In accordance with the new Law on Foreigners, the practice of obtaining visas upon arrival to points of entry to Turkey will begin to come to an end as of 11 April 2014. However, border authorities will maintain existing procedures for a certain transitional period, to include the 2014 tourism season.

Visas for touristic or business purposes can be obtained via the new Electronic Visa Application System (www.evisa.gov.tr). This system, which was launched in 2013, allows intending visitors to obtain their e-Visas in approximately three minutes online.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs continues efforts to strengthen the e-Visa system and to better enable foreign nationals to easily obtain their visas.

In this context, as of 11 April 2014;

- In addition to English, French, and Spanish; Dutch, Norwegian, Polish, German, Arabic and Chinese language options will be added to the e-Visa system.

- In addition to Visa and Master Card, payment will be accepted from other commonly used credit cards and debit cards.

- Necessary arrangements will be made to allow foreign visitors to obtain e-Visas from authorized airline companies offices, including those companies’ offices in airports.

- Tour operators will be able to apply for group e-Visas and make lump sum payments for them.

- Visitors arriving to Turkey without visas will be able to obtain their e-Visas via interactive kiosks placed in Turkish airports.

- Fees for e-Visas obtained via the e-Visa website (www.evisa.gov.tr) will be lower than the fees for visas obtained upon arrival to Turkish airports. Information regarding visa fees can be found on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (www.mfa.gov.tr).

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to carry out these efforts in coordination with all relevant public authorities and private sector partners in order to make the transitional period as smooth as possible. It is our goal to eliminate waiting periods at Turkish airports.

The new arrangements will be in service as soon as possible.