Visa for Turkey

Most international travelers need an entry permit to visit Turkey. We explain Turkey's visa types and which countries are exempt from the visa and e-Visa requirements.

If you are planning a trip to Turkey, you will need a visa, an electronic travel authorization, or a complete waiver of all visa requirements.

104 countries are granted the use of the simple e-Visa for traveling to Turkey, while nationals from 42 countries must apply for a proper visa at Turkey's diplomatic missions abroad.

An e-Visa is an electronic entry permit that replaces the classic visa issued by Turkish embassies. The key advantages of the online procedure are the speed of the application process as well as the lower costs.

Travelers from eligible e-Visa countries can use the travel permit to stay in Turkey for between 30 and 90 days (depending on their nationality) for tourism or business purposes.

However, some of these e-Visa countries are considered "Conditional." That is, the approval of a Turkey visa is subject to certain conditions. For example, some travelers must be in possession of a visa for the Schengen area, Ireland, the UK, or the USA, or fly with certain airlines in order to be eligible to apply for the Turkish e-Visa.

Hotel reservations and proof of sufficient funds must also be provided by some e-Visa applicants from "conditional" e-Visa countries.

The citizens of the following countries can obtain an e-Visa for Turkey under certain conditions:

¹  Individuals applying for an e-Visa to Turkey with an Algerian passport must be younger than 18 or older than 35.

Of all the countries that have e-Visa eligibility for Turkey, some are considered "conditional." That is, travelers must simultaneously hold a valid visa for the Schengen area, the US, Ireland, or the UK. This applies to:

Travelers from "conditional" countries (except Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and the Philippines) must enter Turkey on an airline that has a protocol with the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (e.g., Onur Air, Pegasus Airlines, Turkish Airlines, and EgyptAir for Egyptian nationals).

In addition, all travelers from "conditional" e-Visa countries must have hotel reservations and sufficient funds for their stay when entering Turkey. The rule of thumb here is $ 50 per day.

Nationals of many countries and regions do not need a visa or an e-Visa to travel to Turkey. Instead, they can enter the country for 30, 60, or 90 days with a valid passport and, in some cases, even with just an ID card. These regions include:

¹ Travelers from Albania, Serbia, the United Kingdom, Jordan, Kosovo, Lebanon, Northern Cyprus, Qatar, and Norway may enter without a visa for tourist purposes only.

² Travelers from Russia cannot be journalists and can only stay in Turkey for 60 days if they want to enter without a visa

If you want to travel to Turkey on an e-Visa, you must meet additional requirements besides being a citizen of one of the countries approved for e-Visa. These include:

• You have a passport that is valid for at least 60 days after your arrival in Turkey.
• You do not plan to stay in Turkey for more than 90 days (or 30 days, depending on your nationality) within the 180-day validity period.
• You are only traveling to Turkey for tourism or short business errands (different rights depending on the traveler´s citizenship).
• You are not traveling to Turkey to study, conduct research, or film a documentary.
• Turkish border officials deem you eligible to enter Turkey on an e-Visa.

The officials could place other conditions on you during the online application process and entry, depending on your nationality. These include:

• Your passport is valid for at least six months from the date of your entry.
• You have a hotel reservation in Turkey.
• You have a return or onward flight ticket.
• You have sufficient funds for your stay in Turkey and your return or onward travel (rule of thumb: $ 50 per day).
• You have a valid entry permit for the country you want to return to or continue your travel after your e-Visa for Turkey expires.
• Nationals from "conditional" e-Visa countries: You are flying with an airline that is approved for e-Visa travelers from your country.

Each person traveling with you to Turkey requires a separate e-Visa. Thus, you must also submit an application for all children accompanying you.

This works easiest via a family request, where you can add up to ten members in the online application. For this, all family members must have the same nationality and travel to Turkey for the same reason.

Applying for your e-Visa for Turkey will take between ten and fifteen minutes on the e-Visa application page of our partner iVisa. Please have your passport, your personal data, including your home address, the names of your parents, and a valid email address ready. In the case of a group application, you will also need all this data from your fellow travelers.

Fill out the application form truthfully and check your information again before sending it. Especially with regard to your passport data, you have to be precise because, in case of discrepancies in the name or the passport number, you will not be able to enter the country despite an approved e-Visa.

You will receive an email with your reference number. Keep this number and a copy of your confirmation in your travel documents.

An e-Visa for Turkey is valid for 180 days but not longer than the end of the validity of your passport. Within these six months, you can enter Turkey for 90 days (or 30 days, depending on nationality) at a time.

Please note that the date of entry indicated in your e-Visa application is binding. If the date of your entry changes subsequently, you must submit a new application.

With an approved e-Visa, you may vacation in Turkey, visit friends and relatives, and conduct business (e.g., attend meetings and conferences).

Note, however, that you may not pursue professional employment or study in Turkey. For this purpose, you would need a work visa or student visa.

If your Turkish e-Visa has been rejected, you may not be told why. Most often, the causes are spelling mistakes, number errors in the application, or insufficient passport validity. Also, suspicion of planned illegal immigration or endangerment can be a reason for e-Visa rejection.

If you suspect the reason for your rejection to be an error, you can fix it and reapply no sooner than 24 hours after the rejection. However, if the reason might be in your biography, you should rather apply for a classic visa at the embassy or consulate instead of making a new e-Visa application.

At the Turkish border, the responsible border officials will take a close look at you and check the data from your e-Visa application once again. Depending on your nationality and personal appearance, you may be required to provide additional documents upon entry.

To be on the safe side, have the following documents ready:

• Your passport
• A printout of your e-Visa approval
• Your hotel reservation or proof of your first accommodation
• Your return or onward tickets
• Proof of sufficient funds (e.g., bank statement)
• For business trips: invitation letters from companies or confirmation of conference attendance
• The approved visa for the country to which you intend to return or continue your journey

The border official makes the final decision about your entry into Turkey. Therefore, keep a calm attitude during the interview and answer directly and truthfully.

Please observe the current entry regulations when entering Turkey, including all safety instructions.

Find out about the exact import regulations for Turkey before you enter the country.