Turkey switching to e-Visa system from April 2014

NEWS/UK TURKS by Boulent Mustafa

For years, British passport holders jetting into Turkey would pay a nominal £10 entry fee on arrival and a 90-day multi-entry sticky visa would be affixed to their passport. Not any more.

The Turkish Embassy in London recently announced plans of their new electronic Visa scheme, which will come into force on 10 April 2014. From this date, all British passport holders travelling to Turkey for business or pleasure must purchase their visa online in advance of their journey. However the e-Visa scheme is already live should travellers wish to use it.

An e-Visa costs $20 and provides you with a 90-day multiple entry visa that is valid over a period of 180 days (time starts from the date you first enter Turkey). It is available online from: www.evisa.gov.tr . The site is easy to use and includes a good range of information under its FAQ section. You simply fill in the online form, pay by debit or credit card, then download and print your new visa. It eliminates the need for travellers to queue twice in Turkey: once for the visa, and again for passport control.

The UK Foreign Office website warns travellers to be wary of unscrupulous websites that may charge for information or other ‘e-Visa related services’. People should refer to the official website set up by the Turkish government for all information and purchasing of visas. Travellers are advised to apply for their e-Visa at least 24 hours in advance of travel and ideally a week before.