Turkish Airlines (THY) has announced that even if passengers traveling to Venezuela, Mexico, Colombia, Cuba, and Brazil comply with the general rules, passengers who do not adhere to the additional control rules set by the local authorities will not be allowed entry into these countries. It has recently become apparent that Turkish passengers are not being accepted in many countries, especially Mexico. In response to this issue, THY stated that in addition to passport and visa requirements for passenger acceptance on flights arriving in Venezuela, Mexico, Colombia, Cuba, and Brazil, some additional checks will be introduced. They announced that similar checks will be conducted during boarding, as passengers will be denied entry due to the established additional controls. The airline also announced that failure to meet any of the entry requirements of these countries could lead to issues with admission to the respective flight.
Regarding Venezuela, THY provided information on its website, including entry conditions for each country. The provided information states: „Rules to be observed for flights arriving at Caracas Simon Bolivar Airport in Venezuela: Our passengers can use Caracas Simon Bolivar Airport as a transit point or for entry into Venezuela.“ No transfer request can be made at the transfer point without entering Caracas Simon Bolivar Airport. The general entry requirements include a visa suitable for the purpose of travel, a hotel reservation (a paid return ticket covering the travel process, and a notarized official invitation letter).
According to the information provided, in Mexico, in line with the decision of foreign authorities, a Mexican electronic authorization document (provided that the same document is not reused), a hotel reservation (paid and covering the travel process), and a return ticket are required for entry. Furthermore, entry applications from passengers staying long-term without luggage, first-time international travelers, and passengers lacking documents corresponding to their stated travel purpose will not be accepted.
Passengers traveling to Colombia via Turkey must make a hotel reservation and book a round-trip ticket according to the information in the PNR (provided the ticket date is within the visa validity period for countries with visa requirements) and for a transit flight, the transit duration must be less than 24 hours. Passengers who have been previously denied entry, are staying long-term without luggage, lack documents corresponding to their stated travel purpose, will not be allowed entry into the country.
In relation to Panama, it is stated that passengers flying to Panama on a THY flight must have a valid visa. For passengers transiting through Panama to their final destination (for countries requiring a visa), a round-trip ticket for travel, hotel reservations, and transit flights are required. The transfer time must not exceed 12 hours. Additionally, passengers staying longer without luggage, lacking documents corresponding to their stated travel destination, and unable to provide adequate answers during questioning by the customs police upon arrival in Panama will not be accepted into the country.
In the information provided, the rules for round-trip tickets and hotel reservations for passengers traveling to Cuba for round-trip flights are outlined. It is also explained that passengers traveling to Cuba will not be allowed entry if they have a long stay without luggage, lack documents suitable for the stated travel purpose, travel abroad for the first time without enough cash or a valid card for the duration of their stay.
For passengers traveling to Brazil, round-trip tickets, hotel reservations for round-trip flights and transit passengers, and the rule that the transit time for transit flights must not exceed 24 hours are required. Moreover, passengers with a long stay in the country without luggage, lacking documents for the stated travel destination, traveling abroad for the first time without sufficient cash or a valid credit card for the duration of their stay, will not be allowed entry.
