Hi all, We just got back from Turkey and I am reporting back to you concerning the online visa for Turkey. I highly recommend it. The online application is easy and fast. You print out your visa at home and bring it with you to immigration control along with your passport. It saves you considerable time in line at the airport. Why wait in an additional line if you don't have to?
Posted by
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
8293 posts
Mary, did you pay the same price as a visa obtained at the airport?
Posted by
Boscombe, Dorset, UK
964 posts
I agree that would be faster- but I like the rather gorgeous stamp that is stuck in your passport at immigration!
Posted by
Seattle
4637 posts
When I was there there was no line at the window for visa. Several windows were open. In Istanbul.
Posted by
Huntington, WV, USA
18 posts
No lines with plenty of workers last week in Istanbul; took all of 30 seconds to get the visa.
Posted by
OP
Reno, NV, USA
2427 posts
Hi again, When I arrived in Istanbul on May 18th, there was a line of about 40 people in the visa line and one worker processing the visas. That line was barely moving and I was out of immigration a lot quicker with the evisa. I guess it can go either way. I'm still glad I got the evisa.
Posted by
OP
Reno, NV, USA
2427 posts
Yes, I paid the same price. $20. And no foreign transaction fee on my credit card. So you can take your chances and hope that there are only a few buying the visa at the airport and adequate staff to process the visas or buy the visa online ahead of time. Or if you don't mind waiting and want the pretty stamp then go ahead. I flew in from Amsterdam on a 737 and it was a full flight so there were about 40 people who needed visas. I'm curious about the other people who didn't have to wait in line for their visas. Perhaps the others on their flight had prepurchased their visas online already? Or these people had carryon luggage and beat the others to immigration control? It's hard to imagine that they were the only foreigners on their flights who needed a visa. All the other passengers were Turkish? Anyway, it's a small matter. I was just trying to be helpful here.
Posted by
Arlington, TX, USA
281 posts
Maybe they were from a country that does not require a visa. It is always interesting to hear other passengers complaining
that their visa was more costly than that of another country.
Posted by
Honolulu/Seattle, HI/WA, USA
2788 posts
When we entered Turkey 2 years ago and went thru the visa line, which took all of about 3 minutes (lucky, huh?) we asked about the different visa rates that we saw people ahead of us paying. We were told that Turkey only charges people from countries who charge their own folks and the rates are set by how much those countries charge the Turkey citizens. No proof of this but it sounded good at the time.
Posted by
Rochester, New York, USA
19 posts
People on my Cruise Critic board are saying that we need a $60 visa, as we are departing and returning from Istanbul and also leaving the country and entering again in several other Turkish ports during the 12 day cruise.
Does anyone know if this is necessary, or is the $20 visa just fine for these multiple entries?
Posted by
Camarillo, California
3122 posts
Mary Lou, it's my impression that some of those daytrip excursions into Turkey from your ship don't require any visa at all, but I should think your cruise ship company would have that answer for you, have you tried contacting them?
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23267 posts
On our cruises we have never paid a fee for a stop in Turkey. My limited understanding is that the fee is only overnight stays in Turkey. A day trip off a cruise ship doesn't count. If overnighting at both ends in Turkey then you may have to have two visa. Don't know how long one visa is good for.