November 16, 2018 TnH Global

Indians having valid US, UK, Ireland or Schengen visa will continue to be eligible for Turkish e-visa

In the wake of the Government of Turkey’s decision of scrapping the policy of visas-on-arrival (VoA) for a number of nationalities, including Indians, the Embassy of Republic of Turkey recently reiterated that Indian citizens with having valid Indian passport and planning to travel to Turkey will continue to be eligible for Turkish e-visa if they have a valid US, UK, Ireland and Schengen visa.

As per the existing norms, Indian passport holders with valid US, UK, Ireland & Schengen visa can apply for Turkish e-visa by logging on to the official website. However, this e-visa has to be procured before leaving from India, i.e, before departure as the e-visa kiosks in Istanbul are no longer functional. The travellers can continue to use this facility even after the inaugural of the new Ataturk airport in Istanbul. Those who do not have valid US, UK, Ireland & Schengen visa can apply for Turkish visa through the consulate

Turkey has recently changed its visa policy which states that citizens of over 100 countries, including India, will no longer be able to avail of the Visa-On-Arrival facility. This document permitting entry to and travel within Turkey will have to be obtained prior to arrival in the country by travellers who wish to visit as tourists or are on short business trips. The process is simple: register yourself on an e-Visa granting website, fill in your details and make a payment. You will be provided with a link to download your e-Visa via email, which you must carry at the time of transit to Turkey, either as a soft copy in your smartphone/tablet or as a hard copy. Turkish officials at the airport will then verify information on their system and allow your passage.

The e-Visa is a cheaper option than the sticker visa issued by Turkish Missions. This process also eliminates the need to wait in long queues to obtain a visa as the online process takes about 3 minutes.

So far, the Republic of Turkey has not appointed any company in India to issue e-visa for Turkey. Those who wish to apply for Turkish visas can do so by logging on to the official website https://www.evisa.gov.tr