Visa policy of Turkey

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Turkish entry passport stamp issued at Istanbul Ataturk Airport Turkey Entry Stamp.jpg
Turkish entry passport stamp issued at Istanbul Atatürk Airport

The visa policy of Turkey deals with the requirements that a foreign national wishing to enter Turkey must meet to be permitted to travel to, enter and remain in the country. [1]

Contents

Visitors to Turkey must obtain a visa from one of the Turkish diplomatic missions unless they come from one of the 90 visa-exempt countries and territories or one of the 31 countries and territories whose citizens are eligible to apply for an electronic visa. Turkish visas are documents issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its subsequent diplomatic missions abroad with the stated goal of regulating and facilitating migratory flows. [2] [3]

Visitors of most nationalities must hold a passport valid for no less than 150 days from the date of arrival. The passport validity requirement does not apply to citizens of Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain, and Switzerland who can enter with a passport expired for less than five years, citizens of Germany who can enter with a passport or an ID card expired for less than one year, citizens of Bulgaria who are only required to have a passport valid for their period of stay. [4] An identity card is accepted instead of a passport for citizens of Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Netherlands, Northern Cyprus, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and Ukraine.

The validity period requirement also does not apply to nationals of countries whose identity cards are accepted. [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]

Even though Turkey is a candidate country for membership of the European Union, it has a more complex visa policy than the visa policy of the Schengen Area. [2] Turkey requires visas from citizens of one EU member state (the Republic of Cyprus), as well as Schengen Annex II countries and territories – Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, East Timor, Grenada, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Palau, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Taiwan, Tonga and Tuvalu. However, citizens of most of these countries can obtain electronic visas. On the other hand, Turkey grants visa-free access to citizens of other countries and territories – Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belize, Bolivia, Ecuador, Indonesia, Iran, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Jordan, Lebanon, Mongolia, Morocco, Qatar, Russia, Thailand, Tunisia and Uzbekistan.

The Turkish government announced that effective from 2 March 2020, visas are not required for passport holders from the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Ireland, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom. [10]

The Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced that effective from 23 December 2023, visas are not required for passport holders from the following countries: Bahrain, Canada, Oman, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and the United States. [11] [12]

Visa policy map

.mw-parser-output .legend{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .legend-color{display:inline-block;min-width:1.25em;height:1.25em;line-height:1.25;margin:1px 0;text-align:center;border:1px solid black;background-color:transparent;color:black}.mw-parser-output .legend-text{} Republic of Turkey Unlimited stay Visa not required (90 days and may enter with ID card) Visa not required (90 days) Visa not required (60 days) Visa not required (30 days) Visa not required (90 days - conditional) eVisa (30 days) eVisa (30 days - conditional) Visa required Turkey visa policy.svg
  Republic of Turkey
  Unlimited stay
  Visa not required (90 days and may enter with ID card)
  Visa not required (90 days)
  Visa not required (60 days)
  Visa not required (30 days)
  Visa not required (90 days - conditional)
  eVisa (30 days)
  eVisa (30 days - conditional)
  Visa required

Visa exemption

Citizens of the following countries and territories who hold ordinary passports do not require a visa to visit Turkey for the durations described below for tourism or business purposes (unless otherwise stated). For visits of up to 90 days within 180 days, an identity card is accepted instead of a passport for citizens of some countries. [2]

Unlimited stay

90 days within any 180 days

60 days, 90 days within any 180 days

30 days, 90 days within any 180 days

30 days, 90 days within any 1 year

ID - May enter with an ID card for a stay of up to 90 days per 180-day period.
T - Visa free for tourism purposes only.
1 - Entry with an ID card instead of a passport is allowed for citizens of Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, and Spain.
2 - British citizens only. [20]
3 - Excluding journalists that are on duty. [22] [23]

Conditional visa free access

90 days within 180 days [2]

T - Only for touristic visits.
1 - Provided being under the age of 15 or above the age of 65.
2 - Provided residing in North Cyprus and directly arriving from Ercan International Airport; or seaports of Famagusta, Gemikonağı, or Kyrenia. [1]
3 - Provided being under the age of 16 or above the age of 45.

Non-ordinary passport holders

Under reciprocal agreements, holders of diplomatic or service passports or laissez-passers issued by the following jurisdictions are allowed to enter and remain in Turkey for up to 90 days in 180 days, unless otherwise noted:

90 days within any 180 days

D - Diplomatic passports
S - Service passports
S* - For holders of service passports, 60 days within any 180-day period.
T - Only for touristic visits.
1 - Visa-exempt in general.
2 - 30 days within any 180-day period.
3 - 30 days per visit, 90 days within any 1-year period.
4 - British citizens only.

laissez-passer holders who have blue UN travel documents shall be exempted from entry visa requirement for their official visits to Turkey for up to 90 days in 180 days if they can certify their official assignment. Otherwise, general visa provisions shall apply.

Red UN Travel Document holders, shall be exempted from entry visa and may stay in Turkey for 90 days within the preceding 180 days regardless of their purpose of visit. [28] [2]

Electronic Visa (e-Visa)

Holders of passports from the following countries and territories can apply and obtain an electronic visa (e-Visa) for a fee before arrival. The duration of stay for these nationalities is up to 90 days (or 30 days per applications) within 180 days. [29] [30]

1 - May only apply for a single entry e-Visa on which they can stay for up to 30 days per 180-day period.
2 - e-Visas shall be issued free of charge.

Conditional e-Visa

Citizens of these countries and territories are eligible to apply for a single entry e-Visa on which they can stay for up to 30 days only if meeting the conditions listed below: [29] [2]

1 - e-Visas are issued free of charge.

Physical visa required in advance

Citizens of the following countries and territories are not eligible for any of the “Visa Free Access” or “Electronic Visa” schemes. Therefore they have to obtain the appropriate type of visa for their intended visits in advance at a Turkish diplomatic mission unless they qualify for any of the “Conditional Visa Free Access” or “Conditional Electronic Visa” schemes: [2] [1] [32]

Transit visa required

As of 15 April 2024, citizens of the 10 countries travelling to Mexico, Panama, Colombia and Venezuela via Istanbul Airport will be required to obtain an electronic airport transit visa. [33]

Visitor statistics

Turkey issued 16,199,968 electronic visas between April 2013 and January 1, 2017. The acceptance rate was 87.79% as 18,452,733 applications were filed in this period. Most visas were issued to nationals of the United Kingdom (4.6 million), Iraq (2 million) and the Netherlands (1.8 million). [34]

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 Citizens of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus have the right to enter, reside, study, and work indefinitely in Turkey without any immigration restrictions. [13]
  2. ↑ For Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passport holders

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Visa policy of the Schengen Area</span> Policy on permits required to enter the Schengen Area

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Visa policy of Mexico</span> Policy on permits required to enter Mexico

A Mexican visa is a document issued by the National Institute of Migration, dependent on the Secretariat of the Interior, with the stated goal of regulating and facilitating migratory flows into the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Visa requirements for Turkish citizens</span> Entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Turkey

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Visa requirements for Indonesian citizens</span> Administrative entry restrictions

Visa requirements for Indonesian citizens are administrative entry restrictions imposed on citizens of Indonesia by the authorities of other states.

Visitors to Serbia must obtain a visa from one of the Serbian diplomatic missions unless they are citizens of one of the visa-exempt countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Visa policy of Albania</span> Policy on permits required to enter Albania

The visa policy of Albania allows citizens of certain countries to enter Albania without a visa. Citizens of certain other countries must obtain a visa from one of the Albanian diplomatic missions. Alternatively, they may obtain an electronic visa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Visa policy of Moldova</span> Policy on permits required to enter Moldova

The Government of the Republic of Moldova allows citizens of specific countries/territories to visit Moldova for tourism or business purposes without having to obtain a visa, often based on bilateral agreements. Citizens of other countries must obtain a visa from the embassy of their residence country or online eVisa. All visitors must hold a passport valid for 3 months beyond the period of intended stay.

Visitors to Bosnia and Herzegovina must obtain a visa from one of the Bosnia and Herzegovina diplomatic missions unless they are citizens of one of the visa-exempt countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Visa policy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Caribbean</span> Policy on permits required to enter the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Caribbean

A common visa exists since the end of 2010 for the territories of Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten and the Caribbean Netherlands which form together the territory of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Caribbean. The visa is not valid for the European part of the Netherlands, which is part of the Schengen Area.

Visitors to Peru must obtain a visa from one of the Peruvian diplomatic missions unless they are citizens of one of the visa-exempt countries.

Visitors to Colombia must obtain a visa from one of the Colombian diplomatic missions unless they come from one of the visa-exempt countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Visa policy of Guyana</span> Policy on permits required to enter Guyana

The Government of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana exempts visa requirements for nationals of specific countries or territories. All visitors must hold a passport valid for 6 months.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Visa policy of the Dominican Republic</span> Policy on permits required to enter Dominican Republic

Visitors to the Dominican Republic must obtain a visa from one of the Dominican Republic diplomatic missions unless they are citizens of one of the visa-exempt countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National identity cards in the European Economic Area</span> Identity cards issued by member states of the European Economic Area

National identity cards are issued to their citizens by the governments of most European Economic Area (EEA) member states, the exceptions are Denmark and Ireland. Ireland however issues a passport card which is a valid document in the EEA and Switzerland. Denmark issues simpler identity cards that are not valid as travel documents. From 2 August 2021, new identity cards are harmonized as a common identity card model replaced the various formats already in use.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Visa policy of Belize</span> Policy on permits required to enter Belize

Visitors to Belize require a visa unless they are citizens of one of the visa-exempt countries.
All visitors are required to have sufficient funds, 75 USD per day and documents required for their next destination.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Visa policy of East Timor</span> Policy on permits required to enter Timor-Leste

Visitors to East Timor must obtain a visa, unless they come from one of the visa exempt countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Visa policy of Seychelles</span> Policy on permits required to enter Seychelles

All foreign nationals visiting Seychelles are granted visa free access. However, they are required to obtain a Visitor's Permit on arrival unless exempt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Visa policies of British Overseas Territories</span> Policies on permits required to enter the British Overseas Territories

The British Overseas Territories maintain their own entry requirements different from the visa policy of the United Kingdom. As a general rule, British citizens do not have automatic right of abode in these territories.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Visa and passport". Timatic . International Air Transport Association through Emirates . Retrieved 1 April 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "From Rep. of Turkey Ministry of Foreign Affairs". Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Archived from the original on 21 July 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  3. ↑ "T.C. Dışişleri Bakanlığı Turkish Embassy in New Delhi". Archived from the original on 2018-10-21. Retrieved 2018-10-20.
  4. ↑ "Passport Validity Requirements While Entering Turkey by Law on Foreigners and International Protection". Turkish MFA. Archived from the original on 2017-09-12. Retrieved 2017-09-12.
  5. ↑ "Countries whose citizens are allowed to enter Turkey with their national ID's / Rep. of Turkey Ministry of Foreign Affairs". Mfa.gov.tr. Archived from the original on 2015-10-08. Retrieved 2016-05-04.
  6. ↑ "Polonya Cumhuriyeti'nin Kimlik Kartı Hamili Vatandaşlarının Türkiye'ye Yapacakları Her 180 Gün İçinde Azami 90 Gün İkamet Süreli Turistik Amaçlı Seyahatlerinde ve Transit Geçişlerinde Vize Muafiyeti Sağlanması Hakkında Karar". Cumhurbaşkanı kararı No. 5423 of April 18, 2022 (PDF) (in Turkish). President of the Turkish Republic. Archived 2022-04-19 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ↑ "Bulgaristan Cumhuriyeti'nin Kimlik Kartı Hamili Vatandaşlarının Türkiye'ye Yapacakları Her 180 Gün İçinde Azami 90 Gün İkamet Süreli Turistik Amaçlı Seyahatlerinde ve Transit Geçişlerinde Vize Muafiyeti Sağlanması Hakkında Karar". Cumhurbaşkanı kararı No. 5887 of July 27, 2022 (PDF) (in Turkish). President of the Turkish Republic. Archived 2022-07-28 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ↑ "Bosna Hersek'e kimlik kartıyla seyahat dönemi". 6 September 2022.
  9. ↑ "CUMHURBAŞKANI KARARI (Presidential decision)" (PDF). 2022-11-09. Retrieved 2023-12-29.
  10. ↑ "Türkiye'den 11 ülkeye vize muafiyeti". NTV. 2020-03-02. Archived from the original on 2020-03-02. Retrieved 2020-03-02.
  11. ↑ "Turkey's New Visa Exemption for Canadians and Americans". Gaba Travel Blog. 6 January 2024.
  12. ↑ "Turkey grants visa exemption to citizens of six countries, including the United States and Canada". VisaIndex.com.
  13. ↑ "Countries whose citizens are allowed to enter Turkey with their national ID's / Rep. Of Turkey Ministry of Foreign Affairs". Archived from the original on 2015-10-08. Retrieved 2013-12-14.
  14. ↑ "MİLLETLERARASI ANDLAŞMA (International agreement)" (PDF) (in Turkish). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-01-30. Retrieved 2021-01-30.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Visa exemption for 6 countries" (PDF).
  16. ↑ "From Rep. Of Türkiye Ministry of Foreign Affairs". Archived from the original on 2016-07-16. Retrieved 2022-06-30.
  17. ↑ "Cumhuriyet haber verir... Son dakika haberler ve doğru haberin sitesi". www.cumhuriyet.com.tr (in Turkish). Archived from the original on 2020-06-03. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
  18. ↑ "Sırbistan ile Türkiye arasında kimlikle geçiş uygulaması". 9 June 2022. Archived from the original on 2022-07-26. Retrieved 2022-06-28.
  19. ↑ "Türkiye'den 6 Avrupa ülkesine vize muafiyeti". NTV. 2020-02-20. Archived from the original on 2020-02-20. Retrieved 2020-02-20.
  20. 1 2 "Visa Information For Foreigners" . Retrieved 2023-12-29.
  21. ↑ "Visa and Passport Information Results | Visa and Passport | Emirates".
  22. ↑ "Turkey Introduces Visa Regime for Russian Journalists". themoscowtimes.com. 4 February 2016. Archived from the original on 9 June 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  23. ↑ "Türki̇ye, Hi̇zmet Pasaportu Hami̇li̇ Rusya... – T.C. Moskova Büyükelçiliği-Посольство Турции Москва-Turkish Embassy Moscow". Facebook. 2016-04-18. Archived from the original on 2021-10-06. Retrieved 2016-05-04.
  24. ↑ "Maldives, Turkey to sign agreement to facilitate visa-free travel to Turkey". Archived from the original on 2022-01-31. Retrieved 2022-02-02.
  25. 1 2 "MİLLETLERARASI ANDLAŞMA (International agreement)" (PDF) (in Turkish). 2021-10-16. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-10-17.
  26. ↑ "200305-6.pdf" (PDF). 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2020-03-05. Retrieved 2020-03-05.
  27. ↑ "CUMHURBAŞKANI KARARI (Presidential decision)" (PDF). 2020-11-25. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-03-06. Retrieved 2020-11-25.
  28. ↑ "General Information About Turkish Visas". mfa.gov.tr. Archived from the original on 19 November 2021. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  29. 1 2 3 "Electronic Visa Application System". Electronic Visa Application System. Archived from the original on 21 October 2018. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  30. ↑ "Vize Harc Miktarlari En.pdf" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2015-03-19. Retrieved 2015-03-02.
  31. ↑ Must be below 18 or over 35 years old.holding valid visa or residence permit issued by Schengen area countries, Ireland or the United Kingdom
  32. ↑ "Pre-Application System for Turkish Sticker Visa" . Retrieved 2023-12-29.
  33. ↑ https://www.turkiyenewspaper.com/politics/21630
  34. ↑ "Turkey issued over 16 million online visas since 2013". dailysabah.com. 25 January 2017. Archived from the original on 27 January 2018. Retrieved 3 April 2018.


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