Where to Meet Your Driver at Istanbul Airport (IST)

Istanbul Airport is one of the largest terminals in Europe, and the walk from the aircraft to the exit can take a while. This guide follows you from landing to the car: how to get online so the WhatsApp message reaches you, what the arrivals floor looks like, what happens when your flight is late or changes, and what to do if you can't see your driver.

Step by step: from landing to the car

1. Switch your phone on: as soon as the aircraft has landed, turn off flight mode and switch on mobile data, or connect to the free airport Wi-Fi (see below). The driver's WhatsApp message comes after landing, so keep an eye on it.
2. Passport control (international flights only): follow the signs to passport control and have your passport ready. The e-passport points are for Turkish citizens, so foreign visitors use the staffed desks. Screens on the way and the Istanbul Airport app show the expected wait. Domestic passengers skip this step.
3. Baggage claim: your belt number is on the screens and in the airport app. Trolleys take a deposit. If a bag is missing or damaged, report it at your airline's lost-and-found desk in the baggage hall before you leave, and send your driver a quick WhatsApp so they know you're held up.
4. Customs: walk through customs; with nothing to declare beyond the duty-free allowances, take the green line.
5. Arrivals exit: walk out of the arrivals exit. Don't follow the signs to the Havaist coach platforms, the metro or the taxi ranks: your driver meets you just outside the exit, at the meeting point shown in their WhatsApp message and video.
6. To the car: your driver speaks English, helps with your luggage and walks with you to the vehicle.

International or domestic arrival: which exit?

Arrivals at IST are on one floor, and the exits are numbered. You don't need to work out which exit is yours: your driver knows your flight, and the WhatsApp message after landing shows the way. It still helps to know what to expect.

The airport confirms a separate domestic passenger exit but does not publish its exit number, so we don't quote one. Tell us when you book whether your flight is domestic or international.

These landmarks on the numbered exits help if you need to describe where you are: the Tourism Info Desk is near exit 12, the İBB City Information desk near exit 13, banks next to exit 10, ATMs next to exits 8 and 14, and a pharmacy by exit 13. Taxis and the M11 metro are reached through exits 9 and 13, and the left-luggage office is opposite exit 13 and next to the domestic passenger exit.

Getting online so WhatsApp works

The meeting point and the video come by WhatsApp, so the one thing to sort out is data. Make sure the phone number you gave when booking has WhatsApp, then pick one of these:

• Roaming: the simplest option if your plan covers Turkey. Turkey isn't part of the EU's roam-like-at-home area, so check your operator's rates or add a travel pass before you fly.
• eSIM: a travel eSIM installed before you fly connects once you land; check that it covers Turkey before you buy it. Turkcell's tourist package can also be set up as an eSIM in the Turkcell app, if your phone supports eSIM and NFC and you have a biometric passport.
• Free airport Wi-Fi: connect to iGA WiFi, which has been free and unlimited since November 2024. Log in with your mobile number and a password sent by SMS, or scan your passport or ID at a terminal kiosk to get an access code, then choose the access-code login. If the SMS doesn't arrive on a foreign number, use the kiosk.
• Turkish SIM: Turkcell, Vodafone and Türk Telekom shops are on the arrivals floor and are open around the clock; you'll need your passport. Turkcell's official Tourist Welcome Pack (20 GB, 28 days) costs ≈€32 (₺1,800). A phone brought from abroad can be used for 120 days without registration.

Keep walking while you wait for a signal: the message simply tells you where to stand once you're out. If you can't get online at all, see "If you can't find your driver" below. For the rest of the arrival (money, luggage storage, transport), see our Istanbul Airport arrival guide.

Passport control and baggage claim: how long?

The airport publishes no average queue times. When several flights land together, passport control can be slow, and bags can take a while to appear on the belt. Your driver tracks your flight, knows this and doesn't leave. There's no need to rush.

• Visa: if your nationality can get a visa at the airport, the visa offices are near piers A, B and F. Everyone else needs an e-visa or a consulate visa before travelling: the official e-Visa site is evisa.gov.tr. Entry rules depend on your nationality, so check yours before you fly.
• Passport: it should be valid for at least 60 days beyond the end of your permitted stay.
• Held up: if you'll be much later than expected, reply to your driver's WhatsApp message or call the number in your confirmation.

Delays, early landings and late flights

We track your flight in real time, using Flightradar24, Google's flight status and the airport's official flight information. If your flight lands early or late, the pickup adjusts to the actual landing time, so a delay on the flight you booked needs no message from you. There's no extra charge for traffic or flight delays.

Late-night landings work the same way: your driver tracks the flight and waits just outside the arrivals exit, whatever the hour. To see what else runs after midnight, read arriving in Istanbul at night.

If your flight changes: what to send us

Flight tracking follows the flight number you booked with. If you're moved to another flight, miss a connection or change your travel date, tell us as soon as you know, on WhatsApp or by phone on +90 544 102 1414 (24/7). Send us:

• your booking reference and the lead passenger's name
• the new flight number, date and scheduled landing time at Istanbul Airport
• where the flight comes from, and whether it is now domestic or international
• any change in the number of passengers, suitcases or child seats
• a WhatsApp number that will work on arrival, if it's different from the one in your booking

Plans cancelled instead? Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before your pickup time. If you land at Sabiha Gökçen by mistake, call us at once: the two airports are on opposite sides of the city, so the pickup has to be rearranged.

Luggage, child seats and special requests

• Luggage: a Mercedes Vito takes up to 6 passengers and 7 suitcases, and a Mercedes Sprinter up to 15 passengers and 20 suitcases. Your driver helps you load your bags.
• Bulky items: mention a pushchair, folding wheelchair, golf bag, bicycle or large instrument when you book, so the right vehicle comes.
• Child seats: available on request: a child safety seat for children up to 3 and a booster seat for older children. Ask for them when you book, so they're ready at pickup.
• Reduced mobility: tell us when you book, so your driver can plan the walk to the vehicle. The airport's "Ask Me" video kiosks (23 locations) also offer help, including in Turkish sign language.
• Missing luggage: report it to your airline's desk in the baggage hall. Something left behind in the terminal is handled by the iGA Lost & Found service; the first day of storage is free.

Travelling as a group

Up to 6 people fit in one Mercedes Vito; larger groups can book a Sprinter for up to 15, and the price is per vehicle, not per person. If you're unsure, tell us how many passengers and suitcases you have and we'll recommend the right vehicle.

• One contact: give one WhatsApp number for the group and keep that phone switched on after landing.
• Wait together: people clear passport control and collect their bags at different speeds. The first ones out can go to the meeting point shown in the video and wait there for the others.
• Different flights: if your group lands on more than one flight, give us every flight number when you book, so we can plan the pickup.

If you can't find your driver

1. Stay just outside the exit you came out of. Don't walk off to the car park, the metro or the taxi ranks.
2. Call or WhatsApp your driver on the number they messaged you from.
3. Call our 24/7 line on +90 544 102 1414 (phone or WhatsApp) and we'll connect you straight away.
4. Say where you are: the number on the exit you came out of, or the nearest landmark you can see, such as the Tourism Info Desk (exit 12) or the pharmacy (exit 13).
5. No data? Connect to iGA WiFi by scanning your passport at a kiosk, or ask at an information point for help. The airport's helpline is +90 444 1 442.

Please don't leave with anyone who approaches you offering a ride: go only with the driver who contacted you on WhatsApp.

Prices: is a private transfer worth it?

A private transfer from Istanbul Airport costs from €44 per vehicle to Taksim and Beşiktaş, from €48 to Sultanahmet and from €56 to Kadıköy (Mercedes Vito, up to 6 passengers). The price is per vehicle, not per person, and the exact price for your date and pickup time is shown before you pay.

Travelling alone with light luggage? The Havaist coach to Taksim costs ≈€8.50 (₺470) per person, and a yellow taxi to Taksim is about €39–49 (₺2,150–2,700) on the meter, tolls extra, if you're happy to find the rank yourself. A transfer pays off most for families, groups, heavy luggage, late arrivals and anyone who would rather not look for transport after a long flight. Compare every option in our Istanbul Airport taxi prices guide.

Sources — checked on 19 October 2026: Istanbul Airport Wi-Fi · iGA announcement on free and unlimited Wi-Fi · IST banks and ATMs · IST immigration office · IST left luggage · IST lost and found · Turkcell tourist SIM · MCKS (phone registration)
Euro amounts at €1 = ₺55.6.

Related guides: Istanbul Airport (IST) · Istanbul Airport arrival guide · Arriving in Istanbul at night · Getting to Istanbul Airport · Istanbul Airport taxi prices · Meeting your driver at Sabiha Gökçen

Frequently asked questions