Istanbul Airport Sunflower Lanyard (Ayçiçeği Yaka Kartı): How to Get It
The Sunflower Lanyard (Ayçiçeği Yaka Kartı) at Istanbul Airport is free, needs no medical report, and signals that you live with a non-visible disability. Fill in a short request form at the information desk in Check-in Area D or Check-in Area K, or collect one at an Assisted counter in the domestic or international area. Staff across the terminal then give you extra time, clearer directions and help without questions. Istanbul Airport joined the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower scheme in August 2023, first among airports in Türkiye. Your lanyard stays valid for every future trip, at IST and at any venue in the scheme.
Sunflower Lanyard at IST at a glance
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Cost | Free |
| Medical proof | Not required |
| Where to get it | Information desks in Check-in Areas D and K (request form); Assisted counters, domestic and international |
| Who it is for | Non-visible conditions: autism, dementia, anxiety, hearing loss, epilepsy, dyslexia, chronic pain |
| What it signals | Staff offer extra time, patience and help — you do not need to explain |
| Validity | Keep it for future travel; recognised wherever the Sunflower scheme operates |
| Airport programme | iGA Cares, joined August 2023 |
| Issuing points | Information desks at Check-in D and Check-in K; Assisted counters |
| Airport call centre | 444 1 iGA (444 1 442) |
What is the Sunflower Lanyard and who is it for?
The Sunflower covers any disability invisible from the outside: autism spectrum conditions, dementia, anxiety disorders, hearing impairment, epilepsy, dyslexia, speech difficulties and long-term pain. No fixed list of qualifying conditions exists, and staff at IST never ask for one. A green lanyard patterned with sunflowers tells trained staff that its wearer may need more time at a checkpoint, simpler instructions, or a calmer route through a crowded pier. Nobody asks what your condition is, and wearing the Sunflower never obliges you to disclose anything.
England launched the scheme in 2016, and it now runs at hundreds of airports, railway operators, shops and hospitals worldwide. Istanbul Airport adopted the Sunflower in August 2023 under iGA Cares, its umbrella accessibility programme. Turkish Airlines, the largest carrier at IST, recognises the lanyard on board as well, so the signal carries from check-in to the cabin. Scale explains why that matters here: IST handles roughly 80 million passengers a year under a single roof, and in a terminal this size a silent signal saves the most stress.
How do I get the lanyard at Istanbul Airport?
Two routes exist, both free, both needing nothing beyond a short form.
The first route is an information desk — but not any desk. Istanbul Airport names two for the Sunflower: the information desk in Check-in Area D and the one in Check-in Area K. Ask there and complete the request form on the spot; staff hand the lanyard over immediately, so budget a few minutes rather than an appointment. Orange information desks elsewhere in the terminal carry translation gadgets and an induction loop for hearing-aid users and will point you to D or K.
The second route is an Assisted counter. These sit in the domestic and international zones and hand lanyards out directly, without the form desk step.
No medical report, doctor's letter or proof of disability is required, for you or for a family member travelling with you.
Lanyards issued by other airports and organisations are recognised at IST too, so bring the one you already own from Gatwick, Schiphol or anywhere else.
Your Sunflower is a keepsake rather than a day pass, and a single visit covers every future trip through IST.
What actually changes once you wear it?
Staff at security, passport control, boarding gates and information points at IST are trained to recognise the sunflower pattern. Expect them to allow extra time rather than hurry you, to repeat or simplify instructions, and to guide you towards quieter routes where the terminal layout allows.
Queue-skipping is not part of the deal. The Sunflower signals understanding, not priority, and no airport in the programme promises a fast track on the strength of a lanyard alone.
Step-by-step help, wheelchair support or an escort through the building is a separate service at IST, also free, with its own booking rules.
Book it with your airline, not with the airport, at least 48 hours before departure: iGA states plainly that assistance services are provided by the respective airlines. Do that, and a wheelchair reaches you within 15 minutes of your call from the terminal. Arrive without a reservation and the wait can stretch to 45 minutes, which is the difference between a calm transfer and a missed connection. Assistance call phones sit near the main entrance gate, with a bench behind the gate for waiting. The airport call centre answers on 444 1 iGA (444 1 442). Full detail lives in our guide to assistance services for passengers with reduced mobility.
Wider iGA Cares provision backs the lanyard up. Special passenger service points operate landside and airside, a video call centre provides sign-language support, Loud Steps audio navigation guides blind and low-vision travellers, and adult changing rooms are available in the terminal.
Families travelling with a child who has a non-visible condition can pair the Sunflower with the family priority lanes at security and with the quieter corners of the building. The free NapZone rest areas work well when someone needs to decompress before boarding. Travelling with a baby as well? Our infants guide covers strollers, baby care rooms and the family buggy at IST.
Lanyard, assistance or both — which do you need?
| Need | What to use |
|---|---|
| More time and patience at the checkpoint | Sunflower Lanyard alone |
| Wheelchair or escort through the terminal | Assistance service, booked 48 hours ahead |
| Quiet space before boarding | Lanyard plus NapZone rest areas |
| Sign-language support | iGA Cares video call centre |
| Navigation without sight | Loud Steps audio guidance |
Most travellers with a hidden condition need the lanyard only. Combine it with the assistance service when mobility, not communication, is the constraint at IST.
Practical tips for a smoother pass through IST
Collect the Sunflower before security rather than after: checkpoints are where extra time helps most, and landside desks issue it the moment you reach the terminal.
Tell any staff member wearing an iGA badge that you have the lanyard and say where you need to go; they will point out the calmest workable route, which matters when a connection runs under 90 minutes.
Frequent flyers keep the Sunflower in the travel bag permanently, next to a passport, because recognition now extends to hundreds of airports worldwide. Photograph your lanyard once: replacements at IST are free, and a photo speeds up the conversation at the desk.
Families should collect one lanyard per person who needs it, not one per booking. Staff at IST issue several to the same group without extra paperwork.
FAQ
Is the Sunflower Lanyard free at Istanbul Airport?
Yes. Information desks and Assisted counters at IST issue the Sunflower free of charge, and you keep it for future trips.
Do I need a medical report to get one?
No. You fill in a short request form, and no proof of disability is asked for at IST.
Does the lanyard let me skip queues?
No. The Sunflower tells trained staff that you may need extra time, patience or clearer guidance. For queue help or an escort, book the free assistance service with your airline at least 48 hours ahead — the airlines, not the airport, provide it.
Can I use a lanyard from another airport at IST?
Yes. The scheme is global, and lanyards issued elsewhere are recognised here, just as an IST lanyard is recognised abroad.
Who counts as having a hidden disability?
Any condition not obvious from the outside: autism, dementia, anxiety, hearing loss, epilepsy, dyslexia, chronic illness. No fixed list exists, and nobody at IST will quiz you about it.
Which desks issue the Sunflower Lanyard?
The information desks in Check-in Area D and Check-in Area K, plus the Assisted counters in the domestic and international zones. Other information desks in the terminal will direct you there.
How long does the form take?
A few minutes at the desk. Staff at IST issue the lanyard immediately, with no advance application and no waiting period.
Does Turkish Airlines recognise the Sunflower?
Yes. The carrier takes part in the scheme, so crew on board read the same signal as staff in the terminal at IST.
Sources
Istanbul Airport, Sunflower Lanyard and Assistance Services under iGA Cares; Hidden Disabilities Sunflower, Istanbul Airport joins the Sunflower, August 2023. Checked September 2026.
About the author
Istanbul Airport Guide Editorial Team — we follow iGA Cares announcements and verify desk locations inside the terminal.
