Turkey eVisa FAQ

The Turkey eVisa is an electronic travel authorization linked to your passport, issued by the Republic of Turkey. It permits tourism, family visits, conferences, and short business meetings. Validity, stay duration, and entry type depend on your nationality.

It is delivered as a PDF by email. Border officers verify it by scanning your passport. There is no sticker or stamp before travel.

No. turkvisas.com is a commercial visa assistance service operated by Travel Rox, Inc., a US company registered in New York. We are not affiliated with the Government of Turkey or any Turkish embassy.

The official portal is evisa.gov.tr. Our service is optional and adds expert review, error prevention, and customer support, none of which the official portal provides.

The Turkey eVisa is fully electronic. It is linked to your passport in the government's system, with no physical stamp or label.

A sticker visa is the older format, issued at a Turkish embassy or consulate. It is a physical sticker glued into your passport. Sticker visas are required for nationalities not eligible for the eVisa, or for long-stay categories (work, study, residence).

Tier 1 Direct applies to 22 nationalities including Mexico, Vietnam, South Africa, Taiwan, Maldives, Hong Kong (BN(O)), Dominican Republic, and Jamaica. Only your passport is required.

Tier 2 Conditional applies to 15 nationalities including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Egypt. You need your passport plus a valid Schengen, US, UK, or Ireland visa or residence permit at the time of travel.

Both groups apply through the same online process on turkvisas.com. See the eligible countries page for the full list.

180 days from the date of issue. Within that window, you must enter Turkey. For multiple-entry visas, you can keep re-entering up to validity expiry.

Stay length per visit is separate from validity: 30 or 90 days depending on your nationality.

Depends on your nationality.

Tier 2 Conditional (all 15 nationalities): single entry, 30 days stay.

Tier 1 Direct: varies. Mexico, Vietnam, East Timor, Fiji, Suriname, Namibia get single entry. South Africa, Taiwan, Mauritius, Armenia get multiple entry with 30 days stay. Premium nationalities (Maldives, Hong Kong BN(O), Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) get multiple entry with 90 days stay.

No. The Turkey eVisa is for tourism, family visits, and short business activities (meetings, conferences, contract signings).

Paid employment requires a Work Permit. Formal study at a Turkish university requires a Student Visa. Stays longer than the eVisa permits require a Residence Permit. All three are applied for separately at a Turkish consulate, see the "Beyond the eVisa" section below.

37 nationalities in total, processed in two paths. Tier 1 Direct (22 countries) and Tier 2 Conditional (15 countries). The full alphabetical list is on our eligible countries page.

If your nationality is not on the list, you are likely visa-exempt at the Turkish border (UK, US, EU, Japan, Korea, Singapore, etc.) or you must apply for a sticker visa at a Turkish consulate.

Two checks:

1. Find your nationality on the eligible countries page. If it is there, you are eligible.
2. If you are in Tier 2 Conditional (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Egypt, and others), verify you hold a valid Schengen, US, UK, or Ireland visa or residence permit.

If you are unsure, email inq@turkvisas.com with a clear photo of your passport bio page and we will confirm your path within one business day.

Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, and Sri Lankan, Nepali, Filipino, and Egyptian citizens are Tier 2 Conditional. You need:

1. Your passport, 6 months remaining validity, 2 blank pages.
2. A valid Schengen, US, UK, or Ireland visa or residence permit on the day you enter Turkey.

UK Biometric Residence Permits, Indian OCI cards held with a non-Indian primary passport, US Green Cards, Ireland Stamp 4, and Italian Permesso di Soggiorno all qualify. See your dedicated country page (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, etc.) for nationality-specific notes.

Yes. UK Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), Biometric Residence Permits, settlement visas, and Tier 2 work visas all qualify as the supporting document for Tier 2 Conditional applicants.

Same for Italian Permesso di Soggiorno, German Niederlassungserlaubnis, Spanish Tarjeta de Residencia, US Green Cards, and Ireland Stamp 4. Any valid Schengen long-stay or short-stay visa or residence permit works.

Yes. A valid short-stay Schengen Type C visa (multiple entry) qualifies, as long as it is still valid on the day you enter Turkey. Single-entry Schengen visas that you have already used do not qualify, because they expire on entry into Schengen.

Tip: a multiple-entry Schengen visa is the most common qualifying document for Tier 2 applicants from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and the Philippines.

Apply on whichever passport makes the trip easier.

• If one of your passports is visa-exempt for Turkey (UK, EU, US, Japan, Korea, etc.), simply travel on that one and skip the eVisa entirely.
• If both passports require an eVisa, pick the Tier 1 Direct one to avoid the conditional visa requirement.
• If both are Tier 2 Conditional, pick whichever you hold the qualifying Schengen/US/UK/Ireland visa on.

You must enter Turkey on the same passport you used to apply for the eVisa.

No. The Tier 2 Conditional rule accepts only Schengen, US, UK, or Ireland visas or residence permits. Japanese, Korean, Australian, Canadian, Gulf, and other countries' visas do not qualify for the Turkey eVisa.

If you do not hold one of the four qualifying documents, you must apply for a sticker visa at a Turkish embassy.

The Turkey eVisa form does not ask about criminal history, but border officers may still deny entry based on Interpol notices or shared intelligence.

Minor offences and old, spent convictions usually do not affect entry. Serious or recent convictions involving terrorism, drug trafficking, or violence can lead to refusal at the border, even with an approved eVisa. Be honest with yourself about the risk before traveling.

One document. Your passport, with at least 6 months of remaining validity from the date you enter Turkey, and 2 blank pages.

No photo upload, no flight bookings, no hotel reservations, no bank statements, no invitation letter.

Two documents:

1. Your passport, with at least 6 months remaining validity and 2 blank pages.
2. A valid Schengen, US, UK, or Ireland visa or residence permit. A clear photo or scan of the visa page (or the residence card).

The qualifying visa must be valid on the day you enter Turkey, not just on the day you apply.

At least 6 months from your date of entry into Turkey, plus 2 blank pages.

If your passport expires sooner, renew before you apply. Do not apply on an expiring passport because the eVisa is bound to that specific passport number. Apply on the renewed one.

No. The Turkey eVisa does not require a passport-style photo upload, unlike most embassy sticker visa applications.

Biometrics are not collected for the eVisa. Your passport photo page already contains the biometric data the system needs.

No. The Turkey eVisa application does not require bank statements, flight reservations, or hotel bookings. The Turkish immigration authorities may still verify these on entry, but they are not part of the eVisa application itself.

Carry hotel and flight confirmations in your phone for the border interview, especially as a first-time visitor.

No. Not for the eVisa. Some sticker visa categories ask for a host invitation, but the eVisa does not.

If you are visiting family or friends in Turkey, carrying a copy of their Turkish ID (Nüfus Cüzdanı) and address can speed up secondary questions at the border, but it is not required.

No. Wait for the new passport before applying.

The eVisa is linked to your passport number. If you apply on the old passport and travel on the new one, immigration will not find the match and you will be turned away.

Three steps:

1. Upload your passport photo. Our system reads it and auto-fills the form. Tier 2 applicants also upload their qualifying Schengen, US, UK, or Ireland visa.
2. Submit and pay. Review the form, pay in USD by any major card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay.
3. Approval by email. Lands in your inbox, typically within 24 business hours on Express.

Around 5 minutes. Most fields auto-fill from your passport photo. You add your travel dates, email, and (for Tier 2) the qualifying visa details.

Yes. Your draft is saved automatically as you go. You can return through the link in your email to complete payment whenever you are ready.

Drafts are kept for 30 days, after which they expire and the auto-saved data is deleted.

Yes. Add each traveler in the same checkout. Each person needs their own eVisa linked to their own passport, but you can submit them together as one transaction. One card, one receipt.

For Tier 2 Conditional families, each traveler must also independently hold a qualifying Schengen, US, UK, or Ireland visa, or be a dependent on a qualifying visa.

Yes. Many of our applications come from a family member, friend, or employer filing for someone else. The eVisa is linked to the traveler's passport, not the person who filled the form.

You need the traveler's passport photo and, for Tier 2 applicants, their qualifying visa. Approval is emailed to the address you enter on the form.

Email inq@turkvisas.com immediately with the correction. If we have not yet submitted to the Turkish authorities, we will fix it at no charge.

If your application has already been submitted with the error, the eVisa may still be approved if the discrepancy is small (a typo in middle name, a date format), but a wrong passport number is grounds for refusal and the visa must be reapplied.

You enter an intended date of arrival. The 180 days validity counts from issue, not from your stated entry date. As long as you enter Turkey within 180 days of issue, you can arrive on any date.

If your plans shift by a week or two after approval, you do not need to update the eVisa.

Go to turkvisas.com/status and enter your application reference number and email. You will see real-time status (received, in review, submitted to government, approved, delivered).

You will also get an automatic email at each status transition.

From USD 120 all-inclusive. Standard USD 120 (96 business hours), Priority USD 149 (48 business hours), Express USD 179 (24 business hours). All government and service fees are included.

Everything. The total includes:

• Government visa fee (paid directly to the Government of Turkey)
• Expert document review and error prevention
• Application submission
• Real-time status tracking and email updates
• Customer support

No hidden charges at checkout.

The official portal at evisa.gov.tr only collects the government fee. We charge the government fee plus a service fee for the work we do: error-checking, qualifying-visa validation for Tier 2 applicants, application tracking, dedicated customer support, and refund coverage if our error causes refusal.

You always have the option to apply directly at the official portal at a lower cost. Our service is for travelers who value time saved and risk reduced.

Our pricing is the same: USD 120, USD 149, or USD 179, regardless of nationality. Government fees vary slightly by country but are bundled into our flat USD price, so the total at checkout is the same for everyone.

Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, UnionPay, Apple Pay, Google Pay. International cards are accepted from anywhere in the world.

Some local Indian and Pakistani cards require international transactions to be enabled with your bank. Check with your bank before applying if you are unsure.

The charge is processed in USD. Your bank converts to your home currency at the prevailing exchange rate. The amount you see at checkout (e.g., $149.00) is what we charge in USD.

Banks may add a foreign currency conversion fee. We do not collect or set that fee.

Yes. A receipt is emailed automatically after successful payment. If you need a formal invoice for company reimbursement, email inq@turkvisas.com with your application reference and we will issue one within one business day.

Three processing speeds:

• Standard, 96 business hours, USD 120
• Priority, 48 business hours, USD 149
• Express, 24 business hours, USD 179

Most applications regardless of speed selected come back within 24 business hours, but the SLA varies.

We recommend applying at least 5 to 7 days before your flight on Standard, or 3 days on Express. This buffer covers weekends, holidays, and rare government delays.

If you are flying tomorrow, choose Express. Many same-day flights have boarded with eVisas approved within 4 to 6 hours of submission.

Processing time is quoted in business hours, not calendar hours. The Turkish e-Visa system processes applications Monday to Friday during Turkish business hours (07:00 to 18:00 GMT+3).

An Express application submitted Friday evening will be processed Monday morning. Plan accordingly if your trip is Monday.

Most applications are approved within 24 hours regardless of speed. Some take longer when:

• The system flags the case for manual review (random sampling, occasional matches against watchlists)
• The submitted information has a discrepancy that needs verification
• The Turkish authorities are processing peak volume around major holidays (Ramadan, summer travel season)

If yours is delayed, we will email you proactively.

No. The Turkey eVisa does not require fingerprints, photo upload, or in-person biometric capture. The application is fully remote.

Long-term residence permits and student visas (separate visa classes) do involve biometrics, captured in person at the Turkish Migration Management office once you arrive.

Around 98% across all nationalities and processing speeds.

The 2 percent that are not approved usually involve incomplete or expired qualifying visas (Tier 2), passport validity below 6 months, or applicant errors. We do our best to catch these issues before submission, but some are only visible after.

No. Visa approval is at the absolute discretion of the Turkish immigration authorities. No commercial service can guarantee approval.

What we guarantee: we will not submit an incomplete or obviously wrong application, and we will refund our service fee if our error causes the refusal. See the Refund Policy.

You will receive a refusal notification by email. The reason is usually one of:

• Qualifying Schengen, US, UK, or Ireland visa not valid on the day of submission (Tier 2)
• Passport less than 6 months valid
• Information mismatch with prior immigration records
• Security or watchlist flag

You can reapply once the underlying issue is resolved (e.g., new qualifying visa, renewed passport).

For our Tier 2 Conditional applicants (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Egypt), the top reason is the qualifying foreign visa expiring before the eVisa is approved. Always check that your Schengen, US, UK, or Ireland visa is valid for at least the next 14 days.

For Tier 1 Direct applicants, common reasons are passport less than 6 months valid, name spelling mismatch with prior records, and Interpol or visa-violation history.

Yes, immediately. There is no waiting period after a Turkey eVisa refusal.

Fix the underlying issue (renew the qualifying visa, fix the passport problem, correct the data error) and submit a fresh application. We can credit a portion of the service fee on the reapplication, contact inq@turkvisas.com for the offer.

A single Turkey eVisa refusal does not generally appear on UK, US, EU, or other visa records. The Turkish system is separate.

However, multiple Turkey refusals or a Turkey refusal involving fraud or misrepresentation may be reported to Interpol or shared with allied immigration systems. Be truthful in every application.

Yes, before we have submitted your application to the Turkish authorities.

• Service fee: 70% refundable
• Government visa fee: not refundable
• Payment processing charges: not refundable

Once submitted, no cancellation or refund is possible. See the full Refund Policy.

Email inq@turkvisas.com with the subject line "Duplicate Payment" and both transaction receipts. We will refund the duplicate amount in full, typically within 7 to 14 business days.

By email, as a PDF attached. The email also has a download link valid for 30 days. Save the PDF to your phone and print a copy before departure.

Recommended. Although Turkish e-gates can pull up your eVisa electronically at Istanbul (IST) and Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) airports, officers at smaller airports, land borders, and during airline check-in often request a printed copy.

Keep both a printed copy and a saved PDF on your phone. Total redundancy for peace of mind.

Sometimes. Istanbul Airport (IST) has e-gates open to certain nationalities. Tier 1 Direct premium passport holders (Maldives, Hong Kong BN(O), Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and others) often use e-gates.

Tier 2 Conditional applicants typically use staffed counters where the officer scans your passport and checks both your eVisa and your supporting Schengen/US/UK/Ireland visa.

Email inq@turkvisas.com with your application reference number and email. We resend within one business day, no charge.

Alternatively, go to turkvisas.com/status and re-download the approved PDF directly.

Yes. The eVisa is valid at all official Turkish entry points: international airports, land borders (with Greece, Bulgaria, Georgia, Iran, Iraq, Syria), and seaports.

For land borders, carry a printed copy of the eVisa. Land border officers are less likely to use electronic verification.

outine. Be prepared to answer:

• Reason for visit (tourism, family, business)
• Where you are staying (hotel name or host address)
• How long you plan to stay
• Return flight details

Have hotel confirmations and return flight on your phone. Keep answers short and consistent with what you put on the eVisa form.

30 days or 90 days per visit, depending on your nationality.

30 days stay: All Tier 2 Conditional nationalities, plus Mexico, Vietnam, East Timor, Fiji, Suriname, Namibia, Armenia, Mauritius, South Africa, Taiwan, and others. 90 days stay: Maldives, Hong Kong (BN(O)), Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Not on the eVisa. The per-entry stay length is fixed.

To stay longer, either:

• Exit Turkey and re-enter (only if your eVisa is multiple entry and within 180 days validity)
• Apply for a Short-Term Residence Permit at the local Migration Management office before your stay expires
• Apply for a longer-term tourist visa at a Turkish consulate

Overstaying triggers a fine and a future entry ban. The fine is typically a few hundred USD per week overstayed, payable on exit. The entry ban length depends on overstay duration: a few days may mean a 1-year ban, a month or more may mean a 5-year ban.

If you have unavoidable circumstances (medical emergency, flight cancellations), document them and apply for a Short-Term Residence Permit before your stay expires.

Email inq@turkvisas.com. Replies typically arrive within business hours.

Phone +1-415-800-4485 for urgent application questions.

For all general questions, the live status checker at turkvisas.com/status answers most "where is my eVisa?" questions instantly.