Transit rules · Türkiye

Layover in Türkiye: transit visa and leaving the airport

Istanbul Airport (IST) has an international transit area: passengers who stay in the transit lounge need no transit visa, whatever their nationality (MFA FAQ). To leave the airport you need to be visa-exempt or hold a visa; many nationalities can get a single-entry e-Visa online at evisa.gov.tr (tourism or business only). Turkish Airlines runs a free city tour (Touristanbul) for 6-24h connections, but it still requires normal entry eligibility.

At a glance, by passport

Passport	Change planes airside	Leave the airport
United States	No document needed to stay airside	Yes, no visa needed · 90 days in any 180 days
Canada	No document needed to stay airside	Yes, no visa needed · 90 days in any 180 days
United Kingdom	No document needed to stay airside	Yes, no visa needed · 90 days in any 180 days
Australia	No document needed to stay airside	Yes, no visa needed · 90 days in any 180 days
New Zealand	No document needed to stay airside	Yes, no visa needed · 90 days
EU / EEA / Switzerland	No document needed to stay airside	Yes, no visa needed · 90 days
India	No document needed to stay airside	Only with an e-visa · 1 month (single entry)
China (mainland)	No document needed to stay airside	Yes, no visa needed · 90 days in any 180 days
Brazil	No document needed to stay airside	Yes, no visa needed · 90 days
Mexico	No document needed to stay airside	Only with an e-visa · 30 days (single entry)
South Africa	No document needed to stay airside	Only with an e-visa · 1 month (single entry)
Philippines	No document needed to stay airside	Only with an e-visa · 30 days (single entry)
Japan	No document needed to stay airside	Yes, no visa needed · 90 days
South Korea	No document needed to stay airside	Yes, no visa needed · 90 days

Changing planes without leaving the airport

Airside means you stay behind passport control: you walk from one gate to the next and never formally enter Türkiye. Many countries let you do that without any document, some ask for an online authorisation or a transit visa even for this.

Holders of United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, EU / EEA / Switzerland, India, China (mainland), Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, Philippines, Japan and South Korea passports can change planes airside without any document.

Leaving the airport

To see the city you pass immigration and enter Türkiye like any visitor, so the normal entry rule for your passport applies, however short your stay.

Without a visa: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, EU / EEA / Switzerland, China (mainland), Brazil, Japan and South Korea. With an e-visa applied for before the trip: India, Mexico, South Africa and Philippines.

Transit rules in Türkiye

Touristanbul (Turkish Airlines free city tour) — airline info, not a government scheme

Who: Turkish Airlines passengers connecting in Istanbul

layover between 6 and 24 hours, flight times compatible with tour times
ticket number starting with 235, both flights under the same PNR
at least 1 h 25 min between tour end and next flight
cannot combine with the Stopover service in the same waiting period
passenger must obtain any visa needed to enter Türkiye

Source: Turkish Airlines

Your passport in detail

United States passport

Leave the airport: Yes, no visa needed Ordinary passports exempt from visa. Stay: 90 days in any 180 days.

Change planes airside: No document needed to stay airside No transit visa if you do not leave the transit lounge.

Official source: Visa Information For Foreigners — United States of America , Frequently Asked Questions

Canada passport

Leave the airport: Yes, no visa needed Ordinary passports exempt from visa. Stay: 90 days in any 180 days.

Change planes airside: No document needed to stay airside No transit visa if you do not leave the transit lounge.

Official source: Visa Information For Foreigners — Canada , Frequently Asked Questions

United Kingdom passport

Leave the airport: Yes, no visa needed Ordinary British citizen passports exempt for tourism. BN(O), British Subject and British Protected Person passports must get a visa from a Turkish mission. Stay: 90 days in any 180 days.

Change planes airside: No document needed to stay airside No transit visa if you do not leave the transit lounge.

Official source: Visa Information For Foreigners — United Kingdom , Frequently Asked Questions

Australia passport

Leave the airport: Yes, no visa needed Ordinary passports exempt for tourism and transit travel. Stay: 90 days in any 180 days.

Change planes airside: No document needed to stay airside No transit visa if you do not leave the transit lounge.

Official source: Visa Information For Foreigners — Australia , Frequently Asked Questions

New Zealand passport

Leave the airport: Yes, no visa needed Ordinary and official passports exempt. Stay: 90 days.

Change planes airside: No document needed to stay airside No transit visa if you do not leave the transit lounge.

Official source: Visa Information For Foreigners — New Zealand , Frequently Asked Questions

EU / EEA / Switzerland passport

Leave the airport: Yes, no visa needed Verified for Germany, France and Switzerland (each listed separately with the same wording). Turkey lists each EU/EEA country separately; not every one was checked. Stay: 90 days.

Change planes airside: No document needed to stay airside No transit visa if you do not leave the transit lounge.

Official source: Visa Information For Foreigners — Germany / France / Switzerland , Frequently Asked Questions

India passport

Leave the airport: Only with an e-visa Ordinary passports need a visa. Conditional e-Visa only if holding a valid Schengen, US, UK or Irish visa or residence permit; otherwise a visa from a Turkish mission. Stay: 1 month (single entry).

Change planes airside: No document needed to stay airside No transit visa if you do not leave the transit lounge.

Official source: Visa Information For Foreigners — India , Frequently Asked Questions

China (mainland) passport

Leave the airport: Yes, no visa needed Ordinary PRC passports visa-exempt as of 2 January 2026. Stay: 90 days in any 180 days.

Change planes airside: No document needed to stay airside No transit visa if you do not leave the transit lounge.

Official source: Visa Information For Foreigners — People's Republic of China , Frequently Asked Questions

Brazil passport

Leave the airport: Yes, no visa needed Official and ordinary passports exempt. Stay: 90 days.

Change planes airside: No document needed to stay airside No transit visa if you do not leave the transit lounge.

Official source: Visa Information For Foreigners — Brazil , Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico passport

Leave the airport: Only with an e-visa Ordinary passports need a visa: 30-day single-entry e-Visa online, or 90-day multiple-entry visa from a Turkish mission. Whether the e-Visa is conditional (e.g. on a US/Schengen visa) was not confirmed. Stay: 30 days (single entry).

Change planes airside: No document needed to stay airside No transit visa if you do not leave the transit lounge.

Official source: Visa Information For Foreigners — Mexico , Frequently Asked Questions

South Africa passport

Leave the airport: Only with an e-visa Ordinary passports need a visa; one-month single-entry e-Visa online or three-month multiple-entry visa from a mission. Stay: 1 month (single entry).

Change planes airside: No document needed to stay airside No transit visa if you do not leave the transit lounge.

Official source: Visa Information For Foreigners — South Africa , Frequently Asked Questions

Philippines passport

Leave the airport: Only with an e-visa Ordinary passports need a visa. Conditional e-Visa only with a valid Schengen, US, UK or Irish visa or residence permit. Stay: 30 days (single entry).

Change planes airside: No document needed to stay airside No transit visa if you do not leave the transit lounge.

Official source: Visa Information For Foreigners — Philippines , Frequently Asked Questions

Japan passport

Leave the airport: Yes, no visa needed Ordinary and official passports exempt. Stay: 90 days.

Change planes airside: No document needed to stay airside No transit visa if you do not leave the transit lounge.

Official source: Visa Information For Foreigners — Japan , Frequently Asked Questions

South Korea passport

Leave the airport: Yes, no visa needed Ordinary and official passports exempt. Stay: 90 days.

Change planes airside: No document needed to stay airside No transit visa if you do not leave the transit lounge.

Official source: Visa Information For Foreigners — Republic of Korea , Frequently Asked Questions

How much time you get in the city

Being allowed out is half the answer; the other half is the clock. Count the time to get off the plane and through immigration, the trip into town and back, and getting back early enough for security and the gate. Istanbul Airport (IST): the fastest public option, M11 metro to Gayrettepe, M2 metro to Vezneciler, short walk to Sultanahmet, takes about 75 minutes, so plan a layover of at least 7 h 15 min.

The planner on each airport page does this for your own flight times and lets you change every assumption.

Questions

Do I need a transit visa for Türkiye?

Holders of United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, EU / EEA / Switzerland, India, China (mainland), Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, Philippines, Japan and South Korea passports can change planes airside without any document.

Can I leave the airport during a layover in Türkiye?

It depends on your passport. Without a visa: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, EU / EEA / Switzerland, China (mainland), Brazil, Japan and South Korea. With an e-visa applied for before the trip: India, Mexico, South Africa and Philippines.

How long a layover do I need to leave the airport?

With our cautious defaults (45 minutes to get out, the trip into town and back plus 20%, 120 minutes back before departure, at least 90 minutes in the city): Istanbul Airport (IST): the fastest public option, M11 metro to Gayrettepe, M2 metro to Vezneciler, short walk to Sultanahmet, takes about 75 minutes, so plan a layover of at least 7 h 15 min.

Official sources

Frequently Asked Questions (Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Foreign Affairs): If you will not leave the transit lounge at the airport you are not required to have transit visa.
Visa Information For Foreigners — United States of America (Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Foreign Affairs): Ordinary passport holders are exempted from visa up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
Visa Information For Foreigners — Canada (Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Foreign Affairs): Ordinary passport holders are exempted from visa up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
Visa Information For Foreigners — United Kingdom (Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Foreign Affairs): Ordinary passport holders who travel for touristic purposes are exempt from visas for up to 90 days in any 180 day period.
Visa Information For Foreigners — Australia (Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Foreign Affairs): Holders of ordinary passports are exempt from visa requirements for touristic visits and transit travel for a period of 90 days within any 180-day period.
Visa Information For Foreigners — New Zealand (Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Foreign Affairs): Ordinary and official passport holders are exempt from visa for their travels up to 90 days.
Visa Information For Foreigners — Germany / France / Switzerland (Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Foreign Affairs): Ordinary and official passport holders are exempted from visa for their travels up to 90 days.
Visa Information For Foreigners — India (Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Foreign Affairs): Ordinary, Special and Service passport holders are required to have visa to enter Türkiye. ... with a valid Schengen members or USA, UK, Ireland visa or residence permit
Visa Information For Foreigners — People's Republic of China (Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Foreign Affairs): Ordinary passport holder People's Republic of China nationals are exempt from visa up to 90 days in any 180 day period as of 2 January 2026.
Visa Information For Foreigners — Brazil (Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Foreign Affairs): Official and ordinary passport holders are exempted from visa for their travels up to 90 days.
Visa Information For Foreigners — Mexico (Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Foreign Affairs): may get their 90-day multiple-entry visas from Turkish missions abroad ... obtain their 30-day single-entry e-visas via the website
Visa Information For Foreigners — South Africa (Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Foreign Affairs): Ordinary passport holders are required to have visa to enter Türkiye.
Visa Information For Foreigners — Philippines (Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Foreign Affairs): Ordinary passport holders are required to have visa.
Visa Information For Foreigners — Japan (Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Foreign Affairs): Ordinary and official passport holders are exempt from visa for their travels up to 90 days.
Visa Information For Foreigners — Republic of Korea (Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Foreign Affairs): Ordinary and official passport holders are exempted from visa for their travels up to 90 days.

Checked against these sources on 2026-11-01. Rules change; the airline and the border officer have the final word. Found something out of date? Tell us.