🎈 Turkey (Türkiye)

Official government travel advice

Advice changes quickly. Check it before you travel and again before you leave.

Costs

Prices here are about 41% of US prices (World Bank, 2025). This compares a country's overall prices, not the cost of a trip.

Practical information

Entry

Your passport decides which visa applies, so use the official site linked below and also ask the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs to confirm before you book. Some nationalities may need an e-Visa, and the sole official e-Visa site is evisa.gov.tr; type that address yourself, because copycat sites charge extra and should be ignored. Rules on passport validity are strict, so check them before you fly. Keep a return ticket and proof of accommodation with you.

Culture - take note

Turkey is mostly Muslim yet secular, so clothing is a free choice in resorts as well as cities. Inside mosques, everyone should have shoulders and knees covered, women should also cover their hair, shoes should be taken off, and prayer times avoided. The main prayer day is Friday. In conservative areas, discretion about eating in public is called for during Ramadan. Insulting the state, the Turkish flag or Atatürk is a crime, so do not joke about any of them, and taking antiquities out of the country is illegal. Shops offer coffee and tea (cay) as hospitality, and it is polite to accept; in bazaars, bargaining is normal. Restaurants expect a tip of about 10%. Halal food is available everywhere, and alcohol is on sale but expensive. Near tourist sites, be wary of taxi scams and of 'free' offers. Earthquakes occur, so learn where the exits in your hotel are.

Emergency

112 for police, ambulance and fire (one unified number).

Good to know

Lira, cash and card safety

The lira is the currency, according to Canadian advice. Many small vendors, taxi drivers and rural businesses prefer cash, and money should be changed at reputable banks or official exchange offices. Card and cash machine fraud occurs: cover the keypad, use machines inside banks or shopping centres rather than on the street, and check your statements for unauthorised transactions.

Local laws and customs

Drugs, insults and ID

UK advice says illegal drugs, cannabis included, bring long prison sentences, and that it is illegal not to carry some form of photo ID. Insulting the Turkish nation, the flag, the President or Atatürk is a criminal offence, including in online posts. Canadian advice adds that photographing military or official sites is forbidden and that hotels must register foreign guests with the police. Same-sex sexual activity is legal, though Pride events have been banned or dispersed.

Taxis and scams

Licensed taxis in Turkey

Licensed taxis in Turkey are metered, says Canadian advice, which tells visitors to take officially marked taxis only and to check who the driver is and the licence plate before getting in. UK advice is to look for a registered taxi, note its registration number before you get in and ensure the fare is metered, and describes rides in unofficial taxis as highly risky. App-based and pre-arranged taxis, it adds, are widely available too.

Strangers, bars and drinks

Visitors may be approached by strangers offering to exchange money or lead them to a restaurant or nightclub, UK advice warns, adding that food or drink from strangers may be spiked, so buy your own drinks and keep watch over them. Canadian advice describes an Istanbul scam in which tourists are invited to bars by locals and then forced to pay a steep bill. Methanol in fake or illegally made alcohol is a further warning from both governments.

Card and ATM fraud

Fraud using credit cards, debit cards and ATMs takes place in Turkey, Canadian advice says. Its suggestions are to cover the keypad when entering your PIN, avoid card readers with an irregular or unusual feature, pick ATMs inside banks or businesses or in well-lit public places, and check statements for unauthorized transactions.

Who can help

ngo

Turkish Red Crescent (Kızılay)

Helps with: Türkiye's national Red Crescent society. Its website lists disaster response, blood donation campaigns and volunteering. Its 168 line is a donation call centre, not a visitor help line.

Who qualifies: People in Türkiye who need its disaster relief or blood services, or want to volunteer.

Official website

Source · checked 2026-11-04

un agency

International Organization for Migration (IOM) Türkiye

Helps with: The UN migration agency's main office in Ankara. Contact it about migration matters in Türkiye.

Who qualifies: Migrants and organisations working on migration. It is not a help service for ordinary tourists.

Phone: +90 (312) 454 30 00

Email: [email protected]

Address: İlkbahar Mahallesi Konrad Adenauer Caddesi No:61-63 Çankaya/Ankara

Official website

Source · checked 2026-11-04

embassy

Foreign embassies and consulates in Türkiye (official diplomatic portal)

Helps with: For a lost passport or serious trouble, contact your own country's embassy or consulate. The Turkish foreign ministry's Diplomatic Portal lists diplomatic missions, accredited missions and international organisations.

Who qualifies: Citizens of each country, through their own embassy or consulate.

Official website

Source · checked 2026-11-04

local government

Antalya Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism

Helps with: The Culture and Tourism Ministry's provincial office for Antalya. The ministry's list of provincial directorates gives its phone and email.

Who qualifies: Anyone visiting Antalya or planning a trip there.

Phone: 0 242 280 23 00

Email: [email protected]

Official website

Source · checked 2026-11-04

local government

Sultanahmet Tourism Information Office

Helps with: Culture and Tourism Ministry tourism information office in Istanbul's Sultanahmet area, at Atmeydanı. It is one of several information offices run by the Istanbul provincial directorate.

Who qualifies: Anyone visiting Istanbul who wants tourism information in person.

Phone: 0212 518 18 02

Address: Binbirdirek Mah. Divan Yolu Cad. No:3 Atmeydanı Sultanahmet Fatih / İstanbul

Official website

Source · checked 2026-11-04

local government

Sirkeci Tourism Information Office

Helps with: Culture and Tourism Ministry tourism information office next to Sirkeci Train Station in Istanbul, run by the Istanbul provincial directorate.

Who qualifies: Anyone visiting Istanbul who wants tourism information in person.

Phone: 0212 511 58 88

Address: Next to Sirkeci Train Station, Ankara Cad. Hocapaşa Mah. No:140 Sirkeci Fatih / İstanbul

Official website

Source · checked 2026-11-04

local government

Emergency number 112 (police, ambulance and fire)

Helps with: Reaches police, ambulance and fire services. UK government travel advice lists this number.

Who qualifies: Anyone in the country, including visitors.

Phone: 112

Source · checked 2026-11-04

Cities and places

Istanbul IstanbulHagia Sophia and the Grand Bazaar stand in this city across Europe and Asia, as do the Blue Mosque and boat trips on the Bosphorus.Photo: Hunanuk, CC0 Antalya AntalyaAntalya forms the hub for the Turkish Riviera. All-inclusive resorts, an attractive old harbour quarter and Mediterranean beaches are among its attractions.Photo: Esginmurat, CC BY-SA 4.0 Cappadocia CappadociaCappadocia's fame rests on hot-air balloon flights at sunrise above its fairy chimneys, plus cave hotels and ancient underground cities.Photo: Arian Zwegers from Brussels, Belgium, CC BY 2.0 BodrumThis Aegean resort town has a Crusader castle, white houses and a busy marina, plus excursions by boat to bays and islands close by. FethiyeAround Fethiye, a Mediterranean harbour town, boats head out to its islands, and the area also has Lycian rock tombs, paragliding and the Ölüdeniz lagoon. Izmir and Ephesus Izmir and EphesusTourists heading for Ephesus, among the best-preserved ancient Greco-Roman cities, use Izmir, Turkey's third-largest city, as a base.Photo: Michael ksk, CC BY-SA 3.0 Pamukkale PamukkaleWarm mineral pools sit on white travertine terraces next to the ruins of Hierapolis, an ancient spa city.Photo: Antoine Taveneaux, CC BY-SA 3.0

City selection based on: Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism arrivals by province (2024), Euromonitor city ranking

Festivals and events

sport

Istanbul Marathon (Europe to Asia)

around Nov 2026 · Istanbul

This is the sole marathon covering two continents, with the Bosphorus bridge as the link.

culture

Seb-i Arus - Whirling Dervish festival

around Dec 2026 · Konya

Whirling dervish ceremonies mark the commemoration of Rumi.

culture

Istanbul Film Festival

around Apr 2027 · Istanbul

This is the main film festival in Turkey.

festival

Istanbul Tulip Festival

1-30 Apr 2027 · Istanbul

This event ranks among the country's largest each year, which fills hotels and raises prices; it is best to plan early.

sport

Istanbul Marathon (Europe to Asia)

around Nov 2027 · Istanbul

This is the sole marathon covering two continents, with the Bosphorus bridge as the link.

culture

Seb-i Arus - Whirling Dervish festival

around Dec 2027 · Konya

Whirling dervish ceremonies mark the commemoration of Rumi.