General Information

Visa Requirement, Visa Application and Competent Authorities

  1. Foreigners who will stay in Türkiye for up to ninety days enter Türkiye by obtaining a visa from the consulates in the country of which they are citizens or in which they are legally residing, stating their purpose of travel. The period of stay granted by a visa or visa exemption in Türkiye cannot exceed ninety days within every one hundred and eighty days.
  2. In order for visa applications to be considered, applications must be submitted in accordance with the proper procedure.
  3. Visas do not provide an absolute right to enter Türkiye.
  4. Visas are issued by consulates and, in exceptional cases, by the governorships to which border gates are affiliated. Applications submitted to consulates are finalized within ninety days.
  5. Visas may be issued ex officio by the Embassies of the Republic of Türkiye to foreign diplomats. Such visas are immediately notified to the Ministry and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in accordance with the general visa issuance procedure. These visas are not subject to fees.
  6. Taking into consideration the interests of the country, visas may exceptionally be issued ex officio by Ambassadors of the Republic of Türkiye to foreigners whose entry is deemed beneficial. Visas issued for this purpose are immediately notified to the Ministry and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in accordance with the general visa issuance procedure. These visas are not subject to fees.

Visa Exemption

  1. The following foreigners are not required to obtain a visa when entering Türkiye:

a) Citizens of countries exempted from visa requirements under agreements to which the Republic of Türkiye is a party or by a decision of the President.

b) Persons who, as of the date of entry into Türkiye, hold a valid residence permit or work permit.

c) Holders of stamped passports issued specifically to foreigners pursuant to Article 18 of the Passport Law No. 5682 dated 15/07/1950, provided that such passports remain valid.

ç) Persons who lost Turkish citizenship by obtaining permission to renounce citizenship within the scope of Article 28 of the Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901 dated 29/05/2009.

  1. The following foreigners may be exempted from the visa requirement when entering Türkiye:

a) Persons among foreigners travelling on vehicles that are forced to use Turkish airports or seaports due to force majeure and who intend to enter the port city.

b) Persons arriving at seaports and intending to visit the port city or neighboring provinces for tourism purposes, provided that their stay does not exceed seventy-two hours.

Visas Issued at Border Gates

  1. Foreigners arriving at border gates without obtaining a visa may exceptionally be granted a visa at the border gates if they document that they will leave Türkiye within the permitted period.
  2. Border visas are issued by the governorships to which the border gates are affiliated. The governorship may delegate this authority to the law enforcement unit assigned at the border. Unless a different period is determined by the President, this visa grants the right to stay in Türkiye for a maximum of fifteen days.
  3. When issuing a border visa, the health insurance requirement may be waived for humanitarian reasons.

Airport Transit Visas

Foreigners transiting through Türkiye may be required to obtain an airport transit visa. Airport transit visas are issued by consulates for use within a maximum period of six months.

Foreigners Who Will Not Be Granted a Visa

a) Persons who do not have a passport or a passport substitute document valid for at least sixty days beyond the requested visa period.

b) Persons whose entry into Türkiye is prohibited.

c) Persons considered undesirable in terms of public order or public security.

ç) Persons suffering from one of the diseases considered a threat to public health.

d) Persons who are suspects or convicted of crimes that constitute grounds for extradition under agreements to which the Republic of Türkiye is a party.

e) Persons who do not have valid health insurance covering the period of their stay.

f) Persons who cannot provide legitimate grounds for their purpose of entering, transiting through, or staying in Türkiye.

g) Persons who do not have sufficient and regular financial means during their stay.

ğ) Persons who refuse to pay receivables arising from visa violations or previous residence permits, or receivables subject to collection under the Law No. 6183 dated 21/07/1953 on the Procedure for Collection of Public Receivables, or who refuse to pay debts and penalties subject to enforcement under the Turkish Penal Code No. 5237 dated 26/09/2004.

Cancellation of a Visa

  1. Visas shall be cancelled by the authorities that issued them or by the governorships in the following cases:

a) It is determined that the visa is forged.

b) It is determined that the visa contains erasures, alterations or modifications.

c) The visa holder is prohibited from entering Türkiye.

ç) There is strong suspicion that the foreigner may commit a crime.

d) The passport or passport substitute document is forged or has expired.

e) The visa or visa exemption is used for a purpose other than that for which it was granted.

f) It is determined that the conditions or documents forming the basis for issuing the visa are no longer valid.

  1. If a deportation decision is made concerning the foreigner during the validity period of the visa, the visa shall be cancelled.