Do I need a Visa, a Tourist Visa, for Turkey? This was the number one question that came to me after I booked my Trip. As none of my friends ever travelled to Turkey before I did a little research and found out that I don’t need a visa. But, I’m travelling with a German passport and I have no plans on staying longer than 90 days in Turkey. If I’d be travelling with my Identity Card only I had to apply for a visa at my nearest Turkish diplomatic mission.

To check if YOU need a Visa for Turkey, if you are travelling (as a Tourist), I can recommend you the website evisa.gov.tr. It’s run by the Turkish government to give you an up-to-date information about Visas. There you can select the country you are from, the land of your nationality, and what document you have and the website immediately tells you if it’s okay or what you need to do.
If you are travelling to Turkey by Plane, there are passport controls both after landing and before departure in Turkey and probably also in the Country, you are departing/flying to after. At the Atatürk Airport in Istanbul, there are two different rows, one for Turkish citizens only, and one for the rest. In my case, the control after arriving in Istanbul took about one hour, the one before departure about 30 minutes.

Examples if you need a Visa for Turkey, as a Tourist

• United States of America (U.S.A.), travelling with a passport: you need an e-Visa (Your stay cannot exceed 90 days in a total period of 180 days. Multiple entries are possible.) that can be purchased for 20 USD on the above-mentioned homepage
• France, travelling with Identity Card: You need to contact your nearest Turkish mission to apply for a visa application as nationals of the country are not eligible for e-Visa. Visit konsolosluk.gov.tr for the full list of the Turkish Embassies and Consulates.
• Japan, travelling with a passport: You are exempt from visa for tourist visits of up to 90 days within 180 days starting from the first entry date.
• United Kingdom (U.K.), travelling with an ordinary passport: You need an e-Visa (Your stay cannot exceed 90 days in a total period of 180 days. Multiple entries are possible.) that can be purchased for 20 USD on the above-mentioned homepage
• Mexico, travelling with an ordinary passport: You need an e-Visa that is free for a single-entry. Your stay may not exceed 30 days in a period of 180 days.
• South Africa, travelling with a passport: You need an e-Visa that is free and allows you multiple entries within a total period of 180 days while your stay cannot exceed 30 days.