Information Page for Türkiye

A visa is the document that allows its holder to enter Turkey and to travel within the country for a set period of time.

Nationals of eligible countries who are travelling for tourism or business may submit their application online instead of applying at a Turkish embassy or consulate or, in the case of some nationalities, at the border on arrival. The application asks for personal details along with passport and travel information, and the fee is paid by credit or debit card.

At the border, passport control officers can verify the visa; nevertheless, it is recommended that you carry a printed copy, or a digital one on your phone or tablet, in case of a technical fault.

Even with a visa, entry is not guaranteed. The final decision rests with the Turkish border officials at the point of entry.

In general, an application requires:

• a passport, or another travel document that is accepted instead,
• a photograph taken recently, which is uploaded during the application,
• the date you intend to arrive in Turkey,
• an email address that works,
• a credit card or debit card to pay the fee.

Law No. 6458 on Foreigners and International Protection requires, in its Article 7(1)(b), that the passport remain valid for at least 60 days after the end of the visa, visa exemption or residence permit period. The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs also recommends holding a passport that will still be valid for at least six months after the date of arrival.

Depending on nationality, extra conditions may also be required, such as a valid visa or residence permit from a Schengen country, the USA, the UK or Ireland. Before applying, check which conditions are in force for your nationality.

An online application can be made at any hour of the day from anywhere you can connect to the internet. As a result, you save the time that applying at a Turkish embassy or consulate, or obtaining a visa at the border on arrival where this is possible, would take.

No. The visa becomes valid on the date you specify in your application, and you may enter Turkey on any day within its validity period. The number of days you are allowed to stay depends on your nationality and the type of visa.

No. After a visa has been issued, no changes can be made to it. If your new dates fall inside the validity period of your current visa, you may use that visa; if they do not, you will have to obtain a new one.

Yes. Each traveller who needs a visa, children included, must have a visa of their own. A visa is valid only for the person in whose name it was issued.

No. Once a visa has been issued, the official visa fee is not refunded, even if the visa is never used.

No. Any discrepancy between the details on a visa and those in the travel document makes the visa invalid. You must get a new visa with the correct information before setting off.

If you wish to remain longer than your visa allows, apply to the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management for a short-term residence permit. It is advisable to do so before your permitted stay runs out.

Visas obtained online are valid only for tourist and business travel. For other purposes, such as working or studying, the visa must be obtained from a Turkish embassy or consulate.

People who overstay their visa may face fines, deportation and a temporary ban on entering Turkey.

Only type your card details into a payment page that uses an encrypted, secure connection. You can recognise such a connection by the padlock symbol shown in your browser's address bar.

The security of a payment also depends on your device, browser and internet connection, as well as on the bank that issued your card. Choose a device and network that you trust, keep your software up to date and contact your bank if you see a transaction you did not expect.

Because the details on an issued visa cannot be changed, you will need to apply for a visa again with the correct information. Before sending your application, check each piece of information you entered against your passport.

You can apply at any time before your trip; however, it is recommended that you apply at least 48 hours before you set off.

If the visa is to be issued by a Turkish embassy or consulate, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommends submitting the application at least one month ahead of the intended trip.

If you applied at a Turkish embassy or consulate general, address your questions to the embassy or consulate general where you made the application. If you applied through a visa application centre, contact that centre.

Responsibility for the accuracy of the information in the application lies with the applicant. The official visa fee for a visa issued with wrong information is not refunded, and in that case a new visa must be obtained.

No. For an online application, the visa fee can only be paid by credit or debit card. The card used for payment does not have to belong to the applicant.

Enter your middle name exactly as it appears in your passport: in the “Given Name(s)” field, straight after your first name and separated from it by a space.

No. The receipt displays the address you entered in your visa application, and that address cannot be changed separately for the receipt.

CVV / CVC / CVC2 is the security code printed on your card. On Visa and Mastercard cards, this code is a three-digit number on the reverse side, located on or next to the signature strip.

Cruise passengers arriving at a Turkish port for tourism may enter without a visa for up to 72 hours to see the port city and nearby provinces. This visa-free entry depends on permission from the local authorities, and passengers are required to surrender the port entry permit they receive on arrival when they leave.

The exemption does not apply to travellers who fly into or out of Turkey, for example a passenger who arrives by plane to join a cruise. In such a case a visa is required unless the traveller's nationality is exempt from visas.

Yes. Even if registered in a parent's passport, any child who needs a visa must have one issued in their own name. If the child has a passport of their own, you may either submit a separate visa application for them or request a sticker visa from the Turkish embassy or consulate general closest to you. If the child does not have their own passport, contact the nearest Turkish embassy or consulate general before travelling.

On the day you enter Turkey, your supporting visa or residence permit must remain valid. Even if it has been used before, a single-entry visa is accepted provided it is still valid on the date of entry.

Visas issued online by other countries are, in most cases, not accepted as supporting documents.

The official visa fee depends on your nationality (that is, the country that issued your travel document) and on the type of travel document you hold. The fee is set by the Turkish authorities and may change, so check the current amount for your nationality before applying.

How long a visa is valid and how long its holder may stay in the country depend on nationality and the type of travel document. For example, citizens of some countries may be given a single-entry visa for a stay of up to 30 days, while citizens of others may obtain a multiple-entry visa for a stay of up to 90 days.

Whatever the case, total stays must not exceed 90 days in any 180-day period.

With or without a visa, the total time spent in Turkey cannot be more than 90 days within any 180-day period, and every day already spent in Turkey in that period counts towards this limit.

The 180-day period is calculated on a rolling basis: whatever the day, all the days you spent in Turkey in the 180 days before it are taken into account. So if you stayed for 90 days in a single continuous stretch, you can stay again once 180 days have passed since your first entry; if your days were spread over several trips, the date is determined by when the earlier days start to fall outside the 180-day period. If you used only part of the 90 days, you may use the remaining days within the same 180-day period as long as you hold a valid visa.

Having a second passport does not give you an extra 90 days.

No. Once your visa has run out, you cannot get a new one unless you leave Turkey. To stay in the country for longer, apply to the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management for a residence permit. For other purposes, for instance work or study, the visa has to come from a Turkish embassy or consulate.

Overstaying the period a visa allows can lead to fines, deportation and a ban on entering Turkey for a set period.