Who is liable for costs?

Denied entry to Turkey because of passport

A Viennese woman actually wanted to discover Istanbul with her boyfriend. However, the reader was refused entry to Turkey due to the expiry date of her passport.(Bild: stock.adobe.com/seqoya - stock.adobe.com)

Although her passport was still valid and she was taken along by the airline, a reader was refused entry to Turkey - due to the expiry date of her travel document. The question remains as to who is liable for the costs incurred in such a case?

"During online check-in, I had to scan and upload my passport and state its validity," says Vanessa A. from Vienna. Together with her boyfriend, the reader traveled to Istanbul at the beginning of May. However, her journey came to an end at the airport, as she was refused entry by the border officials - even though Ms. A.'s passport was still valid.

The dates and validity of the airline were disclosed
However, the problem was that the document was not valid long enough - namely only until June 25, 2024. "I then said that I had entered all the data in the app and that the outbound flight was obviously not a problem," the reader continued. A discussion was pointless.

The couple decided to fly home together. Ms. A. believes that the airline should have made her aware of the problem. Even the local police said that the airline should have refused the flight. As the traveler was stuck with the costs incurred, she turned to the "Krone" for help.

What is the legal situation?
"Consumers are obliged to find out about the entry formalities themselves when booking flights," explains Reinhold Schranz, Head of the European Consumer Center (ECC) at the Association for Consumer Information, to the ombudswoman.

What you should look out for

• Validity: Many countries require passports to be valid for at least a certain period of time (e.g. six months in Turkey). Find out about the respective requirements in good time

• Entry requirements: Also check the currently valid entry requirements (visa required?) with the foreign ministry or embassy of the destination country.

• Renewing travel documents: Apply for a new passport in good time if yours is due to expire soon to avoid any unpleasant surprises during your trip.

Self-information is important
This means that Ms. A. should have checked the validity of her passport (at least six months upon entry) online on the website of the Austrian Foreign Ministry, for example. Another option would have been to enquire directly at the Turkish or Austrian embassy. Checking the validity of the passport is the responsibility of the passenger - not the airline.

Is the airline liable?
The airline is not liable because the airline may even have to pay a fine if such an incident occurs. Of course, one could argue that boarding could have been denied. However, according to the ECC lawyer, the reader would still have had to pay the costs of the flight or hotel.

A small consolation for the Viennese woman: the hotel in Istanbul only charged for one overnight stay and canceled the rest free of charge.