Apr 19, 2019, 4:13 pm
Last edit by: DaveS
In Turkey, as in most of the world, clearing immigration is not required for an international to international connection. The passenger can remain airside, and does not need to enter Turkey.
HOWEVER, the transfer passenger may have to go through transfer security inspection.
Arrivals from EU, UK, USA or Canada continuing to other international destinations are not generally subject to transfer security.
All other international-international transfer passengers should clear transfer security.
Domestic to domestic transfer passengers are not subject to transfer security.
International to domestic transfer passengers are subject to security screening regardless of their arrival point.
Domestic to international transfer passengers are subject to security screening.
For international to international transfers, passengers who have less than 75 minutes for their next flight could benefit from the short connection points which are located at the end of concourses. This is only a fast-track for short connections which avoids passing from the duty free area. ( Similar to London Heathrow Terminal 5B and 5C transfer security ).
There is a fast track lane for international to international transfer passengers traveling on Business Class or holding M&S Elite or Elite Plus, or *G status. This service is only available at the main transfer security checkpoint area.
Link for Airport Map:
https://inmapper.com/istanbul-havalimani/ (Turkish)
https://inmapper.com/istanbul-airport/ (English)
https://turkishairlines.ssl.cdn.sdlm...92261056WE.pdf(Map for all TK facilities)
HOWEVER, the transfer passenger may have to go through transfer security inspection.
Arrivals from EU, UK, USA or Canada continuing to other international destinations are not generally subject to transfer security.
All other international-international transfer passengers should clear transfer security.
Domestic to domestic transfer passengers are not subject to transfer security.
International to domestic transfer passengers are subject to security screening regardless of their arrival point.
Domestic to international transfer passengers are subject to security screening.
For international to international transfers, passengers who have less than 75 minutes for their next flight could benefit from the short connection points which are located at the end of concourses. This is only a fast-track for short connections which avoids passing from the duty free area. ( Similar to London Heathrow Terminal 5B and 5C transfer security ).
There is a fast track lane for international to international transfer passengers traveling on Business Class or holding M&S Elite or Elite Plus, or *G status. This service is only available at the main transfer security checkpoint area.
Link for Airport Map:
https://inmapper.com/istanbul-havalimani/ (Turkish)
https://inmapper.com/istanbul-airport/ (English)
https://turkishairlines.ssl.cdn.sdlm...92261056WE.pdf(Map for all TK facilities)
Transferring/Transit at Istanbul (IST) airport
Jun 28, 2019, 3:22 am
#122
Join Date: Jun 2019
Posts: 13
Hello guys, I need help. I am flying from Manila Philippines to Lima, Peru. Both on 2 different flights with 2 different tickets - but both under Turkish Airlines. So Manila - IST; IST - Lima.
I messaged Turkish Airlines before buying my tickets a few months ago, if I need a visa because I have 2 separate flights and I need to get my luggage. They told me no.
But someone told me I need a visa because I have to go claim my luggage at the international arrival area. So I messaged Turkish Airlines once again, telling them some people told me I need it to claim my luggage/check in to new flight. They once again told me I do not as long as I have no plans to leave Turkey and stay at the transit area.
So which is correct guys? I am confused. Or maybe I need to pass security/passport control but just tell them I do not need a visa and just there to get my luggage?
MANY THANKS!!!
I messaged Turkish Airlines before buying my tickets a few months ago, if I need a visa because I have 2 separate flights and I need to get my luggage. They told me no.
But someone told me I need a visa because I have to go claim my luggage at the international arrival area. So I messaged Turkish Airlines once again, telling them some people told me I need it to claim my luggage/check in to new flight. They once again told me I do not as long as I have no plans to leave Turkey and stay at the transit area.
So which is correct guys? I am confused. Or maybe I need to pass security/passport control but just tell them I do not need a visa and just there to get my luggage?
MANY THANKS!!!
Jun 28, 2019, 4:02 am
#123
Moderator, Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles & Accor ALL
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: BRU
Programs: TK*G, Accor ALL Platinum
Posts: 7,586
Hello guys, I need help. I am flying from Manila Philippines to Lima, Peru. Both on 2 different flights with 2 different tickets - but both under Turkish Airlines. So Manila - IST; IST - Lima.
I messaged Turkish Airlines before buying my tickets a few months ago, if I need a visa because I have 2 separate flights and I need to get my luggage. They told me no.
But someone told me I need a visa because I have to go claim my luggage at the international arrival area. So I messaged Turkish Airlines once again, telling them some people told me I need it to claim my luggage/check in to new flight. They once again told me I do not as long as I have no plans to leave Turkey and stay at the transit area.
So which is correct guys? I am confused. Or maybe I need to pass security/passport control but just tell them I do not need a visa and just there to get my luggage?
MANY THANKS!!!
I messaged Turkish Airlines before buying my tickets a few months ago, if I need a visa because I have 2 separate flights and I need to get my luggage. They told me no.
But someone told me I need a visa because I have to go claim my luggage at the international arrival area. So I messaged Turkish Airlines once again, telling them some people told me I need it to claim my luggage/check in to new flight. They once again told me I do not as long as I have no plans to leave Turkey and stay at the transit area.
So which is correct guys? I am confused. Or maybe I need to pass security/passport control but just tell them I do not need a visa and just there to get my luggage?
MANY THANKS!!!
Jun 28, 2019, 4:13 am
#124
Join Date: Jun 2019
Posts: 13
You might get lucky and be able to check your luggage through, TK tend to be more lenient than others on this. In that case obviously no visa required. If you do need to collect your bags and recheck, the baggage claim area is after immigration so IMHO you would need a visa. I can't see any other way.
So the info Turkish Airlines gave me is wrong? My best shot is tell them to send my luggage straight from Manila straight to Lima?
By the way, my ticket is all bought using Multi-City option in their site. Is it still considered separate tickets? Or can it be considered one ticket cuz I bought it one time(credit card charged once)?
Jun 28, 2019, 4:16 am
#125
Moderator, Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles & Accor ALL
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: BRU
Programs: TK*G, Accor ALL Platinum
Posts: 7,586
So the info Turkish Airlines gave me is wrong? My best shot is tell them to send my luggage straight from Manila straight to Lima?
By the way, my ticket is all bought using Multi-City option in their site. Is it still considered separate tickets? Or can it be considered one ticket cuz I bought it one time(credit card charged once)?
By the way, my ticket is all bought using Multi-City option in their site. Is it still considered separate tickets? Or can it be considered one ticket cuz I bought it one time(credit card charged once)?
Jun 28, 2019, 4:27 am
#126
Join Date: Jun 2019
Posts: 13
No PNR yet but Reservation Code is one and the same for all.
Basically...
Manila - Istanbul;
Istanbul - Lima(stopover in Bogota but Avianca taking us to Lima under same Turkish Airline ticket)
And going home - Sao Paulo Brasil to Manila.
We have 20 hours in Istanbul. lol. Manila to Lima straight is also the same - 20 hours layover. We decided to book separate for Manila - Istanbul, then Istanbul to Lima because we found out it is cheaper by $400, plus we get to visit Bogota for 14 hours. Now, I am nervous because I read we need to have Istanbul visa.
We wanted to tour Istanbu(free from Turkish Airlines)l/get visa but decided not to, We live in another island, so that means flying to Manila, get all the visa requirements. Too hassle for 20 hours there, plus we cannot take anymore work leave just to get visa.
Jun 28, 2019, 4:33 am
#127
Moderator, Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles & Accor ALL
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: BRU
Programs: TK*G, Accor ALL Platinum
Posts: 7,586
If it is all one booking your bags should go through (but as you know you will have to spend 20h in the transit zone).
Jun 28, 2019, 4:49 am
#128
Join Date: Jun 2019
Posts: 13
oh nice. Even if I chose each flights separately as long as I bought them same time?
how about check in IST to Lima? No need to go past immigration? Thanks!
and yeah 20h but oh well. It is what it is.
Jun 28, 2019, 5:23 am
#129
Moderator, Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles & Accor ALL
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: BRU
Programs: TK*G, Accor ALL Platinum
Posts: 7,586
You should be able to get your BP in Manilla already. If for whatever reason you don't, make sure to have your reservation ready when you are disembarking at IST and go to the transit zone, someone will be at the gate to check your credentials.
Jun 28, 2019, 7:43 am
#130
Join Date: Jun 2019
Posts: 2
Declaring cash on arrival
What happens at Istanbul airport if you declare the about of USD you are carrying As a friend said he is being asked to pay tax and they now require an IMF certificate (which they are being told they need to pay for) before they can leave the airport I have never heard of an IMF form. They have also been told if they do not pay it they will be arrested for money laundering even though they can prove why they are carrying so much cash
Jun 28, 2019, 11:47 am
#131
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Istanbul, Turkey
Programs: TK Elite Plus,BAEC GGL,ITA Executive, AFKL Gold,QR Gold,HH Diamond,Bonvoy Gold,ALL Gold
Posts: 14,186
What happens at Istanbul airport if you declare the about of USD you are carrying As a friend said he is being asked to pay tax and they now require an IMF certificate (which they are being told they need to pay for) before they can leave the airport I have never heard of an IMF form. They have also been told if they do not pay it they will be arrested for money laundering even though they can prove why they are carrying so much cash
If you're caught, you would be arrested or/and they would seise the money like anywhere in the world
If you're under the limit, you don't need to declare anything.
Jun 28, 2019, 5:32 pm
#132
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 15,345
What on Earth are you talking about, the both of you? Every country has a limit of how much cash you can bring in without declaring it. Generally for more regular places it is $10000 or $10000 Euros, I have seen countries where it is $5k, as well as countries where it is $15 or 20k. For Turkey, for a bunch of reasons people think its either $10,000, 10,000 Euros, or $5,000. The amounts change because there are in fact differences whether you are Turkish or a foreigner or a resident or whether you are arriving from a EU country or not. That being said, there was sometimes confusion when leaving the old airport where at one time or the other they would put the limits up in several currencies and not update the signs (ever seemingly) so it would say something like that you had to declare amounts over $10,000, 10,000 Euros or 15,000 TL, which of course became more and more of a joke as when the old airport closed 10,000 TL was almost 70,000 TL, so the joke was........."you'd better carry Euros!
In any case you could carry millions with you.....as you can to most places, BUt you have to declare it. There is no tax involved, HOWEVER technically if you are a foreigner, they can note it in your passport and you must account for where the money went on your way out of the country if asked. So if let's say you carried $150,000 cash into the country, you would declare it, it would be noted in your passport. Let's say that you deposited it in a bank...........you better carry that bank record/statement for your exit to show where the money went...or if you bought a house, a (notarized) document or deed showing that you bought a house. Now if you were Turkish, there would be a whole other issue, and you could possibly be hit with some sort of income tax, etc at a later date, and I think that might be what IST was referring to, but has nothing to do with this situation. Like anywhere else in the World, if you are caught exceeding customs limits, whether its too many cigarettes or too much cash, booze or whatever, you risk seizure, forfait, or fines.......I would not however think arrest unless we would be talking about a lot of money or it was obvious that the money came from illegal activities.I should note that the customs people have the forms, they are not "IMF" forms (there might be some verbiage mentioning the IMF whatever on them) and there is no "tax" for bringing the money in, and perhaps your friend misunderstood. There WAS a time, over 25 years ago when there were unscrupulous "police" in and around the airports, that would try to shake people down when they had cash or jewelry, especially when leaving the country, I personally experienced an attempt, but maybe last in 1993 or so, and this sort of thing was cleaned up a very long time ago, so I strongly do not think that thishas happened at the new airport in this century.
In any case you could carry millions with you.....as you can to most places, BUt you have to declare it. There is no tax involved, HOWEVER technically if you are a foreigner, they can note it in your passport and you must account for where the money went on your way out of the country if asked. So if let's say you carried $150,000 cash into the country, you would declare it, it would be noted in your passport. Let's say that you deposited it in a bank...........you better carry that bank record/statement for your exit to show where the money went...or if you bought a house, a (notarized) document or deed showing that you bought a house. Now if you were Turkish, there would be a whole other issue, and you could possibly be hit with some sort of income tax, etc at a later date, and I think that might be what IST was referring to, but has nothing to do with this situation. Like anywhere else in the World, if you are caught exceeding customs limits, whether its too many cigarettes or too much cash, booze or whatever, you risk seizure, forfait, or fines.......I would not however think arrest unless we would be talking about a lot of money or it was obvious that the money came from illegal activities.I should note that the customs people have the forms, they are not "IMF" forms (there might be some verbiage mentioning the IMF whatever on them) and there is no "tax" for bringing the money in, and perhaps your friend misunderstood. There WAS a time, over 25 years ago when there were unscrupulous "police" in and around the airports, that would try to shake people down when they had cash or jewelry, especially when leaving the country, I personally experienced an attempt, but maybe last in 1993 or so, and this sort of thing was cleaned up a very long time ago, so I strongly do not think that thishas happened at the new airport in this century.
Jun 30, 2019, 3:48 am
#133
Moderator, Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles & Accor ALL
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: BRU
Programs: TK*G, Accor ALL Platinum
Posts: 7,586
What happens at Istanbul airport if you declare the about of USD you are carrying As a friend said he is being asked to pay tax and they now require an IMF certificate (which they are being told they need to pay for) before they can leave the airport I have never heard of an IMF form. They have also been told if they do not pay it they will be arrested for money laundering even though they can prove why they are carrying so much cash
Currency
Currency Import regulations:
Local currency (Turkish Lira-TRY) and foreign currencies: unlimited. However, passengers should declare foreign currencies on arrival and ensure that this is specified in their passports.Currency Export regulations:
Local currency (Turkish Lira-TRY) and foreign currencies: Foreigners: up to USD 5,000.- or equivalent. Amounts exceeding the equivalent of USD 5,000 must be declared and:-those residing in Turkey: must buy them from a bank in Turkey (with an entry to this effect in the passport);
-those residing abroad: must have declared foreign currencies on arrival and have this specified in their passports. In case of re-exchange of TRY into foreign currency a bank voucher is required.
For nationals of Turkey: up to USD 10,000.- or equivalent. Amounts exceeding the equivalent of USD 10,000 must be declared.
Jun 30, 2019, 5:34 am
#135
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 15,345
Well lolly, that seems as doggy as hell.
Just to add to the IATA notice above, two notes, there is a separate EU related regulation that allows for 10k Euros for all when going to /fr EU countries, also although generally not written, the higher numbers as noted in the IATA note also in effect applies to legal residents as well as Turkish citizens.
Just to add to the IATA notice above, two notes, there is a separate EU related regulation that allows for 10k Euros for all when going to /fr EU countries, also although generally not written, the higher numbers as noted in the IATA note also in effect applies to legal residents as well as Turkish citizens.