Visa Policy of Turkey for Foreign Nationals

The visa policy of Turkey deals with the requirements which a foreign national wishing to enter Turkey must meet to be permitted to travel to, enter and remain in the country.

CIKD will hold its next three important conferences, i.e., 3rd International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Management, 4th International Conference on New Directions in Business, Management, Finance, and Economics, and 2nd International Conference on Computer Science, Communication and Information Technology, in Turkey, Istanbul, in February 2020.

For this, here in this article, CIKD will discuss visa policies for citizens of different countries wishing to attend the conferences and visit Turkey, according to the information provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey.

Visitors to Turkey must obtain a visa from one of the Turkish diplomatic missions unless they come from one of the 78 visa-exempt countries and territories or one of the 42 countries and territories whose citizens are eligible to apply for an e-Visa online (www.evisa.gov.tr), that was launched on 17 April 2013 by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey allows citizens of different countries to travel to the country with different principles.

Countries eligible for visa-free

Turkey allows visa-free travel to the country to the citizens of 78 countries, i.e. they are not required to obtain a visa, but only a passport is enough:

90 days per visit, 90 days per 180-day period

Albania, Andorra, Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Nicaragua, North Macedonia, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Qatar, Romania, Saint Kitts and Nevis, San Marino, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Sweden,  Switzerland, Tajikistan, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Ukraine, Uruguay, Uzbekistan,  Vatican City, and Venezuela.

60 days per visit, 90 days per 180-day period

Russia

30 days per visit, 90 days per 180-day period

Azerbaijan, Belarus, Brunei, Costa Rica, Latvia, Macao, Mongolia, Thailand, and Turkmenistan

Visa-free special cases

Visa is also not required for holders of a “Laissez-Passer” issued by the United Nations

The visa-free regime also applies to the citizens of the following countries under certain conditions:

• Cyprus-provided residing in Northern Cyprus and directly arriving from Ercan International Airport or seaports of Famagusta, Kyrenia, or Karavostassi for a maximum stay of 90 days within 180 days.
• Libya – provided being not older than 18 or younger than 55 for a maximum stay of 30 days per visit, 90 days per 180-day period.
• Palestine – provided holding a VIP passport.

Countries whose citizens are allowed to enter Turkey with their national ID’s:

Germany, Belgium, France, Georgia, The Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Italy, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Liechtenstein, Luxemburg, Malta, Portugal, Ukraine, Greece

Countries whose citizens are allowed to enter Turkey with their expired passports:

Germany – Passports expired within the last year / ID’s expired within the last year
Belgium – Passports expired within the last 5 years.
France – Passports expired within the last 5 years.
Spain – Passports expired within the last 5 years.
Switzerland – Passports expired within the last 5 years.
Luxemburg – Passports expired within the last 5 years.
Portugal – Passports expired within the last 5 years.
Bulgaria – Valid ordinary passport

Countries eligible for e-visa

Ordinary passport holders of 40 countries and territories are required to obtain e-visas to enter Turkey. The duration of stay for most of these nationalities is 90 days (30 days for some) within 180 days. The e-Visa is an alternative to visas issued at Turkish missions and at the ports of entry, known as sticker visa.

Visas for Turkey are issued in the following categories:

• Touristic/business visa
• Official duty visa
• Study visa
• Work permit
• Other visas

40 countries and territories required to obtain e-visas to enter Turkey are as following:

Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Belgium, Canada, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Fiji, Grenada, Haiti, Indonesia, Ireland, Jamaica, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Saint Lucia,  Saint Vincent, and the Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, Suriname, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States

Visa policy on arrival only under limited circumstances

North Korea: citizens of North Korea may only obtain a visa on arrival for a stay of max 30 days if holding a valid visa or residence permit issued by Schengen area countries, Ireland or the United Kingdom.

Sticker-type visa policy

Citizens of the following countries and territories must obtain a sticker-type visa in advance at one of the Turkish diplomatic missions:

Algeria (for those between 18 and 35 years old), Cuba, Guyana, Kiribati, Laos, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Myanmar, Nauru, North Korea (for those not qualifying for visa on arrival), Palau, Papua, New Guinea, Samoa, South Sudan, Syria, Tonga, and Tuvalu.