Health Alert: Turkey, Initial Steps to Reduce Restrictions

Location: Turkey

Health Event: Message to U.S. citizens – Update on COVID-19 and Related Restrictions

New Updates:

On May 4th, President Erdogan announced initial steps to reduce restrictions implemented to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, including:

Travel restrictions will be removed from seven provinces – Antalya, Aydin, Erzurum, Hatay, Malatya, Mersin, and Mugla. However the restrictions on entry/exit and inter-provincial travel remain in place for 24 others, including Adana, Ankara, Gaziantep, Istanbul, and Izmir;
Hair salons, shopping malls, and some stores will reopen on May 11, but they must require social distancing and restrict the numbers of people who can enter;
Children under the age of 20 and individuals over 65 will be allowed to go outside for four hours, one day per week. Individuals over 65 will be allowed to go outside on May 10, children as old as 14 will be allowed on May 13, those aged 15-20 on May 15, all during the hours of 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.;
Weekend curfews will continue until after the Ramadan Bayram (Eid al-Fitr) holiday in late May. These curfews run from Friday through Sunday, but this is subject to change. The next curfew is from Saturday, May 9, through midnight, Sunday, May 10.

Actions to Take

If you are a U.S. citizen trying to get home, we want to know. Please contact our consular team at the email addresses at the bottom of this page and provide a local phone number.
Information regarding commercial flight options is available on the U.S. Embassy COVID-19 webpage.
If you have previously purchased tickets, we recommend that you reconfirm with the airlines that the flight is operational and verify the transit country's entry requirements prior to your departure.
While Turkish citizens can call “199” to seek an inter-city travel permit, U.S. citizens traveling by road to reach an airport in a different province must still , please contact the district governor’s office to obtain permission to travel by land for your international departure. You can inform us by filling out this form and we will prepare a document for you to present in support of your travel permit application. We also may share your information with the Turkish authorities, but the decision to grant travel permissions lies with district governor. Comply with local authorities at check points and clearly state your intention to seek immediate departure from Turkey.
Carry identity and travel documents with you at all times.
Visit local resources for more information: