Turkish visa requirements for Indian travellers is something that every wanderlust lover should know. After all, you should be absolutely aware about the legal process to visit another country.
I travelled from India to Turkey solo a while ago. I had the opportunity to spend enough time in this beautiful country. Hence, I would love to share my knowledge with fellow Indian travellers.
In the current blog, I would like to discuss all the essential Turkish visa requirements for Indian travellers. Don’t worry if this is your first trip. I am here to guide you well.
17 Critical Turkish Visa Requirements for Indian Travellers
Turkey is undoubtedly one of the hottest travel destinations amongst Indians owing to its rich culture and heritage. This is exactly why you should think in advance of all the requirements needed for visiting Turkey from India.
Being aware helps as a traveller. Right from knowing the visa requirements to the easiest and most comfortable places to get your money exchanged in Turkey, I have it all covered.
I’m mentioning the 17 most critical Turkish visa requirements for Indian travellers in the table below. I will also elaborate on each of these points after the table in detail for your understanding.
| 1. Understand the visa eligible for you based on the duration of your stay |
| 2. Know the exact visa type that you need as a traveller from India |
| 3. Arrange for the visa fee before you start applying |
| 4.Fill the e-Visa application form to the best of your knowledge |
| 5. Keep scanned copies of your passport handy |
| 6. Get 2 passport size pictures clicked |
| 7. Have at least two pages of your passport empty |
| 8. Salaried employees, procure a Leave Sanction Letter |
| 9. Self Employed folks, procure an Authorised Letter |
| 10. Established business people, establish proof of registration |
| 11. Bank statement for the previous 3 months needs to be submitted |
| 12. Bank account is expected to have a minimum of 1,00,000 INR |
| 13. Create a proper travel itinerary |
| 14. Travel insurance proof needs to be furnished |
| 15. Documents establishing proof of accommodation in Turkey are a must |
| 16. A copy of returned flight tickets is important |
| 17. Duly signed cover letter needed |
Turkish Travel Visa Checklist & Important Documents for Indians
The transcontinental country of Turkey boasts a perfect blend of European and Asian history. Trust me, you don’t want to miss out on such an incredible holiday destination just because your visa requirements weren’t fulfilled.
Therefore, I am here to guide you and help you understand the legit needs for your visit to Turkey.
1. As an Indian, understand the Turkish visa eligible for you based on the duration of your stay
Indian passport holders can apply for 2 types of visas for Turkey. You can apply for either of the visas depending upon the duration and the purpose of your stay at Turkey.
The 2 kinds of visas are the Short Stay Visa and the Long Stay Visa.
Short Stay Visa for Indians travelling to Turkey
A short stay visa to Turkey allows a traveller to stay for up to a maximum duration of 30 days at a time. Whether you are travelling as a tourist, for business purposes, medical treatments, for visiting friends or relatives of yours, it doesn’t matter.
What matters is that your stay should involve any kind of paid activities like working for someone or making somebody work for you as well.
Long Stay Visa for Indians travelling to Turkey
A long stay visa to Turkey allows the traveller to stay in at Turkey for a duration of more than 30 days. In such a case the traveller either goes for the purpose of pursuing higher education or gets paid for work at Turkey.
I stayed in Turkey for a long time. I’ve written an entire blog as to how to go backpacking in Turkey.
2.Know the exact Turkish visa type that you need as a traveller from India
As an Indian traveller, it is essential that you understand the type of visa needed for your trip. The Turkish Government grants 5 kinds of Turkish visa for Indians of visas to travellers. Let me share them below.
Tourist Visa
Any Indian planning to travel for the purpose of travelling, attending seminars, exhibitions, sports activities, business meetings or conferences, cultural or artistic activities should apply for a tourist visa.
Official Visa
It is generally assigned for duty or courier.
Education Visa
Any Indian travelling to Turkey for the purpose of internships, AISEC, education, learning Turkish language or ERASMUS internship must apply for the student or education visa.
Work Visa
Work visa is for those who are travelling for the purpose of employment or those who have been assigned as journalists, artists, sports persons, lecturers or free zone workers.
Other Visa
Other types of visas to Turkey include purposes like medical treatments and hence Medical Tourism, family unification, archaeological excavations, explorations, tour operator, and freight and seafarer visa.
3.Arrange for the Turkish visa fee before you start applying in India
Although the cost of Turkey Visa for Indian citizens totally depends on the visa category one is applying for, generally the Turkish visa fee for Indian citizens ranges between 4,300 INR to 13,900 INR.
Ideally a single entry Turkey Visa for an Indian traveller would cost around 3,940 INR and a multiple entry tourist visa for an Indian citizen would cost about 13,120 INR. Payment can be made via any debit or credit cards.
Keep this amount handy in your account before you sit and apply for the e-Visa form.
4.Fill the Turkish e-Visa application form to the best of your knowledge as an Indian
As an Indian traveller, either visit the official website for Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Turkish Government and fill your form there or apply for the visa through one of the centres established in 16 Indian cities.
I applied via VFS Global in Mumbai, and my entire experience was really comfortable. The staff there was very helpful and the entire visa application process was hassle-free.
By the way, the 16 Turkey Visa Application Centers in India are located in Mumbai, New Delhi, Jaipur, Goa, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Pune, Jalandhar, Kochi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Gurgaon, Trivandrum, Puducherry and Chandigarh.
5.Keep scanned copies of your Indian passport handy before applying for Turkish Visa
You will be required to submit 2 scanned copies of the front and back pages of your passport. Therefore, make sure you keep them handy.
6.Get 2 passport size pictures clicked before applying for Turkish Visa
2 recent passport sized photographs with a white background and without any border should be clicked before filling in the form. The image dimensions for these pictures should be 2.5” x 2.5”
7.Have at least two pages of your Indian passport empty before applying for Turkish Visa
Your passport must have at least 2 blank pages on both the sides for stamping of visa on your arrival at Turkey. You must also make sure that your passport is not expired. It must have a validity period of minimum 6 months from the date of arrival in Turkey.
8.Indian Salaried employees, procure a Leave Sanction Letter before availing a Turkish Visa
If you’re in a job, hence a salaried employee, you are required to submit an original copy of the Leave Sanction letter duly signed by the employer.
9.Indian Self Employed folks, procure an Authorised Letter before availing a Turkish Visa
In case you’re self-employed, a covering letter on your personal business letterhead with authorised signatory, name and designation with the company seal will be required.
If the covering letter is on the business letterhead, you will have to provide a copy of the original attested registration certificate.
10. Established Indian business people, get proof of registration before availing of a Turkish Visa
If you have your own business, whether as a sole proprietorship or partnership, you will be required to provide the Incorporation certificate/Memorandum of Association/Partnership deed/Proprietorship proof – whichever is applicable to you.
11.Bank statement for previous 3 months needs to be submitted by Indians applying for a Turkish Visa
Indian travellers heading to Turkey need to submit bank statements reflecting transactions made by them in the last 3 months with the original stamp and signature from the bank.
12.Bank accounts of Indians are expected to have a minimum of 1,00,000 INR before availing of a Turkish Visa
An important pre-requisite for the Visa application submission process for Indians travelling to Turkey is that the bank statement must reflect a minimum balance of Rupees 1 Lakh per applicant.
13. Create a proper travel itinerary for Turkey while in India
Create a proper travel itinerary before you visit Turkey because this will be needed as proof of your travel plan. When I was in Turkey, I explored a lot on my own and I’ve written extensively about my backpacking trip across Turkey. If you feel like it, have a look.
14. Travel insurance proof needs to be furnished before availing Turkish Visa
A copy of your travel insurance documents covering all your medical, evacuation as well as repatriation expenses. If you’re confused about the kind of travel insurance you should be availing, I insist, check out World Nomads. They provide a variety of schemes and have a flexible cover.
15. Documents establishing proof of accommodation in Turkey are a must for Indians
A copy of documents confirming your stay at the hotels must be submitted. So it is an absolute must that you book your stay beforehand and furnish the proof to the authorities.
16. A copy of returned flight tickets is important for availing Turkish Visa
A copy confirming that you have return tickets from Turkey is important. So, book your flights and keep a copy handy. The earlier you book, the better it is for you as a traveller.
17. Duly signed cover letter is needed for Indians in order to get a Turkish Visa
Lastly, you will be required to submit a cover letter that must bear the applicant’s details (name, designation, travel details, purpose or visit, passport details and duration of visit).
The cover letter must be addressed to the ‘Consulate General of Republic of Turkey’ and must be duly signed by an authorised signatory with a company stamp.
Procure only an e-Visa for Turkey from India
Now that I’ve explained all the 17 points, it needs to be shared with all of you that the only way to enter Turkey as an Indian traveller is to obtain an electronic visa or an E-visa.
Reason being, the ‘On Arrival Visa’ for Turkey has been abolished with effect from 10th April, 2014 for all Indian citizens.
So this clarity has got to be there. Only e-Visas are valid now and no visa on arrival (VOA) will be provided to you. This means that you need to procure the e-Visa for Turkey from India itself.
Commonly asked questions by Indian travellers seeking Turkish Visa
Even though I’ve explained all the points related to the Turkish visa requirements for Indian travellers in this blog, I still feel the need to address some of the very frequently asked questions.
| Can a travel agent submit the documents on my behalf?
Yes, absolutely you can apply for a turkey visa via travel agents. In this case the application is submitted by a travel agent along with Photo ID of him/her. |
| How many days prior to my travel should I apply for the visa?
You can ideally apply for your Turkey E-Visa any time before your travel. However, you are advised to create an e-Visa application at least 48 hours prior to your date of departure. |
| Can I get a visa on arrival for Turkey?
No, the visa on arrival for Turkey for Indian citizens has been abolished. The only way to enter Turkey being an Indian passport holder is to obtain an electronic visa or an e-visa. |
| Is it difficult for Indian citizens to get Turkey tourist visa?
Not at all. If the required documents are ready and represent a true and fair picture, it’s absolutely a hassle free process to obtain Turkey tourist visa for Indian citizens. |
| What is the validity of Turkish Visa?
The validity of Turkish visit visa is up to a maximum of 90 days for multiple stays in a 180 day period. |
| Is a Schengen visa held by Indian tourists valid for Turkey?
Turkey is not a part of the Schengen group and hence the Schengen visa held by any Indian tourist is not valid for Turkey. One must obtain an e-visa to enter Turkey. |
| What are the Turkish Visa Application Centers and where can I find them?
Turkey has opened its visa application centres in about 16 cities in India for Indian travellers as explained in the blog above. Let me re-share the list with you here as well – Mumbai, New Delhi, Jaipur, Goa, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Pune, Jalandhar, Kochi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Gurgaon, Trivandrum, Puducherry and Chandigarh. |
| What is the Turkish visa processing time?
The Turkey visa application processing takes about 3-4 working days from the day of your submission. However, if your documents are not complete, it might take a little longer than the prescribed duration. |
In case you still have queries or concerns regarding the Turkey visa application process that have not been addressed above, feel free to post them in the comments section at the end of the article.
I hope my blog helps you understand the Turkish visa requirements for Indian travellers. Turkey is a wonderful country that made my stay worthwhile. I hope it does the same for you too.
Happy wayfaring.