The most-missed detail on connecting flights: some countries require a transit visa even if you never leave the airport. Below we summarise which countries require a visa to connect on a Turkish passport — split by ordinary and special (green) passport.
Nationality
Türkiye
Only the Turkish passport is covered for now; other nationalities coming soon.
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Standard maroon passport
A transit visa is REQUIRED to connect through the USA
The USA has no airside (sterile) transit — even if you only change planes you pass through immigration. Turkish citizens cannot transit via the USA without a valid C-1 transit or B1/B2 visa; you will be denied boarding.
Exemption. No problem if you hold a valid US visa (C-1 / B1 / B2) or a US green card.
Official source: travel.state.gov
You may need a DATV to transit the UK
Turkish citizens must obtain a Direct Airside Transit Visa (DATV) to transit airside through the UK (Turkey is on the DATV list). You remain in the transit area for up to 24 hours without passing immigration.
Exemption. AIRSIDE (DATV) exemption: a valid US/Canada/Australia/New Zealand visa, a permanent resident card for those countries, or an EEA/Swiss residence permit or category D visa — on this route you do NOT have to be travelling to that country. LANDSIDE transit (passing through border control) has a separate route: the Transit Without Visa (TWOV) concession. Its conditions: arrive and depart by air, hold a confirmed booking on a flight leaving before 23:59 on the day after you arrived, and hold ONE of the following documents (the main ones): (1) if you are travelling TO or FROM Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the USA, a valid visa for that country; (2) whatever your route, an Australian/Canadian/New Zealand permanent residence permit or a US green card; (3) whatever your route, an EEA/Swiss residence permit or category D visa. Electronic visas are NOT accepted for this concession, even printed. Check your own case on gov.uk.
Official source: gov.uk
A transit visa/permit is required through Canada
Turkish citizens are not eligible for Canada's eTA; a transit visa is required to connect by air through Canada. You cannot transit without a visa/permit.
Exemption. IMPORTANT: the Transit Without Visa (TWOV) program is NOT open to Turkish passports — only China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Taiwan qualify. Holding a US visa does NOT exempt you in Canada. The only exemption: US lawful permanent residents (green card holders) may transit Canada without a visa.
Official source: canada.ca
An airport transit visa (ATV) may be needed via Schengen
Some Schengen countries (Germany, the Netherlands, France, Spain…) require Turkish citizens to hold an airport transit visa (type A / ATV) when connecting to a destination OUTSIDE Schengen.
Exemption. A valid Schengen visa (in some countries a valid US/Canada visa or residence permit) exempts you from the ATV. If your destination is itself in Schengen you will already hold a Schengen visa, so this connection is not a problem.
Official source: home-affairs.ec.europa.eu
China connection — 24-hour visa-free transit (conditional)
Turkish citizens are not included in China's extended 240-hour visa-free transit; only up to 24-hour visa-free transit (TWOV) applies, provided you hold an onward ticket to a third country and stay within the airport's restricted area.
Exemption. Under 24 hours, same airport, onward ticket to a third country → visa-free. Otherwise a China visa is required.
Official source: en.nia.gov.cn
Airside transit in Russia is visa-free up to 24 hours
A connection of up to 24 hours at the same airport, without leaving the international transit area, is visa-free for Turkish citizens.
Exemption. If you leave the airport/transit area or switch to a different airport, a Russian (e-)visa is required. IMPORTANT — travel to or from Belarus or Kazakhstan via Russia: a Russian transit visa is required irrespective of how long you stay in Russia; the 24-hour exemption does not apply to those journeys.
Official source: dublin.kdmid.ru
Even on an ordinary (maroon) passport, a valid Schengen / US / Canada / Japan visa — or a residence permit from those countries — exempts you from most airport transits. A diplomatic (black) and, in most cases, a special (green) passport already carries broader exemptions.
An airport transit visa does NOT let you leave the transit area; anyone wishing to enter the city must obtain a standard (e.g. Schengen) visa.
Last updated: September 2026
Visa and transit rules change often — before booking a ticket or applying, confirm with mfa.gov.tr and the relevant consulate.
Rotavi automatically checks your connection points while building your plan and flags transit warnings for the Turkish passport.
With a valid Schengen visa you generally do not need an airport transit visa (ATV) in Schengen countries; and if your destination is itself in Schengen you will already hold a Schengen visa, so the connection is not a problem. US, UK and Canada connections follow separate rules that a Schengen visa does not cover.
In some countries, yes. The USA has no airside (sterile) transit — a visa is always required. Schengen and the UK also require an airport transit visa in certain cases, even if you never leave the transit area.
A green passport grants visa-free entry to the Schengen area for up to 90 days in 180, so there is no transit-visa concern in Schengen. It is also visa-free for 30 days to China and Russia. However, the USA, the UK and Canada still require a visa on a green passport.
Yes. The USA has no airside transit; even if you only change planes you pass through immigration. Without a valid C-1 transit or B1/B2 visa you cannot connect through the USA and will be denied boarding.
For the most current rule, rely on the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (mfa.gov.tr) and the relevant country's consulate or official immigration site. Rules change often; always confirm before booking.
Each country's visa status plus a day-by-day sample itinerary in the city and country guides.
