TURKEY – Visa-on-Arrival Program to be Substituted by New Electronic Visa System
The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that for those certain nationalities entering Turkey for business or tourism in which the visa-on-arrival program applies, a new electronic visa system will be implemented. After the traveler submits the required information, the electronic authorization will be processed within only a few minutes. It should be remembered that applicants will still have to apply for a visitor visa at the Turkish consulate within their country. The visa-on-arrival program will officially no longer exist as of April 10, 2014. Additional reforms announced include a special 3-day visa exemption for tourists who arrive at a sea port. It is still uncertain if the issuance of a 15-day visa-on-arrival in exceptional circumstances will be eliminated, or if it will only become more limited in its issuance.