Visa requirement for Turkey

[NWT Cruiser]

Have any of you cruised to Turkey the last year ... if we only stop at a cruise port for a few hours is it still a requirement for Canadians to obtain a tourist visa beforehand?  I've cruised there a few years back and we didn't need one then (I can't remember if the ship did a blanket visa for all of us on board).

 

Thanks.

 

Frances (NWT Cruiser)

[Ex-Airbalancer]

I think it would be covered under ship’s visa 

[Fouremco]

According to this website, cruise passengers do not require a visa if their visit is for less than three days and they will be only visiting the city where the ship docks:

https://www.visasturkey.com/evisa-for-turkey-on-a-cruise/

[d9704011]

Just now, Fouremco said:

According to this website, cruise passengers do not require a visa if their visit is for less than three days and they will be only visiting the city where the ship docks:

https://www.visasturkey.com/evisa-for-turkey-on-a-cruise/

Yes, and here is a statement from Turkey Government website...

https://www.evisa.gov.tr/en/info/do-i-need-an-e-visa-if-i-am-on-a-cruise-ship/

[Ex-Airbalancer]

We guess need to start using the update name Türkiye😁

[NWT Cruiser]

15 hours ago, Fouremco said:

According to this website, cruise passengers do not require a visa if their visit is for less than three days and they will be only visiting the city where the ship docks:

https://www.visasturkey.com/evisa-for-turkey-on-a-cruise/

 

15 hours ago, d9704011 said:

Yes, and here is a statement from Turkey Government website...

https://www.evisa.gov.tr/en/info/do-i-need-an-e-visa-if-i-am-on-a-cruise-ship/

 

Thank you both for these sites.  I had only gone into the travel.gc.ca site and there wasn't any information regarding visas for those arriving on a cruise.  Yay ... one less visa to apply for.

Cheers,

Frances (NWT Cruiser)

 

1 hour ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

We guess need to start using the update name Türkiye😁

 

I noticed this also when I went into the Gov't of Canada site.  Hope they stamp our passports, would be interesting to see their new official name spelled out.  lol

 

[em-sk]

15 hours ago, NWT Cruiser said:

 

I noticed this also when I went into the Gov't of Canada site.  Hope they stamp our passports, would be interesting to see their new official name spelled out.  lol

 

 

Türkiye is one of those countries where you will only know if they stamp your passport when the day comes.  I remember being on the NCL Jade several years ago.  The day before we arrived the cruise director give a presentation on what to see and someone asked about that.  He said, there are arrival cards you may be required to fill out or not.  It all depends on if they remember to bring the cards to the port or not.  They may want to stamp your passport or not.  Depends on how interested they are that day.  If it is time for tea, then likely won't.

 

Despite that it is a great country to visit.  Look forward to the next time I go back.

 

[jy_cruisefan]

Hello. 

On our cruise in August aboard the Regal Princess, we stopped in Istanbul, and Kusadasi. We were given a temporary visitor card with a bar code that they scanned at the port upon debarkation, and again when we returned to the port from our shore excursion. Very straightforward process.

[Welly9]

Stopped in Kusadasi, early summer no isues with no visa, have passport or copy with you, we did a private excursion and back at the port we wandered around, great spot, 

Edited October 18, 2022 by Welly9
add something

[*Miss G*]

We were in Kusadasi a few days ago and nothing was required.  We disembarked, went on our tour, walked around town, then back on the ship.  All they wanted to see was the ship card to let us back into the port terminal.

[Polos12]

Hi, This is urgent/panic situation...The NCL website says visa is not required if Turkey is in transit by a cruise, but when I called NCL...she said if you don't have visa, they could not allow off board/deny. can someone clear. NCL agents when I called back were totally helpless..just kept asking me to refer to site....I did not expect this form NCL. We are sailing next week, jade from Athens. Can someone please confirm. Thanks

 

[Fouremco]

1 hour ago, Polos12 said:

Hi, This is urgent/panic situation...The NCL website says visa is not required if Turkey is in transit by a cruise, but when I called NCL...she said if you don't have visa, they could not allow off board/deny. can someone clear. NCL agents when I called back were totally helpless..just kept asking me to refer to site....I did not expect this form NCL. We are sailing next week, jade from Athens. Can someone please confirm. Thanks

 

According to this Turkish government webpage, you will not require a visa to visit a port during your cruise:

 

https://www.mfa.gov.tr/frequently-asked-questions.en.mfa

 

Same information from this website:

 

https://www.easyturkeyvisa.com/news/evisa-for-turkey-on-a-cruise#:~:text=Do I Need a Visa,3 days (72 hours).

 

If still in doubt, contact the Turkish consular offices in Ottawa:

 

https://www.mfa.gov.tr/ajax.tr.mfa?8tnNtorVLBlHkq0Nw5d7KBS10fmvwXxrpmMTwBCPTbhfneUWQQzt2RL3+OiWx1GNZlSRkaKhyzgv94wj3eJtQJCvuVrAZyUlNn0NZaD6Abg=

 

 

[LHT28]

1 hour ago, Polos12 said:

Hi, This is urgent/panic situation...The NCL website says visa is not required if Turkey is in transit by a cruise, but when I called NCL...she said if you don't have visa, they could not allow off board/deny. can someone clear. NCL agents when I called back were totally helpless..just kept asking me to refer to site....I did not expect this form NCL. We are sailing next week, jade from Athens. Can someone please confirm. Thanks

 

 

Are you disembarking in Turkey??

If not then no VISA required

[em-sk]

On 4/29/2023 at 2:48 PM, Polos12 said:

Hi, This is urgent/panic situation...The NCL website says visa is not required if Turkey is in transit by a cruise, but when I called NCL...she said if you don't have visa, they could not allow off board/deny. can someone clear. NCL agents when I called back were totally helpless..just kept asking me to refer to site....I did not expect this form NCL. We are sailing next week, jade from Athens. Can someone please confirm. Thanks

 

 

The people in Miami that answer the phones at NCL don't deal with the customs clearance issues at the port.  That is handled by the staff in the pursers office on the ship.  It not unusual for the call center to response to a question like this by saying "We will need to contact the ship and get back to you".  In this case Miami is likely wrong.  The boarding process at the ship is also supervised by the ship purser.  

 

It has been a few years since I have been on an NCL cruise to Turkey.  Back then and I believe today you still don't need a visa as a Canadian on a cruise that is passing through Turkey.

 

In my case I had a business meeting in Paris that was moved that I could not get out of and needed to cut short my vacation/cruise getting off in Istanbul.  After boarding the ship in Rome went to the purser desk and advised them of the change in plan.  They asked me to hand in my passport to the purser office the night before we arrived in Turkey with the fee for the Visa.  They presented my passport to the authorities when clearing the ship into Turkey and I picked it back up from the purser office the following morning with the Visa added.  

 

Turkey will issue visas to Canadian at the point of entry (airport/port).  So, if you require one you don't need to have one ahead of time.  In you case, it sounds like you will not need one.

 

 

 

Edited May 1, 2023 by em-sk