I. What is a visa?
According to the Law on Foreigners and International Protection No. 6458, a visa is a permission document that allows foreigners to stay in Turkey for up to ninety days or to transit through Turkey.
Foreigners who will stay in Turkey for up to ninety days can obtain a visa from the Turkish Republic State Embassies or Consulates in their country of citizenship or legal residence, specifying the purpose of their visit. Visa applications can also be made electronically. The total stay period allowed by the visa obtained cannot exceed ninety days within every one hundred and eighty days.
II. How to apply for a visa to Turkey?
Foreigners who want to apply for a visa to Turkey should first find out whether they are exempt from obtaining a visa or not.
What is Visa Exemption? Who can come to Turkey without a visa?
Visa exemption allows foreigners to enter Turkey without making any visa applications or obtaining a visa permit.
Citizens of countries exempted from visas by agreements Turkey is a party to or by decisions of the Council of Ministers are exempt from obtaining a visa.
Those who have a valid residence permit, work permit or Work Permit Exemption Certificate at the time of their entry to Turkey can enter Turkey without a visa.
- Foreign nationals who have the right of 90-day visa-free travel to Turkey: Germany, Argentina, Albania, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Belarus, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Algeria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, El Salvador, Morocco, Fiji, Finland, Palestine (only for diplomatic passport holders), France, Gambia, Grenada, South Korea, Georgia, Netherlands, Honduras, Hong Kong (only for Hong Kong passports), Iran, Spain, Israel, Sweden, Switzerland, Italy, Iceland, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Cuba, Lichtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico (only for diplomatic passport holders), Egypt, Monaco, Nicaragua, Norway, Oman, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Peru, Poland, Portugal (only for diplomatic passport holders), Romania, Russian Fed. (only for diplomatic passport holders), Saint Lucia, San Marino, Seychelles, Serbia and Montenegro, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Chile, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Ukraine, Uruguay, Vatican, New Zealand, Greece.
- Foreign nationals who have the right of 60-day visa-free travel to Turkey: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Indonesia, Macedonia, Croatia.
- Foreign nationals who have the right of 30-day visa-free travel to Turkey: People’s Republic of China, Estonia (only for diplomatic passport holders), Philippines, South Africa, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Costa Rica, Latvia (only for diplomatic passport holders), Macau, Maldives, Hungary, Mongolia, Moldova, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, Vietnam (only for diplomatic passport holders exempt from visas), Yemen.
Holders of Immigration Documents. Foreigners other than those mentioned above need to obtain a visa to enter Turkey. In this case, you need to know which type of visa you need to apply for.
What are the types of visas?
Tourism visa: issued to foreigners who want to come to Turkey for tourist or official visits, business meetings, conferences, seminars, meetings, festivals, fairs, exhibitions, sports events, cultural and artistic events, and similar purposes.
Transit visa: issued to foreigners who want to pass through Turkey within a certain period of time after entering from any border gate. The transit time specified in the visa starts again at every entry from the border gate within the validity period of the visa.
Airport transit visa: issued to foreigners who want to pass through Turkey only through the airport border gate without entering Turkey.
Education visa: issued to foreigners who want to come to Turkey for education, training, internships, courses, student exchange programs, or Turkish language courses.
Work visa: issued to foreigners covered by Article 55 of the Implementation Regulation of the Law on Work Permits of Foreigners published in the Official Gazette dated 29/8/2003, as well as foreigners who do not fall within this scope but want to come to Turkey for work purposes.
Official duty visa: issued to foreigners who are appointed to official duty or assigned as diplomatic couriers.
Other visas: issued to foreigners who want to come to Turkey for purposes other than those mentioned above, such as archaeological excavations, research, filming or documentary shooting, treatment, accompaniment, family reunification, humanitarian aid, transportation, etc.
After choosing the type of visa, the next step is to check if e-Visa application is possible. You can make this inquiry on the https://www.evisa.gov.tr/ website. It is very easy for foreign nationals who can apply for e-Visa to obtain their visa documents in this way.
When applying for a visa, a visa fee must be paid. If you cannot apply for e-Visa, you can apply to the Turkish Republic Embassies or Consulates in your country.
It is not possible to apply for a visa to Turkey through an agent with a power of attorney. Visa applications must be made personally.
What Documents are Required for Visa Application?
The required documents for visa application vary according to the type of visa you apply for.
However, in visa applications:
- Passport or travel document equivalent to a passport,
- Biometric photo suitable for the visa,
- Documents showing your income status or the income status of the person who invites you to Turkey, Airplane, ship or bus travel ticket showing your arrival and departure dates from Turkey,
- Documents indicating that you will return from Turkey (such as payrolls, bank account information, work permit information, etc.), travel insurance and similar documents will be requested.
The full list of these documents will be given to you at the Embassy or Consulate where you will apply.
What Should be Considered When Applying for a Visa to Turkey?
It would be beneficial to make your visa application through a law firm that provides professional services in this matter in order to come to Turkey. Due to some factors that foreigners do not take into account in visa applications, your application may be rejected. In this case, it is not possible to refund the visa fee and service fee you have paid. You also cannot refund the ticket fee you paid for travel. Most importantly, you will not be able to achieve your goal of coming to Turkey.
It is important that your applications are made correctly and completely for your visa application to be accepted and to obtain a visa document.
Another important point to consider in visa applications is that your passport or travel document must not be worn out. If your passport or travel document is worn out, you will not be allowed to enter the country.
Another important point is that your passport or travel document must be valid for at least two months after the date you will return from Turkey. Entry to Turkey will not be accepted with a passport or travel document with a validity period of less than sixty days, which you will add to your visa period.
Visa applications can be made until the travel date. However, it is recommended to apply for a visa at least 48 hours before the travel date.
A visa application must be made separately for each person who wants to enter Turkey. Even if babies and children are registered in their parents’ passports, a separate visa application must be made for them.
Foreigners coming to Turkey must have a passport or travel document valid for at least sixty days from the expiration of the visa, visa exemption, or residence permit.
Which Foreigners Will Not Be Granted a Visa to Turkey?
Visas will not be granted to the following foreigners:
- Those who do not have a passport or passport substitute that is valid for at least sixty days longer than the requested visa period,
- Those who are prohibited from entering Turkey,
- Those who are considered to be problematic for public order or public safety,
- Those who are considered to be a threat to public health by carrying one of the diseases defined as such,
- Those who are accused of or convicted of crimes that are the basis for the return of criminals according to agreements that Turkey is a party to,
- Those who do not have valid health insurance covering the duration of their stay,
- Those who cannot justify the purpose of their entry, transit, or stay in Turkey with legitimate reasons,
- Those who do not have sufficient and regular financial means for their intended stay,
- Those who do not agree to pay the debts that need to be pursued and collected according to the Law on Collection Procedures for Public Receivables numbered 6183 dated 21/7/1953 or the debts and penalties pursued under the Turkish Penal Code numbered 5237 dated 26/9/2004.
Cancellation of Visa and Violation of Visa Cancellation of visa;
- Being found to be subject to fraud,
- Being understood to have been erased, scratched or tampered with,
- The entry of the visa holder into Turkey being banned,
- Strong suspicion that the foreigner may commit a crime,
- The passport or passport substitute document being fake or expired,
- The visa or visa exemption being used for a purpose other than its intended purpose,
- It is understood that the conditions or documents underlying the issuance of the visa are not valid, the visa is cancelled by the authorities or governorships that issued the visa. If a deportation decision regarding the foreigner is taken within the validity period of the visa, the visa is cancelled.
A deportation decision may be taken against a foreigner who acts in violation of the visa permit that he/she has applied for according to its type. In addition, an entry ban may be imposed to Turkey. However, a fine will also be imposed on the foreigner.
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