• South Africans travelling to Turkey won’t be required to quarantine, if they can prove they’ve been fully vaccinated against Covid-19.
  • Those unable to provide proof will need to spend at least 10 days in quarantine.
  • All travellers are still required to provide a negative PCR test result and complete a Passenger Locator Form.
  • For more stories go to www.BusinessInsider.co.za.

Turkey is the latest country to remove mandatory quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated South African travellers.

Travellers from South Africa have been severely restricted from entering Turkey throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. Along with Brazil, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, a direct flight ban imposed on South Africa has made entry into Turkey near impossible.

For those travellers who had been in South Africa in the last 14 days, a mandatory quarantine protocol was enforced. These arriving passengers, even with a negative PCR test result, have been required to spend two weeks in a designated hotel at their own expense.

These restrictive travel requirements changed on Monday. Travellers from South Africa still need to submit a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of arrival in Turkey but will be exempt from any quarantine if they can provide proof of vaccination.

Travellers are considered fully vaccinated 14 days after receiving their final dose of a vaccine approved by World Health Organisation (WHO). This applies to the last dose of the two-dose Pfizer vaccine and the single dose Johnson & Johnson (J&J) jab.

Passengers between the ages of 12 and 18, who are not vaccinated, will need to be tested for Covid-19. If the test is negative, they can proceed with their travels in Turkey. If the test is positive, they will be required to quarantine.

Adult travellers who can’t provide official vaccination documents must enter quarantine for 14 days at their place of residence or an address that they declare in Turkey. Unvaccinated travellers can terminate their time in quarantine by submitting to another PCR test on the tenth day of their stay, provided that the result is negative.

All travellers arriving in Turkey also need to submit a Passenger Locator Form, which requires the passenger’s personal information and passport details.

Turkish Airlines confirmed the latest regulations which came into effect on Monday with Business Insider South Africa, adding that flights from Cape Town and Johannesburg were operational.

Return flights from Johannesburg to Istanbul start from around $598 (R9,000) and $481 (R7,300) from Cape Town.

(Compiled by Luke Daniel)