Turkish visa

[merryecho]

While trying to figure out if we needed a visa for Turkey, as we will be arriving by ship and spending the night in a hotel before leaving the country, I found the Turkish embassy website states that visas are not necessary for US citizens staying less than 72 hours.

As SB is adamant that passengers without proper visas will not be able to board the ship, I emailed them to ask if they thought I needed a visa. Their reply was that "the Turkish government is very cooperative regarding visas".

 

Has anyone here gone ashore overnight in Istanbul without a visa?

 

I know we can buy them from Seabourn on board, or at the port, but I have read different reports of the cost being from $20 to $50 each, which I would prefer to spend elsewhere.

[joysav]

While trying to figure out if we needed a visa for Turkey, as we will be arriving by ship and spending the night in a hotel before leaving the country, I found the Turkish embassy website states that visas are not necessary for US citizens staying less than 72 hours.

As SB is adamant that passengers without proper visas will not be able to board the ship, I emailed them to ask if they thought I needed a visa. Their reply was that "the Turkish government is very cooperative regarding visas".

 

Has anyone here gone ashore overnight in Istanbul without a visa?

 

I know we can buy them from Seabourn on board, or at the port, but I have read different reports of the cost being from $20 to $50 each, which I would prefer to spend elsewhere.

 

I really am trying not to be offensive ,but you would run some form of risk to ruining an enjoyable holiday for $20 to $50 dollars. :eek:

 

I am Biteing my Fingers on this one.

Biting my Fingers

.

[Winner]

When you deplane in Instanbul you will be required to pay a visa fee of $20.00USD either before or after you pass through customs. It's either pay or return home.

[JaneBP]

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1261666&highlight=turkish+visas

[Keith1010]

merryecho, yes you will need a visa.

 

Anytime you stay on shore you need a visa. For example, if one is arriving to say Istanbul by ship and there is an overnight you do not need a visa. However, if you decided to say at a hotel rather than on the ship you would need a visa. The same is true if you fly to Turkey and embark the plane that day and the same is true if your cruise ends in Turkey and you fly home that day.

 

The easiest way is to just purchase it on board the ship with Seabourn. You can also purchase it at the Cruise Ship terminal. If it was me and Seabourn offers this, I would get it from them.

 

Keith

[merryecho]

Yes, I have read the past posts, but, according to the Turkish embassy, who I just called, these are NOT correct. They just confirmed what it says on their website, "US citizens DO NOT need a visa if they are staying in Turkey less than 72 hours". You just need to show them your plane ticket.

 

In light of the absolute opposite info on Jane BP's link (all given without reference as to where the info was obtained), and often given advice elsewhere here, I thought it was worth bringing up.

 

Joysav- one reason I don't want an unneeded visa is that I only have 2 pages left for visas, and most countries require an empty page. I hope to make it to renewal next year without having to send it in to add more pages again.

 

And according to the best information I can find, Seabourn charges $50 each for them. Why would I spend $100 if I don't need to? Finally, if NO one staying less than 72 hours needs one, this information could save CC members a lot of money.

 

So, back to my OP- has anyone here tried to go ashore overnight without a visa?

[Keith1010]

Yes, I have read the past posts, but, according to the Turkish embassy, who I just called, these are NOT correct. They just confirmed what it says on their website, "US citizens DO NOT need a visa if they are staying in Turkey less than 72 hours". You just need to show them your plane ticket.

 

In light of the absolute opposite info on Jane BP's link (all given without reference as to where the info was obtained), and often given advice elsewhere here, I thought it was worth bringing up.

 

Joysav- one reason I don't want an unneeded visa is that I only have 2 pages left for visas, and most countries require an empty page. I hope to make it to renewal next year without having to send it in to add more pages again.

 

And according to the best information I can find, Seabourn charges $50 each for them. Why would I spend $100 if I don't need to? Finally, if NO one staying less than 72 hours needs one, this information could save CC members a lot of money.

 

So, back to my OP- has anyone here tried to go ashore overnight without a visa?

 

I am not disputing what you are saying but have never heard of it.

 

I just checked the Visa Service that another cruise line uses and they show the ned to get this visa.

 

And I just checked the USA web site and this is what it says.

 

"ENTRY / EXIT REQUIREMENTS: You need a passport and visa to travel to Turkey. If you are traveling as a tourist, you can purchase a 90-day sticker visa at the port of entry for $20 (U.S.) cash. There is one exception: If you are arriving by cruise ship for a day trip to Turkey, you do not require a visa as long as you are not staying on shore overnight. For further information, travelers in the United States may contact the Embassy of the Republic of Turkey at 2525 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008, telephone: (202) 612-6700, or the Turkish Consulates General in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, or New York. Overseas, travelers may contact a Turkish Embassy or Consulate."

 

So, maybe what you have been told is a recent change.

 

Two suggestions:

 

1.Why don't you post your question on the Port Of Call Board for other European Boards to see if anyone has any recent experience with this.

 

Here is the URL.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=234

 

2. Have you contacted the Visa service that Seabourn uses to see what they have recommended to Seabourn for the cruise you are on.

 

Finally, if this was me I would not travel outside my country with only two blank visa pages in my passport. Rather than adding pages, you could easily get a new passport if your existing passport comes up next year. I am not sure how many countries you are visiting on this trip and how many times the passport will be stamped, but if one place stamps one page, another place stamps another page and there is a requirement for another stop that is a problem. I wish all of the stamps were done with thought but often they are not. I know we had to recently get a passport two years before its expiration because we've already added pages twice and hit the limit and wouldn't have needed to do this if those stamping them put more care into it.

 

Keith

[merryecho]

Yes Keith, I wrote because I had not heard of it either. This will be my 6th trip to Turkey, and I have always just paid the money and bought the visa.

 

I would hope the Turkish embassy is a more reliable source for Turkish visa requirements than a company that makes a profit from selling visas, or a cruise line that issues blanket policies. And I find the USA website info to be pretty general, and often not as up to date as it should be.

 

Thank you for the advice about renewing my passport. That did occur to me, but I have several trips planned so there is not a convenient time to be without mine in the near future.

I usually put a little plastic clip on the pages I want to keep clean, and it seems to work.

[wripro]

I would check with Seabourn about how much they will charge you for the visa. When i was aboard the Odyssey they wanted to charge $99 and there was practically a passenger revolt since you can normally get it for $20.

[Seabourn-nail]

I would check with Seabourn about how much they will charge you for the visa. When i was aboard the Odyssey they wanted to charge $99 and there was practically a passenger revolt since you can normally get it for $20.

Same for us... we just went ashore, took our passports with us and went to the police office ashore in Bodrum and paid € 15 or €20....!

Marja

[markham]

While it may be relatively easy to get a Turkish visa on the spot in many or all ports, the expense that follows will differ by the passenger's nationality. When I was last there by air, the airport authorities had 3 queues, one for US citizens that charged USD 90, one for Spanish and Dutch at a Euro price that I don't recall, and one for UK and many other nationalities at USD 20 as I remember. I suppose that this had to do with the expense that each of those countries charge Turkish citizens to enter them. That's the logic.

 

Happy sailing!

[merryecho]

Thanks Markham, another good reason to not buy one if you don't need one! I will give it a try on my August cruise, and report back.

[JaneBP]

Hope you are successful! Have heard bad things about Turkish prisons. <g>

[wripro]

The Four Seasons in Sultanahmet is a former prison. I'll take a nice long sentence there any time.

[stamfordian]

While it may be relatively easy to get a Turkish visa on the spot in many or all ports, the expense that follows will differ by the passenger's nationality. When I was last there by air, the airport authorities had 3 queues, one for US citizens that charged USD 90, one for Spanish and Dutch at a Euro price that I don't recall, and one for UK and many other nationalities at USD 20 as I remember. I suppose that this had to do with the expense that each of those countries charge Turkish citizens to enter them. That's the logic.

 

Happy sailing!

 

We bought our visas at Kusadasi as we were getting off in Istanbul to spend a few days before coming home. We were advised by Seabourn's Turkish agents that it is no longer possible to buy on arrival at Istanbul port (although obviously you can at airport if flying in). They will issue on the SB yacht after arrival and before disembarkation, but the agents charge $50pp for that (including the visa fee).

 

The published rates - from the Turkish Embassy in London and Visit Turkey website - are £10 or €15 or $20. Depends on which currency you offer. You are advised to have the exact change in whichever currency you choose to use as they don't usually have change (even if the person if front has just paid!!)

[Sonrisa7]

Wow - lots of contradictory information here and in other CC threads. I think I've read them all and I just get more confused.

 

Unlike the OP, I know that I will indeed need a visa since I disembark in Istanbul and will spend 3 more nights there before flying home. I also know that I'm eligible for a sticker type visa which may be obtained at "ports of entry" upon arrival, and which, according to the Turkish embassy site, cost $20 or 15 euros (for US citizens). But the embassy site stops short of specifying which ports of entry sell the visas (I know that the airport does, but my concern in for those of us arriving by cruise ship). I had read older posts assuring that there is a booth at the port before immigration where the sticker visas may be purchased. I had also read that Seabourn will take care of visas once onboard for $50, which seems reasonable given the convenience. So I stopped worrying and just planned on either getting visas once on board or at the port.

 

But now some people (like Stamfordian) are saying that it is no longer possible to obtain visas at the port in Istanbul. Others (see this thread, in last post by barkerk: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/archive/index.php/t-1220074.html) that "the ship could not be cleared by customs in Istanbul until all passengers requiring visas had the visa stamps in their passports. When we disembarked in Istanbul we did not see any customs or visa officers anywhere. We did try to obtain our visas in Kusadasi but were told by the visa officer that we had to get them in Istanbul."

 

And now it seems that Seabourn is charging $99 instead of $50 p/p?? That seems a bit abusive, so the 2 easy options I was counting on seem to have disappeared.

 

Is there anyone who has actually obtained a visa at the port of Istanbul in the past few months?

 

Note to the OP: I HAVE read on some official site something about the 72 hour exemption, but it only applied to those arriving and leaving on the same ship, whether or not you stay onshore.

[merryecho]

Sonrisa- I agree, there is no shortage of opinions on this, most of them not supported by anything. But, even the Turkish embassy has differing opinions- the first Turkish consulate site I found said travelers could stay 72 hours without a visa, but the Turkish consulate of Los Angeles website states, "The passengers of cruise ships are allowed to enter and stay overnight in the port cities of Turkey upon the permission given by local border police authorities. These passengers are not required to obtain an entry visa to Turkey". I know there is a travel forum that says you have to leave on a cruise ship too, but again, they don't give a source for that opinion.

 

So I still qualify, if the border police give permission. Maybe they won't. Not worried about ending up in a Turkish prison (though we are staying at the 4 seasons sultanhamet) as they will either allow us in or make us buy a visa. Their website also states that visas can be purchased at ALL points of entry, their emphasis not mine.

 

Having been to Turkey before, I am counting on total confusion at the customs office, regardless of what the official policy is- it seems like every visa is the first time they have ever done one. And guessing that the border police won't be willing to give up their $20, (or $90?) I will have to buy a visa anyway, either way I will be sure to post the facts of the experience when I return.

[Keith1010]

Sonrisa7 and merryecho.

 

As to visa at the Port in Istanbul two suggestions.

 

1. If you have a travel agent you should ask them to do the research for you. A good TA should be able to get you the answer and after all this is why we have TA's. They should be able to verify this with someone at Seabourn; not the normal reservation person but someone who is responsible for this for the entire fleet.

 

2. Try posting your question on the ports of call board for Turkey which is at http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=234

 

Ask for feedback from anyone who has stopped in Istanbul this year only and ask if there is still a customs office at the port (there was the last time we were there but that was in 2010).

 

Keith

[kiawahdon]

This is exactly what was asked on the "Venice to Istanbul" thread. Check it out.

[ibnoland]

A few years ago, we mailed our passports to the Turkish Consulate in Houston, in order to get visas. Several days later, we got our passports back, with visas properly attached. Also in the envelope were someone else's passports...a nice looking couple from Missouri. Sadly, they had not filled in their mailing addresses or telephone numbers (a place is provided on page 7 of the passport), so we could not contact them. No luck with internet searches either, so we mailed their passports back to the Turkish Consulate with an explanatory note, but never found out the end of the story and whether they got their passports in time to make their trip. Moral: Fill in page 7 so honest people can help you out if your passport is lost. I think the possible benefit outweighs the risks involved.

[JaneBP]

Not to muddy the waters, but this website is excellent for Visa issues. I did not plug in your situation, but it's the source for the DL visa information.

 

http://www.timaticweb.com/

[won2go]

Sorry but the website link to timaticweb is no use to anyone who does not have a 499 euro subscription.

[JaneBP]

My apologies. Guess I did muddy the waters.