Visa Options for Foreigners in Turkey

1. Introduction

The Legislation on Foreigners are pivotal in regulating the status of foreigners in Turkey. This article delves into the specifics of Turkey’s visa regime and its Implementation on the ground. We will specifically focus on key areas such as visas, visa exemption, visa applications, and the non-refoulement principle, underscoring their implications for Turkey relocation services offered by V&Q Consulting.

2. Visa Regulations in Turkey

The visa regime outlines the necessity of a visa for entry into Turkey. So any foreigner who is outside of Turkey must obtain a visa suitable for their purpose from the consulates in their country of citizenship,legal residence or a third country. As outlined before, a foreigner who is outside of the country must obtain a suitable visa to enter the country. However there can be exemptions to this rule with international agreements, bilateral agreements or presidential decrees. The most notable exemptions about the exclusions to the visa requirements are the countries of the European Union. Let's explain the visa and it's requirements below.

a) Visa:

The visa regime outlines the necessity of a visa for entry into Turkey. Foreigners who will stay in Turkey for up to ninety days must obtain a visa suitable for their purpose from the consulates in their country of citizenship or legal residence. As outlined before, a foreigner who is outside of the country must obtain a suitable visa to enter the country.

The duration of stay provided by the visa or visa exemption in Turkey cannot exceed ninety days in any one hundred eighty-day period, otherwise longer stay calls for a “residence permit” since the applicant can use the exemption to enter Turkey. Here is a list of foreigners who are exempt from visa obligations:

• The duration of stay provided by the visa or visa exemption in Turkey cannot exceed ninety days in any one hundred eighty-day period, otherwise longer stay calls for a “residence permit” since the applicant can use the exemption to enter Turkey. Here is a list of foreigners who are exempt from visa obligations:

• Those with valid residence or work permits in Turkey,

• Those who are recognized by Turkish parent(s) as children,

• Those exempt from residence permits under bilateral or multilateral agreements to which the Republic of Turkey is a party,

• Diplomats and consular officers officially assigned, as well as their spouses and dependent children, as notified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,

• Employees of International Organizational Associations,

• Stateless people,

• Those who applied for international protection or were given that status,

• Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection,

• Drivers and their assistants who come to our country with multiple-entry visas for transportation purposes.

b) Right to use of visa in Turkey:

Keep in mind that having obtained a visa does not prevent the application of the provisions of the law concerning foreigners who are not allowed to enter Turkey at the point of entry. If it is determined that the foreigner is among those who are not permitted to enter Turkey, entry would be denied.

The regulation aims to eliminate foreign nationals who are a threat to public health, public security, and public order, so individuals are pre-screened before entry, thus being rejected by the authorities. The prevention of usage may also be attributed to counterfeiting or the dissemination of fabricated information, which forms the foundation for the application. And in any case, if the immigration authority extends its hand by imposing unlawful and premature bans, there is always a way to combat the injustice within Turkish administrative courts.

c) Time period and validity of visa in Turkey:

Visas are issued to be used within a maximum period of five years. Visas that are not used within six months from the date of issuance become invalid. Visas are issued to be used within a maximum period of five years. Foreigners with residence permits who enter the country with a visa may use the stay duration obtained with the visa if the visa duration is longer than the residence permit duration. Those who come under a visa exemption agreement can also stay until the end of the exemption period if their residence permit duration is shorter.

This requires all participants to use their visas on time. So any foreigner that exceeds the 6-month time period of their respected visa will have to renew it; this goes true for the 5-year expiration period as well. If a foreigner by law or agreement has a right to stay in Türkiye with a visa exemption or with an issued visa, and in the event the available time on the foreigner's residence permit allows for less time in the country, by comparison, the foreigner will be entitled to a longer time frame. This is applicable in all circumstances, providing the foreign individual with the necessary advantage in terms of time frame.

In cases of force majeure, such as weather conditions, accidents, technical failures in vehicles, health issues, etc., where it is necessary to enter from an unplanned border gate, the foreigner may be allowed to enter with their existing visa or without one. As we have stated within our previous article about residence permits; the entry into the country should occur at border checkpoints or designated areas. In the event that a different point of entry into the country is utilized, it would be deemed as an act of illegal immigration. However force majeure is an exemption to the rule, as explained above.

In the application of these provisions, the terms of bilateral or multilateral agreements to which Turkey is a party, as well as the principle of reciprocity, remain reserved. Obviously, if any country doesn’t abide by international law by about overseeing the rights of Turkish citizens, Turkey has reserved its right to respond by equal measures.

d) Types and Purposes of Visas in Turkey:

• A tourism visa is given to foreigners who want to visit Turkey for tourism, official visits, business meetings, conferences, seminars, meetings, festivals, fairs, exhibitions, sports events, and cultural and artistic activities.

• A transit visa is given to foreigners who wish to enter Turkey from any border gate and transit through Turkey within the designated period. The transit period resets with each entry within the validity period of the visa.

• Airport Transit Visas are given to foreigners who wish to transit through Turkey's air border gates without entering the country.

• An education visa is given to foreigners who wish to come to Turkey for education, training, internships, courses, student exchange programs, or to attend Turkish language courses.

• A work visa is given to foreigners who fall under the scope of the Law on Foreign Workers visa and to those who wish to come to Turkey for work purposes but do not fall under this scope.

• An official duty visa is given to foreigners who are appointed to official duties or designated as diplomatic couriers.

• Other visas are given to foreigners who wish to come to Turkey for purposes such as archaeological excavations, research, filming or documentary production, medical treatment, accompanying persons, family reunification, humanitarian aid, or transportation.
  

As a final note, the purpose of the foreigner’s visit is specified on the visas. There is a specific section in the visa that highlights the reason for issuance.

e) Exemption from Visa Requirements in Turkey

There are countries whether through a bilateral agreement or through a unilateral decision are exempted from visa requirement in Turkey. So, when entering Turkey, the following foreigners do not require a visa:

• Citizens of countries exempted from the visa requirement by mutual agreements or by presidential decree.

• Those who have a valid residence permit, work permit, or an exemption from work permit.

• Those who are exempt from the residence permit under the law.

• Those who are recognized by Turkish parent(s) as children.

f) Foreigners who are prohibited from obtaining visas:

Here is a non-exhaustive list of foreigners who are banned from entering the country, and therefore won’t be issued a visa:

• Those who do not have a passport or substitution document that is valid for at least sixty days beyond the requested visa duration.

• Those who are prohibited from entering Turkey, because of previous actions.

• Those who are considered a risk to public order or public security. Public security clause is generally understood to include terrorism-related charges and international criminal activity as well as domestic terrorism activity.

• Those who carry diseases are considered a threat to public health. In determining diseases considered a threat to public health, it is taken into account whether the disease is one of the diseases specified in the Public Health Law, as well as whether it is a disease with epidemic potential as defined by the World Health Organization’s Health Regulations or is a communicable or parasitic disease.

• Suspects or convicts of crimes that are grounds for extradition under the agreements to which the Republic of Turkey is a party.

• Those who do not have valid health insurance covering their stay period.

• Those who cannot provide justified reasons for their entry to, transit through, or stay in Turkey.

• Those who do not have sufficient and regular financial means for the duration of their stay.

• Those who do not accept to pay their debts or fines under the Collection of Public Receivables, or debts and fines followed under the Turkish Penal Code.

Despite falling under this article, a visa may be issued to those deemed beneficial with the approval of the minister in that case issuance of this visa must be beneficial to the public good. So falling under the purview of these criterion would not be prohibitive to making an application. However these foreigners are required to have annotated visas for entering the country for more details, regularly review our upcoming content as we explore further.

g) Fees for Visa

Visas for Single Entry Purposes will cost 5,476.80 TL on the other hand visas for multiple entry purposes will cost 18,346.50 TL in 2024. Transit Visas for Single Transit purposes will cost 5,476.80 TL, visas for Double Transit purposes will cost 10.989,10 TL, lastly return visas for individual passports issued upon request for foreigners exiting Turkey will cost 9.154,10 TL in 2024. However keep in mind that these prices will not reflect the full value, as the only cost we are presenting here are the fees.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is responsible for deciding on the imposition of visa application fees for citizens of specific countries, as well as determining the corresponding fee rates, in accordance with the principle of reciprocity.

h) Non-Refoulement Principle

Principle of non-refoulement, prohibiting the deportation of individuals to countries where they may face persecution or serious harm. This principle aligns with international human rights standards and is crucial for protecting vulnerable individuals. This is also on par with international human rights standards, and therefore, any foreigner who is subject to persecution in his/her birthplace because of lifestyle, political affiliation, thought, ethnicity, culture or any other criterion can fall into the purview of this subject, and these background checks must be done before deportation. However, authorities tend to fail such requirements in many cases deliberately. Therefore, individuals must take action in order to protect their well-being.