Turkey is a country that, despite the fact that a part of it is in Europe, does not belong to the European Union. Therefore, it has specific entry requirements that should be known before traveling. In this article, we give you all the information you need to know to travel on your own to this territory.

Below you have an index with all the points that we are going to deal with in this article.

Necessary documents

Citizens of the following countries can enter Turkey with just their DNI o National Identity Document, provided it is for tourism and for a maximum of 90 days:



  • Germany
  • Belgium
  • France
  • Georgia
  • tracksuit
  • Spain
  • Italy
  • Liechtenstein
  • Luxembourg
  • Malta
  • Netherlands
  • Portugal
  • Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
  • Switzerland
Although Spaniards can travel with a DNI, they must have a visa (in the next section you will find all the information). On the other hand, if you are going to travel in your own vehicle (be it a car, van, motorhome, etc.) or declare valuables at customs, you must carry a passport.

Likewise, some people may also enter the country with a expired passport for a specified period. They are as follows:

  • Germany
  • Belgium
  • Spain
  • France
  • Luxembourg
  • Portugal
  • Switzerland

In this case, all these countries are required to have the passport expired in the last five years, with the exception of Germany, which must have the passport or ID expired in the last year.

The rest of the people of unnamed nationalities must carry their passport with them with a minimum validity of 60 days after the duration of the visa or the trip.

On the other hand, most travelers also need a visa, an aspect that we discuss in detail in the next section.

Visa

Most people will need a visa to visit Turkey. However, there are some people who can enter the country without a visa:

Exemptions

Citizens of the following countries do not need a visa As long as they carry a valid passport, their stay is less than 90 days and the reason for the trip is for tourism or commerce:

  • A: Germany, Andorra, Argentina
  • B: Bolivian, Bulgarian
  • C: Chile, Vatican City, South Korea
  • D: Denmark
  • E: Ecuador, El Salvador
  • G: Georgia, Greece
  • F: Finland, France
  • H: Honduras, Hong Kong
  • I: Iran, Iceland, Israel
  • J: Japan
  • K: Kyrgyzstan
  • L: Liechtenstein, Luxembourg
  • M: Macedonia, Malaysia, Morocco, Monaco
  • N: Nicaraguan, New Zealand
  • S: San Marino, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland
  • T: Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia
  • U: Uruguay
  • V: Venezuela

Likewise, people from Bosnia and Herzegovina can stay in Turkey for up to 60 days without a visa and those from Costa Rica, Kazakhstan and Macau, up to 30 days.

If you arrive in the country via cruise ship, as long as you spend up to 72 hours in the city near the port and you go for tourist reasons, you are exempt from requesting a visa.

In the same way, if you need to stop at an airport in the country, as long as you do not leave the transit area, you do not need any permission.

e-Visa

The rest of the territories that we have not named do need a visa. However, most people can request it online. In this way, the process is faster and cheaper. The countries that have this right are the following:

  • A: Greek Cypriot Administration, Afghanistan, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Armenia, Australia, Austria
  • B: Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Benin, Bhutan, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi
  • C: Cape Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Chad, China, Ivory Coast, Croatia
  • D: Djibouti, Dominica
  • E: USA, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Eritrea, Spain, Estonia, Ethiopia
  • F: Fiji, Philippines
  • G: Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau
  • H: Haiti, Holland, Hong Kong
  • I: India, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Solomon Islands
  • J: Jamaica
  • K: Kenya, Kuwait
  • L: the Bahamas, the Comoros, Lesotho, Latvia, Liberia, Libya, Lithuania
  • M: Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritius, Mauritania, Mexico, Mozambique
  • N: Namibia, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Norway
  • O: Oman
  • P: Pakistan, Poland, Portugal
  • R: United Kingdom, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominican Republic, Rwanda
  • S: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia, São Tomé and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland
  • T: Taiwan, Tanzania, East Timor, Togo
  • U: Ugandan
  • V: Vanuatu, Viet Nam
  • Y: Yemeni
  • Z: Zambia, Zimbabwe

You can enter the website to apply for the visa by clicking this link. Its price is $ 20 for most countries (€ 15 for Spanish). However, for Mexicans it is free.

Once you apply for the visa electronically, it will reach your email in 24 hours. People from some countries such as Spain and Mexico can carry out this formality at the Turkish airport using interactive kiosks. However, in this way, the visa is more expensive.

Minors may need the approval of both parents in order to obtain a visa for Turkey. Also, if the child travels without parents, it is recommended that they carry an authorization.

Ordinary visa

If you come from a country that is not exempt from a visa and cannot apply online, such as Cuba, Colombia or Peru, you must request it through the Turkish Embassy or Consulate. It is recommended to do it one month in advance. Among the requirements that are requested is that of having medical insurance. Also, the price of the visa will be € 60.



On the other hand, if you want to live in Turkey and work or study, you must have a special permit, so you will also have to request it through an embassy or consulate.

Tips

Before traveling to Turkey, you should know some useful information that is remarkably important so as not to suffer any unforeseen events:

Sanitary recommendations

There is no mandatory vaccination to travel to Turkey. However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Spain recommends having the trivalent against diphtheria, tetanus and poliomyelitis. In addition, depending on the risk of the area and the length of stay, those for typhoid fever and hepatitis A and B are also recommended.

In the cities there are quite quality private clinics. Likewise, in pharmacies you will find generalized medicines in the rest of the world. In order not to incur high expenses in the event of any unforeseen event, it is highly advisable to have medical insurance with high coverage.

Turkey is not part of the European Union, so the European Health Card is not valid in its territory.

During the summer season, it is recommended to boil the vegetables to be consumed or wash them with a drop of food grade bleach. In addition, it is advisable to avoid eating fish in non-coastal areas of the State and always drink bottled water.

On the other hand, in the part of Central Anatolia and the Black Sea coast, victims of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, caused by a tick bite, have increased. Therefore, in this area, it is recommended to use repellants.

Security

Turkey is a country that is under terrorist threat. Therefore, you have to stay alert and avoid demonstrations and crowds. Also, in Ankara it is best not to go through the Kızılay area and avoid public, military and police buildings.

Since the attempted coup in 2016, the country has had greater security measures.

Among the most dangerous areas of the country we find the border areas with Syria and Iraq, as well as the southeast of the country. Civilians are prohibited from entering the Mount Ararat and Tendürek regions.

Also, it is not considered dangerous for women to travel alone to large cities. Anyway, in the following article you have more detailed information about security in Istanbul: Istanbul safety and dangerous areas.

Another aspect that should be remembered is that Turkey is in an area of ​​the planet with seismic activity, so earthquakes in the territory are not unusual.

Questions from users

What is the best time to travel to Turkey?

Spring and autumn are good times to visit the country, as temperatures are milder. In winter, the weather is cold and it can snow, while in summer the heat is quite high. In addition, the number of tourists is higher and therefore prices go up.

In the case of being Spanish, is it better to travel with a passport or ID?

It is preferable to use the passport before the DNI. However, if we do not have time to get it, we will not go with our own vehicle or declare valuables at customs, we can travel with the DNI.

Can you go to Turkey with a dog?

Yes, but you must meet certain requirements such as having several vaccines (including rabies) and having a favorable veterinary certificate issued no more than 15 days before the trip. If everything necessary is not met, the pet could go into quarantine.

Is it possible to get married in Turkey?

Yes, you can get married in Turkey, but for this you will have to present some papers such as the official translation of the passport and the single certificate, among others.

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