Great news, travelers! The US-Turkey visa spat that began in early October seems to now be fully resolved. The US embassy in Turkey announced Thursday morning a "Full Resumption of U.S. Visa Services in Turkey." Shortly thereafter, Turkey resumed e-visa services for Americans.
Before the spat began in October, Americans could get a $30 cash visa on arrival, or buy a Turkish visa for $20 before their trip using Turkey's online e-visa system. But in response to a halt by the US in issuing visas to Turkish citizens, Turkey's government blocked Americans from using the e-visa system.
This meant your only hope of visiting Turkey was to get a visa on arrival — as I was able to do a few weeks into the diplomatic crisis. But that loophole was shut down in mid-November.
With Americans blocked from both the e-visa system and visa on arrival, in order to get a Turkish visa, Americans needed to visit a Turkish embassy or consulate and declare themselves stateless, plus pay a hefty visa fee. That's not a choice many traveling Americans would want to make.
But now, the e-visa system is allowing US passport holders to apply once again. A Turkish multiple-entry visa costs just $20:
For Americans, this means a huge difference in the process you have to go through to get a Turkish visa. Here's a quick briefer on how to apply:
- Visit Turkey's e-visa website here.
- Enter "U.S.A." in the Country/Region box, select your Travel Document (defaults to a standard US passport) and complete the captcha challenge.
- Enter your date of arrival in Turkey. You can only select a date three months in advance of the date you're applying.
- Click Save and Continue.
- Enter your name, date and place of birth, parents' names, passport number, passport issue and expiration dates, email address, phone number and physical address.
- Verify your information in the pop-up box.
- You'll be sent an email confirming your application. Click on the link in that email to continue.
- Complete the $20.70 ($20 visa fee plus $0.70 service fee) payment. As visa issuance fees usually don't count as travel, we recommend using a card with a solid return on non-bonus spend such as the Blue Business®️ Plus Credit Card from American Express or Chase Freedom Unlimited.
- Submit your payment.
- After credit card verification, you should receive your e-visa decision immediately.
H/T: Sharper Travel
