On Turkish Airlines, a dog can travel in the cabin as long as it weighs no more than 8 kg with its bag, and in the hold up to 50 kg with its crate; beyond that, or if the airline refuses its breed in the hold, it can only go as cargo, through Turkish Cargo. Almost every journey goes through Istanbul, where a dog that is only changing planes does not have to meet Turkey's entry requirements, but the airline accepts no animals at all when the final destination is in the United Kingdom, even on a connecting journey, or on flights arriving in Bilbao.
Every rule rests on an official page read in Turkish and dated, and the decisive sentences are quoted word for word, with their translation
MyDogCanFly is not affiliated with Turkish Airlines. The logo is shown for identification only. We do not sell tickets and take no bookings.
At a glance
Calculator
Enter your dog's weight and that of its bag or crate, its breed, then your departure and arrival countries: you will see how your dog can travel, which fee category applies, and what the connection in Istanbul and your destination require, based on the official pages as read on 31 October 2026.
Fees
Turkish Airlines does not publish a fee table by destination: its calculator gives the price for your route, charged for the bag or crate rather than the animal, according to a weight category in which the dog and its container are weighed together.
| Category | Dog and container | Price | With another airline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cabin (PETC) | up to 8 kg | varies by destination | US$75 |
| Hold (AVIH), light | up to 23 kg | varies by destination | US$150 |
| Hold (AVIH), medium | 24 to 32 kg | varies by destination | US$150 |
| Hold (AVIH), heavy | 33 kg and over | varies by destination | US$150 |
With a stopover, the price is calculated for each part of the journey and the amounts are added together. The interline surcharges apply to journeys to, from or via Turkey on which another airline operates part of the route. The pet fee is not refunded if you change your flight yourself; it is refunded automatically if the airline cancels or changes the flight. On AJet flights, the page warns that fees and rules may differ. Turkish Airlines' official fee calculator ↗ · turkishairlines.com ↗ · pages read on 31 October
Destinations
Turkish Airlines links Istanbul to 83 countries in our database. Its official pages nevertheless rule out two destinations, and the United States sets its own conditions.
United Kingdom
Turkish Airlines carries no animals when the final destination is in the United Kingdom, connections included. Its page does not mention Turkish Cargo, so cargo has to be confirmed with Turkish Cargo itself.
turkishairlines.com ↗ · read on 31 October 2026 · Entering the United Kingdom with a dog
Spain · Bilbao
Turkish Airlines flights arriving in Bilbao accept no animals; for details, the airline refers you to its offices and its call centre.
turkishairlines.com ↗ · read on 31 October 2026 · Entering Spain with a dog
United States
A dog arriving from a country at high risk for rabies is accepted only in Atlanta, New York, Washington, Miami or Los Angeles, unless it was vaccinated in the United States and has not spent more than 6 months in such a country; the documents the CDC requires must be sent to the airline before the flight.
turkishairlines.com ↗ · read on 31 October 2026 · Entering the United States with a dog
Countries linked to Istanbul by at least one scheduled Turkish Airlines flight, sometimes seasonal, in our database (schedules collected in July 2026); each link leads to that country's entry requirements.
Europe
Albania · Austria · Belgium · Bulgaria · Croatia · Czechia · Denmark · Estonia · Finland · France · Germany · Greece · Hungary · Ireland · Italy · Latvia · Lithuania · Luxembourg · Malta · Montenegro · Netherlands · Norway · Poland · Portugal · Romania · Serbia · Slovenia · Spain · Sweden · Switzerland · United Kingdom
Africa
Algeria · Egypt · Ethiopia · Ghana · Ivory Coast · Kenya · Mauritius · Morocco · Nigeria · Rwanda · Senegal · Seychelles · South Africa · Tanzania · Tunisia · Uganda
Middle East
Bahrain · Iraq · Jordan · Kuwait · Lebanon · Oman · Qatar · Saudi Arabia · United Arab Emirates
Asia and Oceania
Azerbaijan · Bangladesh · China · Georgia · Hong Kong · India · Indonesia · Japan · Kazakhstan · Malaysia · Maldives · Nepal · Pakistan · Philippines · Singapore · South Korea · Sri Lanka · Taiwan · Thailand · Vietnam
Istanbul
According to the veterinary border control post, which reports to the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture, a dog that changes planes in Istanbul without entering Turkey does not have to meet Turkey's requirements: only those of its arrival country count.
Requirements of the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and of Turkish customs, read on 31 October 2026. vskn.tarimorman.gov.tr ↗ · ticaret.gov.tr ↗ · Turkey's entry rules
Breeds
Turkish Airlines publishes three lists: snub-nosed breeds, which can travel with their owner only in the cabin and otherwise go as cargo through Turkish Cargo; breeds it calls “dangerous”, which travel only in the hold and only if Turkish Cargo accepts them; and breeds it refuses on all its flights.
| Breeds | Cabin | Hold | Cargo | What Turkish Airlines says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snub-nosedAffenpinscher, Pekingese, Pug (all varieties), Shar Pei, Shih Tzu, Japanese Chin, Lhasa Apso, Tibetan Spaniel, Chow Chow, English Toy Spaniel (King Charles), English Bulldog, French Bulldog, Boston Terrier, Boxer, Griffon Bruxellois, Bullmastiff, English Mastiff* | Yes, up to 8 kg | No | Via Turkish Cargo | With their owner, cabin only, up to 8 kg with the bag, since the hold is closed to them; beyond that, they go as cargo, booked and accepted by Turkish Cargo on its own terms. turkishairlines.com ↗ |
| Classed as “dangerous”American Bulldog, Bandog, Tosa Inu*, Caucasian Shepherd (Ovcharka), Dogue de Bordeaux, Dobermann, Presa Canario, Rottweiler, Mastiffs (except the Bullmastiff)*, Wolfdog hybrids, Anatolian Shepherd, Boerboel | No | If Turkish Cargo accepts | If Turkish Cargo accepts | They do not travel with a passenger; they go in the hold only if Turkish Cargo accepts them. turkishairlines.com ↗ |
| Refused everywhereBull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa*, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro, American Bully | No | No | No | Refused on every flight, crosses included, “under international aviation rules”. turkishairlines.com ↗ |
| All other breeds | Yes, up to 8 kg | Yes, up to 50 kg | Via Turkish Cargo | Only two things count: the weight with the container, and the size of the bag or crate. |
* Turkish Airlines' lists contradict each other on two breeds: the Tosa appears among both the refused and the “dangerous” breeds, and the English Mastiff among both the “dangerous” and the snub-nosed breeds. Its country rules page also says the refused breeds cannot be accepted on “some flights” (“bazı uçuşa”), whereas its conditions page and its FAQ refuse them outright; the calculator, like the Finder, applies the stricter rule throughout.
The breeds are those of the airline's lists, which we read the way the site reads other airlines' lists: the English Toy Spaniel is the King Charles Spaniel, the Kangal is grouped with the Anatolian Shepherd, and “Mastiff (Bull Mastiff hariç)” covers the whole mastiff family except the Bullmastiff, including the Neapolitan Mastiff, the Spanish Mastiff and the Ca de Bou. Because the snub-nosed list ends with “vb.”, i.e. “etc.”, the hold remains to be confirmed for a snub-nosed breed missing from it, whereas other breeds are limited only by weight and dimensions.
The conditions page adds that the Kangal, the Akbash, the Kars shepherd dog and Turkey's other protected breeds are not accepted on flights arriving in Turkey from abroad, and that leaving Turkey they are accepted only with a certificate from the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture stating that they may travel; the Finder applies both rules to the Kangal, the only one of these breeds in our database. The page does not say whether this ban also applies to a dog that is only changing planes in Istanbul; in that case, the Finder leaves the hold and cargo to be confirmed.
Compare
This comparison lists, based on their official pages, the airlines in our database that fly from Istanbul and accept a heavier dog than Turkish Airlines in the cabin, or a dog at least as heavy in the hold.
| Airline | Limit |
|---|---|
| KM Malta Airlines | up to 10 kg, bag included |
| Vueling | up to 10 kg, bag included (no hold) |
| Turkish Airlines this page | up to 8 kg, bag included |
| Airline | Limit |
|---|---|
| Air France, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Transavia | up to 75 kg, crate included |
| Qatar Airways | up to 75 kg, crate included (no cabin) |
| Royal Air Maroc | under 70 kg, dog alone |
| Turkish Airlines this page | up to 50 kg, crate included |
| Air Astana and Air Europa | up to 50 kg, crate included |
This comparison is recalculated every time the site is updated; an airline appears in it only with a limit set by its official page.
Getting ready
An unvaccinated puppy under 3 months old is accepted only on European flights, with its mother and a health certificate.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, if it weighs no more than 8 kg with its bag. The soft bag must not exceed 23 × 30 × 40 cm and stays under the seat in front; you will need a window seat, outside emergency exit rows and rows where a bassinet can be fitted.
Up to 50 kg with its crate, which must be rigid, fitted with side locks and no larger than 75 × 75 × 125 cm. Above that, the only option is cargo with Turkish Cargo, whose acceptance and fee have to be confirmed.
The price is charged for the bag or crate, according to the destination and the weight category: there is a single category in the cabin, up to 8 kg, and three in the hold (up to 23 kg, 24 to 32 kg, and 33 kg and over). Turkish Airlines' calculator gives the amount for your route; on a journey to, from or via Turkey that another airline partly operates, the surcharge is US$75 in the cabin and US$150 in the hold.
It refuses the pit bull, American Staffordshire, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Bull Terrier, Tosa, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro and American Bully, crosses included, on all its flights. The breeds it classes as “dangerous”, including the Rottweiler, the Dobermann and the Dogue de Bordeaux, travel only in the hold and only if Turkish Cargo accepts them, with two exceptions: the Tosa, refused by the other list, does not fly at all, and the English Mastiff, which also appears on the snub-nosed list, is left with cargo only. Snub-nosed breeds, finally, can travel with their owner only in the cabin, and above 8 kg only as cargo, if Turkish Cargo accepts them.
No: the airline carries no animals when the final destination is in the United Kingdom, even with a connection. Its page does not mention Turkish Cargo, so cargo has to be confirmed with Turkish Cargo itself.
No, as long as it does not enter Turkey: only the requirements of its arrival country apply. To enter Turkey, it needs a microchip, a rabies vaccination, a blood test with a result above 0.5 IU taken at least 30 days after the vaccination, a 90-day wait after a first blood test, and a health certificate issued within the 2 days before departure.
No later than 6 hours before the flight; the place must be confirmed, and the airline can still refuse the animal at the airport. The pet fee is not refunded if you change your flight yourself, but it is refunded automatically if the airline cancels or changes the flight.
An unvaccinated puppy under 3 months old is accepted only on European flights, with its mother and a health certificate; apart from that case, the airline refuses any dog that is not vaccinated against rabies. Pregnant dogs cannot fly.
Sources and method
Each sentence is quoted in Turkish, exactly as the page writes it, then translated.
Evcil hayvanınızın ağırlığı kafesiyle birlikte 8 kg’ı geçmemelidir. Kafes ebatları 23 cm yükseklik, 30 cm genişlik ve 40 cm uzunluk boyutlarını aşmamalıdır. Kabinde taşınacak evcil hayvanlarınız, sadece özel üretilmiş yumuşak yüzeyli (soft-case) kafeslerde/çantalarda taşınabilir.Your pet must not weigh more than 8 kg together with its carrier, and the carrier must not exceed 23 cm in height, 30 cm in width and 40 cm in length. Pets travelling in the cabin can only be carried in specially made soft-sided carriers or bags. Kabinde evcil hayvanı ile seyahat eden yolcularımız, sadece pencere kenarında yer alan (acil çıkış kapısı bulunan sıralar veya bebek puseti takılabilen sıralar hariç) koltuklardan seçim yapabilmektedir.Passengers travelling in the cabin with their pet can only choose window seats (excluding emergency exit rows and rows where a bassinet can be fitted). Evcil hayvan kafesiyle birlikte ağırlığı 50 kg’ı geçmiyorsa ve kafes ebatları 75 cm yükseklik, 75 cm genişlik ve 125 cm uzunluk boyutlarını aşmıyorsa uçak altı bagaj bölümünde taşınabilir. Kargo kompartımanında taşınacak evcil canlı hayvan (AVIH) kafesinin, yanal (lateral) kilit sistemli, sert yüzeyli olması gerekmektedir.A pet can be carried in the hold if, together with its crate, it weighs no more than 50 kg and the crate does not exceed 75 cm in height, 75 cm in width and 125 cm in length. The crate of a pet carried in the hold (AVIH) must be hard-sided, with a lateral locking system. Evcil hayvanınızın kafes ölçülerinin 75 cm yükseklik, 75 cm genişlik ve 125 cm uzunluk boyutlarını aşması durumunda evcil hayvanlarınız Turkish Cargo aracılığı ile taşınabilir.If your pet's crate exceeds 75 cm in height, 75 cm in width and 125 cm in length, your pet can be carried by Turkish Cargo. Solunum problemi yaşayan kedileri (Birman, Exotic, Persian, Himalayan, Burmese, Scottish Fold ve British Shorthair vb.) ve köpekleri (Affenpinscher, Pekinese, Pug -tüm cinsleri-, Shar Pei, Shih Tzu, Japanese Chin, Lhasa Apso, Tibetan Spaniel, Chow Chow, English Toy Spaniel, English Bulldog, French Bulldog, Boston Terrier, Boxer, Brussels Griffon, Bull Mastiff, English Mastiff vb.) kafesiyle birlikte ağırlığı 8 kg’ı geçmemesi ve kafeslerinin 23 cm yükseklik, 30 cm genişlik ve 40 cm uzunluk ölçülerini aşmaması şartıyla yolcu beraberi kabinde (PETC) taşınabilmektedir. Bu hayvanlar yolcu beraberi uçak altı kayıtlı bagaj bölümünde (AVIH) taşımaya kabul edilemezler.Cats and dogs with breathing problems (…) can be carried in the cabin (PETC) with the passenger, provided that they weigh no more than 8 kg with their carrier and that the carrier does not exceed 23 cm in height, 30 cm in width and 40 cm in length. These animals are not accepted with the passenger in the checked baggage hold (AVIH). 1 Ekim 2021 tarihi itibarıyla solunum problemi yaşayan kedi ve köpek türlerinin uçağın uçak altı bagaj bölümünde taşınmalarına kısıtlama getirilmiştir.Since 1 October 2021, the carriage of cat and dog breeds with breathing problems in the aircraft hold has been restricted. Tehlike arz eden American Bulldog, Bandog Tosa Inu, Caucasian Ovcharka, Dogue de Bordeaux, Doberman (Pinscher Doberman ve bütün Doberman türleri), Presa Canario, Rottweiler, Mastiff (Bull Mastiff hariç), Wolf Dog Hybrids türleri, Anatolian Shepherd, Boerboel ve bu türlerin melezleri yolcu beraberinde taşınamamaktadır. Sadece Turkish Cargo tarafından kabul edilmeleri halinde uçak altı bagaj bölümünde taşınabilmektedir.Dangerous breeds (…) and their crosses cannot travel with the passenger. They can be carried in the hold only if Turkish Cargo accepts them. Uluslararası havacılık kuralları gereği Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Amerikan Pitbull Terrier, Amerikan Staffordshire Terrier, Pitbull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro ve American Bully cinsleri ve melezlerini ne yazık ki uçuşlarımıza kabul edememekteyiz.Under international aviation rules, we are unfortunately unable to accept the (…) breeds and their crosses on our flights. Uçakta kabin içinde veya uçak altında evcil hayvan taşınabilmesi için uçuştan en geç 6 saat öncesine kadar rezervasyonun tamamlanmış ve onaylanmış olması gerekir.For a pet to be carried in the cabin or in the hold, the booking must be completed and confirmed no later than 6 hours before the flight. Evcil hayvanla seyahat talepleri rezervasyon sırasında onaylansa dahi havalimanında reddedilebilir.Requests to travel with a pet may be refused at the airport, even if they were confirmed at the time of booking. Kediyle köpeği ya da kediyle kuşu aynı uçakta farklı kabinlerde olsa bile taşıyamıyoruz. Köpekle kuş farklı kabinlerde ya da aynı kabin içinde mümkün olan en uzak mesafede taşınmaktadır.We cannot carry a cat and a dog, or a cat and a bird, on the same aircraft, even in different cabins. A dog and a bird are carried in different cabins, or as far apart as possible within the same cabin. Bağlantılı uçuşlar dâhil, son varış noktası İngiltere olan uçuşlarımızda evcil hayvan taşınmamaktadır.No pets are carried on our flights whose final destination is the United Kingdom, connecting flights included. Bilbao varışlı uçuşlarda kurallar gereği uçağa evcil hayvan kabul edilmemektedir. Detaylı bilgi için ofislerimiz ve çağrı merkezimiz ile iletişime geçebilirsiniz.Under the rules, no pets are accepted on board flights arriving in Bilbao. For more information, please contact our offices and our call centre. Amerika sağlık otoritesi CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) tarafından alınan karar gereği 1 Ağustos 2024 tarihi itibari ile Amerika Birleşik Devletleri’ ne köpek kabul edilme kural ve koşullarında değişiklik olmuştur. Onaylı evcil hayvan rezervasyonu bulunan yolcularımız CDC tarafından, 1 Ağustos sonrasındaki yeni süreçte zorunlu tutulan dokümanları ibraz ettikleri takdirde uçuşlara kabul edilebilecektir. Eğer yüksek riskli ülkelerden* Amerika’daki belirlenmiş Atlanta, New York, Washington, Miami ve Los Angeles harici destinasyonlara seyahat ediyorsanız yeni kural ve koşullar gereği köpeğiniz uçuşlarımıza kabul edilmeyecektir. Ancak, köpeğin kuduz aşısını Amerika Birleşik Devletlerinde yaptırmış olması şartı ile, kuduz riski yüksek ülkede 6 aydan fazla zaman geçirmemişse ve Amerika Birleşik Devletleri’ ne giriş için gerekli belgeleri doğru/eksiksiz beyan edebiliyorsa, diğer şehirlere de giriş yapabileceklerdir. Detaylı bilgi için Bringing a Dog into the U.S. | Importation | CDC sayfasını ziyaret ediniz.Following a decision by the CDC, the US health authority, the rules for admitting dogs to the United States changed on 1 August 2024: passengers with a confirmed pet booking may be accepted on our flights if they present the documents the CDC has required since 1 August. If you are travelling from a high-risk country (CDC list) to a US destination other than Atlanta, New York, Washington, Miami and Los Angeles, your dog will not be accepted on our flights. Dogs may, however, enter other cities if they were vaccinated against rabies in the United States, have not spent more than 6 months in a high-risk country and the documents required for entry are declared correctly and in full. For details, see the CDC page “Bringing a Dog into the U.S.”. Evcil hayvan kafesiyle birlikte tartılarak 8 kg ve altındaysa yolcu kabininde, 8 kg’ın üzerindeyse uçak altı bagaj bölümünde taşınır. Evcil hayvan ve kafesin toplam ağırlığına göre sabit ücretlendirme yapılır. Kabinde taşınan evcil hayvan (PETC: Pet in Cabin) 0-8 KG aralığı tek bir kategori olarak kabul edilirken, uçak altı bagaj kompartımanında taşınan evcil hayvan (AVIH: Animal on Hold) ise hafif: 0-23 KG, orta: 24-32 KG, ağır: 33 KG+ şeklinde üç ağırlık kategorisine ayrılmıştır.Weighed together with its carrier, a pet travels in the passenger cabin if it is 8 kg or less, and in the hold if it is over 8 kg. A fixed fee is charged according to the combined weight of the pet and its carrier: in the cabin (PETC), 0 to 8 kg forms a single category, while in the hold (AVIH) there are three weight categories: light, 0 to 23 kg; medium, 24 to 32 kg; heavy, 33 kg and over. Seyahatin herhangi bir noktasında Stopover var ise, ücretlendirme Stopover yapılan noktaya kadar ayrı, Stopover’dan sonra varış noktasına kadar ayrı şekilde hesaplanır. Tahsil edilecek tutar ikisinin toplamıdır.If there is a stopover at any point in the journey, the fee is calculated separately up to the stopover point and separately from the stopover to the destination; the amount charged is the sum of the two. TR varışlı/çıkışlı ve transit interline taşımalarda geçerli evcil hayvan ücretleri aşağıdaki tabloya göre hesaplanır.Pet fees for interline journeys arriving in, departing from or transiting through Turkey are calculated according to the table below. Ülkemiz üzerinden başka bir ülkeye seyahat edecek transit yolculardan "ülkemize giriş yapılmaması koşuluyla" bu koşulları karşılaması beklenmez. Varış ülkesinin sağlık koşullarını karşılaması yeterlidir.Travellers passing through our country on their way to another country are not expected to meet these conditions, “provided they do not enter our country”. It is enough to meet the health requirements of the country of arrival. Kuduz aşılaması üzerinden en az 30 gün geçtikten sonra aşağıdaki listede bulunan akredite bir laboratuvarda titrasyon testi yaptırılmalı ve sonucu 0,5IU üzerinde değere sahip olmalıdır.At least 30 days after the rabies vaccination, a titre test must be carried out at an accredited laboratory on the list below, and the result must be above 0.5 IU. Titrasyon testi ilk defa yaptırılmış ise test sonucu itibariyle 90 gün beklenilmeli ve bu süre sonunda seyahat edilmelidir. İlk testte bu süre söz konusu olup sonraki seyahatlerde "kuduz aşılamasının koruyuculuk süresi içerisinde tekrarlanması halinde" bu süre aranmaz.If the titre test is being done for the first time, you must wait 90 days from the test result and travel once that period is over. The waiting period applies to the first test only: on later journeys it is not required “if the rabies vaccination is repeated within its period of protection”. Seyahatten 2 gün önce aşağıdaki yönetmelik ekinde yer alan Veteriner Sağlık Sertifikasının gönderici ülke yetkili otoritesi tarafından düzenlenmesi gereklidir.The Veterinary Health Certificate annexed to the regulation below must be issued by the competent authority of the sending country 2 days before travel. Sıcaklık, nem ve havalandırma kontrollü 1.200 m² kapalı alana sahip özel tesisimizde canlı dostlarımız güvenli şekilde barındırılırOur animal friends are housed safely in our dedicated facility, which has 1,200 m² of indoor space with controlled temperature, humidity and ventilation. The figures and lists on this page are recalculated every time the site is updated, from the MyDogCanFly database; a rule appears only with the official page that establishes it, quoted in its own language. The pages were read in Turkish, the language of the airline's home country, and the screenshot framing each quoted passage is archived with this page.
The Finder reads the cabin and hold limits from Turkish Airlines' English page, read on 8 September 2026, which gives the same figures as the Turkish pages: Pets traveling in the aircraft cabin cannot exceed a total of 8 kg, including their carrier.
· The total weight of the carrier and the pet together cannot exceed 50 kg.
turkishairlines.com ↗
Rules taken from the official pages of Turkish Airlines, Turkish Cargo and the Turkish authorities, dated and archived; page reviewed and approved on 1 November 2026 by Phil Albert-Benoist.
Spotted a mistake or a rule that has changed? Write to us at contact@mydogcanfly.com. Report an error · Citing this page
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