e-Visa for Turkey

[TroubleT]

Does anybody know if e-Visa is required for Turkey? Do we need to apply ahead of time or Cruise line (ship) will take care of it? Anybody with recent experience (Fall of last year), please share your thoughts and knowledge! :)

[dogs4fun]

Does anybody know if e-Visa is required for Turkey? Do we need to apply ahead of time or Cruise line (ship) will take care of it? Anybody with recent experience (Fall of last year), please share your thoughts and knowledge! :)

 

I was in Istanbul and Izmir (Ephesus) this past October/November. We did not need a visa as we were on a cruise.

If you are on a cruise, an e-visa is not required. If you are flying into or out of Turkey (or staying overnight in Turkey anywhere but on your cruise ship), an e-visa is required.

Edited January 30, 2014 by dogs4fun

[TroubleT]

I was in Istanbul and Izmir (Ephesus) this past October/November. We did not need a visa as we were on a cruise.

If you are on a cruise, an e-visa is not required. If you are flying into or out of Turkey (or staying overnight in Turkey anywhere but on your cruise ship), an e-visa is required.

 

Thanks a lot for your quick answer! :) Feel better that don't need to deal with that!

[John Bull]

Just confirming D4F's answer.

No Turkish visa required for cruise port-of-call visits.

But required for a turnaround port, ie you fly in or out. Currently if flying out at the end of a cruise the ship will arrange visas & charge the passenger's on-board account.

 

JB :)

[TroubleT]

Just confirming D4F's answer.

No Turkish visa required for cruise port-of-call visits.

But required for a turnaround port, ie you fly in or out. Currently if flying out at the end of a cruise the ship will arrange visas & charge the passenger's on-board account.

 

JB :)

 

Thanks JB for additional confirmation! :)

[helo driver]

The e-visa website our booking company pointed us to says if passing through less than 24 hours, no visa required, but check with the airline to ensure they will let you board, anyone had any experience with this? Maybe safe just to get the visa anyway (perhaps excuse to spend a night precruise anyway). Hate to show up at the airport and not be allowed to board.

 

 

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[Julessmiles]

The rules are all changing from April 2014

 

A friend of mine doing a fly-cruise into Turkey had the following reply from the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs when he questioned if an e-visa was required:-

 

 

"Passengers of cruise ships are allowed to enter and stay overnight in the port cities of Turkey upon the permission given by local border police authorities. These passengers are not required to obtain an entry visa. You need e-visa, if you want to tour beyond the respective port city of Turkey. As you travel to Turkey by plane, you need visa to enter Turkey. You may obtain your 90-day-multiple-entry e-visa via the web page"

Edited February 1, 2014 by Julessmiles

[TroubleT]

The rules are all changing from April 2014

 

A friend of mine doing a fly-cruise into Turkey had the following reply from the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs when he questioned if an e-visa was required:-

 

 

"Passengers of cruise ships are allowed to enter and stay overnight in the port cities of Turkey upon the permission given by local border police authorities. These passengers are not required to obtain an entry visa. You need e-visa, if you want to tour beyond the respective port city of Turkey. As you travel to Turkey by plane, you need visa to enter Turkey. You may obtain your 90-day-multiple-entry e-visa via the web page"

 

Thank you for your answer! We are not flying to Turkey. We'll stay overnight in Istanbul with a cruise ship. So, I guess we are covered and no need to get e-visa.

[Tiggertastic]

The rules are all changing from April 2014

 

A friend of mine doing a fly-cruise into Turkey had the following reply from the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs when he questioned if an e-visa was required:-

 

 

"Passengers of cruise ships are allowed to enter and stay overnight in the port cities of Turkey upon the permission given by local border police authorities. These passengers are not required to obtain an entry visa. You need e-visa, if you want to tour beyond the respective port city of Turkey. As you travel to Turkey by plane, you need visa to enter Turkey. You may obtain your 90-day-multiple-entry e-visa via the web page"

 

thanks for that

[bohaiboy]

They are only $20 per person. I would risk it as per above notice, however what happens if government doesn't implement the rule on time. In a worse case scenario, you can obtain a visa in person at the Istanbul airport(just time consuming)

[hawkeyetlse]

They are only $20 per person. I would risk it as per above notice, however what happens if government doesn't implement the rule on time. In a worse case scenario, you can obtain a visa in person at the Istanbul airport(just time consuming)

What rule are you referring to? The main thing that is supposed to change in April 2014 is that the sticker-type visa that you can currently purchase upon arrival (e.g. at the airport) will no longer be available, so visitors will have to arrange an e-visa ahead of time.

 

The rules for people stopping in Turkey in the middle of a cruise for one day or overnight do not appear to be changing significantly. You don't need a visa now, and you still won't need a visa starting in April.

[bohaiboy]

So are you saying that you cannot get a Visa in person at the airport when this takes affect in April?

[hawkeyetlse]

So are you saying that you cannot get a Visa in person at the airport when this takes affect in April?

That is what they are saying (see here for example), but I wonder if they will manage to stick to the plan.

[helo driver]

The link provided by our tour operator lead to a site where it was $59 per person for the e-visa. Thanks to all the helpful CC people, found the official site with the $20 each e-visa that avoids the $39 service charge!

 

 

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[John Bull]

The link provided by our tour operator lead to a site where it was $59 per person for the e-visa. Thanks to all the helpful CC people, found the official site with the $20 each e-visa that avoids the $39 service charge!

 

 

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Oh, dear. The vultures didn't take long to cotton-on to a new visa opportunity :rolleyes: :D

 

With very few exceptions (Russia is one), Visa & visa-waiver applications are just sooooo easy to do yourselves without using an agency. :)

 

JB :)

[Av8tor]

The rules are all changing from April 2014

 

A friend of mine doing a fly-cruise into Turkey had the following reply from the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs when he questioned if an e-visa was required:-

 

 

"Passengers of cruise ships are allowed to enter and stay overnight in the port cities of Turkey upon the permission given by local border police authorities. These passengers are not required to obtain an entry visa. You need e-visa, if you want to tour beyond the respective port city of Turkey. As you travel to Turkey by plane, you need visa to enter Turkey. You may obtain your 90-day-multiple-entry e-visa via the web page"

 

I guess we won't need an e-visa for our overnight cruise stop in Istanbul, but our cruise also stops for the day in Kusadasi. Will we be able to go to Ephesus from Kusadasi without getting an e-visa?

[cruisemom42]

I guess we won't need an e-visa for our overnight cruise stop in Istanbul, but our cruise also stops for the day in Kusadasi. Will we be able to go to Ephesus from Kusadasi without getting an e-visa?

 

Yes, you will be able to visit Ephesus. (In terms of location, Ephesus is close enough to Kusadasi to be virtually a suburb...)

 

The wording in the notification is terrible, but the intent seems to be the same as it has always been, e.g., as long as you are 1) visiting Turkey as a port stop and 2) staying on the boat -- you do not need a visa.

[Av8tor]

Yes, you will be able to visit Ephesus. (In terms of location, Ephesus is close enough to Kusadasi to be virtually a suburb...)

 

The wording in the notification is terrible, but the intent seems to be the same as it has always been, e.g., as long as you are 1) visiting Turkey as a port stop and 2) staying on the boat -- you do not need a visa.

 

 

Thanks! I also thought that was what the statement meant, but I was looking for a second (or more) opinions...

[halfvass]

So are you saying that you cannot get a Visa in person at the airport when this takes affect in April?

 

We were able to get our visa at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul when we got off the plane. This was a couple of years ago. A little bit of a line but not bad. Back then it only cost $10.

[1stcarnivalcruise]

Yes the wording is very confusing, I am hoping after the April date when cruisers come back from Turkey they can explain what happened.

 

As a Canadian we have to pay $60 per person for the e-Visa which is extremely high for my family of 4. Unfortunately, I don't think we will be paying that to just be able to walk off the ship, then have to consider paying for a tour.

 

You don’t need e-Visa, if you will not leave the ship.

You don’t need e-visa, if you only tour in the respective port city of Turkey (You will be given a permission by local border police authorities to enter Turkey). Hoping someone will be able to explain what the "respective port city of Turkey" means.

You need e-Visa, if you want to tour beyond the respective port city of Turkey.

[Ka Honu]

As I understand the policy and its intent as they apply to US citizens (and this is my personal reading, NOT an official interpretation), if you're on a cruise ship that includes Turkish ports of call you do not need a visa unless you begin or end your cruise in Turkey or you obtain lodging ashore during the cruise.

 

Day trips (shore excursions) in the port area (e.g., Ephesus from Kusadasi) are considered in the "respective port city" and do not require a visa.

 

If the ship remains in port (e.g., Istanbul) overnight and you spend that night in a hotel, you need a visa. If you return to the ship that night, you don't.

 

 

 

[1stcarnivalcruise]

As I understand the policy and its intent as they apply to US citizens (and this is my personal reading, NOT an official interpretation), if you're on a cruise ship that includes Turkish ports of call you do not need a visa unless you begin or end your cruise in Turkey or you obtain lodging ashore during the cruise.

 

Day trips (shore excursions) in the port area (e.g., Ephesus from Kusadasi) are considered in the "respective port city" and do not require a visa.

 

If the ship remains in port (e.g., Istanbul) overnight and you spend that night in a hotel, you need a visa. If you return to the ship that night, you don't.

 

 

 

 

Thanks for clarifying and hope your "understanding" is correct, I guess we will know soon enough.

 

Our crusie is not until July 2015 so we have lots of time to figure it out!!!!

[Fouremco]

The following information is posted on the website of the Turkish Embassy in Ottawa. http://ottava.be.mfa.gov.tr/ShowInfoNotes.aspx?ID=121781 It appears to provide some additional flexibility for cruise passengers, including greater latitude in travel and overnight stays.

 

For cruise passengers:

 

Those cruise passengers coming to a Turkish port of call by a cruise ship and thereafter leave Turkey by the same cruise ship for another country, are exempt from visa for a maximum period of 72 hours (with the permission given by the local security authorities).

 

The passengers of cruise ships are allowed to enter and stay overnight in the port cities of Turkey upon the permission given by local border police authorities. These passengers are not required to obtain an entry visa to Turkey.

[acruisergirl]

Sorry to resurrect this topic again but I'm still slightly confused about the need to obtain a tourist Visa in Turkey. In June our ship visits 2 ports in Turkey before ending with an overnight stay in Istanbul. It appears from reading prior posts and information on the US website a Visa is not required when on shore excursions. When transferring from the ship for the flight home is a Visa necessary for an exit out of Turkey?:confused:

 

Pat

[Av8tor]

Sorry to resurrect this topic again but I'm still slightly confused about the need to obtain a tourist Visa in Turkey. In June our ship visits 2 ports in Turkey before ending with an overnight stay in Istanbul. It appears from reading prior posts and information on the US website a Visa is not required when on shore excursions. When transferring from the ship for the flight home is a Visa necessary for an exit out of Turkey?:confused:

 

Pat

 

Not an expert, but I THINK if your cruise starts or ends in Turkey, then yes, you need a visa. However, there MIGHT be an exception if you don't stay on in Turkey after the cruise.