Turkey Visa in 4 Days: Apply Turkey Tourist Visa from India, UAE, Pakistan

In a simpler and easier world, everybody would probably have the privilege to just catch a flight to Turkey without ever worrying about getting a visa. Or maybe just get a Turkey electronic visa with the click of a few buttons from the comfort of your home.

But that is not the case, right? So some of us need a Turkey tourist visa to visit this beautiful nation.

In this article, I would outline the Turkey visit visa application process. I myself applied for the Turkey tourist visa from India with a single entry and got it in 4 days.

So while it might be very relevant if you are looking for info on Turkey visa for Indians, you could follow the same process if you are applying for a Turkey visa from Dubai or Pakistan or any other place in the world.

But before jumping to the application process, let’s see why you should visit Turkey in the first place.

What to See in Turkey?

Turkey is that sweet spot of intersection where everything from the east and the west amalgamate, starting from food, flavours, cultures, religions to history and people.

It is an insanely beautiful country with its baazars, quaint fishing villages, pristine coastline, Ottoman palaces, fairy-tale Cappadocia and a lot more.

There are so many thngs to do in Turkey that it would be a never-ending list.

Do You Need a Tourist Visa for Turkey? Or an eVisa?

It is important to know that if you qualify for a Turkey electronic visa for tourism, you can go and apply for it. It is faster and cheaper.

However, citizens of some countries can get the eVisa for Turkey only for 30 days or only if they have a valid Schengen/UK/US/Ireland visa or residence.

So if you qualify for a 30-day electronic visa but you want to stay in Turkey longer, then you would need to apply for the Turkey Sticker Visa like me.

Turkey Visa Application Process & Requirements in a Glance

Here is the procedure to apply for Turkey tourist visa, and the requirements and everything else that you need to know about.

Step 1: Find out where to Apply Turkey Visa?

Depending on where you are, and your citizenship, you can apply for the Turkey visit visa through a Turkish embassy or through an approved agency that would process your application and send the documents to the embassy.

Turkey Visit Visa Application through Embassy

In some countries like the United States, the UK, Sri Lanka etc. , you can get an appointment in the Turkish embassy directly by providing the details of your travel, and upload the documents directly.

If you apply through the embassy, you would need to fill it in through the Pre-Application System of Turkish Sticker Visa on consular website of Turkey.

https://www.konsolosluk.gov.tr/Visa

After that, you would need to upload the documents and submit the application.

Following this, the applicants should apply to the Turkish Missions to complete the procedures including submission of their visa application forms duly signed and their passports as well as original copies of the application documents that have been already uploaded on the system.

Turkey Visa Application Process through Agency

In some countries like India, UAE etc., you would need to apply through an approved agency. Turkey Visit Visa from Pakistan can also only be applied through an official agency.

In my case, since I was applying from India, I had to apply through an agency called Gateway Global (which is nothing but VFS Global).

When applying through the Turkey visa agency, it is important to choose the Turkey consulate that would process your application.

In India, for example, Turkey has 3 consulates. You would need to choose the one that serves the jurisdiction where you live and your passport must be registered in that jurisdiction.

If your passport wasn’t not issued in the jurisdiction areas of the Consulate General where you are applying, local address proof must be submitted. (Only registered leave and license agreement copy or registered agreement copy).

Step 2: Find the Turkey Tourist Visa Requirements

In order to apply for a Turkey visit visa, you need to submit the following mandatory documents.

This is the same no matter which country you choose for the visa. And then depending on your situation, you might need to submit extra documents as well.

Turkey Visa Application Form

You can download the Turkey visa application form here.

Insurance for Turkey Tourist Visa

All applicants are required to have medical insurance that will be valid during their stay in Turkey.

• It should fulfill requirements.(Medical Evacuation and repatriation expenses/Personal accidental death/Personal liability/Daily allowance in hospitalization cases)
• This insurance should cover the insured for a minimum of Euro 30000

I got the Saftey Wing travel insurance and I would definitely recommend it. It also covers passport loss, flight interruptions, and many other things.

Biometric Photo for Turkey Visa

You would need to provide 2 Biometric Photos with a white background that was taken within the last 6 months, depicting the full face including ears and all hair, clearly and completely visible without shadow.

It should be of 2.5inch x 2.5inch size in India, but the size varies in other countries.

Proof of Income

As proof of income, you need to submit the bank statements for the last 3 months.

In the case of a Turkey tourist visa from India, you would need to submit the bank statements that should have the bank seal and signatures.

In India, the bank statements should be sealed and signed. The bank balance should be 1 lakh per person.

I provided the bank statements from HDFC bank for the last 3 months, after getting them sealed and signed at the bank.

Flight Reservation

For applying Turkey tourist visa, you don’t have to book flight tickets. You can simply do a reservation and provide it. Here is how to get flight itinerary for visa.

I made a reservation through Orbitz and canceled it later.

However, when I actually went to the agency, they simply asked me to sign an undertaking that I would be making flight reservations and booking hotel. In any case, I still recommend providing it.

Hotel Booking or Invitation

You would need to provide the hotel booking for your visit to Turkey.

I made the refundable reservations through booking.com and provided them.

Turkey Visa Cover Letter

I wrote a cover letter for Turkey tourist visa explaining the reason I wanted to travel to Turkey, the places I wanted to visit, the date of arrival and the date I planned to leave. I also mentioned that I was traveling with my wife.

Original Leave Letter

You need to submit a leave letter

• from your employer if you are employed. This should have the company seal and signature. They are very strict about this.
• on a personal business letter head if you are self-employed woth the company seal and signature.

In my case, I provided them with a leave letter from my employer for the duration of my visit.

Salary Slips

I submitted the payslips for the last 3 months as the employment proof.

If you are a freelancer, you can provide contract documents & leave/cover letter as applicable.

If you are retired, you need to provide the retirement documents & income proof (original or copies attested).

Income Tax Return

I was also asked to provide the ITR (Income Tax Return) for the last two years.

Step 3: Get an Appointment & Submit Documents

In my case since I was applying through VFS Global, the only approved Turkey visa agency in India, I needed to get an appointment in the VFS Global office.

I lived in Bangalore and applied through the Gateway Globe/VFS Global Bangalore. In order to get an appointment, you can email them with your passport number and name.

When I applied, the Gateway Turkey Visa center in Bangalore functioned only 3 days a week, while the one in Mumbai was open everyday. So depending on where you apply, you would need to get an appointment.

Step 4 : Submit Documents at Gateway Turkey Visa Center

On the day of my appointment, I showed up on time with all my documents. If you have been to VFS centers in the past to apply any visas, know that they are pretty strict about the timing, entry and documents etc.

When you arrive at the Turkey Visa Application Center, you can get a token and wait for your turn. Your token number is called to submit your visa application at the submission counter. 

While for me, everything was in order, the leave letter from my employer didn’t have the seal and signature since I had simply taken an e-letter and printed it out. They told me that they couldn’t submit my application with the one I provided.

So I had to leave and get another appointment for the next week.

The next time, I had the leave letter with the company seal and authorized signature, but somehow, I forgot to mention to address the cover letter to the consulate of Mumbai.

So, I had to rewrite the letter in an internet cafe in front of the VFS Global Bangalore, print it out and sign it.

You also have to provide the biometrics for Turkey visa in the center.

How Much is Turkey Visa?

The Single Entry Turkey Tourist visa costs close to 60 USD, while the Turkey visit visa with multiple entries would cost you the equivalent of 190 USD.

Here is what Turkey visas cost in India as of now.

VISA TYPES	PRICE
Single Entry Turkey Tourist Visa Fees	4.555,00 INR
Multiple Entry Tourist Visa Fees	14.410 INR

However, when you apply through an agnecy, i.e., Gateway Globe Turkey visa center, you also would need to pay the service fees for the ganecy which varies depending on where you are applying.

VFS Global Premium Lounge

Gateway Globe( VFS Global) had a preium lounge service that promised the sun and the moon and more. However, the reality was very different at their office.

Here is a screenshot to show you what all they promise.

Since, my plan was to travel after 3 weeks and I had already applied for the leaves. Since I almost lost a week to get the company seal for the leave letter and then get another appointment, I decided to take the premium service.

The only thing I got out of this was the expedited application processing and courier service. No snacks. Couldn’t even print out any documents there.

If you take premium services in some other country, your experience might be a ittle different. This was my experince.

Payment for Turkey Visa

I paid the fees for Turkey visit visa in the VFS Global counter through cash. In most of the Turkey visa agencies, they accept payment through cash.

However, in case you apply the visa through Turkey embassy, you might be able to pay through a credit card or debit card or other forms of payment, depending on the country you are applying from.

After paying the fees, I left my original passport with them.

Turkey Tourist Visa Interview

If you apply Turkey visit visa from India, like me, there is no need to appear in any interviews. If your documents are in order, everything will be fine.

In case a document is missing or they need any extra documents, you will be contacted to email the same.

Turkey Tourist Visa Processing Time

If you are thinking about how long does Turkey visa takes, then note that it can take anywhere between 5-10 business days depending on where you are applying from.

In India, it can take a week or a little more.

In my case, I got it in 4 business days through the courier service. The passport came with the visa stamped in it. You can also go and collect the passport at the VFS center.

Turkey Tourist Visa from India

The good news is that getting a Turkey visa for Indians is definitely not as hard as getting a Schengen Visa from India or a US B1B2 visit visa for that matter.

Turkey Visa Requirements in India

As I have mentioned earlier, if you are applying for Turkey tourist visa from India, you would need to provide the following documents:

• Travel insurance
• Self-attested Turkey visa application form
• 2 photos- 2.5X2.5 inches
• Hotel & Flight reservation
• Cover letter
• Salary slips, leave letter( with seal and signature)
• Bank statements for the last 3 months showing a balance of at least 1 lakh( with seal and signature)

Turkey Visa Application Tracking India

Since the Turkey visa processing time is somewhat close to a week, you don’t really need to track the application or anything. Although the website of Gateway Globe mentions application tracking, there is no real way to do it.

You could email them asking the application status if it takes too long and then they will check with teh mabssy and email you back.

See what I am talking about.

How to Apply Turkey Visa from Dubai?

In order to get the Turkey visa from Dubai or UAE, you need to apply through the Gateway Management Logistics VFS Global.

Gateway Management Logistics VFS Global,
WAFI Mall Level 3, Falcon, Phase 2, Umm Hurair 2, Dubai 114100, UAE  
Phone number- 97142055720
Email: uae@gateway.com.tr 

All the documents need to be in English or Turkish. Documentation that is any other language should be translated prior to the visa application.

Requirements for Turkey Tourist Visa from Dubai

You would need to provide the following documents for Turkey visa in Dubai:

• Self-attested Turkey visa application form
• 2 biometric photographs of 5X6CM, with white background, shot in the last 6 months without hat, cap, headgear.
• Hotel & Flight reservation( no need to confirm)
• Travel insurance

Valid Residence Permit

To apply for Turkey visa from Dubai, you need to provide a valid resident permit for at least 6 months. You need to provide a photocopy of your residence permit, visa, and Emirates ID Copy.

Employment Documents

If employed, you need to provide

• original guarantee letter from the company that has the start date of employment, vacation days, salary details etc.
• documentation with original-wet dignature and official stamp that proves that you will return to UAE

Bank Statements

You have to provide a personal bank account summary for the last 3 months, with the original signature and stamp. The last date of transaction must be 10 days old at the latest.

Turkey Visa Cost from Dubai

The Turkey tourist visa with single entry costs 225AED in UAE. And the Turkey visa fee from Dubai for the double-entry visa costs 450 AED, while the one with multiple entries costs 700 AED.

Turkey Visit Visa from Pakistan

If you apply for a Tourist visa for Turkey from Pakistan, you would need to go through an officially approved agency.

There is only one agency in Pakistan that can process your visa application for Turkey. It is called Anatolia Travel Services Pvt Ltd.

Turkey Visa Agency in Pakistan

Anatolia Travel Services Pvt Ltd has centers in Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Sialkot, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, and Hyderabad.

Email : info@anatoliatravelservices.com

Website : https://www.anatoliatravelservices.com/en/contact-us.html

Requirements for Turkey Tourist Visa from Pakistan

Please do not purchase comfirmed Air ticket and Hotel to apply for Turkey visa untill you get the visa.

You would need to provide the following documents:

• Travel insurance
• Self-attested Turkey visa application form
• 2 biometric photographs of 5X5CM, with white background, shot in the last 6 months without hat, cap, headgear(80% face – 20% body)
• Hotel & Flight reservation( no need to confirm)
• Financial documents that show sufficient funds available for the planned trip (Bank statements of last 3 months and not older than 10 days from the date of submission, and dully signed and stamped from the bank) , savings etc.
• Family registration certificate or marriage registration certificate (if newly married) from NADRA office
• Cover letter
• Undertaking

Documents related to employment

• If applicant is a freelancer, recent contracts signed by company and himself/herself.
• In case applicant is an employee, a statement undersigned by employer (with name/surname and contact number) mentioning title, salary, duration of the employment on a company letterhead, paper along with last 3 months’ salary slips and type of payments (cash, bank deposits etc.).
• If the applicant is a student, bonafide letter confirming the enrollment by educational instutuion is required.
• If the applicant is a business owner, supporting documents proving ownership, as well as official documents showing the company’s financial standing.

During submission of visa application, Punjab, Sindh, and Balochistan resident applicants will be given an interview form to be filled manually (only applicable for )

Make sure to download the checklist for the requirements before you visit.

Payment of Turkey Visa Fees in Pakistan

Here are the Turkey Tourist Visa costs in Pakistan.

You can pay the visa fee in cash in Pakistani Rupees (PKR).

Apart from this, you also need to pay the service fees for Anatolia Travel Services LTD, which come up to 8000 PKR for normal service and 15000 PKR for VIP application.

Turkey Visa Processing Time in Pakistan

Turkey Embassy / Consulates normally takes 2-3 weeks for the visa application process from the date of submission of application at Anatolia Visa Application Centers in Pakistan.

However, in peak seasons, it can take 4-6 weeks.

You should apply for the visa at least 4 weeks before your travel date.

Passport Collection with Turkey Visa in Pakistan

An applicant or the applicant’s blood relation can collect the passport with a Turkey visa, by providing the original payment receipt, a copy of the applicant’s CNIC, and other documents as required.