Vacation nightmare in Turkey: Family detained because of broken ID!

Vacation nightmare in Turkey: Family detained because of broken ID!

Sarah Harbich traveled to Turkey with her daughter and her partner Valentina on June 18th to enjoy a short vacation there. But arriving at Antalya Airport turned into an unexpected nightmare for the family. Despite the previously unproblematic process in Düsseldorf, where they received their boarding passes and passed passport control, a serious problem arose at their destination.

Valentina had a damaged Italian ID card, which was valid until 2028, but was cut in the middle. After landing, she was taken aside by two police officers and taken to a separate room. While Sarah and her daughter went to baggage claim, Valentina was isolated by Turkish security forces and felt badly treated there. To support her partner in this critical situation, Sarah and her daughter rushed to her, even though they knew that they too would have to fly back tomorrow.

Unwanted stay in a cell

After the incident, the family was taken to a small cell with four beds where they spent the night. The next morning they were picked up by police officers and taken back to the plane that took them back to Düsseldorf. Two federal police officers were already waiting for the family there and explained to them that the mistake was the airline's. This had incorrectly issued boarding tickets for Valentina, even though she had a defective ID card. Sarah expressed her displeasure with the situation and hopes to receive a refund for the unused trip.

The Federal Foreign Office expressly points out that a damaged ID card may result in denial of entry to other countries, including Turkey. In connection with the applicable entry regulations, it is important to know that German citizens can enter Turkey without a visa. You are allowed to stay in the country for up to 90 days within 180 days without requiring a visa, provided you have a valid passport or a passport replacement document.

Entry requirements for Turkey at a glance

An overview of the entry conditions shows that citizens from various contracting states are allowed to travel to Turkey without a visa under certain conditions. For many people, entering the country without a visa is not a problem, but any travel plans must be well prepared. The following points should be noted:

• Deutsche Staatsbürger*innen benötigen einen Reisepass oder ein gültiges Passersatzdokument.
• Die Einreise mit einem beschädigten Ausweis kann zu Problemen führen.
• Ein Online-Antrag für ein E-Visum kann auf der Website www.evisa.gov.tr durchgeführt werden.

The experience of Sarah Harbich and her family illustrates how important it is to find out about entry regulations in good time in order to avoid such stressful situations. With the right preparations, unexpected complications and predicaments during a precious vacation can be kept to a minimum.