Visa for Turkey

[littlepaw54]

Hi all, this is for Canadian passport holders…we're on the Celebrity Equinox cruise August, 2014…have been advised by travel agent and Celebrity that i need a visa for Euphesus…Celebrity said that if i don't take their excursion, I need a visa, but if i take their tour i don't….called the Turkish consulate and they stated that cruisers whose trip doesn't originate or end in Turkey, do not need visas as long as they're not there longer than 72 hours…have any of you had any experience with this…not impressed with the Celebrity answer.

[vedettes1]

When we disembarked at Istanbul in 2012 I don't believe there were any Turkish authorities around at all. I know that Americans did not need a visa and I imagine the same would be true of Canadians.

[steamboats]

Although I´m a EU citizen and don´t need a visa for Turkey anyway... the embassy is totally right! In Izmir they had a card you needed to fill in and return by the time you return to the ship. In Kusadasi they had nothing at all. There was no passport control leaving the ship (or returning to the ship). I´ve been there last in November.

 

steamboats

[voyager70]

Although I´m a EU citizen and don´t need a visa for Turkey anyway... the embassy is totally right! In Izmir they had a card you needed to fill in and return by the time you return to the ship. In Kusadasi they had nothing at all. There was no passport control leaving the ship (or returning to the ship). I´ve been there last in November.

 

steamboats

 

 

This was my exact experience as well.

[Morgsmom]

thanks for posting this; Celebrity said the SAME thing to me when I asked about the Visa requirement. They said that we had to have a visa unless we went on their $$ tours.

[redtr6]

Just received this information from our TA the other day we sail on the Equinox on May 8th the visa's are $60 each.

 

Turkish Visa Requirements - Change

 

Turkish Authorities have changed the visa requirements for foreign nationals traveling to Turkey.

A Turkish Tourist Visa is now required for entry into Turkey. All guests traveling to Turkey must obtain an electronic visa (e-Visa) prior to their departure from their home city. The electronic (e-Visa) will replace the "sticker visa" previously issued at the border crossings.

To apply, simply log on to http://www.evisa.gov.tr and submit the requested information. Once the application is approved, you may make your payment online and download the e-Visa accordingly. The e-Visa must be carried with you at all times during your stay in Turkey.

More Information: changed the visa requirements for foreign nationals traveling to Turkey.

A Turkish Tourist Visa is now required for entry into Turkey. All guests traveling to Turkey must obtain an electronic visa (e-Visa) prior to their departure from their home city. The electronic (e-Visa) will replace the "sticker visa" previously issued at the border crossings.

To apply, simply log on to http://www.evisa.gov.tr and submit the requested information. Once the application is approved, you may make your payment online and download the e-Visa accordingly. The e-Visa must be carried with you at all times during your stay in Turkey.

 

More Information: http://travel.gc.ca/destinations/turkey

[Moonlitherial]

Oops, out of date info. Thanks redtr6 for the up to date answer.

Edited February 14, 2014 by Moonlitherial

[vedettes1]

I guess I am out of date also. $60 for a couple of days in Turkey?!

Edited February 14, 2014 by vedettes1

[swigso]

Hi

you don't need the visa if you are on a cruise ship

 

Do I need e-Visa if I am on a cruise trip? Go

 

You don’t need e-Visa, if you will not leave the ship.

You don’t need e-visa, if you only tour in the respective port city of Turkey (You will be given a permission by local border police authorities to enter Turkey).

You need e-Visa, if you want to tour beyond the respective port city of Turkey.

 

Here is the link

 

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

[brunello22]

Cruise ship passengers cruising in and out of a Turkish port within a single day do not require a tourist visa. This applies to multiple stops at multiple ports in Turkey.

 

Canadian and US citizens using a Canadian and US passport must get an e-visa if the purpose of the trip is pleasure, business or attending a meeting. This visa allows the holder to stay in Turkey for a maximum of ninety (90) days and is valid for multiple entries during that period.

Edited February 14, 2014 by brunello22

[jilly888]

Hi

you don't need the visa if you are on a cruise ship

 

Do I need e-Visa if I am on a cruise trip? Go

 

You don’t need e-Visa, if you will not leave the ship.

You don’t need e-visa, if you only tour in the respective port city of Turkey (You will be given a permission by local border police authorities to enter Turkey).

You need e-Visa, if you want to tour beyond the respective port city of Turkey.

 

Here is the link

 

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

 

This is the same information i was given to,but what if you go beyond the port (ephedus ) and are not going with the ships tour, do you need one then.? I know that you never needed one before but the rules changed in April.

[Majkman]

Okay, I am now even MORE confused.:eek:

 

We fly out of Chicago on June 19th. We land in Turkey on June 20th. We stay the night and then depart on the Equinox on June 21st. Do we need a visa?

 

 

Thank you and keep the seas calm and the ships safe,

 

Andy

[steamboats]

Andy,

 

The visa exemption is for cruise passengers on a shore stop only. So in your case you do need a visa.

 

jilly888,

 

As I said before, I´ve been to Kusadasi in November 2013 (so obviously past April 2013) and there were no controls at all. BTW I´ve been there in May 2013 on the Splendour of the Seas and no controls either.

 

steamboats

[jilly888]

Andy,

 

The visa exemption is for cruise passengers on a shore stop only. So in your case you do need a visa.

 

jilly888,

 

As I said before, I´ve been to Kusadasi in November 2013 (so obviously past April 2013) and there were no controls at all. BTW I´ve been there in May 2013 on the Splendour of the Seas and no controls either.

 

steamboats

 

Hi, I meant that the rules are changing this April,I read it in the paper, but still not sure if it will affect us going to Ephudus as it is about 20mins from the port and it only says you do not need one if you stay in the port area.

[TJW]

Andy

 

We were on the Connie "sailing from Istanbul" last October and required a visa. We arrived a few days early to see the Istanbul sites. I purchased the evisa over the internet, and brought copies with us, the visa was examined at IST when we landed and again when we boarded the ship.

 

The Turkish website indicates:

United States of America: Ordinary and official passport holders are required to have visa to enter Turkey. They can obtain three month-multiple entry visas from Turkish diplomatic representations abroad and also via the website http://www.evisa.gov.tr.

 

Terry

Edited February 15, 2014 by TJW

[Wiltonian]

Let's have a bit of pragmatism. Are Turkey going to risk losing all the tourist custom for people having to get a visa for just one call in Kusadasi in a Med cruise, when Ephesus is 20 minutes away? They don't have the infrastructure; they couldn't cope with the traffic of several cruise ships arriving on the same day. The locals who lost all their trade would revolt.

 

Not all countries treat people like LA airport immigration officers! :roll eyes:

 

Stuart

[TJW]

Below is from the U.S. Embassy website (faq) in Ankara, Turkey:

 

I WILL BE VISITING TURKEY ON A CRUISE SHIP. DO I NEED TO GET A VISA?

 

While you do need to have a passport when traveling overseas, special arrangements are made by the large cruise ship lines to facilitate their passengers’ shore excursions. These special arrangements allow cruise ship passengers to come ashore without a visa for day visits.Please check with your cruise line for details of their arrangement.

 

You may visit Turkey on a day trip from your cruise ship without carrying your passport ashore. You may want to carry a photocopy of your passport with you when your passport is being kept for safekeeping by the cruise lines, however.

 

MY note - there is a distinction between a cruise sailing from Istanbul vs. a shore excursion in Turkey

Edited February 15, 2014 by TJW

[steamboats]

it only says you do not need one if you stay in the port area.

 

So once you´ve left the port do you think they will check on your visa??? And who do you think will check?

 

BTW Terry stated that they had an evisa for their pre-cruise stay in Instanbul. So it has already changed. The change is from stamp/sticker at the airport to evisa bought online in advance.

 

steamboats

[vedettes1]

When you arrive in Turkey on a cruise ship I am nearly certain that you have a visa - you just don't know it. The cruise line has gotten them for every passenger. They don't give them to you because all Turkey wants is a list of people who may be entering. They do not expect you to stay in the port as such. On the contrary, they want you to come ashore and spend money on tours, food, souvenirs etc. In Kusadesi of course you can go to Ephesus - that's the only reason the cruise stops there!

 

If your cruise starts in Turkey, you have to get your own visa in advance because you will be arriving at an airport or border crossing on your own, not on the ship.

[2552phxcrzr]

Hi, I meant that the rules are changing this April,I read it in the paper, but still not sure if it will affect us going to Ephudus as it is about 20mins from the port and it only says you do not need one if you stay in the port area.

 

Ephesus is an archaeological site ... not a port. You will land in Kusadasi, which is the port.

[AE_Collector]

Start or stop cruise in any Turkish city and you need a visa. Visit (arrive and leave) any Turkish port via a cruise ship and you DO NOT need a visa. $20 each for US citizens and $60 each for Canadian citizens. Costs based on what your country charges Turkish citizens for similar visits.

[Math teacher]

My TA sent me a message stating that Visa requirements are changing in April and that the Visa ($20 pp) will be required. I would be upset if I were stuck on the ship for any port days. I am don't think I am willing to risk it. Better safe than sorry!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[RickT]

Here is a link that answers your question.

 

http://www.mfa.gov.tr/visa-information-for-foreigners.en.mfa

 

It seems that things changed in April 2013. We stopped at Kusadasi in 2012 and did not need a visa (we just got off the ship and roamed around the town/beaches as we had been their twice before). We also stopped at Kusadasi in 2010 and did not need a visa. We were first there in 2003 and did require a visa but that may have been because the cruise ended in Istanbul. So, seems the need a visa/don't need a visa rules can change quite a bit. If you review the details of the above link, Canadian definitely need a visa.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

Edited February 22, 2014 by RickT

[steamboats]

The only thing that has changed is that you now need an e-visa ahead of time instead of getting a stamp / sticker in your passport. But as said before this is only valid for people flying into Turkey and staying there (aka starting a cruise there).

 

For just a port visit there is an exemption of the visa requirements.

 

I´ve been to Kusadasi May 2013 and November 2013. In May I was accompanied by US friends and they did not have a visa. There were no passport controls at all.

 

steamboats