Türkiye Entry Requirements 2026: Passport Validity, Visa-Free Countries, e-Visa and the 90/180 Rule

Most foreigners flying into Türkiye, for a week in Fethiye or to view property, clear passport control in minutes. The problems that happen are usually avoidable: a passport that expires too soon, a traveller who paid a lookalike website for a visa they did not need, or someone who lost count of their days and overstayed. This guide covers Turkish entry requirements in 2026 step by step, based on the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), the official e-Visa portal and current UK and US government travel advice.

Step 1: Check your passport validity

The question we are asked most is how long you need left on your passport to travel to Turkey. There are two answers, and it helps to know both.

**The legal minimum.** Under the Law on Foreigners and International Protection (No. 6458), in force for this rule since 1 January 2015, your passport must expire at least 60 days after the end of the stay your visa, e-Visa, visa exemption or residence permit allows. The MFA gives two examples: with a 90-day stay you need a passport valid for 150 days on arrival (90 + 60); with a 30-day stay you need 90 days (30 + 60).

**The recommended minimum.** The MFA itself advises travellers to have a passport valid for at least six months from the date of arrival. The US State Department says US passports must be valid for six months beyond your entry date. The UK government (FCDO) states the 150-day rule for British visitors, and six months from arrival if you live in Türkiye.

In practice, if you have fewer than six months left, renew before booking: airlines check documents at check-in.

**Blank pages.** Both the FCDO and the US State Department say you need at least one blank page for entry and exit stamps. The State Department warns that you can be refused entry if there is not enough space.

**Damaged, lost or stolen passports.** Travel documents that are invalid, or have been reported lost or stolen, lead to refused entry. A passport you reported lost is usually cancelled even if you later find it, so travel on your current document.

Step 2: Find out whether you need a visa

Many nationalities can visit Türkiye visa-free for tourism, and the MFA publishes the full country list on its "Visa information for foreigners" page. Examples confirmed on that page in October 2026:

– **United Kingdom:** ordinary passport holders travelling for tourism are visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Holders of British National (Overseas), British Subject and British Protected Person passports need a visa from a Turkish consulate. – **United States and Canada:** ordinary passport holders are visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. This exemption started on 1 January 2024. – **Most EU countries, Ireland, Norway and Switzerland:** visa-free, generally for up to 90 days. – **Australia:** ordinary passport holders are visa-free for tourism for 90 days within any 180-day period. – **China:** ordinary passport holders visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period from 2 January 2026.

Some nationalities are visa-free for shorter periods (Russia, 60 days for ordinary passports) and others need a visa: South African ordinary passport holders, for instance, can get a one-month single-entry e-Visa online. Rules for diplomatic, official and service passports differ, so check your exact passport type.

Visa-free entry and the e-Visa are for tourism and business visits. If you are coming to work or study, you need the right visa from a Turkish embassy or consulate before travelling.

Step 3: If you need an e-Visa, use only evisa.gov.tr

The official e-Visa system at [evisa.gov.tr](https://www.evisa.gov.tr/) takes a few minutes and is paid online by card. Print or save the e-Visa and keep it with your passport.

**Do you have to pay to enter Turkey?** If your nationality is visa-exempt, no: there is no entry fee or tourist tax at the border. If you need an e-Visa, you pay a fee that depends on your nationality, and the MFA says e-Visa fees are lower than visa-on-arrival fees at Turkish airports. Fee tables published years ago are now out of date, so check the amount for your passport on evisa.gov.tr at the time you apply.

Searching "Turkey e-Visa" brings up many commercial sites that look official and add their own charges. They are not the government portal. If you are visa-exempt, you do not need to apply anywhere.

Step 4: Count your days with the 90/180 rule

For most visa-free visitors the limit is 90 days in any 180-day period. The 180-day window is rolling, not a calendar half-year, and it does not reset when you leave and come back.

How to count it:

1. Pick the date you will be in Türkiye (for example, your planned departure date). 2. Count back 180 days from that date. 3. Add up every day you spent in Türkiye in that window, including each arrival and departure day to be safe. 4. The total must not go over 90.

Example: you spend 60 days in Fethiye from March to May and return in July. You may have only 30 days left, because the spring days still fall inside the window; they drop out gradually as it moves forward.

Keep a list of your entry and exit dates. A residence permit takes you outside the 90/180 calculation for as long as the permit is valid.

Step 5: At the border, make sure you are stamped

At Dalaman, Antalya, Istanbul and other airports, passport control stamps your passport on arrival and departure. The FCDO advises that if you enter at a land border, you should make sure officials stamp and date your passport. The US State Department warns that a missing exit stamp can cause difficulties and a fine when you next enter.

**Entering with an ID card.** The MFA lists countries whose citizens may enter Türkiye with a national ID card instead of a passport, including Germany, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Greece, Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, Switzerland and others. It also lists a few countries whose citizens may enter on a recently expired passport, such as Germany (expired within the last year). The MFA notes that the list may not be complete, so confirm with the Turkish embassy, and check that your airline accepts ID cards. The 60-day passport rule does not apply to these ID-card entries.

**Children.** Children need valid travel documents too, so check the rules for minors with your airline and the Turkish embassy. The FCDO adds that if you leave Türkiye with a dual British-Turkish child aged 18 or under, you may need to show permission from the Turkish parent.

Step 6: Do not overstay

Staying beyond your allowance breaks Turkish immigration law. Overstayers pay a fine when they leave and can receive an entry ban. Under Law No. 6458 an entry ban can last up to five years, and in cases of a serious threat to public order or security the authorities can extend it by up to ten more years.

How long a ban lasts depends on how long you overstayed and whether you left voluntarily and paid your fines. The law allows the authorities to waive the ban for people who apply to leave before the overstay is detected and pay their fines, within limits set by the Interior Ministry. Unpaid fines can stop you from re-entering even after a ban ends. If you have already overstayed, speak to the provincial migration directorate (İl Göç İdaresi) or an immigration lawyer before going to the airport.

Step 7: Moving from a tourist stay to a residence permit

If you want to stay longer than your visa-free days allow, you need a residence permit (ikamet izni). Law No. 6458 lists tourism, owning property in Türkiye, medical treatment and language courses among the grounds for a short-term residence permit, granted for up to two years at a time.

The sequence for most foreigners who are already in the country:

1. Enter legally on a visa, e-Visa or visa exemption. 2. Arrange a place to live and health insurance that covers the full permit period. Our health insurance explainer explains the options. 3. Apply online at e-İkamet while your current legal stay is still running. Do not wait until the last day. 4. Attend your appointment at the provincial migration directorate with your documents. The card is posted to your registered address if approved.

Your passport must be valid for at least 60 days beyond the permit period you request. For the details, see our explainer on the residence permit through property, our guide to renewing a residence permit in 2026 and our guide to address registration. Planning a full move? Start with our moving to Turkey checklist and our guide to buying property in Türkiye as a foreigner. For a shorter, country-specific summary, see our entry rules for UK, US and Canadian travellers.

Frequently asked questions

Q: What are the passport requirements for Turkey?

A: Your passport must be valid for at least 60 days beyond your permitted stay, so 150 days for a 90-day visit, with at least one blank page. The MFA recommends six months’ validity, and the US requires it for US citizens. Some EU citizens can enter with a national ID card.

Q: How long do you need left on your passport to travel to Turkey from the UK?

A: The FCDO says at least 150 days from the date you arrive, plus one blank page. If you live in Türkiye, it says six months from arrival.

Q: Do you still have to pay £10 to enter Turkey?

A: No. British tourists have been visa-free since 2 March 2020, when Türkiye dropped the e-Visa requirement for UK ordinary passport holders. There is no entry fee. Holders of BN(O) and other non-citizen British passports still need a visa.

Q: Do Americans need an e-Visa for Turkey in 2026?

A: No. US ordinary passport holders have been visa-exempt for up to 90 days in any 180-day period since 1 January 2024. You need a passport valid six months beyond entry, with a blank page.

Q: What happens if I overstay in Türkiye?

A: You pay a fine on departure and may receive an entry ban of up to five years, depending on the length of the overstay and how you leave. Get advice before you travel to the airport.

For more on buying, permits and life on the coast, download our free property guide.

This guide is general information and not legal advice; procedures change, so confirm the position for your situation with the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the migration authority or a Turkish lawyer.

Sources

• Visa information for foreigners (Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
• Passport validity requirements under the Law on Foreigners and International Protection (MFA)
• Countries whose citizens are allowed to enter Türkiye with their national IDs (MFA)
• e-Visa: official electronic visa application system of the Republic of Türkiye
• Turkey travel advice: entry requirements (GOV.UK / FCDO)
• Türkiye international travel information (U.S. Department of State)
• Law No. 6458 on Foreigners and International Protection, Articles 7, 9, 19, 31 (text, METU)
• Turkey to scrap visas for UK tourists from 2 March 2020 (Travel Weekly)
• Türkiye announces visa exemption for nationals of Bahrain, Canada, Oman, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and the US (EY)
• 180 gün içinde 90 gün kalış kuralının uygulanması genelgesi 2014/14 (Lexpera)

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