Yes, for the places you are likely to go. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) advises against all travel only within 10 km of Turkey’s border with Syria, and Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs adds Hatay, Kilis and Şırnak provinces for all but essential travel. Istanbul, Cappadocia, Antalya, Bodrum, Fethiye, Izmir and the whole Aegean and Mediterranean coast carry no warning. Around 4.3 million Britons visited in 2025. The real risks for most visitors are petty theft, taxi and bar scams, road traffic, counterfeit alcohol and a handful of laws that are stricter than at home.
The FCDO Turkey travel advice was last updated on 27 October 2026. Its position:
Travel insurance is the practical consequence: go somewhere the FCDO advises against and your UK policy is almost certainly void. You do need insurance, because the GHIC and EHIC are not valid in Turkey, as our health and insurance guide explains.
The Department of Foreign Affairs rates Türkiye ‘High Degree of Caution’, its second of four levels (updated 30 September 2026). It strongly advises against all travel within 10 km of the Syrian border and against all but essential travel to Hatay, Kilis and Şırnak provinces. Everywhere else is fine to visit with normal care. The DFA’s crime notes match the FCDO’s: pickpocketing in tourist areas, inflated bar bills, drink spiking, theft from holiday apartments and cars, and counterfeit alcohol. The Irish embassy is in Ankara (+90 312 459 1000, with an out-of-hours voicemail service) and there are honorary consuls in Antalya and Izmir; see our Irish embassy page.
| Area | FCDO (UK) | DFA (Ireland) | Tourist relevance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Within 10 km of the Syrian border | Against all travel | Against all travel | None; no tourist sites |
| Hatay, Kilis, Şırnak provinces | No advisory (Hatay roads may close) | Against all but essential travel | Antakya (Hatay) has food tourism; Irish policies may not cover it |
| Hakkari border areas | Permit needed | No specific note | Trekkers only |
| Mount Ararat | Permit and fee | No specific note | Climbers only |
| Istanbul, Ankara, Cappadocia, Aegean and Mediterranean coasts, Black Sea coast, Eastern Anatolia beyond the above | No warning | No warning | Everywhere you are going |
Gaziantep, Şanlıurfa, Mardin and Diyarbakır, which many visitors assume are off limits, carry no advisory from either government.
Violent crime against tourists is rare. What the consulates deal with is theft and fraud. The FCDO lists street robbery and pickpocketing in Istanbul’s main tourist areas (Sultanahmet, Taksim, the Grand Bazaar and the tram), inflated nightclub bills after a ‘friendly local’ invites you for a drink, drink spiking, unofficial taxis (use BiTaksi or Uber, or the official rank described in our Istanbul Airport guide), and counterfeit US dollar notes. Each has a simple avoidance, covered in our common tourist scams guide.
Two FCDO warnings deserve emphasis because they are not obvious:
Turkey sits on major fault lines. The February 2023 earthquakes in the south-east, far from any tourist area, killed more than 50,000 people, and a 6.2 magnitude quake under the Sea of Marmara in April 2025 was felt strongly in Istanbul without major damage. The FCDO advises following the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) and your hotel’s instructions. The realistic precaution is to know your hotel’s exits and assembly point, keep shoes and a phone by the bed, and in a tremor get under a sturdy table away from windows rather than running outside. Newer buildings meet stricter codes; it is a reason to prefer a modern hotel over the cheapest old building.
Statistically, the road is the most dangerous place you will be in Turkey. Wear seatbelts in taxis, do not expect cars to stop at zebra crossings, and if you hire a car read our driving in Turkey guide first.
Dial 112 for an ambulance. Private hospitals in Istanbul and the resorts are modern and English-speaking; you pay up front and claim back, so carry your insurer’s 24-hour number. UK prescriptions are not accepted in Turkish pharmacies and some common UK medicines are controlled; carry a doctor’s letter, keep medicines in original packaging, and check gumrukrehberi.gov.tr if unsure. The FCDO also warns on medical tourism: it knows of seven British nationals who died in Turkey in 2025 after procedures, and advises discussing any treatment with your UK doctor first. Rabies is present; do not approach stray dogs and seek immediate treatment if bitten.
Turkey is safe for women travelling alone or together by southern European standards, and solo female travel is common. Touts talk to everyone in tourist areas; it is commercial, not threatening. Dress is relaxed in Istanbul’s European districts and on the coast; cover shoulders and knees in mosques and conservative towns. The FCDO point about resort assaults by people met during the day is worth repeating: be cautious of invitations from hotel, spa or excursion staff, keep drinks in sight, and use app-booked taxis at night.
Same-sex relationships are legal and Istanbul has a visible gay scene in Beyoğlu and Cihangir, but partnerships have no legal recognition, Istanbul Pride has been banned and dispersed every year since 2015, and the climate has hardened. The FCDO notes public displays of affection may attract unwanted attention. Two men or two women sharing a hotel room is unremarkable; discretion in public is the sensible default.
| Law or rule | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Insulting the Turkish nation, flag, state or Atatürk | A criminal offence carrying six months to three years in prison, and it covers social media posts made from anywhere. Defacing a banknote is also illegal. Do not post jokes about Atatürk or the president. |
| Carry ID | Required by law. Carry your passport (or a photo and a copy of the passport plus your entry stamp, which most police accept in practice). Expect checkpoints in Istanbul. |
| Drugs | Four to 24 years in prison, including for transit. Airport scanning is thorough. |
| Antiquities | Buying or exporting anything deemed an antiquity carries 5 to 12 years. That includes ‘old coins’ sold at sites and some stones. Buy reproductions from shops that give receipts. |
| Photography | Do not photograph military or official installations. Ask before photographing people, especially women in conservative areas. |
| Smoking | Banned on public transport, indoors in workplaces and most public places, and in some outdoor event areas. |
| Vapes and e-cigarettes | Sale of vapes is banned in Turkey and bringing in anything beyond a device and a small personal quantity risks confiscation at customs. Check gumrukrehberi.gov.tr before you pack spares. |
| Drones | Recreational drones are regulated by the civil aviation authority (SHGM) and are banned at most archaeological sites, in Istanbul’s historic areas and around Cappadocia’s balloon zones. Check the current rules before bringing one; confiscation is common. |
| Alcohol | Legal and widely available, but public drunkenness is frowned upon and drink-driving limits are low (see our driving guide). |
| Ramadan | Expected early February to early March 2027. Tourist areas run normally, but be discreet about eating and drinking in the street in conservative districts and expect erratic driving at dusk. |
| Overstaying | Fines and a re-entry ban of up to five years. UK and Irish passport holders get 90 days in any 180 without a visa; see entry requirements. |
| Fraudulent injury claims | The FCDO warns that false holiday sickness or injury claims can lead to prosecution in Turkey or the UK. |
Protests happen regularly in Istanbul and Ankara, about domestic politics or outside diplomatic missions over Gaza and Israel, and police use tear gas and water cannon. The FCDO’s advice is to avoid them and move away if one forms; they cluster around Taksim, Beşiktaş, Kadıköy and central Ankara and do not touch the resorts. Keep political opinions to yourself and off social media while in the country.
For a holiday in Istanbul, Cappadocia or on the coast, about as safe as Spain, Greece or Italy, with a slightly higher risk of being ripped off and on the roads. Know the laws above, use app-booked taxis, buy your own drinks and insure yourself properly.
Yes. Istanbul has no FCDO or DFA travel warning. The main risks are pickpockets on the tram and in the Grand Bazaar, taxi overcharging, and the nightclub bill scam around Taksim. The FCDO’s terrorism wording for Turkey is the same as for most of Western Europe.
No. Both the FCDO and DFA advise against all travel within 10 km of the Syrian border, and Ireland extends this to all but essential travel in Hatay, Kilis and Şırnak. Your insurance will not cover you there.
Yes. Antalya and the resorts from Alanya to Kaş carry no warning. The FCDO’s resort-specific concerns are drink spiking, counterfeit spirits and sexual assault involving people met during the day; the precautions are the same as anywhere in the Mediterranean.
Generally yes. Dress a little more conservatively away from the coast, use app taxis at night, keep drinks in sight and be wary of invitations from staff you have just met. Many women travel Turkey alone without incident.
Drop, cover and hold on under a sturdy table, stay away from windows and exterior walls, and do not use lifts. After the shaking stops, follow hotel staff to the assembly point and check AFAD or local news for aftershock guidance.
Common tourist scams in Turkey · Safety and local laws · Health and travel insurance · Driving in Turkey on a UK or Irish licence
Prices and rules checked on 8 November 2026 against official sources and change often; always confirm before you travel. Sources: gov.uk FCDO Turkey travel advice, FCDO safety and security, FCDO regional risks, FCDO health, Irish DFA travel advice for Türkiye.