Prior Procurement of Turkish E-Visa Needed for Indian Passport Holders

Indian passport holders, who are eligible for Turkish e-visa, will have to obtain these visas before their departure to Turkey as the e-visa kiosks are not operational at airports in Istanbul.

Changing its visa policy, Turkey recently quashed the visa-on-arrival facility for the citizens of 100 countries including India, but Indian passport holders with valid U.S., UK, Ireland and Schengen visa are still eligible for e-visa facility for their travel to Turkey.

According to a report in the Business World, Turkish embassy in India recently reiterated that Indian passport holders, who have a valid U.S., UK, Ireland or Schengen visa, will continue to be eligible for e-visa for Turkey, while others, who don’t have any of these four visas with validity, will have to apply for a Turkish visa via its embassy.

The Turkish embassy in New Delhi posted a message on its website saying that, “e-visa kiosks at any airports in Istanbul will not be available after 28th October 2018.” It has requested Indians to get their e-visa before departure.

Until last month, Turkey allowed Indians to get visa-on-arrival. On Oct. 28, the country scrapped this facility for nationals of 100 countries including India. However, e-visa facility was maintained for India as well as many other countries, provided the applicants fulfill certain criteria.

When Indians apply for e-visa through www.evisa.gov.tr, they have to fulfill certain mandatory conditions, without which the e-visa will be invalid. Other than the ordinary requirements for getting e-visa, the website asks the applicant if he/she has a valid supporting document. It further elaborates this document as a valid visa or valid residence permit from one of the Schengen countries, the U.S., UK or Ireland.

“E-visa is only valid when the purpose of travel is tourism or commerce. For other purposes, such as work and study, visas are given by Turkish Embassies or Consulates,” the Turkish embassy said on its website.