Entry to Türkiye

Depending on nationality and bi-national agreements, there is more than one entry option available. These are:

Consular visa
E-visa
Visa on arrival
Passport
National ID

Once you have a clear understanding of how you will enter Türkiye and what is most convenient for you, you will be able to make your choice. If your nationality requires a consular visa, recommend you start the visa process two months before your arrival to be on the safe side.

If you are eligible by your citizenship to obtain an e-visa or to use your passports or national ID to enter Türkiye as a tourist, we recommend this option as it will allow you to travel outside Türkiye while waiting on your residence permit.

For students, since student visas can only be obtained after a consulate/ embassy application and are usually granted as “Single Entry”, urgent travels of students outside Türkiye without a residence permit will be restricted or problematic.

Upon your entry to Türkiye, you will be applying for a residence permit that will cover your period of stay after your visa/visa exemption period. ICO will be providing detailed information on this matter upon arrival.

Please note that the visa application is your responsibility, and we can only provide a support letter. We do not otherwise communicate with consulates for visa applications. You must constantly track your application and provide accurate and necessary documents. KU cannot do anything if your application is late or denied.

Steps to Determine Visa Eligibility/Necessity

STEP 1: Visit the official website of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Find your country in the A-Z list for the visa information.

STEP 2: Take action regarding the information listed. Depending on the situations given below, we have written the corresponding action you must take.

“Ordinary and official passport holders are exempted from visa for their travels up to 90 days.”	Enter Türkiye with your valid passport. NO visa required.
“Ordinary, Special, and Service passport holders are required to have visa to enter Türkiye. These passport holders with a valid Schengen members or USA, UK, Ireland visa or residence permit may get their single entry e-Visas valid for one month e-Visas via the website evisa.gov.tr, provided that they meet certain conditions.”	If you meet the mentioned requirements, you can simply enter with an e-visa. If you do not meet the given criteria for e-visa, make a pre-visa application appointment and obtain a consular visa.
“Ordinary passport holders are required to have visa to enter Türkiye. They can obtain three-month multiple entry e-Visas via the website evisa.gov.tr.”	Visit evisa.gov.tr and obtain your e-visa, pay online, print it, and travel to Türkiye.

e-Visa

International students and non-students can also enter Türkiye with an e-Visa. An e-Visa is a tourist visa that anyone can use to enter Türkiye and does not require an in-person visa application at a consulate. The e-Visa module also provides information about whether someone is exempt from a tourist visa and if they can enter Türkiye with a valid passport.

Important Notes

Even though the visa website mentioned states, “Please note that e-visa is only valid when the purpose of travel is tourism or commerce. For other purposes, such as work and study, visas are given by Turkish Embassies or Consulates”, international students admitted to a higher education program are officially eligible for a tourist visa or passport entry if either of these options is available for their country.
Since each incoming international student, faculty, staff, intern, researcher, and visitors are required to apply for a residence permit in Türkiye and must travel with a VALID PASSPORT. The Migration Directorate does not accept any other travel document for the residence permit application.
Passports must be valid at least 60 days longer than the duration of the study period.
Those with Turkish citizenship or holding a Blue Card are not required to seek a visa or residence permit to Türkiye. Entry with a valid passport is recommended, yet valid Turkish ID’s are also accepted.

Please note: We have answers for all your visa/residence permit-related questions therefore you do not need to seek this information elsewhere. Feel free to reach out to us by creating a Trackit request through Dean of Students Trackit / ICO Requests with your questions.