Fully vaccinated Indians can travel to this country without quarantine mandate

Turkey has eased travel restrictions due to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic for several countries, including India, even as a few nations continue to remain on its ‘Red List’.

The Turkish interior ministry issued a circular detailing a fresh set of travel guidelines on Thursday that said passengers arriving in Turkey from India, Bangladesh and Pakistan will either need to provide a negative RT-PCR test or proof of administration of both doses of Covid-19 vaccine approved by the World Health Organization (WHO).

What are the rules for Indian passengers?

People travelling from India or those who have been in the country in the last 14 days need to compulsorily produce a negative RT-PCR test report taken no more than 72 hours before landing in Turkey.

Quarantine is not mandatory for passengers travelling from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh – provided they can show proof of full vaccination report. For this, individuals need to show proof of being inoculated with both doses of Covid-19 vaccines approved by WHO, with at least 14 days passed since the last dose. However, for Johnson and Johnson vaccines, proof of getting administered with one dose would suffice.

If any passengers from the three nations fail to produce the above-mentioned certificates and reports, they will be subject to a 10-day quarantine. On the 10th day, yet another RT-PCR test will be conducted and if the result comes out to be negative, the isolation will be terminated. But, if the result turns out to be positive, the person will receive treatment in accordance with the coronavirus guidelines of the Turkish health ministry.

Moreover, if passengers don’t undergo an RT-PCR test on their 10th day of the quarantine, they will have to be isolated for four additional days – summing up to 14 days in total.

What are the rules for passengers coming from Afghanistan?

The travel restrictions on passengers arriving in Turkey from Afghanistan or those who have been there in the last 14 days remain the same.

People aged six or above who are travelling from Afghanistan must show a negative RT-PCR test report as well as undergo mandatory quarantine for 10 days at hotels determined by governorships.

On the 7th day of the isolation, passengers will have to undergo another RT-PCR test – if the result of that comes as negative then the quarantine will be lifted, whereas if the report turns out to be positive, they will be provided with treatment as per the Turkish health ministry.

Which countries fall in the Red List?

The statement by the interior ministry mentioned that the ban on direct flights from South Africa, Sri Lanka, Brazil and Nepal will continue to be in effect “until a new decision” is made.

Passengers who have been to these countries in the last 14 days have to mandatorily produce a negative RT-PCR report taken not less than 72 hours before their arrival in Turkey. Furthermore, they also need to quarantine at hotels “determined by governorships” for 14 days.

At the end of the 14th day, the passengers have to undergo another RT-PCR test. If the result is negative, the isolation will be immediately terminated but if the result is otherwise, the person will be isolated till the Covid-19 test report comes as negative.

“The…requirements are not applicable to transit and/or transfer passengers,” a statement by the Turkish Embassy – New Delhi read.

What are the rules for other countries?

Individuals entering Turkey from Iran, Egypt, UK and Singapore need to mandatorily show a negative RT-PCR test report of not more than 72 hours before their arrival.

What common rules are applicable to all countries and passengers?

Those travelling from other countries – barring the ones mentioned above, need not submit a negative RT-PCR test report if they can show proof of being fully vaccinated. Additionally, there must be a gap of 14 days between entering Turkey and the administration of the second dose or proof of recovering from coronavirus in the last six months.

Children aged below 12 are exempted from the mandate of RT-PCR negative test report and also quarantine. Moreover, crew members such as big truck drivers, plane-ship crews and shipmen will also be exempted from the Covid-19 travel curbs, the circular by the interior ministry said.

All passengers have to bear the costs while quarantining at hotels in Turkey.