Turkey to stop visa on arrival from October 28

The Republic of Turkey said it will discontinue the visa on arrival service from October 28, to a number of nationalities, including Indians. Visitors will need to take a visa before reaching Turkey as the e-visa kiosks at Istanbul airport will not generate visa from the last week of October.

Citizens from India, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives and a 100 other countries are eligible for e-visa, which needs to be obtained before you start the journey. Applicants can obtain e-visas after entering the required information for the application and making an online payment. A link to download the visa is the final step on the application. On entry to the country, the e-visa will be verified by passport control. However, it is advisable to carry a print out or soft copy on your phone/ tablet of the same, says the Republic of Turkey E-visa website.

The e-visa option applies only for when the purpose of travel is tourism or commerce. For other travel purposes such as study or work, visas will be issued by Turkish embassies or consulates.