Remember when you earlier visited Turkey and getting a visa was no sweat All you had to do was book a flight to Istanbul, obtain a visa from the authorities or the e-Visa kiosks and voila, you were ready to explore the ancient land of wisdom and history. However, that is about to change soon. 

Starting October 28, 2018 you will no longer be able to avail of the Visa-On-Arrival facility. The Turkish government has decided to withdraw the service. This leaves a number of countries including India, Maldives, Nepal and Bhutan among 100 others with one option the e-Visa. The e-Visa option had always been available to travellers, since 2013.

This document permitting entry to and travel within Turkey will have to be obtained prior to arrival in the country by travellers who wish to visit as a tourist or are on short business trips. The process is simple register yourself on an e-Visa granting website, fill in your details and make a payment. You will be provided a link to download your e-Visa via email which you must carry at the time of transit to Turkey, either as a soft copy in your smartphone/tablet or as a hard copy. Turkish officials at the airport will then verify information on their system and allow your passage.

Depending on your nationality, you will be granted between 30-90 days on a tourist visa and in case the visa expires, you can re-apply only after departing the country. Additionally, the e-Visa is a cheaper option than the sticker visa issued by Turkish Missions. This process also eliminates the need to wait in long queues to obtain a visa as the online process takes about 15 minutes.