Turkey visa requirements for South Africans
Image from David Spender on Flickr
The visa requirements for Turkey seems to bring up a lot of questions for South Africans travelling to this popular tourist and business destination. This is no surprise as more and more countries require South Africans to hold visas for entry, the requirements for which can often be complicated and tedious.
NB: As of October 2011, most South Africans travelling to Turkey report that they are not required to purchase a visa upon arrival in the country. South Africans are being sent through security fee of charge with just a simple entry stamp to the country.
There is, as yet, no official word of the requirement for the visa being removed by the Turkish government, so the official word is still the below:
Where can I get my Turkey visa?
The good news is that (officially) you can get a Turkey visa upon arrival at any point of immigration in the country. It’s really simple, all you do is take your passport to the visas counter, pay the fee on the board (EUR10 or USD15 for South Africans) and you get issued a visa sticker in your passport entitling you to stay in Turkey up to 30 days.
What if I want to stay longer in Turkey?
You’ll need to apply for a visa in advance for that. You can be granted a stay of up 3 months as a tourist if you apply for the visa before you depart. You’ll need to have a number of travel arrangements in order, like accommodation for the duration of your trip, a letter of invitation, proof of employment and proof of funds.
How do I apply before departure for a Turkish visa?
You can either go through to the embassy yourself, if you live in or around Pretoria, or alternatively you can contact a visa agency to help with application to Turkey. We use Visa Express whom you can reach via the online visa application form on our website.
For visa advice and info, direct from the experts!
We'd also love to hear from you! Please leave your comments below:
We have just returned from Turkey and getting a visa was NOT a very exciting thing to do. We went straight over to the visa counter and when we showed our SA passport they told us to go to pasport control who would issue the visa. Went to passport control and he very rudely sent us right back to the visa section. The man at the counter was even more rude and then sent us to the passport police where we were greeted by a very unfriendly person who made us stand away from his counter and wait. We waited and waited and he appeared to be doing nothing. Eventually, he said something about the system being down and started manually doing the visa for which he did not charge in the end. The welcome into Turkey was not great !!!
My wife and I are planning to go to Turkey for a holiday. Did what happened with Sue occur in Instanbul? We would like to be forewarned and the response from Sue was very timely
Hey Salieh, I’m not sure if it happened in Istanbul, but it is likely since that’s the main port of entry. I went to Istanbul and didn’t experience too much trouble at all. The immigration staff though, are not very helpful and the signposting is not fantastic. When we arrived, the visa counter was on the left, before going through security. Just be sure you get your visa sticker before queuing for security other wise you’ll be spending a long time for nothing in the security queue before begin sent straight back to the visa counter before being allowed to proceed.
Would it be advisable to ask for a Visa to explore the markets near the airport while we wait for our connecting flight – we have 7 hours to wait in Istanbul – Brussels to SA connecting flights. we have been advised that the market has some amazing ware.
Hi Lany! Thanks for getting in touch! The popular markets in Istanbul aren’t that close to the airport, the Egyptian Bazaar (the slightly less touristy bazaar) in town is good, it’s about 45minutes to an hour’s drive, just bear that in mind. You can leave the airport, but you will need to get a visa, it’s about $15 or so. So if you go into town make sure you’re back in time for your flight, taking into account traffic etc etc.
My family arrived in Istanbul on the morning of Saturday, 1 October 2011 and received the good news that as South African passport holders, the visa fee had been waived. We went through Immigration in less than 10 minutes. It looks like this is new because all South Africans we interacted with while queueeing, didn’t know about this.
Hey! Thanks for the news! Wow that’s super-cool. This could be because the Turkish Prime Minister was just here striking deals with thee SA government, so I will investigate further about this. My folks are off to Istanbul on Friday so that will be great news for them. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Paul. Did your folks have any trouble obtaining the Turkish visa or was it a breeze?
I’m going to Turkey in December. Not sure if I should organise visas before I leave.
Hi Shameema! My folks just got back the other day and they had no problems at all. They informed me that it is in fact true, there is no visa for South Africans to Enter Turkey for less than 30 days. You’ll just need to show return tickets leaving Turkey within 30 days, they now just stamp your passport and let you through. Apparently the procedure is a little slower than it was when we had to pay for visas, but I guess it’s R100 saved!
Awesome news Nick Paul. Im going to be going in February 2012.
So do you still advise not getting a visa before hand?
Hi Sean! Yup, things seem to be getting better and better for South Africans. So long as you’re going for no longer than 30 days and you’re just going for a holiday, you should be fine without a visa!
Awesome news – we’re flying on Friday – we’ll let you know how things go
hi, visited istanbul twice during december 2011 and january 2012. we had no problems at all. the official policy is that VISAS may be obtained at the port of entry GRATIS to South African Passport holders.
They send you through to Passport Control Area no. 2, which generally has short queues and only open to South African, Iraqi, Malta and some other exempt countries. It also looks like this area is not in use but you should ask the guards here, they usually do the visa stamping.
this information can be confirmed by visiting the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs Website with the VISA charges to each country. http://www.mfa.gov.tr/visa-fees-at-border-gates-for-2010.en.mfa
Thanks guys for all the comments below.I’ve never travelled ut of S.A but will be traveling for the first time to Turkey, visiting a friend for 11 days and my enquiry is whether I need a Tourist Visa or not but from reading your comments I realise it is not neccessary though I want to be on the safe side, should I call the Turkey embassy here in Pretoria to confirm this.
Regards,
Hi! Just double-checked these requirements again and it’s still a visa on arrival free-of-charge which allows you to stay in Turkey for a maximum of 30 days. Enjoy Turkey!
Hi Nick
I am planning on relocation to Istanbul (work) .. the problem I am faced with is that the companies that have contacted me, are asking if I have a work permit , and I have to have the employment contract before I can get a work permit, and the companies wont give me an employment contract unless I have a work permit. A catch 22 situation. So Im sure you understand my problem.
What i wanted to enquire is , is it possible to apply for a visa that allows me to look for work while in Turkey and then apply for a work permit while I am in Turkey to avoid coming back to SA to do the whole work permit application.
I have a few interviews lined up for May, so My intention is to stay in Turkey for about 6 months looking for work, obviuosly if I do find work . i will live there.
See ive been to Turkey twice last year for many interviews , but the problem is companies wanted me to start within three weeks, but i could not, due to me not having a work permit and me coming back to SA and applying for a work permit would take much longer so I had to decline those offers.
What is the best approach and advice you can offer me with respect to my situation.
Best Regards
Anwar
Hi Anwar. Thanks for getting in touch. I am afraid I’m not really an expert on work visas.
The general way work visas work is that you need to apply for a work visa from your country of residency once you have an offer of employment in the country you are trying to go to.
I have checked the Turkish Embassy’s website and they say that you can only apply for a work visa once you have a signed offer of employment. Read more here: http://www.pretoria.emb.mfa.gov.tr/ConsularServices.aspx?ID=6
The way most of these situations work, to my knowledge, is that the employers writes you an offer of employment with a clause “pending approval of a work permit/visa by X date, if no visa has been granted by this date, this contract is voided”
Perhaps get in touch with an emmigration lawyer for help too.
Hi there, I’ve got a curved ball for you. My wife and I wish to travel into Turkey for a period not exceeding 30 day s via Motor-home. Would you know whether this is possible even though we would not have any accommodation nor return air ticket to prove when we intend to exit?.
Hi Ron! Thanks for getting in touch. That really is a curved ball!
To be safe you can get a 3 month visa for about R485 per person prior to departure, the requirements are as follows:
*Application form
*Valid passport (valid at least six months from the date of application).
*One photograph.
*Return flight ticket (original or photocopy).
*Itinerary from travel agent.
*Proof of sufficient funds for the stay (Travellers cheques, etc.).
*Letter from bank stating available balance in bank account and the bank statements as of the last 3 months.
*Hotel accommodation information.
*The invitation letter and the “Document of Commitment” signed by the inviter in Turkey which should be issued by the Turkish Public Notaries.
*If the applicant is an employee, confirmation of employment by his/her employer.
*If the applicant is self-employed, the company registration documents and a letter from the Chamber of *Commerce/Industry where it is registered.
*Police clearance on criminal records (if required by the Embassy).
I would suggest discussing your plans with the Turkish Embassy for their best advice possible. They may make an exception if you have more than enough funds for the duration if your trip. They may also accept proof of renting the motor home as proof of accommodation. You can reach them on (012) 342-6053/ 54
As a little PS, when I went to Turkey a couple of years ago they didn’t even ask me for proof of accommodation when I entered, even though it was a requirement. Not sure if this is always the case though, so best to be safe!
I am going on a cruise next month and will be in Instanbul on board the ship overnight and also visiting another port in Turkey. Will I be required to obtain a visa beforehand?
Hi Anne, thanks for getting in touch. South African passport holders get a visa free of charge on arrival in Turkey. Just make sure you have a visa for any non-Turkish destinations/waters you may be in during the trip – if in fact you will be anywhere else but Turkey.
Hi Nick ,
I am going to Turkey for abt 4 nights . Any suggestions on where to stay in Istanbul with reasonable facilities ?
Hi Niran, thanks for getting in touch. Istanbul is very geared up for tourism so there are plenty of hotels to choose form. I would suggest staying in the Sultanahmet area of Istanbul. Click here to see where that is: http://bit.ly/I2SkD9 . It is the old town but so it’s very central to all the tourism sights, bars and restaurants. There are also very good tram links to the rest of the city, should you need them. For example on this link: http://bit.ly/HWKonI it would be the area the hotels numbered 18, 4, 14, 2 & 1.
Click “Show Map” at the top of the page, basically it’s the hotels at the right hand side of the map which are best located, in my opinion.
When I went there, we arrived at Bodrum, I ws told to get my bags and go with a policeman. We went to the police station at the airport, I had to fill in a form stating reasons for my visit etc. My passport was chapped with a 30 day Visa – no charge. I must admit that I felt uncomfortable with all the armed police around, I have not been living in SA for a long time now and am not used to this anymore.
Hi Nick
Thanks for all your info thus far.
Just a quick question. We will be landing in Istanbul at the end of July for a 12 hour stop-over, and would like to make the most of these hours that we will be in the country (morning to evening). Any suggestions? I realise that we will need to take traffic into account, but any suggestions would be appreciated.
Regards.
Hi Renee!
Sounds great! You can definitely do a city tour in 12 hours. I believe that Turkish Airlines may still be providing transit passengers with free city tours. It may be worth finding out more about that at check-in. Alternatively you can catch a taxi or bus into town. For more info on what transport to catch, check here: http://www.ataturkairport.com/TR_EN_ist/index_en.html
Hi Nick, My mate and I are planning a 10 day holiday in Europe, we using Turkey as our entry and exit. We were planning to see Prague, Amsterdam and Barcelona, can you give me some advise regarding the Eurostar and its various routings together with some travel tips…Thanks.
Hi Claude,
Thanks for getting in touch. Turkey doesn’t count as Europe as such, it’s not part of the EU or the Schengen states.
You will need to do one of the following:
1. decide on and book accommodation in each place you will be in Europe for the duration of your stay, you will also need to prebook the transport between the different points
2. book a Europe tour through a reputable tour company like Contiki
3. get an invitation from a friend in Europe, in which case your flight tickets will need to enter and exit through that country
The Eurostar train connects London with Paris and Brussels, so it won’t go to Prague, Amsterdam and Barcelona. I would suggest buying a Eurail pass from someone like http://www.raileurope.co.za/ for your travel within Europe.