Turkey Guide
Red tape and visas
To enter Turkey you'll need a full passport, and a number of countries require visas, available only at the port of entry – do not pester Turkish embassies or consulates in your home country. Visas for citizens of the UK and Ireland cost £10/€15; US citizens are charged US$20; and Australians and New Zealanders pay US$5 for their visa. Citizens of Israel, Italy, Portugal and Spain currently also require visas to enter Turkey.
Note that while cashiers at much-frequented ports of entry, such as İstanbul's Atatürk airport, nonchalantly convert between different currencies (usually to your disadvantage) and give change for large notes, officials at less-used land or sea border crossings can be highly inflexible. For example, UK nationals may be required to pay in sterling only, and change for £20 notes will not be given.
Tourist visas are multiple entry and valid for three months from the date of issue – if you leave on a day-trip, for example to Greece, you should not have to pay for a new visa on re-entry. Most visitors are allowed to remain in Turkey for three months (South Africans, however, are given only one month); during this time it is forbidden to take up employment.
Once inside the country, you can extend your visa once only, for a further three months, by applying to the Foreigners' Department (YabancıBürosu) of the Security Division (Emniyet Müdürlüğü) in any provincial capital. Do this well before your time expires; it may take several weeks to process. If you know in advance that you want to stay longer, you should apply to the consulate in your own country for a long-stay visa. On arrival in Turkey, the YabancıBürosu will convert it to a residence permit (ikamet tezkeresi), valid initially for one year (two with a work permit). Further renewals will be for three or five years. In either case, you will be required to show means of support (savings, a regular income from abroad or legal work in Turkey) and relinquish your passport until the permit is issued. Many people still nip across to a Greek island, Bulgaria or Northern Cyprus every three months and re-enter Turkey to obtain a new three-month stamp, rather than go through the trouble of applying for a residence permit. Depending on the ports of entry/exit you may need to stay out of the country for at least 24 hours (Kaş– Meis is traditionally one of the more lenient, same-day-return crossings). Also, if the police have received a complaint that you are working, they may not readmit you.