Important Notes
• The rules below are for tourist visas. Click here for info on visas for work, study or residence in Turkey.
• There are normally two types of tourist visas. A single-entry (tek giriş) visa allows you to enter Turkey once. After you leave, no matter how long you’ve stayed in Turkey, you must pay for another visa to enter Turkey again.
A multiple-entry (müteaddit giriş) visa allows you to enter and leave Turkey multiple times within its period of validity (normally 30, 60, or 90 days) at no additional charge.
• You may obtain e-visas online from an official Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, paying by credit card.More…
Pursuant to Turkish government regulations instituted on January 12, 2012, “90-day tourist visa” means that you can visit Turkey for up to 90 days within any 180-day period. This means that, after staying in Turkey 90 days, you cannot simply cross the border into another country, stay outside of Turkey for a day or two, then re-enter Turkey on a new 90-day tourist visa. Instead, you must apply in advance at a Turkish consulate for a residence visa and, when you arrive in Turkey, you must apply for a residence permit (İkamet Tezkeresi).
If you’re coming to Turkey for a short tour of, say, a few weeks, and not returning to Turkey in the near future, this restriction would not affect you. But if you come to Turkey for long periods (several months) frequently, you may be affected.
The regulations are meant to restrict foreigners who are, in effect, living in Turkey for part of the year but have not applied for a residence permit as required. Waivers are granted to certain groups, such as retirees who spend part of the year in Turkey, or foreigners who own property in Turkey and come to live for part of each year.
Official Passports
The term “official passports” covers diplomatic, service, special and official passports. You probably have an “ordinary” passport unless you’re going to Turkey on diplomatic, military or other official business. Visa rules for official passports may differ from those for ordinary passports.
Apply for Your Visa in Advance!
All foreigners who need visas may apply for them to Turkish diplomatic missions. If you do this, apply at least a month before your departure date for Turkey. But if you’re a citizen of one of those countries allowed to get a visa online in advance, why spend time filling out paper forms months in advance? More…
Visas for Filmmakers & Researchers
Foreigners who intend to shoot documentary films, to conduct research, or to do archeological excavation, should apply for special permission in advance from the Turkish authorities.
Visas for Truck Drivers
Visa requirements for truck drivers may be different. Contact a Turkish consulate.
Questions & Comments
You can send comments and questions to the Visa section of Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs at vize@mfa.gov.tr . (I cannot help you with questions on official visa matters—I am not a Turkish diplomat!)
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