Turkey visa question (Bonnie, please can you help?)

As we were just double-checking all our travel stuff for our upcoming August 20th cruise on Azamara Quest the following question arose:

Do we need a second single-entry visa for leaving Quest at the end of the cruise in Istanbul?

Istanbul, Turkey, is both, our port of embarkation and disembarkation.

One of us needs a visa for Turkey and we got a single entry eVisa for Turkey.

The Azamara link to travel documents is very (!) dated - October 12, 2010 - as the current Turkish visa regulations started April 2014.

http://media.azamaracruises.com/azamara/content/en_US/pdf/travel_documents/Visa_Information_11-18-10_rev.pdf

Celebrity Cruises UK is up to date (!), and it APPEARS, we might need two single entry eVisa (or a multiple entry visa).

http://www.celebritycruises.co.uk/manage-my-booking/important-sailing-information/visa-information/

Turkey (Updated Jan 2014)

Intransit cruise guests do not require a visa for Turkey. Guests flying into Turkey to embark a vessel may obtain a visa upon arrival at the airport. UK guests disembarking in Turkey will be able to secure a visa onboard the vessel at a fee of less than $50 per guest. The above arrangements for visa on arrival at a Turkish airport or onboard our ships will cease to be available from 10th April 2014. (Please see below)

Update for cruises departing on or after 10th April 2014

Guests who visit a port of call in Turkey during their cruise, will not need to obtain a visa in advance of the cruise, as long as the ship is not staying in port for longer than 72 hours and they are only visiting the local area and returning to the ship on the same day.

Guests who are boarding a cruise that starts in Turkey, or are disembarking a cruise that finishes in Turkey, MUST obtain a visa in advance of leaving home for their holiday.

The visa can be obtained by visiting the following website, where a full FAQ is available.

https://www.evisa.gov.tr/en/

Can anyone (Bonnie?) help?

Many thanks.

I am on Quest on the cruise after yours. We also embark and disembark in Istanbul.

My understanding is that the visa we obtained electronically will be ok to present to the immigration authorities at both the beginning and end of our cruise as it is valid for 90 days.

Hope this helps

I am on Quest on the cruise after yours. We also embark and disembark in Istanbul.

 

My understanding is that the visa we obtained electronically will be ok to present to the immigration authorities at both the beginning and end of our cruise as it is valid for 90 days.

 

Hope this helps

It is valid for 90 days to enter Turkey (once entered, the visa is done), but on disembarkation you enter Turkey a second time.

By using Google we found out that it is most likely one needs a second single entry visa now.

But before buying a second eVisa we hope to have a response (Azamara?) here.

It appears that if you are getting off the ship & leaving w/i 72 hours, no visa is needed.

see:

https://www.evisa.gov.tr/en/info/

Do I need an e-Visa if I am on a cruise ship?

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.

It appears that if you are getting off the ship & leaving w/i 72 hours, no visa is needed.

 

see:

 

https://www.evisa.gov.tr/en/info/

 

 

Do I need an e-Visa if I am on a cruise ship?

 

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.

Yes, but your answer does not quite cover our question.

Our entire cruise starts and ends in Istanbul, Istanbul is not just a port of call.

We arrive by air in Istanbul, stay at a hotel, board Azamara Quest for a 12 days cruise, arrive back in Istanbul, stay again at a hotel and fly back home.

Yes, but your answer does not quite cover our question.

Our entire cruise starts and ends in Istanbul, Istanbul is not just a port of call.

We arrive by air in Istanbul, stay at a hotel, board Azamara Quest for a 12 days cruise, arrive back in Istanbul, stay again at a hotel and fly back home.

I understand your reasoning carpecruising but this seems totally illogical. It means that anyone visiting Turkey for a land vacation requires two visas.

However I will speak to my travel agent and report back but because the visa is obtained electronically in the worst case scenario a second one could be organised while on Quest

if you got e-visa (online, official Turkish govt. website), take a look upper right side box. ours says 'multiple entry' - I don't remember having to choose multiple entry vs. single entry, so perhaps all are multiple entry visas, valid for 90 days, but that's the wording you're looking for.

if you hold a German passport, it seems that you are exempt.

No such luck for UK passport holders :mad:

https://www.evisa.gov.tr/

When you return to Istanbul:

(A) If you fly out within 72 hours of the ship's arrival, it appears no visa is needed.

(B) If your stay exceeds 72 hours, it appears that you'll need a second visa.

I was told by our travel agent that as we fly into Turkey to join a ship we would require a visa, however looking on the web site for Turkish Visas it would appear that all visas for UK citizens are multiple entry and are valid for 180 day but then 90 days from first entry.

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We had this in May/June on a b-2-b when we had 2 Turkish ports immediately followed by almost 3 days in Istanbul which was the turnaround port. There was a little clarification needed because of this. For b2bers continuing, we were just below the 72 hours in Istanbul and did not need a visa despite having two Turkish ports in addition.

UK passport holders are automatically issued with a 180 day multiple entry e-visa which allows visits/stays of up to 90 days in that 180 day period. The 90 days do not need to be used all at once but can be used on several visits as long as the total stay of all visits is not more than 90 days in that period.

Cruise pax who both arrive AND depart by cruise ship do not require visas, but if arriving and/or departing (embarking or disembarking) in addition to being on a cruiseship , then a visa IS required. Flying into or out of Turkey means that depending on nationality a visa (or visas) will definitely be required.

A single entry visa will usually be just that. A one time entry and departure. If the itinerary visits other countries between leaving Turkey and arriving back in to Turkey then a second single entry may be required.

As the visa requirements depend on nationality and not simply country of residence and as the OP has not stated the nationality, he/she will need to check with Turkish authorities. The e-visa website should probably be the first place to check; any queries, there should be e-mail contact info, or a Turkish Embassy or Consulate where he/she is living.

Hope that helps clarify some things.

As we were just double-checking all our travel stuff for our upcoming August 20th cruise on Azamara Quest the following question arose:

Do we need a second single-entry visa for leaving Quest at the end of the cruise in Istanbul?

 

Istanbul, Turkey, is both, our port of embarkation and disembarkation.

One of us needs a visa for Turkey and we got a single entry eVisa for Turkey.

Can anyone (Bonnie?) help?

Many thanks.

Go to the Turkish government evisa page and plug in the country for which you hold a passport. When you press continue, the rules for your country will appear. BTW, if you hold a German passport, you do not need a visa at all for Turkey.

Hello All,

We investigated your inquiry with our tourism partners in Turkey and they have advised the following =

Your guest seem to be UK citizen / European - Please be informed that Uk citizen needs visa for Turkey and they can take e visa from the web link. When UK citizen has e-visa this visa is valid for Multiple entry for 3 months.

This Multiple or single entry can changeable with nationalities.

I hope this helps, basically we recommend you check your specific needs based on your citizenship and process a e visa for Turkey.

Thank you, have a wonderful holiday.

Joel.

Hello All,

 

We investigated your inquiry with our tourism partners in Turkey and they have advised the following =

 

Your guest seem to be UK citizen / European - Please be informed that Uk citizen needs visa for Turkey and they can take e visa from the web link. When UK citizen has e-visa this visa is valid for Multiple entry for 3 months.

This Multiple or single entry can changeable with nationalities.

 

I hope this helps, basically we recommend you check your specific needs based on your citizenship and process a e visa for Turkey.

 

Thank you, have a wonderful holiday.

 

Joel.

If you are posting as an official Azamara representative then please get your facts right.

For UK nationals, the E-visa is not "valid for Multiple entry for 3 months" - it's valid for multiple entry for 180 days.

The 3 months (well, 90 days) refers to maximum stay though I don't know if that is 90 days out of the 180 days maximum or if one could leave after 90 days and then re-enter for the remaining period up to 180 days. The Turkish govt website doesn't make that clear.

From the Turkish Consulate London website:

According to the general visa (for touristic purposes) rules, British passport holders have the right to stay 90 days in 180 days. The day you enter Turkey (not the day you get visa) is the first day of the period of 180 days which means your right to stay 90 days duly starts on the day you enter Turkey.

My understanding is that, in the past, people who wanted to stay longer on tourist visas (which were not really appropriate for longer term residents) would exit Turkey for a day or two then re-enter. The new system is to discourage that and to get them to apply for residence permits. It should also mean no more lines to pay for visas on arrival at the airport.