Istanbul - visa requirements for cruise passengers

But doing it in line is so quick and easy. I did both of ours in less than five minutes -- received instant email confirmation of the application and then the visa itself.

The above post should read "online" not inline -- but you clever CC people likely figured that out already. Must be that travel anticipation affects my typing -- in four days we will be back in wonderful Istanbul!!!

I had a cruise that ended in Turkey about 4 years ago, and the cruise line (Voyages of Discovery) arranged all the visa and included them in the bottom line cruise price.

Can't believe a cruise line could do it today faster or cheaper than you can do it yourself. A few weeks ago I paid $20.70 per E-visa.

Can't believe a cruise line could do it today faster or cheaper than you can do it yourself. A few weeks ago I paid $20.70 per E-visa.

Seabourn charges about $50 onboard. We did ours online and it was super easy. Make sure you use the correct site (noted earlier in this thread). I know of people who googled it and got an expediter site in England. I think it was legit but they charged a huge surcharge.

Re

According to the Law on Foreigners and International Protection which entered into force on 11th April 2014, those foreigners who arrive at sea ports and intend to visit the seaport city or nearby provinces for touristic purpose are exempt from visa provided that their stay does not exceed seventy two (72) hours.

Where does it say you have to leave by ship?

I was going to arrive by cruise ship and leave by air within 48 hrs. They ding us poor Canadians $60 USD which for a family of three puts Istanbul off the list

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According to the Law on Foreigners and International Protection which entered into force on 11th April 2014, those foreigners who arrive at sea ports and intend to visit the seaport city or nearby provinces for touristic purpose are exempt from visa provided that their stay does not exceed seventy two (72) hours.

 

Where does it say you have to leave by ship?

 

I was going to arrive by cruise ship and leave by air within 48 hrs. They ding us poor Canadians $60 USD which for a family of three puts Istanbul off the list

Everyone pays $20 each. Think thats not unreasonable.

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Everyone pays $20 each. Think thats not unreasonable.

Re

According to the Law on Foreigners and International Protection which entered into force on 11th April 2014, those foreigners who arrive at sea ports and intend to visit the seaport city or nearby provinces for touristic purpose are exempt from visa provided that their stay does not exceed seventy two (72) hours.

 

Where does it say you have to leave by ship?

ARTICLE 12 –

[…]

(2) Visa requirement for entry into Turkey may not be sought from those foreigners who:

[…]

b) arrive at seaports for the purpose of touristic visits to the port city or nearby cities, provided that their visit does not exceed seventy two hours.

So you are right, it doesn't say you have to exit by ship, in fact it doesn't say anything at all about exiting Turkey. It only talks about "entry into Turkey" and "arriv[al] at seaports". Maybe what they have in mind is that you have to enter and leave on the same ship (that is what the rule said explicitly, prior to 2014), but they didn't put that in the law.

So you can take your chances. It might be worth it to save $180. But get to the airport very early… If they absolutely insist you need visas to exit, I guess you can go online and purchase them right then and there (or they may make you pay the "on arrival" price, which is 70 $/ 50 € / 45 £ per person for Canadians).

You should also read this thread from last summer:

Turkey Visa for Cruise Ship Passengers

The OP of that thread wrote to the Turkish authorities asking for clarity, and they were told that "anyone flying in or out of Turkish airports needs a visa". That crucial bit of information appears nowhere on the e-visa website or in the law you mentioned, but it (reportedly) comes straight from the horse's mouth.

Our overnight call into Istanbul this month has been cancelled and we will now have two more Greek ports. I think most cruiselines will be cancelling Istanbul. They are still calling into other Turkish ports.

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