Is Istanbul safe? Travel risk overview
As of October 16, 2026, 4 governments publish travel advice for Turkey, and those using numeric levels all place it at level 2.
Official government travel advisories for Turkey
Four governments assess the same country independently. Levels run 1 (lowest) to 4 (highest).
| Government | Level | Advisory |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. State Department | Level 2 | Exercise Increased Caution |
| UK FCDO | — | Warning FCDO advises against all travel to parts of Turkey. The FCDO publishes written advice rather than a numeric level. |
| Smartraveller | Level 2 | Exercise a high degree of caution |
| Global Affairs Canada | Level 2 | Exercise a high degree of caution |
U.S. State Department
Exercise increased caution Exercise increased caution in Türkiye due to terrorism , armed conflict , and arbitrary detentions . Some areas have increased risk. Read the entire Travel Advisory. Exercise caution in crowded public spaces including transportation hubs, markets, malls, government buildings, hotels, restaurants, clubs, places of worship, educational institutions, parks, airports, and ma
Smartraveller
Australian Government travel advice for Türkiye. Exercise a high degree of caution. Travel advice level YELLOW. Understand the risks, safety, laws and contacts.
Crime and safety indices
Numbeo indices are crowd-sourced perception measures for Istanbul; the UNODC rate is an official national statistic. They measure different things and are shown together for context, not as a combined score.
Health
Current CDC notices: Global Measles.
Health considerations for Turkey:
- Routine vaccines
- COVID-19
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B
- Measles
- Monkeypox
- Rabies
- Typhoid
- Yellow Fever
- Leptospirosis
- Melioidosis
- Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic fever
Source: CDC Travelers' Health. Vaccination needs depend on your history and itinerary — consult a travel health provider.
Full assessment for Istanbul
This page shows published advisories and indices. A Secure Traveler assessment adds eight categories of analysis for your specific trip — crime, targeted risks, cyber, IP risk, identity and financial, transportation, embassy and emergency, and medical — plus an emergency card with local numbers, hospitals and embassy contacts. Three full reports are free.
Generate a free assessmentSources
- U.S. State Department — official advisory
- UK FCDO — official advisory
- Smartraveller — official advisory
- Global Affairs Canada — official advisory
- Numbeo crime and safety indices for Istanbul
- UNODC Global Study on Homicide (2021)
- CDC Travelers' Health — Turkey
- GDACS — Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System
Not available when this page was built: usgs: no M4.5+ earthquakes within 500km of Istanbul in the last 30 days. These are named rather than omitted so the gaps are visible.