Romania – Istanbul Travel Guide for Bariatric Surgery

According to the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Romanian citizens are exempt from visas for stays of up to 90 days within any 180-day period, with either a passport or a valid national identity card. A bariatric trip is much shorter, so the 90-day limit is not an issue.

• With an ID card (including the electronic identity card): the card must be valid for the whole stay;
• With a passport: the general Turkish rule is that it must be valid for at least 60 days beyond the permitted stay — for 90 days, 150 days in total from entry;
• use the same document to enter and leave Turkey, and give your coordinator the exact details of the document you travel with;
• the visa exemption is worded for tourist travel; before booking, check the current travel advice on the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs website (mae.ro).

Airports. Istanbul Airport (IST) is on the European side of the city and Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) on the Asian side. The private transfer is included per the plan whichever airport you use; just tell your coordinator which one. Schedules and frequencies change from season to season, so always check your flight on the airline’s website.

Time zone. Turkey uses UTC+3 all year. In summer the time is the same as in Romania; in winter Istanbul is one hour ahead.

Money. The official currency is the Turkish lira (TRY). Card payments are widespread, but a small amount of cash is useful for minor expenses.

Phone and data. Turkey is not in the EU, so “roam like at home” does not apply; the European Commission warns that roaming outside the EU/EEA can be expensive. Check your operator’s rates or buy an eSIM for Turkey before you leave — you will be messaging your coordinator on WhatsApp a lot.

Usually you arrive the day before surgery: after the transfer come the pre-operative tests, then the operation, according to the confirmed plan. Typical length of stay:

• Gastric sleeve: about 2 nights in hospital and 3 nights in the hotel;
• Gastric bypass: 4 nights in hospital and about 5 nights in the hotel;
• Bariatric revision surgery: 4 nights in hospital, no hotel stay.

Add the arrival day and, if possible, choose a return ticket you can change: your departure date is only confirmed after the pre-flight medical check. For returning to work, the procedure pages give a guide of 10–14 days after a sleeve and about 14 days after a bypass.

• The identity document you booked with, plus a copy;
• Medical documents: recent blood tests, doctors’ letters, endoscopy results, operative reports from previous surgery (especially for revision);
• A list of your medicines with doses, and the medicines themselves in original packaging, in your hand luggage;
• Loose, comfortable clothes with a low or elastic waistband, and shoes you can put on without bending;
• Compression stockings, if the medical team recommends them;
• phone charger, a long cable, lip balm, a small water bottle for after security.

Do not buy supplements or protein products on your own before travelling: you receive the exact list in your discharge plan.

You fly home only after the medical team confirms you are fit to fly, following the pre-flight check. The CDC notes that flying soon after major surgery increases the risk of blood clots and that, in general, delaying air travel for 10–14 days after major surgery (particularly chest surgery) reduces risk; for bariatric surgery, the timing is decided individually by the surgeon. If the team recommends staying longer, follow that advice.

• Keep moving: walk around the airport before boarding, and on the plane move your ankles and, when safe, get up and walk the aisle;
• Stay hydrated with small, frequent sips, as per your nutrition plan;
• Compression stockings and any anticoagulant treatment should be used exactly as prescribed;
• Choose an aisle seat so you can get up easily;
• keep your discharge letter and medicines in your hand luggage;
• if you need help at the airport, request assistance from the airline in advance.

A companion helps a great deal in the first days: with luggage, getting through the airport and morale. The same entry rules for Turkey apply to them (valid ID card or passport). Their flight and personal expenses are not included in the price. Before booking, ask your coordinator how the companion’s hotel stay is arranged and what the hospital’s visiting and overnight rules are.

ASMBS advises patients operated abroad to arrange local follow-up in advance, to detect nutritional deficiencies and long-term complications. In practice:

• tell your family doctor (GP) which operation you had and show them your discharge documents;
• have your blood tests done at the intervals in your discharge plan, locally;
• use the 12 months of online follow-up: nutrition guidance, questions on WhatsApp and, whenever you wish, photos sent to the medical team for feedback;
• in an emergency (severe abdominal pain, fever, repeated vomiting, shortness of breath, calf pain), call 112 and then let your coordinator know.

Questions before you travel? Write to us via the contact page.

• Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Visa Information for Foreigners (Romania; passport validity rule). mfa.gov.tr, accessed 2026.
• Aeroportul Internațional Avram Iancu Cluj. Turkish Airlines dublează zborurile directe Cluj–Istanbul din sezonul de vară 2026. airportcluj.ro, 2026.
• Observator de Timiș. Turkish Airlines începe operarea zborurilor directe de la Timișoara către Istanbul. 1 aprilie 2026.
• European Union – Your Europe. Roaming: what you pay to use your smartphone in another EU country. europa.eu, accessed 2026.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Medical Tourism: Travel to Another Country for Medical Care. CDC Travelers' Health, accessed 2026.
• American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS). Medical Tourism – patient information. asmbs.org, accessed 2026.