Turkey is the country which I visited most in 2017. And as I was travelling on a Kenyan passport the whole time, I had to get a tourist visa to enter the republic. Thankfully, Turkey currently has a very easy Electronic visa application system that Kenyans can take advantage of and avoid unnecessary inconveniences involved in taking a physical trip to the Turkish Embassy in Nairobi’s Dennis Pritt Road.
What's Covered in This Article
What is Turkey’s E-Tourist Visa?
Beginning 2014, Turkey introduced the e-visa option as an alternative to the sticker visa that you get when you make your application at the embassy. One advantage of Turkey’s e-visa is that you can apply for it online in the comfort of your house or on arrival at the various booths located at the International arrivals terminal at Artatuk International Airport.
Whilst the e- visa issued is valid for a total period of 180 days, your stay cannot exceed 30 days and you’re only entitled to a single entry.
How to apply for a Turkish e-visa as a Kenyan passport holder
STEP 1: DETERMINE IF YOUr ELIGIBiLity FOR A turkish E-VISA
In this guide, I am only covering the eligibility requirements of a Turkish tourist e-visa for a Kenyan passport holder because that is what I have experience with.
Kindly note that you MUST meet all the requirements listed below otherwise your e-Visa will be declared invalid:
- You must have a round trip ticket with Turkish Airlines, Pegasus Airlines, Onur Air or Atlasglobal Airlines
- You must have a hotel reservation in Turkey
- You must have at least US$ 50 for each day of your stay in Turkey.
- You must be able to prove that you are travelling for the purposes of tourism or business.
- You must have a valid visa OR valid residence permit from one of the Schengen Countries, USA, UK or Ireland. Please note that E-visas are not accepted as supporting documents.
- You must have a passport with at least six (6) months validity from the date of your arrival in Turkey and at least two (2) blank pages for stamping at immigration.
- You must meet each and every one of the above requirements.
Once you have confirmed that you meet the above eligibility requirements, then you are ready to proceed with your Turkish e-visa application on a Kenyan passport.
STEP 2: PREPARE your application DOCUMENTS AND INFORMATION
Online Application
- If making your application online, head over to e-visa online platform.
- Select Kenya as country of origin and enter your passport number, enter the security verification page, and click on the ‘save and continue’ button.
- Select your intended arrival date to Turkey.
- Confirm that you meet all the above pre- requisites by checking all the boxes. Save and continue.
- Carefully fill in all your personal details as requested. Make sure that you can access the e-mail address you enter. Save and continue.
- Verify that all information entered is correct. Kindly note that once you verify, it will not be possible to make any changes.
- Head over to your e-mail account within 1 hour. Click the link in the e-mail message from the following e-mail address: Republic of Turkey Electronic Visa Application System noreply@evisa.gov.tr, follow the instructions and pay for your visa.
- Once your payment has been approved and your application has been successfully completed, check back to your e-mail and download your e-Visa by clicking the link from the following e-mail address: Republic of Turkey Electronic Visa Application System noreply@evisa.gov.tr.
Kindly note that the Turkish tourist e-visa fee is US$51 (inclusive of credit/debit card processing fees) and can be paid only via by Mastercard, Visa, or UnionPay credit or debit card.
Visa application on arrival
If applying for your Turkish e-visa on arrival. The process is almost similar as above except that this entire process takes place at the e-visa kiosks at Atarturk International airport arrivals.
As visa rules change from time to time, it is imperative that you check with the embassy before your departure or just make your application online.
Due to circumstances beyond our control though, we sometimes find ourselves needing to leave the airport. During my last visit to Istanbul for instance, my son and I missed our connecting flight to Los Angeles and our only other option was to linger at the airport until the next flight which was 24 hours later. With a 10 year old in tow, I chose to just get out of the airport. So although Turkish Airlines offered to pay for our accommodation and meals since we had missed the flight to delayed departure from Nairobi, they insisted that we had to process the visas on our own and claim a reimbursement. I am yet to do this. Once I do so, I will blog about my experience.
Anyhow, back to getting the Turkish visa on arrival…
Atartuk International Airport e-Visa Kiosks
Check the live monitors around the visa kiosk area to confirm that Kenya passport holders are eligible to apply for an e-visa on arrival.
Upon confirmation in the affirmative, insert your passport, bio data page facing down into the slot on the right side of the visa kiosk and follow the instructions. The rest of steps are exactly as that of the online application. Just follow them.
Once you successfully complete the steps, wait for a small white slip that drops from the kiosk. Sometimes it takes a while once you complete. Just be patient.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
◘◘ Must I purchase travel insurance when visiting Turkey?
Travel insurance isn’t a mandatory requirement when applying for your Turkish e-visa. However, travel insurance like any other insurance cover for your own protection against unfortunate events that are inherent in international travel. These range from delayed or cancelled flights, lost baggage, sicknesses, etc. Personally I use World Nomads and I highly recommend them. Fortunately, I haven’t had to make any claims and I hope never to have to, but the online reviews I read about World Nomads has largely been positive. Plus I have never had any purchasing issues with them.
◘◘ How long is theTurkish eVisa valid for?
The Turkish tourist e- visa issued is valid for a total period of 180 days.
◘◘ Can apply for multiple entry on the Turkey e-Visa?
No you cannot apply for multiple entries on the Turkey e-visa. The Turkey e-visa entitles you to only a single entry
◘◘ When is the earliest time that I can apply for a Turkish Visa online?
I am not sure about this. If you have any information, kindly share with us in the comments below.
