visigoth

i am looking to fly from BEG (belgrade) to DEL (dehli) through IST (istanbul). i will most likely have to switch airlines.

does anyone know whether i must go through customs in IST to do this? will i need a turkish visa?

travelmad478

If you're flying two different airlines and have checked bags, it is unlikely (though possible, if you ask) that you'll be able to check your luggage all the way through to your final destination. If that's the case, then yes, you will have to go through immigration and customs so that you can pick up your bag from airline #1 and re-check it in on airline #2.

You do not say what your nationality is, so it's not possible to tell you whether you will need a Turkish visa or not. For most people who do need visas, they are available on arrival. You stand at the visa window first, pay for your visa stamp, and then get in line for the immigration counters.

If you fly one airline, then you won't have to leave the airside part of the international terminal and you can avoid all of that.

sbm12

Checking bags through depends on the interline agreements of the carriers involved. Odds are that it should be OK, not that it should be a problem, but it really does depend on the carriers involved.

IST does have an isolated international transit area that is actually pretty nice. But if you have to leave it to collect bags then customs and immigration will be involved. My last transit was quite nice, all in the transit area.