Visas and Permits in Turkey
 In general, visitors to Turkey need a visa.
Visas may be obtained at the Turkish diplomatic representation outside Turkey.
In most cases, a passport must be valid for at least 3 additional months from the date of entry to Turkey.
EU citizens do not need a visa. A valid passport is sufficient for a stay of up to three months in Turkey.
There is an additional group of countries whose citizens may stay in
Turkey on presentation of a passport only, without a visa, for a period
of 1 - 3 months.
There are different visa requirements in Turkey depending on the
nationality of the applicant, the proposed duration of their stay and
whether they are planning on working or establishing a business in
Turkey or not, and at first glance the application process and
bureaucratic hurdles involved seem insurmountable.
The good news
is that with a little prior warning and advice the application process
for a tourist, residence or work visa isn’t that difficult and this
article details the basic visa requirements for Turkey as well as how
to go about obtaining the relevant permissions to live and work in
Turkey.
Tourism Visa
Most foreigners require a visa to holiday in Turkey; a Briton or
resident of the European Union, Australia, Canada, Iceland, New
Zealand, Norway, Switzerland or the USA can apply for a tourist visa at
the port or airport upon arrival in Turkey and this visa costs anywhere
from GBP 10 for three months. Fees are subject to change and vary
depending on the individual’s nationality. Anyone from a nation other
than the ones listed should apply to their nearest Turkish embassy or
consulate office to determine whether or not they need to apply for a
tourism visa before setting off on holiday in Turkey.
A three month tourism visa is generally sufficient for most people –
even those with property in Turkey who are visiting it or holidaying in
it or those who are in the market for a house in Turkey who wish to
view properties on an inspection trip…however, for those planning on
moving to live in Turkey permanently or who would like to look for work
or study in Turkey for example, a residence permit needs to be applied
for. A way around this utilized by many expats living in the Southern
Turkish resorts or living and working in Istanbul for example is to
leave the country for 24 hours by traveling to the Greek Islands or
flying back to Europe for the weekend before arriving back in Turkey
and getting another three month visa. This is a loophole – it is not a
solid solution.
Tourist Residence Visa and Full Residence Visa
Anyone who overstays their three month visa without having applied for
a resident’s permit face steep fines that are calculated on a daily
basis for the number of days someone has outstayed their visa – and
these fines are always imposed!
To get a residence visa if you don’t own a property in Turkey nor have a job in Turkey you can get what’s called a Tourist Residence Permit which is valid for between 6 and 12 months and which currently costs about GBP 150. Those with a home in Turkey, who wish to import personal effects,
furniture etc., or who wish to move to live in Turkey full time will
have to get a full residence visa. At the moment it is not worth
applying for one prior to moving to Turkey
as this actually doubles the expense and the workload. So, move to
Turkey on a 3 month tourism visa and immediately get the ball rolling
for the residence visa by attending the foreign nationals section of
the local police headquarters.
If
you don’t speak Turkish take a friend who does or secure the services
of a facilitator who will help you through the entire application
process. You will need to prove that you have sufficient funds on
deposit to support yourself and any accompanying family members (as a
minimum it is best to show deposits of around GBP 1,000), you’ll need
to complete an application form in triplicate, submit a letter of
application, give around 6 passport photos per person, supply a copy of
your passport, property deeds or contract of sale and purchase and you
will need to get this notarized as well. Please note, take the
originals with you and hand over the copies to the authorities.
The length of time it takes to get residence permission varies from
region to region but those certain they will be remaining in Turkey
longer than their three month visa are best advised to start the
application process immediately upon arrival. Those who buy property
in Turkey and who wish to move to live in their home and import their
personal effects and household goods will need to have a residence
permit to do so otherwise they will have to pay all sorts of taxes and
could struggle to get an import license for their furniture so the
sooner you apply the better!
Working and Employment in Turkey
Foreign residents who are interested in working in Turkey must obtain a work permit.
A work permit may be obtained, subject to an investigation to ensure that the worker is skilled, and has no criminal record.
The Turkish employer must deal with obtaining a work permit before the arrival of the employee.
A work permit is usually valid for two years, with an option to extend.
To work in Turkey an individual has to have an official job offer from an
employer. Only when they are in receipt of an offer can they apply for a work
permit – they generally apply to the Turkish consulate in the nation they herald
from at the same time as the employer applies for permission to employ them from
the Ministry of Labour and Social Security Department for Work Permits for
Foreigners in Turkey. Those who have an offer of a job before they move to
Turkey will find it fairly straightforward to apply for permission but please
note certain professions are not allowed to employ foreigners and before you
head off to find a job make sure you will be granted permission to work. If you
are already in Turkey and receive a job offer you may have to leave the country
and make your application for a work visa before returning - this is sometimes
the case. Other than these points it’s worth mentioning that it can take time
to get the visas through and many workers begin their jobs before they have
their permissions in place.
To find out more about your personal visa obligations and options contact your local consulate or embassy and Britons can also visit http://www.turkishconsulate.org.uk/
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Buying a property in Turkey is becoming increasingly with holiday home owners and investors around the world.
