US-Turkey Visa Spat Resolved, Turkey E-Visa Issuance Resumes

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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:

1. Visit Turkey's e-visa website here.
2. Enter "U.S.A." in the Country/Region box, select your Travel Document (defaults to a standard US passport) and complete the captcha challenge.
3. Enter your date of arrival in Turkey. You can only select a date three months in advance of the date you're applying.
4. Click Save and Continue.
5. Enter your name, date and place of birth, parents' names, passport number, passport issue and expiration dates, email address, phone number and physical address.
6. Verify your information in the pop-up box.
7. You'll be sent an email confirming your application. Click on the link in that email to continue.

1. 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.
2. Submit your payment.
3. After credit card verification, you should receive your e-visa decision immediately.

H/T: Sharper Travel