Country travel restrictions

Please review our travel restrictions page for the requirements for entering Turkey. For flight restrictions applied by other countries, please review the travel news page provided by IATA.

HES code application

In accordance with the decision taken by the Ministry of Health, all passengers planning to fly on domestic flights are required to obtain the HES code. You can obtain your code from our Hayat Eve Sığar page.

Travel Permit Document requirement for Turkish citizens aged 65 and over

Due to the travel restrictions applied by the Ministry of Internal Affairs for Turkish citizens 65 years of age and older, it is mandatory to obtain a Travel Permit Document from the relevant authority in order to board the flight. To obtain a Travel Permit Document, you can apply to the district governorship, call 199 or apply via e-government.

Elevators

Because of Social Distancing, we would appreciate it if you would share the elevators with minimum amount of people and not share it with another guests or employee.

Lobby

The seating arrangement of our lobby is regular with hygiene and social distance policies.

Safety and Cleanliness

We’ve increased our hygiene standards to a maximum level. Beside using chlorinated surface cleaners and alcohol-based disinfectants for daily cleaning and disinfection of bathrooms, we also disinfect the common areas using nanotechnologic anti-viral applications. Ozone machines are used in all the rooms and common areas, in order to maintain the cleanliness level of the air.

We are doing everything we can to ensure your travel safety and provide maximum flexibility as the situation around novel coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to evolve. 

Safe travels

As we increase our safety measures, we trust you’ll also do your bit for the safety of our  patients.

How you can protect others:

• Keep on top of good hand hygiene.
• Maximum  2 passengers are taken in the vehicle.
• Respect social distancing.
• Support our staff and follow their guidelines.
• We ensure that our employees are 100% compliant with the World Health Organization’s personal hygiene directives.

 Current Health and Hygiene Standard Hotels

Our hotels partners in Istanbul, part of International Hotels Groups has teamed up with RB & Mayo Clinic, a company leader in inspection, certification and testing, to create the ‘Stay Safe’ program. This program guarantees stringent Post-COVID-19 Health and Safety Standards for its customers and staff.

Safety & Cleanliness Vip City Tour

The rapid spread of the COVID-19 virus is sending ripples of uncertainty throughout the world. At Wellhtt, the well-being and safety of ourpatients and tour guides are our priority. Whether you’re on a trip now or in the process of planning one, we’re here to help you in any way we can.

ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Turkey said on Wednesday it has brought the coronavirus outbreak under control, two months after it first erupted across the country, and will set out new social guidelines and business practices to prevent any resurgence.

Turkey has one of the highest numbers of recorded COVID-19 cases in the world but has kept the death toll well below levels in Western Europe and the United States, and the government is now looking to gradually reopen the economy.

“The coronavirus outbreak is currently under control in Turkey… We aim to eliminate coronavirus in the second phase. We are shifting towards a new way of life,” Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said.

He told a news conference the government’s science council would publish guidelines for businesses to follow as they resume operations, setting out precautions to avoid an upswing in new cases.

Turks should also wear masks and respect social distancing in public, as part of a new “controlled social life” that would for example restrict numbers of people allowed into shopping malls and introduce changes at places such as hair dressers.

Around 150,000 people will be scanned across the country next week as part of efforts to assess the latest status of the outbreak, he added.

The number of cases rose by 2,253 on Wednesday, less than half the level at the peak of the outbreak in mid-April. But it was the second day showing a slight increase in confirmed cases, highlighting a continued threat of further spread.

Turkey’s total number of confirmed cases, at more than 131,000, is the highest outside the United States, Western Europe, and Russia, but its death toll of 3,584 is relatively low per capita compared to most of those countries.

A total of 78,202 people have so far recovered from the coronavirus, which causes the respiratory disease COVID-19.

Koca said Turkey will increase its testing capacity, currently running between 30,000 and 40,000 most days, and continue contact tracing efforts which officials credit in part with getting control over the outbreak.

Source: CNN

The air quality in Turkish cities has improved since Covid-19 restrictions were imposed.

Footage from across the country showing clearer skies, cleaner water and animals roaming in urban areas deserted by people has been widely shared, with many linking “environmental healing” to Covid-19 restrictions.

However, the sustainability of the improvements remains doubtful. Other reports suggest industrial development and environmental destruction may accelerate when restrictions on economic activity are lifted.

Video produced by Suniti Singh

As the people of Turkey stay at home to contain the spread of Covid-19, the government is tackling the question of who will feed the country’s hundreds of thousands of stray animals.

The interior ministry has decided that the job falls to local councils nationwide, and has ordered them ‘to ” bring food and water to animal shelters , parks, gardens, and other areas where animals are found”.

The ministry insists that “all necessary measures must be taken to ensure stray animals don’t go hungry”, adding that the animals’ shelters and dens should also be disinfected.

Activists, volunteers and residents usually feed Turkey’s army of strays, but self-isolation and restrictions on movement have hit animal welfare hard.

While councils sometimes provide services for street animals , it is unusual for the central government to order such a move.

In Turkey’s largest city Istanbul , which has the most confirmed Covid-19 cases, there are some 162,970 stray cats and 128,900 dogs, according to the city’s 2018 figures.

‘True friends’

Turkish social-media users have largely praised the move, with many thanking Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu.

The official Twitter account of Istanbul’s Bayrampasa district has shared photos of stray animals being fed on 5 April.

” We are with our true friends, with whom we share life …” the district said.

An animal welfare foundation in the Black Sea region has called on people over 65 who have been banned from going outside to get in touch with their district governor to help feed the animals .

Turkey has so far refrained from imposing a nationwide lockdown, and instead urges the public to stay at home.

Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul tweeted a photo of himself stroking a dog and saying ” we should not abandon our animal friends during these tough days”.

But not everyone appreciates the tweet, with one user telling the minister to “let the animals be… and think instead of the prisoners, because coronavirus does not distinguish between inmates “.

This is a reference to an draft law to release 90,000 prisoners on a temporary basis because of the Covid-19 outbreak.

The bill, which is due for debate in parliament this week, faces criticism for excluding political prisoners, including dozens of jailed journalists.

Greater Flexibility for New and Existing Reservations – Updated as of June 5, 2020

In order to provide you with greater travel flexibility during the COVID-19 pandemic, Hilton introduced a more flexible cancellation policy on March 12, 2020.  As stay-at-home orders lift and travel resumes, our Team Members are excited to welcome you to our hotels.  At the same time, we know your plans may continue to change, so we have made your reservations even more flexible:

For reservations made prior to March 12, 2020 – when our new, more flexible reservation policy went into effect:  You may now change or cancel any future reservation, without penalty, as long as you do so at least 24 hours before your scheduled arrival date, but not later than August 31, 2020.  This includes reservations described as “non-cancellable” or Advance Purchase.

Flexibility for the Future: Any individual reservations booked on and between March 12 and August 31, 2020 for any future arrival date can be changed or cancelled at no charge, up to 24 hours before your scheduled arrival day.

If you cancel a rate which required an advance payment or deposit, we will do everything we can to process your refund as quickly as possible. Due to the influx of cancellations, it may take up to 30 days to complete your request. If you are a Hilton Honors member and cancel an Advance Purchase rate, you may be eligible for a free night certificate for each cancelled night. Free night certificates can be used at our more than 6,100 properties worldwide. Stays must be completed by August 31, 2021. In lieu of a refund, guests at select hotels may choose to receive a hotel voucher redeemable toward a future stay at that hotel. Changes are subject to availability and rate differences.

If you need to adjust reservations made via the Hilton website, Hilton Honors mobile app or call center, you can change your reservation here or contact the Hilton Guest Assistance team. If you need to adjust reservations made through another travel site, please contact them directly for assistance.

Health and Hygiene – Updated as of June 1, 2020

Hilton CleanStay with Lysol Protection Hilton has developed a global program that will introduce a new standard of hotel cleanliness and disinfection to ensure Hilton guests enjoy an even cleaner and safer stay: Hilton CleanStay with Lysol protection. The program has been developed with experts from RB, maker of Lysol and Dettol, brands trusted for safely disinfecting surfaces. In addition, experts from the Infection Prevention and Control team at Mayo Clinic will advise and assist in enhancing Hilton’s cleaning disinfection protocols.

Hilton CleanStay builds upon Hilton’s already high standards of housekeeping and hygiene, where hospital-grade cleaning products and upgraded protocols are currently in use. The program will feature Lysol’s trusted cleaning products, solutions and training in North America. RB and Hilton are also exploring opportunities to expand the program into a global partnership. The program will include:

• Hilton CleanStay Room Seal to indicate that guest rooms haven’t been accessed since they were cleaned
• Extra disinfection of top 10 high touch areas in guest rooms including light switches and door handles
• Increased cleaning frequency of public areas 
• Guest-accessible disinfecting wipes at entrances and high traffic areas
• Enhanced cleaning for fitness centers  
• Reduced paper amenities (like pads and guest directories) in rooms
• Enhanced cleaning & other changes to buffets, in-room dining and meeting spaces
• Industry-leading contactless check-in and check-out with Digital Key at more than 4,700 properties globally
• Evaluation of new technologies like electrostatic sprayers with disinfecting mist and ultraviolet light to sanitize surfaces and objects
• Enhanced Team Member safety and well-being with personal protective equipment and enhanced training and protocols

The rollout of Hilton CleanStay will begin at Hilton hotels worldwide this month.

Current Health and Hygiene Standards. We take great pride in maintaining the highest standards of cleanliness and hygiene. Given the effects of COVID-19, we have taken additional measures in our hotels today, developed in consultation with global and local public health authorities (including the WHO and CDC), to make our cleaning and hygiene protocols even more rigorous:

• Our hotel teams are receiving ongoing briefings and enhanced operating protocols.
• We have increased the frequency of cleaning our public areas (including lobbies, elevators, door handles, public bathrooms, etc.) and have continued the use of hospital-grade disinfectant.
• We will continue to adjust food and beverage service in accordance with current food safety recommendations.
• We have increased the deployment of hand sanitizers.

We have activated our regional and global response teams to provide around-the-clock assistance to our hotels and are prepared to act swiftly should we be alerted to a case of coronavirus at one of our properties.

What to Expect During Your Stay. As you know, the way we travel looks a little different right now, so we wanted to ensure you had the latest list of what to keep in mind when you prepare to travel next. Please reach out to your hotel directly to understand their latest local guidelines.

• Social Distancing. Social Distancing continues to be a recommended or required practice in public settings. We’ve adjusted common areas in many of our hotels to help guests adhere to these guidelines. During your stay, please be mindful of other guests and Team Members and maintain the suggested six feet of distance.
• Masks and Other Protective Equipment. Some states currently require that all of our Team Members and guests wear face coverings while in public areas. As such, we recommend bringing one with you. Our hotels have adjusted check-in and other processes to allow for limited contact with Team Members for continued safety.
• Hotel Services and Amenities. For your safety, some services or amenities such as pool, spas, fitness centers, restaurants and daily housekeeping may be modified or suspended.