Turkey ends quarantine for Covid vaccinated Pakistani visitors

Turkey on Friday updated its measures for passengers entering the country from abroad in a bid to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Interior Ministry said in a circular set to go into effect on Saturday.

Travel rules for Pakistan, Bangladesh and India have been eased, and passengers from these countries, or those who have been to these countries in the last 14 days, will be requested to submit a negative PCR test result obtained up to 72 hours beforehand. People who have received two doses of Covid-19 vaccines approved by the World Health Organisation or Turkey or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least 14 days before entering Turkey will be exempted from quarantine.

However, suspension of direct flights from Brazil, South Africa, Nepal, and Sri Lanka will continue until further notice.

Passengers who have been to these countries in the last 14 days will be asked to submit a negative PCR test result obtained a maximum of 72 hours before entering Turkey.

They will also be quarantined for 14 days in locations determined by the governorships, at the end of which a negative test will be required one more time. If there is a positive test result, the patient will be kept under isolation, which will end with a negative result in the following 14 days.

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Passengers coming from the UK, Iran, Egypt, or Singapore will be required to submit a negative result from PCR tests done a maximum of 72 hours before entry.

For passengers traveling from Afghanistan, those who can provide a document showing they were administered a Covid-19 vaccine in the last 14 days or recovery from Covid-19 infection in the last six months will not require a test result or quarantine.

Arrivals from other countries will be required to document that they have gotten two doses of Covid-19 vaccines granted approval by the World Health Organisation or Turkey or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least 14 days before entering.

Passengers who fail to produce vaccination proof or an official document proving recovery from Covid-19 infection in the last six months will be requested to submit a negative PCR result obtained a maximum of 72 hours prior or a rapid antigen test result obtained a maximum of 48 hours prior.

Sample-based Covid-19 tests will be available for passengers at all border gates.

Children younger than 12 will not be asked for vaccine certification or PRC/antigen test results to enter Turkey.

Since December 2019, the pandemic has claimed over 4.54 million lives in 192 countries and regions, with more than 219.1 million cases reported worldwide, according to the US' Johns Hopkins University.