Visa Required for Turkey (U.S. Citizens?)????

[zorrosuncle]

A recent article in Travel and Leisure Magazine (May 2007 )indicated that visas for U.S. citizens are required to enter Turkey. No one has told me about this. If we book an excursion, does HAL arrange for this at the entry point? The official Turkey tourism website states the following:

 

 

" USA - CITIZENS ONLY

A visa is required for all U.S. citizens entering Turkey. U.S. citizens may obtain their visas upon entry point in Turkey or in advance from one of the Turkish Consulates around the U.S. Please see the Jurisdiction list of the Turkish Consulates for your state. Application for a business visa must be done ahead of time, before entering Turkey.

 

The tourist visa is valid for a year starting from the issue date. There are two different visa types. With a single entry visa, you can enter Turkey only once and stay up to three months. Multiple entry visa, on the other hand allows you to enter and exit the country more than once within one year period specified on your passport and you can stay in Turkey for three months each time."

 

Visas given at entry points are valid only for three months. Therefore, visas must be obtained in advance for visits lasting longer stays and for study, research or employment purposes.

 

The passengers who do not leave the international airports do not need any visas.

I was not aware of this when I booked my cruise. Since I am taking a Mediterranean cruise which stops there, how does one obtain this visa. Is it the responsibility oif the TA or is it the responsibility of the cruise line to provide it with the travel documents. Should my TA have told me?

Zorrosuncle

[smeyer418]

If you need it they will sell it to you at the port(its $20.00US or 15 euros)...don't bother getting it before. This is for US citizens....you aren't going for six months...

[hammybee]

Turkey has required a VISA for as long as I remember. They sell them at the airport and it's no big deal.

[RetiredMustang]

Zorrosuncle,

 

In 2001, we were not required to have visas when we sailed Costa into Kusadasi (for Ephesus) and Istanbul. Admittedly, this was a few months before 9/11, and things could have changed a lot, but it also could be that day-trippers from cruise ships are not required to have them.

 

In any case, it sounds like the advice from the more-knowledgeable-about-Turkey smeyer and hammy is that it would not be a big deal to get one, but you might want to check with Seattle just to make sure.

 

Dave

[hammybee]

I should have read the OP more carefully. Now that I understand that this is a port stop, there is no need for a visa assuming you are a tourist for the day and departing with the ship, for another destination.

[pog27]

There is an exemption for cruise passengers who arrive and depart by ship and are in port for less than 24 hours. As hammybee said, no visa necessary.

[leoandhugh]

We were there in Nov 2006 and visited Istanbul and Kusadasi; no visas were required.:)