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I'm going to travel to Iran from Germany. Since I've booked connected flights (Germany- Turkey, Turkey- Iran), do I need a visa for Turkey as well as Iran?

This is my flights schedule:

  • Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg (check-in Swiss sector) to Istanbul - Sabiha Gökçen

    Dep 19 May 2012 22:30

    Arr 20 May 2012 02:25

  • Istanbul - S.Gokcen(SAW)Tehran - IKA(IKA)

    Departure: IST (SAW) 20.05.2012 23:05

    Arrival:THR (IKA) 21.05.2012 03:25

So if I need a visa planning to leave the airport for a few hours to Istanbul until the next flight, I would stay at the airport.

Note: I have German nationality.

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  • 2
    You should add your citizenship.
    – RoflcoptrException
    Commented Apr 11, 2012 at 10:28
  • 1
    Citizenship doesn't really matter - this is a generic question. Personally, I'd like to see it reworded to "Do I need a visa for a country if I'm just changing planes?"
    – Affable Geek
    Commented Apr 11, 2012 at 12:06
  • 12
    It matters. When it comes to Visa and entry regulations, citizenship is one of the most important variables.
    – user766
    Commented Apr 11, 2012 at 12:13
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    @hippietrail: Added.
    – Gigili
    Commented Apr 11, 2012 at 12:41
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    @AffableGeek And the generic answer is: It depends (in particular on the country, the airport, the flights, the duration of the transit and, you guessed it, your citizenship).
    – Relaxed
    Commented Nov 13, 2013 at 9:03

2 Answers 2

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As a German citizen you can spend up to 90 days within a period of 180 days in Turkey, without visa. A passport or ID card (Personalausweis) is enough.

For Iran, you need a passport without stamp from Israel, and a visa.

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  • Doesn't matter if I'd leave the airport to Istanbul for a few hours?
    – Gigili
    Commented Apr 11, 2012 at 12:09
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    It does not matter, as long as you stay below the threshold mentioned above (90 days within 180).
    – user766
    Commented Apr 11, 2012 at 12:33
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Istanbul airport provides free tours for those with 6-24 hour layovers, which appears to include you. The info page for the tour points to a Turkish government page which says that Germans do not need a visa for stays of up to 90 days.

I had two 4-hour layovers in that airport and while the lounge was nice, I kind of had my nose pressed up against the glass wishing I could go out and see the city. Take the free tour, it should be fun!

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