Visa requirements for Turkish nationals refer to the administrative limitations imposed by the foreign ministries and immigration authorities of other countries on travellers holding a Turkish passport.

Currently, the Turkish passport ranks 53rd on the Henley Passport Index. The Index measures travel freedom across all countries worldwide.

 Important Guidelines:

• Turkish passport holders can enter around 70 countries/territories without a visa. However, many countries require Turkish passport holders to obtain a visa before travelling to Turkey. It is necessary to check visa requirements before planning a trip to any foreign country to understand what documents are required for Turkish travellers to enter their destination.
• It is worth noting that for Turkish nationals,visa requirements for turkey citizens vary from country-to-country. The destination country's eligibility criteria are determined by the purpose of visit and the duration of stay in the desired territory.
• Countries that are part of the visa not required list will allow Turkish passport holders to spend 15 to 360 days in the territory without obtaining a visa (either electronic or sticker visa). Turkish nationals must obtain a visa for their desired destination for non-touristic travels such as business or work, transit, and longer trips.
• Turkish citizens/Turkish passport holders can apply for an electronic travel authorization to travel to some visa-free countries.
• Regardless of whether the traveller needs a visa to enter the destination country, they must hold a valid Turkish passport to be eligible for entering a foreign country.
• The minimum validity period for Turkish passport also varies according to the requirements of the destination country. The passport's validity could be between 30 days to four months. Usually, it is necessary to have at least one to two blank pages in the passport for entry/exit stamps.

 Electronic Travel Visa Authorization

An Electronic Travel Visa Authorization system is designed to allow Turkish citizens to apply for an electronic visa or electronic visa waiver to enter their desired country/territory. It is an electronically generated and received a travel permit that eliminates the need to visit an embassy to apply for a visa.

Turkish passport holders wishing to travel to a visa-free country should pre-register for an online visa waiver application and obtain travel permit before leaving for your desired destination. Countries that require Turkish citizens to obtain a visa before travelling offer an e-Visa service through which they can receive the visa online without visiting an embassy or consulate.

Most e-Visas and electronic visa waivers for Turkish nationals allow multiple-entry travel permit. The traveller can spend at least 14 to a maximum of 120 days in their destination territory with each entry.

The validity period of an electronic travel visa authorization depends on the issuing country. It may stay valid for several years from the date of visa issuance, which means the traveller won't need to apply for travel authorization before every trip they make.

The approved online travel visa authorization from Turkey is linked digitally to the passport of the applicant. The applicant receives a copy of the permit via email, which they provided when applying for the visa. Turkish travellers can use their passport's digital image or get it printed on paper and show it to the authorities to enter their desired destination.

Check out the list of countries Turkish citizens can visit by obtaining an Electronic Travel Visa Authorization.

Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) for Turkish Citizens

Since Turkey is currently being evaluated for the Visa Waiver Program, Turkish citizens cannot apply for an ESTA. It is a visa waiver program that allows travellers to visit the United States without obtaining a visa. Turkish travellers will require a permit to travel to the USA for tourism, transit, business or any other purposes.

To make a country eligible for the ESTA program, the US government assesses the Visa Waiver Program member country's political and economic environment. Countries are evaluated for their domestic stability, and the likelihood of its citizens to abuse the terms of the program. The government needs to identify whether or not the applicant's home country faces any economic or political crisis. If the probability is low, the traveller will be considered less likely to violate the program's rules.

 Visa Countries for Turkish Citizens:

Turkish travellers wishing to visit a country/territory that is not on the visa-not-required countries must obtain a visa to enter their destination. They can obtain a customary consular visa from their destination country's embassy or consulate in Turkey, or get a visa on arrival from any border entry point. A better alternative is to obtain an electronic visa by submitting an online application.

Over 160 countries require Turkish passport holders to obtain a visa before travelling. The visa application eligibility criteria and requirements will vary as per the country. However, a visa will be required to enter these countries regardless of the travel's purpose or duration.

Not all the 160 countries allow Turkish citizens to obtain a visa on arrival, but most offer an e-Visa option for Turkish travellers. Obtaining an e-Visa is much suitable, time-effective, affordable, and hassle-free option than waiting long queues to get the visa on arrival.

Check out the list of visa-required countries for Turkish passport holders.

 Embassy/Consular Visa Required

Embassy or consular visa is the traditional type of travel permit that isn't generated online. The applicant has to physically visit the diplomatic mission of their desired country located in Turkey. Turkish citizens must apply for an embassy or consular visa well in advance before the expected date of travel to their destination country.

To obtain an embassy/consular visa, the applicant will book an appointment with the relevant department and formally submit a visa application along with the required supporting documents at the destination country's embassy/consulate in Turkey.

Usually, applicants will complete and bring the visa application form when they are required to visit the embassy/consulate. The supporting document requirements will vary according to the type of visa needed and the conditions set by their destination country.

Typically, it takes up to 2 weeks or even more to receive visa approval from the embassy/consulate. The applicant will have to undergo a formal interview before obtaining travel authorization for their destination country.

The embassy visa could be granted for different validity periods and as a multiple-entry or single-entry travel permit. The visa validity will also depend on the duration of the applicant's intended stay. Such as whether the applicant needs a work visa, tourist visa, business visa, study visa, etc.

Check out the countries that require Turkish citizens to obtain an embassy visa.

 Visa on Arrival

It is a type of travel permit that Turkish passport holders can obtain after arriving at any border entry checkpoint in their desired country. The visa on arrival service is offered by several countries worldwide.

Turkish travellers wishing to obtain a visa on arrival in their country of destination will have to visit an immigration checkpoint as soon as they arrive in the country. They will have to wait in a queue until the border official provides them with the visa on arrival application to complete.

After completing the visa application form, the visitor will need to pay the visa fees. This can be done using a debit card or credit card. Generally, the visitor must pay the visa fees in cash in the country's local currency.

For Turkish passport holders, a visa on arrival could be issued as a multiple or single entry travel permit. The visa will be valid for a minimum duration of seven days to a maximum validity of three months. The visa validity will depend on the issuing country.

Many countries allow visitors to obtain the visa electronically before leaving Turkey. Travellers will have to submit the application form online to apply for an e-Visa.

Check out the list of countries that allow Turkish citizens to get a visa on arrival.

 Visa Not Required

Many countries are listed in the visa not required destinations, so Turkish travellers will not need to obtain a visa to enter a particular country. Please note that travellers will neither require an embassy visa nor an electronic visa to access their desired destination. It allows eligible Turkish citizens to stay in the country for a short while.

Several South American, Eastern European, and Southeast Asian countries allow Turkish citizens to enter without a visa. Travellers can visit the visa-exempt countries for varying periods from 15 days to around 360 days.

To enter without a visa, the traveller will only have to present their valid Turkish passport. Generally, visa-exemption is allowed for tourism, business, and/or transit purposes.

The traveller will require a consular visa to stay in a visa-exempt country for a long time or purposes like study or work.

Most of the countries falling into the visa not required list for Turkish nationals will need a valid return ticket, accommodation confirmation documents, and proof of sufficient funds to present at the time of their arrival in their destination country