New Visa for 2012

[Silverfox BC]

Cannot find anything to confirm or refute this so can Teeeny2222(first entry on this) say where you got the information from. Many thanks

Brian & Cyn

[Kalof]

The official site where this new rule has been passed and approved by President Gul is

http://www.alomaliye.com/2011/5683_sayi ... ilarin.htm

however it is in Turkish - but you will see the date it was approved and will be instigated, plus the 90/180 ruling.

Chris

[Kalof]

I don't understand why there is so much confusion about this new visa. From 01.02.2012 the new visa regulations come into force (there was the obligatory 3 month notice to the British Embassy which was required back in October 2010).

I will try and make this as simple as I can :

You can stay for a period of 90 days in one block within a 180 day period or you can come and go up to the limit of 90 days within the 180 day period. If you stay for 90 days in one block (roughly 3 months) then you would have to return to the UK and wait until the 180 days had expired and then on the 181st day you could return and get a new 90/180 days visa. If you are coming and going within the 180 day visa, which can add up to no more than 90 days, again on the 181st day you can return for a new visa - so basically a back-to-back one.

It will take careful planning of holiday dates to ensure that you are within the terms of the visa. How this will be managed by Turkish passport control I don't know, but I personally wouldn't like to take the risk of exceeding 90 days within the 180 days period. I can't see Turkish passport control having the time to literally count the number of days each time you visit in the 180 day period unless there is a computer program which does this when they scan your passport. I hope this is the case otherwise the queues will be enormous!

The other option is to take residency especially if you want to stay more than 90 days in one block. This has become easier than it was previously (although still amounts to a certain amount of running backwards and forwards) but it is also much cheaper now, roughly £50 for one year (depending on exchange rate at the time)

Chris

[JT]

Now I am definitely confused

[Kalof]

Yes Peli you are correct - you could in theory get a 90/180 visa at the start of your holiday for a short period and then return to complete the remainder of the 90 days towards the end of the 180 days, then you would have to either leave or go to Rhodes on day 180 (but stay overnight) and then get another 90/180 visa which would let you stay for another block of 90 days - which theoretically gives you 6 months as a block or thereabouts. Sounds too complicated to me easier to get a residency visa if you intend to stay 6 months in a block!

Obviously the aim behind this new visa is to encourage people to get their residency visas, and I believe that if you wish to stay for 6 months or longer then you should be getting the residency visa anyway. There are obviously cash incentives for the Turkish Government in that more people will be getting residency. Not sure how happy the ferry service to Rhodes will be as they will see quite a dramatic loss of their income.

I've applied for citizenship which so far has taken over 9 months and counting, I've been for my Turkish test and interview, just waiting for the bods in Ankara to sort themselves out! Apparently it can take one year or over to process! When I get that it will mean the end of visas for me plus I can work legally !!

JT - confused? You will be! Wait until it is enforced .....

Chris

[JT]

I am a resident so doesn't apply to me but I too thought about the ferry company and all that revenue lost but then why pay to leave on a ferry which costs near enough the same as a residency anyway besides what you spend in Rhodes

[Kalof]

Just found this link which explains it quite clearly plus there is a calculator which will help people to see if they need to get a new visa or not

http://www.akbukturkey.com/tourist_visas.html

Chris

[Silverfox BC]

Kalof, bless your little cotton socks, now it makes sense, thanks for your information. Looking forward once again to our three holidays which will be 14 days in March,21 days in May/June, for the first visa and then we will be able to take out a second visa for the third holiday in Sept/Oct. Our two holidays on the first visa amount to 35 days and 21 with the second visa. I dont now think we have any problem, this is what we have been doing for several years. Perhaps this will hopefully help somebody else to understand the rules

[Kalof]

No problem! Glad to have helped out

Chris

[redrhino12]

Thanks for the link Chris,that is the clarity we have been looking for.

Gene

[Kalof]

From what I've read on different Forums there are varying practices in different parts of Turkey when applying for residency (no surprise there then!). So in a way Im not surprised at the lack of information or conflicting information about the new visa. British Embassy don't help either, no mention of it on their website but its as definite as it can be, the Turkish Government have given the required 3 months notice - which was missing the last time they tried to implement the visa! Perhaps the British Embassy are waiting for 1 February to update their site!

As I'm married to a Turkish man when I went for my residency I didn't have to show bank accounts as he is keeping me lol !! We also had someone who fast-tracked us, it's definitely not what you know but who you know here!

Chris

[Teeeny2222]

Sorry folks to cause so much confusion asking about the Visa!!! and sorry cant remember were I saw it but thanks kalof for finding some information about it. Going to see if Travel Agent knows anything about it next week apparently they want us to take our passports in this year didn't ask last year!! so will ask them and let you know what they say.

[dragon]

Thanks for that Chris. The system is going to be simple and straight forward. Hopefully!

[janeypoos]

Can someone help me please??

I try to access the calculator to work out when my visa will expire and when I can get a new one but my computer can't open it. I've downloaded a PDF converter (whatever that is!!) but still no luck.

I will get my next visa on 30.03.12, we are staying for 17 days. What is the date my visa will expire and how long do I have to wait before I can return and get another visa?

Sorry to sound thick but this is really confusing me now but I need to get flights for sometime between August - October booked a.s.a.p. and I don't want to risk overstaying my welcome as that's happened before. We overstayed by 1 day and I was fined almost £600, that was 11 years ago so gawd knows what it'd be now lol!

Any help would really be appreciated, thank you.

[Silverfox BC]

Your visa will expire on 25th September so you must have your next holiday after March to end before that date, otherwise when you return in September or October get another visa. The later is the best way forward for you in my opinion.

[janeypoos]

Your visa will expire on 25th September so you must have your next holiday after March to end before that date, otherwise when you return in September or October get another visa. The later is the best way forward for you in my opinion.

Thanks but I am still confused

I am arriving Turkiye 30th March 2012 and leaving 15th April 2012.

I understand that my visa will expire after 180 days which will be sometime towards the end of September 2012.

Can I go to Turkiye again immediately after this visa expires or do I have to wait 90 days before I can return which would be sometime in December?

This is all way beyond me!

[janeypoos]

I have just found this;

http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-liv ... quirements

It says that the new 90/180 day visa's are being issued but not adhered to, that the old rules apply.

This page is up to date.

Now I don't know what to think!!!

[janeypoos]

I've just emailed the Turk Consulate in London asking for something concrete (!!) with regard to this because I really need to sort out my travel dates a.s.a.p. and I'd rather go when I want to rather than when I need to.

[noodles1609]

You can renew on day 181, you don't have to wait any longer than that. The confusion I think is if you stay the first 90 days of your new 180 day visa - in that case you have to wait 90 days to renew, but that would still be day 181.

If you are holidaying a few times over summer then there is no need to worry really - the only thing to watch out for is when you are approaching the end dates as you can't renew in advance like you can now with the 90 day. The two stamps in my passport from last year are the new style visa, but they were issued under the current rules last year.

[dragon]

The above website is the one I mentioned on page 1 of this post, As it is the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website I thought it would have contained the most up to date information. The problem in checking websites that are not government websites is that they could be giving advice that may be wrong, as they're giving their interpretation of the changes (I'm probably stating the obvious!). Hope Janey gets a reply soon so that everyone can sort out their arrangements.