Here you will find everything about the necessary documents, visa requirements, and frequently asked questions.
If you have questions about Customs Regulation in Turkey, we have a guide about that, also.
Let's start with the most important questions.
Table of Content
Step-by-Step guide to find out if you need a visa:
Depending on your your citizenship, you may or may not need to buy a visa for Turkey.
The easiest way to check is to visit the official government e-visa website.
1. Select the country/region of your travel document. 2. Select your travel document. 3. Enter the security verification listed below.
The following documents are required to enter Turkey.
Valid travel documet (in most cases valid passport, in some cases temporary passport or ID-Card) If you are traveling with a child, a valid child passport.Citizens from 15 countries are allowed to enter Turkey with their national ID-Cards. A couple of these countries include Germany, Ukraine, and the Netherlands. Citizens from other countries must present their passports.
For most countries, your passport should be valid for at least 6 months from the date of entry into Turkey.
In addition, it should have a full blank page for the entry and exit stamp.
In some cases it is possible to enter Turkey with an expired passport. Note, however, that this is not possible at all border crossings and may cause difficulties especially at land borders.
Here is a list of countries that are allowed to enter Turkey with an expired Passport.
Since June 26, 2012, children need their own valid passport to enter Turkey.
Entries on their parents' passports are not valid anymore and will not permit them to travel into Turkey.
Children of nationalities who are allowed to enter with a national ID card can also enter with their ID card.
Important: Children Need Their Own Passport to Enter Turkey!
The length of time you can stay in Turkey depends on the citizenship on your passport. It can vary between 30 and 90 days.
Citizens from most European countries are able to travel without a visa for visits of up to 90 days within a 180-day period.
This means that a maximum of 180 days is possible in one year.
Note that visa runs are no longer possible to renew your tourist visa. Therefore, leaving Turkey and reentering does not reset the 90 days within the 180 day limit.
Most tourists are granted a "multiple-entry visa", which allows them to enter and leave the country as long as their visa is valid. There are also "single entry visas", which allow only one entry to the country.
Travelers who want to stay longer than 90 days can apply for a “Short Term Residence Permit” at the Local Immigration Offices (Provincial Directorate of Migration Administration).
Please note, if you stay longer than your tourist visa allows, you risk a fine and deportation.
From most countries, it's possible to easily obtain an e-Visa online. The e-Visa application only takes a few minutes.
After filling out the online form and paying the visa fee, you will receive your visa within 3 days. For urgent applications, you will get an e-mail with your e-Visa in about 14 minutes.
We recommend that you use the official Turkish government site for this purpose. Note that government sites are always recognizable by the suffix ".gov".
See if you are eligible for an E-Visa.
Some citizens may obtain a visa upon arrival at a Turkish airport. However, tourists who need a visa are strongly advised to apply for an e-visa before their trip, as there are fewer and fewer Turkish airports with visa application centers.
In addition, the fees charged by the official e-Visa website are lower than the fees for visas obtained upon arrival at Turkish airports.
You can also contact the Turkish Embassy or Consulate in your country to obtain a Turkish visa.
For this type of application, it is best to start applying at least one month before the date of travel and already have all the necessary documents prepared.
Car Insurance: Please note that the Green Card insurance is usually valid only up to the Bosphorus.
We therefore recommend that you check in advance whether your insurance policy is also valid for the Asian side of the country.
If you need, you can buy valid insurance at border crossings.
When entering Turkey by cruise ship, for example in Alanya or Antalya, you do not need to apply for a visa, if you do not stay ashore for more than 72 hours.
We recommend that you ask your tour operator about the necessary documents and current entry requirements.
It's highly recommended to get travel insurance or international health insurance before traveling to Turkey.
In the event you need emergency medical treatment, as a tourist, you are more likely to be admitted to a private clinic due to the higher standards.
However, healthcare insurance does not usually cover the full costs of private clinics. The difference must be paid out of your own pocket.
For this reason, it's a good idea to purchase travel insurance or international health insurance in advance. Travel insurance is available for as little as 10 euros per person.
If you wish to obtain a long-term visa, you must apply for an Ikamet, or “Short Term Residence Permit”.
Your first residence permit can be issued for a maximum of one year on the condition that your passport does not expire earlier.
The application can be made online via the official immigration services website. You will be given an appointment at the immigration office (Directorate of Migration Management), where you will need to submit an application file.
The following documents are required:
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