Going to Turkey in 2021: requirements for citizens of the Russian Federation, Kazakhstan and Ukraine

The tourist season is in full swing. More and more of our compatriots are striving for a comfortable Turkey for recreation. And someone to purchase real estate from the most reliable real estate agency Expert Property, combining business with pleasure. After all, what could be more pleasant than relaxing in your own apartment overlooking the azure waters of the Mediterranean or the majestic Taurus Mountains?

But let’s get back to our main topic – in the context of the coronavirus world with a lot of restrictions, crossing the border has become quite troublesome, with which we would like to help you with both advice and deeds. Turkey is still a visa-free country that is open to visitors no matter what.

Today I will tell you about how residents of Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan can get to sunny Turkey without adventures and unnecessary headaches. You will see that everything is far from being so difficult as to refuse to visit this wonderful country.

Requirements for those entering July 2021

Since July 1, the requirements for entering the Republic of Turkey have been changed – this time in the direction of simplification, which is definitely positive. If in winter it would be necessary to collect a lot of documents and certificates, now a traveler from the CIS needs to take all three steps, in addition to purchasing air tickets. Moreover, the requirements for Russians, Ukrainians and Kazakhstanis were previously different, but since this month they have been unified.

First, you need to fill out an electronic application form 72 hours before arrival to obtain a HES code. There you enter personal information about your state of health, contacts for communication, etc. Nothing complicated.

Secondly , upon entry, provide one (!) of these four documents:

1. a negative PCR test taken no later than 72 hours before arrival;

2. rapid antigen test done no later than 48 hours before arrival;

3. a document confirming that you have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 at least 14 days before arrival;

4. a document stating that the person has had COVID-19 within the last 6 months.

The third step is to purchase health insurance that covers the entire period of stay in Turkey. At the same time, each document has its own requirements and conditions, which I will discuss in more detail below. I would also like to emphasize that these requirements are relevant at the time of writing and may well change by autumn if the incidence in the country begins to grow again.

Electronic form for obtaining a HES code and an insurance policy

Everyone entering the country is assigned a HES code by the Turkish health authorities, which most often looks like a QR code. This is a kind of “medical dossier” on a person and at the same time an identification number, thanks to which the authorities record all the movements of the visitor, as well as his personal contacts in the country. This is done so that in case of infection it is possible to track with whom the person has been in contact and, accordingly, who is still at risk.

Such attention from the authorities may look too intrusive, but in fact, information about your movements is not transmitted anywhere outside the system. It is completely confidential. Important: the application form for obtaining a HES code must be filled out at least 72 hours (!) before entering the country, otherwise you will not be allowed to pass at the border.

The questionnaire is filled out by all entrants aged 6 years and older. The form contains ways to contact the person, personal data about the state of health at the time of filling out – primarily about symptoms associated with COVID-19, such as fever, etc. It is filled out remotely, but upon entry must be presented in the form of a QR code on your smartphone or in the form of the same code, but printed on paper.

Thanks to this code, the Department of Health will be able to contact the tourist if, in the worst case, he or people from his entourage are found to have a coronavirus infection. Then it will be necessary to do a PCR test and, possibly, go into quarantine for 14 days. Do not be alarmed – for most it takes place in the same all-inclusive hotel room.

Also, a significant nuance – if you have previously visited Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Brazil, South Africa, India, Nepal, Pakistan or Sri Lanka, then in any case you will be tested and quarantined for 14 days. But there is good news – quarantine is not needed if you visited them more than 14 days before traveling to Turkey and during testing you did not have signs of coronavirus.

Your HES code and health insurance number, which covers the entire period of your stay in the country and has the option of insurance against coronavirus, are very important documents in our time.

Save their numbers in your smartphone and print them out, just in case – the paper version will not be discharged at the most crucial moment, but the mobile phone can. It can also be issued online and you should not have any problems with it.

If you do not know which insurance company is better and whether the policy will be accepted in Turkey, then before you arrive, you can contact our specialists from Expert Property. We will arrange for you not only insurance, but also tickets, accommodation and in general everything that is required at the entrance.

We regularly organize study tours in Turkey, so the customer support system is established and worked out in the best possible way.

4 Ways to Prove You’re Not Sick

HES code and health insurance is actually quite easy. If you are traveling as a tourist, then your tour operator will take care of you, and if you are on your own, then we will take care of you if you wish it. However, there is a more serious issue – proof that you are not sick. More precisely, that you have already been ill or vaccinated.

The easiest option for those who have already been ill is to provide a certificate issued by the official health authority of your country stating that you have actually had COVID-19 within the last 6 months. The certificate must be in English.

The second option is to draw up an international certificate in English with a QR code about the presence of antigen in your blood. This test must be performed no earlier than 48 hours before visiting Turkey.

The third option is an international certificate of your vaccination in English. It must indicate that you have been vaccinated with two doses (!), and the second – at least 14 (!) days before entering Turkey.

The vaccine must be certified in your country of citizenship. Turkey recognizes both Pfizer and CoronaVac, which are popular in Ukraine and Kazakhstan, as well as all four Russian vaccines – Sputnik V, Sputnik Light, EpiVacCorona and CoviVac.

The last fourth option is a certificate of negative PCR testing made no earlier than 72 hours before entering Turkey. Back in the spring, the authorities forced all those entering to do testing already in the country, but now they have decided to simplify the procedure, leaving only the requirement for a certificate. ,

I would like to note that all certificates and certificates must be presented in the original, with “wet” seals of certified laboratories or government agencies and in English. The only exception is the PCR test, which can be presented electronically (more precisely, in the form of a QR code) and in Turkish, but it can be difficult to issue it outside of Turkey.

What happens if you have signs of coronavirus?

If, after landing the plane, you show signs of malaise, but at the same time everything is in order with your documentation, then you will not be sent back home, but will be offered to take a PCR test at the hotel where you were accommodated. Such a test now costs about 30 euros. At the same time, not all hotels allow testing on their territory, but in any case, they will provide a transfer of the guest to the nearest certified laboratory.

Until the test result is received, you will be in self-isolation in your room or in the clinic if the disease is more severe. If the infection is confirmed, then your quarantine will be extended for 14 days.

At the same time, you do not have to sit “from call to call” all 14 days in isolation – if you do not have a fever for three days in a row, then you can take a second PCR test. If it is negative, then you will be given freedom not on the 14th, but on the 10th day of isolation. This will be able to save the end of your vacation.

By the way, you won’t have to go anywhere for the test results. They will be available in electronic form in the E-NABIZ system – it will be enough to enter the last 4 digits of your code or passport number. A hotel guide can also do this for you – at your request.

Hooray, you’re in Turkey! What’s next?

Then you begin to actively relax, periodically visiting interesting properties for your investments with the friendly support of Expert Property. However, leaving the breakaway, we must not forget that quarantine has been weakened, but not completely canceled.

It is good that the curfew and a number of other restrictions have been lifted since July. However, when visiting a hammam, sauna, indoor pool or fitness center, employees still monitor the number of common areas so as not to violate the requirements of the Department of Health. Outdoor pools and beaches are also monitored, but there the requirements are much more democratic.

It is also mandatory to wear masks in public places and in some hotels (it depends on the position of the owner of the establishment). In case of violation of quarantine restrictions, you can be fined 1000 lira (this is about 130 US dollars).

But let’s be frank – there are such restrictions in absolutely all countries of the world and we have become accustomed to them over the past year. This is already part of the usual picture of the world, which you have to put up with. And most likely, this situation will remain for at least another year or two, until the coronavirus is completely defeated. However, this is not a reason to give up on vacation and investment in hospitable and fabulous Turkey!

I and the whole friendly family of the Expert Property agency invite you to study tours of the most attractive investment properties in Turkey with a visit to the most attractive locations, after visiting which you simply do not want to go back to the post-Soviet dullness! Do not wait until life becomes brighter – fill it with colors yourself, and we will help you with this!

Your Tatiana Güneş and the Expert Property team