GBP or TRY), or by Visa or Mastercard on the card terminal in the car, contactless included.

Nothing is paid in advance for the transfer. The fare you are quoted is the fare you pay the driver, and it is the same day and night.

Your first message after landing usually goes to family, the hotel or the driver, so plan how you will get online.

• Istanbul Airport: one hour of free Wi-Fi, activated by SMS or with your passport number.
• Sabiha Gökçen: free Wi-Fi on the airport's own network.
• Roaming: check your mobile plan's rate for Türkiye before you leave, as it may not be covered by your usual roaming allowance.
• Local options: if you plan to use a local SIM or an eSIM, compare the offers before the trip rather than at the arrivals hall.

Save our WhatsApp number, +90 551 464 26 32, before you board. Even on airport Wi-Fi, a quick message reaches dispatch if you cannot spot your sign at the exit.

A complete booking is the one that runs without a single phone call on the day. Before you fly, check that we have all of the following.

1. 01Airport and flight numberIST or SAW, and the number of the flight that lands in Istanbul. We track it, so a delay costs nothing.
2. 02Date and landing timeUse the arrival date, which may be the day after departure on a late flight.
3. 03Full addressThe hotel name and the street address with the building number. In the Old City, add the hotel's phone number.
4. 04Travellers and luggageAdults, children with their ages for free child seats, suitcases, and any pushchair, golf bag or folding wheelchair.
5. 05Name for the signThe driver waits at the exit you come out of with this name on a printed sign.

A short run-through the evening before departure catches most of the small problems that otherwise surface at the airport.

• Passports for everyone in the group, checked against the validity rule, and any e-visa saved or printed.
• The flight number, the arrival airport code and the landing date, compared with the details in your transfer booking.
• The hotel's address and phone number, saved offline on your phone in case there is no signal on landing.
• Our WhatsApp number in your contacts, plus a charged phone and a cable in the cabin bag.
• A note of anything changed since you booked: an extra traveller, another suitcase, a different hotel.

If something has changed, send it to dispatch in one message. Updating a booking is free, and the vehicle is matched to the final numbers before the driver leaves for the airport.

For public transport during your stay, the Istanbulkart works on buses, the metro, ferries and Marmaray. At Sabiha Gökçen the airport sells it at the İETT kiosks near the bus area.

For airport legs, our fares follow one rule: same side of the Bosphorus as the airport €50, across it €70, per vehicle in the Eco Van for up to six people. A Vito adds €10, a V-Class €15 and a Sprinter minibus for up to sixteen people €30.

Cancelling a booked transfer is free at any time, so you can book as soon as your flight is confirmed and change it if plans move.