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I'm planning a trip from London to Delhi and considering a self-transfer at Istanbul. My current idea is to book two separate tickets:

London → Istanbul on Wizz Air

Istanbul → Delhi on Indigo

I hold an Indian passport and have a valid UK visa. I will be traveling with only a carry-on bag.

Given that these are separate tickets on different airlines, do I need to obtain a Turkish transit visa at Istanbul? Are there any additional considerations (such as having to collect and re-check baggage or switching terminals) that might affect this requirement?

Any insights or experiences on self-transferring in Istanbul under these conditions would be greatly appreciated.

Akhil RJ
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1 Answers1

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One of the (many) problems with a self-transfer is that Wizz Air will consider that your final destination is Istanbul, and they won't let you board unless you have the paperwork necessary to enter Turkey. They most likely won't care about your subsequent flight, for them it probably just doesn't exist: you are traveling to Istanbul, you need paperwork to enter Turkey, that's it. There are exceptions to this, but Wizz Air is very unlikely to be among them.

Of course, if you have checked bags (voluntarily or involuntarily because of lack of space or exceeding allowances), that's even more true, because you'll need to go through immigration/passport control to reach baggage claim and then the check-in counters.

You should apply for an e-Visa online before your trip.

I won't repeat the many other possible issues with self-transfers, I hope you are aware of them.

jcaron
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