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So you don’t belong to the happy few that don’t need a visa to enter Turkey.
This means you can either obtain your visa a few weeks prior to your visit in a Turkish embassy or consulate in your country; or buy your visa upon your arrival at the Turkish border. But how much will it cost you?
This information was accurate at the time I wrote this article (check the date!) and should be valid until October 31st 2008, but is of course subject to change. Although I try to keep these pages continuously up-to-date, I cannot be held responsible for any mistakes. To be absolutely sure, you can always check out the web-pages of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey or contact the Turkish consulate or embassy in your country.
Cash Is the Key
Check the visa price list below and see what fee you’ll have to pay. Keep in mind that they don’t accept credit cards, travellers cheques nor Turkish liras. The fees must be paid in foreign currency, so make sure you bring Euros, Dollars or Pounds with you. And try to have the exact amount on you, since chances are they don’t have change.
Visa Price List
This price list is valid until October 31st 2008. The fees are per person.
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{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Just clicked on your link to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Turkey to check to see if that listing on your page was indeed correct. What on earth did Canada ever do to Turkey to justify their charging us three times as much as Americans, and twice as much as anyone else? Ridiculous. Also wondering why the exchange rates are so out of whack. If you pay in US dollars, it’s cheaper.
Hi Ian,
that a very good question and I’m afraid I don’t immediately have an answer ready. But I’ll certainly look into that in the days/weeks to come. I have some Canadian friends here who may shed a light on that issue.
Cheers,
Max
Hi Ian,
I asked a bit around with Canadian expats living here in Istanbul, and according to them it’s purely based on politics and the law of demand.
If you comapre it with the US for instance, not only are there more Americans visiting Turkey, Turkey also has quite a big outstanding loan with them. So the US has more leverage on Turkey towards these kind of things.
Again, this is based on their experiences, not mine. What I do know though, is that regarding residence permits, some countries are also privileged here in Turkey and pay less for it than others.
Hope this shed a bit of a light on the subject.
I doubt if the real reason will ever be known, but it looks like they took out a dart board. Norwegians and Hungarians also pay more - but only half what we do.
Hope to visit your site again to help prepare for our two weeks in Turkey this fall. How are the trains in Turkey these days? They were fine when I visited nearly 30 years ago for a month, but now I have a wife and child in tow, and might want to book an overnight room.
Hi Max,
Just like Ian, I’m also a Canadian passport holder, and I was shocked to see how much we have to pay for the visa. I wonder if you know any Canadian who has paid that much.
Another thing I want to ask you, in one of Rick Steve’s old DVDs guide to Turkey, it showed a simple restaurant in Asian side that sold fried mussels, fried intestines, and other delicacies that looked so delicious and so different than the usual kebab, stuffed vine leaves, etc. Have you ever had those? Do you know the restaurant? Are those delicacies common and sold everywhere in Istanbul.
Thanks so much Max, this website is great!
Eva in USA
Hi Eva,
thanks a lot for the compliment!
I know a lot of Canadians that have paid that exact amount. I think there is just no way around it basically.
Regarding your question about that simple restaurant that sells fried muscles and fried intestines (kokoreç), you can rest assure that it still exists. Şampiyon Kokoreç is the name of the restaurant that sells these delicacies.
These days it’s actually more a chain of restuarants under the same name. You’ll find branches in Beyoğlu, Beşiktaş, Bakırköy and on the Asian side in Kadıköy as you suggested.
Be aware that kokoreç is a common street-sold dish, but I would strongly advice to eat it in an established restaurant, just like Şampiyon Kokoreç.
If there anything else I can help you with, just let me know.
Cheers,
Max
hi
me and 7 friends have been to turkey twice since august 2008, we payed £10 into the country the first time but didnt have to on our second visit because it was inside the 3 months.
we are looking to go again from june o9 until october 09, i was just wondering if you knew anything about getting a visa for that amount of time? how much it is or if it can be done?
thanks leanda
Hi,
Since the rules often change, I informed today at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Ankara. Unfortunately, they told me that extending a visa is not possible. This basically leaves you with three options:
- take the three month visa, and make a one-day trip (from Istanbul) to Greece by train at the end of it. Leave the country and get another three-month visa upon re-entering.
- apply for a four month residence permit through the Turkish embassy in your country. It is easy to obtain the permission, but I must warn you that getting your actual residence permit upon arrival in Turkey is a drag! It’s a bureaucratic hassle/battle and will cost you around YTL 500!
- some people may tell you to just overstay your visa and pay the fine. I DO NOT RECOMMEND that option. Not only is there a fine to be paid, you also are illegal in the country. In case you run in a check-point or have a small accident, you may end up in huge trouble.
Having given you all the options, you may want to reflect if staying four instead of three months is really worth the trouble. Whatever option you chose, it will cost you time and money that may be better spent differently.
Hi again sorry to bother you but i was wondering if we got a working permit/visa would this change anything? if so do you know how we would go about geting one?
thanks very much leanda
Leanda,
No need to apologize, that’s what the comment section is for!
A working permit would indeed generate a residence permit for you, but you can’t apply for a working permit. A Turkey based company has to do that for you, and provide valid reasons to the government as to why they would hire you instead of a Turk national. On top of that, they will have to pay for the fees that apply in order to get the permit and process the paperwork.
If you and your friends are planning to work here, this is of course the road to follow. However, if your 4-month trip to Turkey is nothing but an extended holiday, I would stick to my previous suggestions.
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