Pursuant to a presidential decree published in the Official Gazette of Turkey on Saturday, December 23, 2023, Turkey grants visa exemption to citizens of six countries: the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Sultanate of Oman, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the United States of America, and Canada.
The decree stipulates that holders of ordinary passports from these countries will be granted a visa exemption for up to 90 days within a 180-day period when traveling to Turkey for tourism purposes. This decision comes in line with Article 18 of Law No. 6458 regarding Aliens and Refugee Protection, which gives the president the power to cancel visa requirements for citizens of other countries.
Before this exemption, citizens of the mentioned countries had to obtain an electronic visa before traveling to Turkey. But now, citizens of more than 40 other countries are allowed to apply for a Turkish visa online. Among these countries, some nationalities can apply directly without additional conditions, while others require specific eligibility criteria for an e-visa, such as having a visa or residency from a Schengen country, the United Kingdom, Ireland, or the United States.
Turkey is considered one of the most important tourist destinations in the world, receiving an increasing number of tourists every year. According to the latest statistics from the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the number of visitors to Turkey reached more than 46 million visitors by the end of November 2023, exceeding the previous number for 2022, which was about 45 million international visitors. The majority of visitors to Turkey come from Russia, Germany and the United Kingdom, underscoring Turkey's broad appeal as a global travel destination.
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