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Updated March 2023
Turkey, the fairytale-esque Middle Eastern country, has had several travel restrictions in place for several months to control the spread of COVID-19 and keep checks on the movement of international passengers. Moreover, Turkey has now lifted all its Covid-19 entry requirements, and hence, travellers from numerous countries can now travel to Turkey hassle-free.
Looking to travel to the charming land of baklava and lokum? Here’s a comprehensive guide on how you can apply for a tourist visa to travel to Turkey.
What is the Turkey Tourist Visa (Turkey e-Visa)?
The Turkey Tourist Visa (e-Visa) is an entry authorization document allowing foreign nationals to enter and travel within Turkey for mostly non-essential purposes. This is strictly limited to travel, transit and business purposes. Tourists wishing to study must not apply for this visa type.
On 17 April 2013, the e-Visa replaced the ‘sticker visa’ and ‘stamp-type’ tourist visa, which were formerly issued at border crossings.
The passport sticker is a variant of the Turkey visa, which you can only apply for by taking your passport to the Turkish consulate. It is advised to only make use of this option if either you do not qualify for the electronic variant and for visa-free entry or if you would like to stay longer than your e-Visa’s validity.
Who can apply for the Turkey e-Visa?
Countries eligible to apply
Holders of passports from the following countries and territories are eligible to obtain their Turkey e-Visa through an online application. The duration of stay for most of these nationalities is 90 days (30 days for some) within 180 days.
Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Australia, Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Canada, China, Cyprus, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Fiji, Grenada, Haiti, Indonesia, Jamaica, Maldives, Mauritius, Mexico, Oman, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Suriname, Taiwan, U.S.A, United Arab Emirates.
Countries eligible to conditionally apply
Nationals of the following countries must meet certain conditions in order to apply for an 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 they meet the conditions listed below
- All nationalities, except for citizens of Gabon and Zambia, must hold a valid visa or residence permit from one of the following countries: Schengen area countries, Ireland, the United Kingdom or the United States. Electronic visas or e-residence permits are not accepted. Egyptian citizens who are under 20 or over 45 years old do not need to fulfil this requirement.
- All citizens except for the citizens of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and the Philippines must travel with one of the airlines that has protocols with the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The following airlines meet the criteria: Onur Air, Pegasus Airlines and Turkish Airlines. Citizens of Egypt may also travel on flights operated by EgyptAir.
- Must hold a hotel reservation and adequate financial means (US$50 per day).
- Algerian citizens must be aged below 18 or over 35 years old to be eligible for an e-Visa. Otherwise, a sticker visa is required.
- Afghanistan, Iraq, Zambia and Philippines citizens are not eligible for an e-visa on arrival at Istanbul Airport
Countries with a visa-free arrangement
Nationals of the Russian Federation do not require a visa for entry and can stay in Turkey for up to 60 days, whereas nationals of Belarus, Brunei, Costa Rica, Latvia, Macao, Mongolia, Thailand and Turkmenistan can stay in Turkey for up to 30 days per visit and 90 days per 6 months.
For more details regarding the Turkey visa-free entry, visit our article on Turkey Visa-Free Entry 2022: Which Countries Can Enter Turkey Without Visa?
How do I apply for the Turkey e-Visa?
What are the required documents?
Before beginning the online application process, travellers are required to ensure that they have the following required documents:
- A passport with a minimum validity of 6 months from the date of arrival (3 months for Pakistani passport holders)
- An email address where notifications and the e-Visa will be sent
- A debit or credit card to pay for the visa fee
— Turkish e-Visa (@eVisaTurkey) June 30, 2014
Steps to apply for Turkey e-Visa
- Fill out the online application form on the Turkish Government’s eVisa page.
- Make the payment through Visa, Mastercard, American Express or PayPal
- Wait until you receive a confirmation email
- Print the confirmation and take it with you on your trip
Travellers must provide the following details when filling out the Turkey e-Visa application form:
- Given name and surname
- Date and place of birth
- Passport number
- Passport issue and expiry date
- Email address
- Mobile phone number
- Current address
How long is the Turkey e-Visa valid for?
For most eligible countries, the Turkish online visa is valid for a 180-day period from the arrival date in Turkey.
Depending on the traveller’s country of citizenship, a holder of the Turkey electronic visa may be issued either a single-entry or multiple-entry and can stay in the country between 30 to 90 days. We recommend that all prospective travellers check for details that may apply specifically to their country of residence on the Turkish Government’s E-Visa webpage.
What are the application fees for a Turkey e-Visa?
While the fees to apply for a Turkey e-Visa are charged in USD, travellers need not hold a U.S. bank account. The currency will be automatically converted.
However, the fee varies with the nationality of each applicant, on account of which we recommend that all prospective travellers check for details that may apply specifically to their country of residence on the Turkish Government’s E-Visa webpage.
How long will it take to process a Turkey e-Visa?
The Turkey e-Visa application in itself is a fairly simple process that takes only a few minutes to complete.
The majority of applications are processed between 24 to 48 hours after submitting the application. Despite the speedy processing times and flexible application dates, travellers are advised to file their application at least 72 hours before their trip to Turkey.
Turkey entry requirements
Effective 1 June 2022, all Covid-19 restrictions in Turkey have been lifted, and travellers arriving in Turkey are NO longer required to present proof of vaccination or negative PCR test results.
Please note that entry requirements are subject to change. Hence, make sure to consult your nearest Turkish Embassy or airline regarding the latest travel requirements before travelling to Turkey.
