Destination guide · Turkey
Visiting Turkey
Turkey runs one of the world's most accessible short-stay regimes — the e-Visa gets ~30 nationalities in for USD 43 in minutes — but the residence permit ('ikamet') system is far tighter than most newcomers expect.
Section 1
Visa policy overview
Most Western passports enter visa-free for 90 days in any 180. About 30 more (US, UK, India, China, Australia, South Africa etc.) use the online e-Visa. Everyone else applies at a Turkish consulate. Long stays require a residence permit obtained inside Turkey via the e-ikamet system.
Visa-free 90/180 for all EU/EEA, most of the Balkans, GCC, Japan, Korea, Malaysia. e-Visa for US, UK, India, China, Australia, Mexico, South Africa and ~20 more. Consular visa for most African and some Central Asian passports.
Section 2
Main visa types
Turkey e-Visa
Short tourism/business stays for ~30 eligible nationalities — 30 to 90 days depending on passport.
Sticker visa (consulate)
Nationalities not eligible for e-Visa, or travellers needing longer than the e-Visa allows.
Short-term residence permit
Stays over 90 days for tourism, property owners, family reunification, remote workers on savings.
Family residence permit
Spouses and minor children of Turkish citizens or residence-permit holders.
Student residence permit
Enrolment at a Turkish university or an accredited language school.
Work permit
Turkish-employer sponsored — issued by the Ministry of Labour, includes residence.
Section 3
Basic eligibility
- Passport valid at least 60 days beyond the visa/permit expiry.
- For e-Visa: a valid Schengen, US, UK or Ireland visa/residence card is required for some nationalities.
- Proof of accommodation and return/onward ticket at the border on request.
- For residence permit: registered address (rental contract notarised), private health insurance covering the full permit period, and demonstrable funds (roughly USD 500/month).
Section 3b
Turkey visa requirements at a glance
e-Visa: 30 or 90 days per entry, valid up to 180 days from issue (varies by nationality). Visa-free: 90 days in any rolling 180. Short-term residence permit: 1–2 years, renewable.
e-Visa: minutes to 24 hours online. Sticker visa: 15–30 working days at consulate. Residence permit: e-ikamet appointment usually within 2–6 weeks, decision 30–90 days after appointment.
- ·e-Visa — USD 43 for most (USD 51 for UK; USD 20 for Canada; free for a handful of nationalities).
- ·Sticker visa — USD 60–160 depending on nationality and validity.
- ·Residence permit card — TRY 565 (2025) plus TRY ~180 per month of stay in visa fee for chargeable nationalities.
- ·Mandatory Turkish health insurance — TRY 3,000–8,000/year (under 65).
- Passport valid 60+ days beyond visa/permit expiry.
- e-Visa: online form + credit card (some nationalities also need a valid Schengen/US/UK/Ireland visa or residence).
- For residence permit: notarised rental contract (kira sözleşmesi) or title deed (tapu).
- Biometric photos (4) with white background.
- Turkish tax number (vergi numarası) — free from any tax office.
- SGK-approved private health insurance policy.
- Proof of funds (Turkish bank statement or notarised savings proof).
- Address registration slip (Nüfus) after permit issuance.
At the border
Arriving in Turkey
Fast e-Passport gates in Istanbul
Istanbul (IST), Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) and Antalya (AYT) have e-gates for most nationalities. Print or download the e-Visa PDF — Turkish border officers still occasionally ask for a paper copy.
90/180 rule is enforced
Days are counted across all Turkish entries in a rolling 180-day window. Overstays trigger fines (roughly TRY 500+ per day) and 1–5 year re-entry bans on repeat offenders.
Address registration for residents
Anyone getting a residence permit must register their address at the Nüfus office within 20 working days of permit issuance. Missing this is the most common cause of permit cancellation.
Section 4
Common Turkey refusal reasons
Tourist residence permit for long-term living
Since 2022 the DGMM has been refusing 'short-term (tourism)' permits used as de facto retirement/nomad visas, particularly in Istanbul (Beyoğlu, Şişli, Fatih), Antalya and Muğla — neighbourhoods declared 'closed' to new foreigner registrations.
Inadequate health insurance
Insurance must be a Turkish private policy on the SGK-approved list covering the full permit period. International policies (SafetyWing, IMG) are routinely refused.
Address in a closed neighbourhood
The DGMM publishes and updates a list of foreigner-saturated mahalles where new registrations are frozen. Even a valid lease there causes an automatic refusal.
Insufficient funds proof
A Turkish bank statement or notarised proof of savings is expected. Bringing only a foreign bank statement often leads to a request for further documents that must be filed within 30 days.
Overstay history
Prior overstays not paid on exit block re-entry until the fine is cleared, and repeat overstays trigger cumulative bans up to 5 years.
Section 5
Strategy tips that actually move the needle
Tip 01
For long stays, use a property purchase or work permit route
Buying property worth over USD 200,000 unlocks a longer-term real-estate residence permit. USD 400,000+ qualifies for the fast-track citizenship-by-investment programme.
Tip 02
Check the closed-neighbourhood list before signing a lease
The DGMM publishes updates on goc.gov.tr. Renting in Kadıköy, Beşiktaş or the Asian side gives a much higher approval chance than Beyoğlu or Fatih.
Tip 03
Use a licensed insurance broker
Ask specifically for 'ikamet sigortası' (residence-permit insurance). Under-65 policies cost roughly TRY 3,000–8,000 per year and are refused only when the SGK approval code is missing.
Tip 04
Apply well before your visa-free 90 days expire
The permit appointment must be within your legal stay. Submitting even one day into overstay converts the file into a fine + refusal.
Staying longer
Beyond a short visit in Turkey
Short-term residence permit renewal
Renewals are treated harder than first applications. Being outside Turkey more than 120 days in a year on a short-term permit is grounds for non-renewal.
Official pageLong-term residence permit
Available after 8 continuous years of legal residence, providing near-permanent status with almost no restrictions on absences.
Official pageCitizenship by investment
USD 400,000+ property purchase held for 3 years, or USD 500,000 fixed-capital investment/bank deposit. Passport typically issued in 6–9 months.
Official pageFAQ
Turkey visa — quick answers
Can I do a 'visa run' to reset my 90/180 in Turkey?+
No — the 90/180 is a rolling window across all entries, not a stamp-based reset. Exiting to Greece for a day and returning does not add new days. Overstays get flagged automatically at the airline check-in system.
Is Turkey's tourist residence permit still available?+
Yes on paper, but approval rates for first-time applicants in major cities have collapsed since 2022 — anecdotally under 20% in Istanbul, higher in smaller cities and Ankara. Family, student and work permits are approved normally.
Do I need a Turkish tax number to apply for residence?+
Yes — obtain a vergi numarası (free) at any tax office before your e-ikamet appointment. It's needed for the fee payment, insurance and bank account.
Can I work remotely for a foreign employer on tourist status?+
Legally grey. Remote work for a non-Turkish employer paid abroad is tolerated in practice, but you cannot invoice Turkish clients or open a business without a work permit.
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