The Republic of Turkey, more generally known just as Turkey, is located in between the edges of both Western Asia as well as Southeast Europe. Turkey has been recorded and confirmed as one of the earliest settlements making it a hub for historical blessings. This historical treasure is also the reason why people throughout the globe have their dreams settled on visiting Turkey at least once in their lifetime and enjoying all the beauties, sights, milestones, architecture that it has to offer.

The Turkish Visa- What to Remember?

Like most of the republic countries globally, Turkey also has the general method and conditions installed for a Turkish visa which can later come in handy when you want to visit Turkey. Turkey offers a bunch of different types of Turkish visas where you can choose the visa which best suits your case. If the case is correct and proven, then you will be assigned a Turkish visa and will be allowed to continue with the actions that you mentioned in the visa for a specific amount of time.

Of course, before you decide to commit to having a visit to Turkey and start packing your bags, it is recommended that you check the essential details first and have an idea of the overall image of your stay. This step is also crucial because Turkey follows a policy in its visa system which forbids a few nationalities from getting a hold of their visa, and it also allows some nationalities to enter Turkey without even needing a passport in the first place.

So, rather than having wasted resources, time and effort, you should do some research and start planning for your trips a few months before you actually want the trip to take place. It is also personally recommended by the Turkish government and management that the interested party apply for their visa at least one month prior to their trip to avoid any issues and inconveniences that may occur knowingly or unknowingly. However, this statement can vary depending on which country you are applying from; while some countries may proceed with your visa in only three days, others can take over a month with all sorts of issues.

What is The Turkey E-Visa?

The Turkish electronic visa or e-Visa is an official travel permit granting entry to Turkey, issued by the Turkish government to foreign travelers from across the globe. This authorisation allows travelers to enter Turkey via land, air, or sea. Travelers can apply for this permit entirely online and even pay the visa fees online. They do not need to visit the embassy or consulate because the visa is delivered directly to the traveler’s email inbox in PDF file format. Once received, they should take a printed copy of the visa and save its digital copy in your smartphone. The e-visa has replaced the traditional sticker or paper visa and stamp visa, which used to be issued at border crossings.

Who Can Apply for an E-Visa to Turkey?

Nationals of eligible countries are allowed to apply and receive Turkish e-Visa after submitting an online application. Eligible travelers only require an internet connection to complete and submit the visa application. However, to successfully receive the online visa the applicant needs to provide personal, passport, and travel related information. The required data includes:

  • Applicant’s full name as written on the passport
  • Applicant’s data and place of birth
  • Occupation
  • Marital status
  • purpose of travel
  • previous travel experience
  • passport issue country, issue and expiration date
  • expected date of entering Turkey

Turkish e-visa application does not take more than 24 hours to be processed. After the traveler enters the Turkish borders the visa is checked and stamped by the immigration authorities. They are allowed to enter the country only after their visa and passport are stamped and verified by the authorities.

Available Different Types of Turkish e-Visas:

  • Transit Visa:
    People often use Turkey as one of the passing points while they reach their final destination. Suppose you are interested in using Turkey as a transit spot. In that case, you may need to apply for an e-visa which is the general visa and requires fewer efforts, or perhaps even a sticker visa that requires in-depth documentation, an interview for the visa, and a visa processing fee. This condition depends upon your nationality.
  • Tourist Visa:
    A person is eligible for a Turkish tourist visa if the sole purpose of their trip revolves around sightseeing, enjoying a nice, timely vacation, and visiting their loved ones.
  • Business Visa:
    If you are visiting Turkey for an official purpose, perhaps to deal or have a meeting with the country’s government, or if you want to visit Turkey to take part in a business meeting or host a seminar of some sort, then you are required to hold a business visa.
  • Work Visa:
    A work visa is compulsory in Turkey if you plan to earn a living while staying in the country and if you plan on engaging with its labour department while doing so. A Turkish work visa is required to be processed along with a work permit. If these two have been assigned, only then can a person work in the Republic of Turkey.
  • Student Visa:
    If you want to continue some education in Turkey, the chances are that you will need to be in charge of a student visa. The student visa gives permission to its holders to temporarily stay in Turkey for their total study period. This visa allows enrolling in a course, taking admission in a school or perhaps a college, or taking part in an offered internship. Students who have their families in Turkey on a work or business visa or students who have done primary or secondary school education from Turkey do not require a student visa and can continue their studies in Turkey without any issues.
  • Archaeological Excavation Visa:
    We know that Turkey is a hub for history and is therefore filled and hidden with archaeological treasures. If an archaeological scholar is interested in visiting Turkey and excavating some historical treasure, then that person will be required to obtain an archaeological excavation visa before taking off for their adventure.
  • Visa for Exploration Purpose:
    Similar to the archaeological excavation visa, if some explorer is interested in visiting the country and going along all of its nooks and crannies to explore the lost and unknown, then that person will be required to grab an exploration visa or a visa for the purpose of exploration.
  • Visa For Documentary Purpose:
    Traveling to Turkey to clear some documents under your name or to create some documentation that requires you to be present physically allows you to be eligible to grab a Turkish visa following the purpose of documentation creation or completion.
  • Tour Operator Representative Visa:
    Most countries are gaining interest in Turkey, and many universities and colleges also want to bring their students to Turkey for a summer vacation trip. Along with the entire group of tourists, there will be a representative who will be handling all the details for the tour from the host country’s side. This representative is eligible to hold a Turkish tour operator representative visa.
  • Visa for Medical Treatment Purpose:
    If a patient is in need of some medical treatment or a medical practice that is not available in their home country but is available in Turkey or if the quality of the treatment and its chances of success are higher in Turkey rather than their home country, then that person will be eligible to obtain a medical visa from the Turkish government.
  • Visa for Accompaniment Purpose:
    When a person is required to replace a national of Turkey or someone from abroad temporarily, they want to complete a specified period doing the same activity as the person being replaced. They are required to get an accompaniment visa to ensure and limit their stay to that purpose only.
  • Visa for Family Unification Purpose:
    Turkey has gone through its ups and downs, and many families in the country have been separated. Suppose a member of a family is recognized as an international refugee. In that case, the Turkish government allows them the reunification passport, which then allows the families to reunite with their lost loved ones successfully and happily.

Should You Apply for an E-Visa Or Sticker Visa to Turkey?

Once you have decided on which visa type you are eligible for, the next step is to apply for the visa itself. Turkey provides two different types of visas, the e-visa and the sticker visa. Both the e-visa and the sticker visa require a certain amount of fee for the process. However, the fee required for the sticker visa is about five times more than the fee required for the e-visa. The e-visa can be filled out online, and you will also receive your visa via email. The sticker visa requires specific documentation, which will be mentioned at the time of applying, and it will also require a physical interview for visa validity. The total time for the visa to process can vary from three days to about 15 healthy days, depending solely on where you are requesting the visa from, what type of visa you are requesting, and what is your nationality.

Countries Eligible for E-Visa:

Nationals of more than 100 countries are eligible to obtain the Turkish e-visa. However, it is worth noting that most nationalities are required to hold a passport with at least five months left in its expiration. Here’s a list of some of the countries nationals of which can apply for an e-visa: eligible country for turkey visa.

Uses of Turkish E-Visa:

The Turkish e-visa can be used for tourism, transit, and business purposes. Travelers can apply using nothing else but their passport. Turkey is a gorgeous country boasting beautiful sights and landmarks including Aya Sofia, Cappadocia, and Ephesus. Istanbul features fascinating gardens and mosques and the entire country boasts a vivacious and dynamic culture with an impressive heritage and intriguing history. So, you can use your Turkish e-visa to engage in historical exploration, check out the country’s magnificent architecture and scenery, or attend business conferences. You can also use it to enter another country as a transit visa.

Validity of Turkish Visa:

If approved, the e-visa to Turkey is valid for 180 days. The visa’s validity starts from the traveler’s arrival date in the country. The stay duration is different from the validity period. A traveler’s stay in Turkey is determined according to their country of citizenship. Based on that their stay may vary from 30 to 90 days. It is worth noting that Turkish e-visa is a single-entry permit for some nationalities and some nationalities may enjoy multiple entries

As per the country’s existing visa policy, nationals from 84 countries, including Schengen countries, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, etc. are allowed to stay in Turkey for a maximum duration of 90 days. Travelers from Russia can stay in the country for 60 days starting from their entry date. Since February 2020, those of European nationality or holders of a European passport do not need to apply for a via to Turkey. Travelers from Brunei, Belarus, Macao, Costa Rica, Thailand, Latvia, Turkmenistan, and Mongolia can stay in Turkey for 30 days.

Another important aspect to note is that there are compulsory coronavirus SOPs and measures applicable to all travelers. Such as every traveler will fill out a digital form to inform about their recent travel history and passport details. They must provide a negative PCR test result along with a vaccination certificate.

Turkish Visa Application

In order to apply for a Turkish e-visa, every traveler must complete an online visa application form. Do ensure that you complete this form accurately and responsibly. Any mistake or error can result in the rejection of your visa application. Always refer to your passport when completing the visa form and do pay attention to spellings and dates. Such as, enter your name, parents’ names, and date of birth exactly as mentioned on the passport.

Before filling out the e-visa form, first make sure which type of visa you require, whether it is the right time to apply, if you have all the required documents, and if you have the means to pay the visa fees. You can pay the visa fees online using your credit card or debit card. You may also use a PayPal account to make the payment.

Regular delivery or urgent application

Turkish online visa is delivered usually within three days. However, if you need to leave for Turkey tomorrow, or even today, it is possible to receive your visa within 24 hours. In that case, you will submit an urgent application that will be processed immediately by the authorities. Very urgent applications are processed within one hour. But, keep in mind that the sooner you want the visa, the higher will be the visa fees.

Turkey Visa Fees

Turkish visa cost depends on the visa type, processing time, and the traveler’s nationality. Every applicant has to pay the fees to cover the expenses incurred when processing the visa application.

At the moment, there are three options available for Turkish e-visa processing:

  1. Normal- Visa is processed within 24 hours and costs $ 39.00.
  2. Rush- Visa is processed within 1 to 4 hours and costs $ 50.00
  3. Super Rush- Visa is processed within 30 minutes and costs $ 70.00

When is the Right Time to Apply?

According to the recommendations from the Turkish authorities, travelers must submit their visa applications at least three business days before their expected travel date. This will help them avoid any unnecessary delays or inconveniences. However, if there is an urgent need to apply for the visa, they can do it right away.

Applying for a Turkish e-Visa

Here are the steps you must follow to apply for an e-visa to Turkey.

  1. Visit this website and fill out the online visa application form.
  2. Select the nationality and type of visa accordingly. The first section is for personal data, the second section is related to passport data, and in the third section you will provide details of your travel to Turkey.
  3. The last step is paying the visa fees. After the payment is received you will be allowed to submit your visa application and a confirmation email will be generated and sent to your inbox. Now you only need to wait for approval of your visa.
  4. If everything is found authentic, and verified, the Turkish authorities will immediately generate the visa and you will receive a notification in your email inbox with the approved visa in PDF format. You should download the visa and take out a printed copy. Take it along with your original passport as you will have to show these documents to the Turkish border control authorities before entering Turkey.

Some FAQs About Turkish e-Visas:

Yes, you must carry a passport with at least five to six months left to its expiry. Otherwise, your visa application will not be considered valid.

You can enter Turkey as early as the first day of the permitted period on your visa or as late as the third last day. It does not matter when you enter, as long as you leave within the allowed time.

No, you will not be arrested if you overstay in Turkey. However, you can be deported right away if you do not respond or refuse to leave, you can be heavily fined for not following the rules, or you can be permanently banned from visiting Turkey ever again.

You can enter the country with a Schengen visa only under some conditions. This include, you have to be the national of any of the countries/territories eligible to apply for a Turkish e-visa for tourism or business, the airline you have chosen to travel with should have protocols with the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and you should have the necessary hotel reservation proof and financial means to support your stay.

No, the visa is valid for tourism, transit, and business purposes only. If you want to work or study in Turkey, you have to apply for a Sticker Visa.

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