How to apply for Turkey Tourist Visa for Sri Lankans - Personal Experience

Since our return from Turkey, we've been flooded with questions about how to apply for Tourist Visas as Sri Lankans.

Getting a Tourist Visa to Turkey from Sri Lanka involves ensuring you have all the required documents in order and, of course, being prepared for a relatively high Visa fee.

As there is very limited, confusing and conflicting information online, we decided to write this article to make things clearer for Sri Lankans planning to travel to Turkey.

Please note that this information is based on our personal experience of applying for Turkey Tourist Visa in 2024.

You can find more resources from our trip:

1. Things to know about transport in 2024

2. Modern Scams in Turkey

3. 22 Must-Try Foods in Turkey and what's overrated?

4. What is Zultanite? Should you be aware of this gem?

5. Istanbul European Side Vs. Asian Side - Which is better?

Do I need a Visa to go to Turkey as a Sri Lankan?

Yes. You need a Visa as a Sri Lankan to visit Turkey. In fact, Turkey has made Visa mandatory for many countries in the recent past. Unless you're a citizen of one of these countries, you have to apply for a Visa.

Can I apply Turkey E-Visa as a Sri Lankan?

Yes and No. If you look up online, you'll see many links urging you to apply e-visa. Turkey encourages travellers to apply for an e-visa as it's convenient and faster. You get the Visa in under 30 minutes. But in our case as Sri Lankans, it's not a very simple thing.

Firstly, to be eligible to apply for Turkey e-Visa as Sri Lankans, you must have a valid Schengen Visa or a valid resident Visa in the United States, UK or Ireland. If you do, you can apply for the e-Visa which requires a Passport that's valid for 6 months and a few other identification documents along with a Visa fee of about 70 Euros (LKR 22,000)

E-Visa will take about 30 minutes up to a day to approve and the validity of the Visa is 180 days, with travellers being allowed to stay up to 30 days in Turkey.

Where to apply Turkey Tourist Visa for Sri Lankans?

You need to apply for your Turkey Visa through the authorised agent for Turkey Visa in Sri Lanka, Reired Turkey Visa Application Center. If you're not eligible for the e-Visa (like us), you must apply for the regular Tourist Visa.

Remember that you have to go to this centre to submit your application in person as they require biometrics to be taken from the applicant.

How much is the Turkey Tourist Visa Fee?

The regular Tourist Visa fee in 2024 is LKR 59,000 per person while the premium lounge fee is about 75,000. Now, here's a little tip we learned the hard way: If you visit the visa centre after 2 p.m., you're automatically bumped into the premium lounge category.

We found that out the day we came in around 4 p.m., only to realize we were missing a few documents. Talk about a close call! So, the next morning, bright and early at 9 a.m., we tried again and opted for the regular visa.

Now the difference you may ask, we have no idea. But here's what we do know: Our regular visa came through in just 10 days, with no extra charges. So, our advice? Beat the rush and head in early to save yourself that extra LKR 15,000.

How long will it take to get my Turkey Visa as a Sri Lankan?

It may take anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months for your Turkey Tourist Visa to be processed, particularly as a Sri Lankan applicant. However, if you have all your documents in order, you might even receive your Visa within a week.

It took us 10 days for our Turkey Visa and one of our friends had to wait for a month to receive their Visa (this was during the economic crisis back in 2022). So it's advisable to plan for a timeframe of around a month to account for any potential delays in the Visa processing.

What documents do I need to apply for a Turkey Visa as a Sri Lankan?

Firstly, applying for a Turkey Tourist Visa as a Sri Lankan has become a bit of a hassle today compared to back in the day. This is mainly because some misuse the tourist visa for employment purposes instead.

So your documentation needs to be on point and show all the proof you have to to let the Visa officers know you have enough funds for the trip and enough reasons to come back to Sri Lanka.

This starts with having a passport with an elaborate travel history. Your chances of getting the Visa approved are higher if you have previously travelled to other countries.

Your chances of getting the Visa are almost certain if you have had a previous Schengen Visa or a US Visa.

Here's the list of documents that you need (in 2024) to apply for a Turkey Tourist Visa as a Sri Lankan.

1. At least 6-months-valid passport and its photocopy

2. Visa Application

3. Previous passport

4. Lost passports should be declared with a police report (and translated into English)

5. Passport biodata page photocopies (2 copies).

6. 2 copies of recent biometric photograph with the size of 5x6 cm and white background (Uploaded and submitted photographs should be same).

7. Invitation letter from Türkiye (Not Compulsory)

8. Documents attesting to the income status of the applicant and inviting person

9. Official Letter of Employment/ School/ University with Leave Approval

10. Applicant's signed letter explaining the purpose of the visit

11. Flight Reservation

12. Hotel Booking or Invitation (the invitation letter should be attested by the notary public in Türkiye)

13. Confirmation Letter of salary or salary slips for 3 (three) months of the applicant.

14. Supporting document on the applicant's commitment to return (Land registry, business certificate, salary table, bank account statement)

15. Last 6 months bank statements (having a minimum balance of LKR 1 Million would be safer)

16. Travel health insurance, based on the rules of Embassy/Consulate travel health insurance is mandatory and this insurance is included within the package service fee

17. No objection Letter/ Affidavit by the non-accompanying parent/s for children below 18 years. (Attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka)

18. Marriage Certificate and Children’s Birth Certificates for Family Applications

19. Deed (Not mandatory)

Reired will provide Travel Insurance (it's part of the package in 2024) so you don't have to get new travel insurance.

How to Apply for My Tourist Visa to Turkey as a Sri Lankan: 7-Step Guide

If this is your first time applying for a Visa, we advise getting the documentation done from a Visa agent so you won't be overwhelmed with all the documents. Plus they help with the air tickets.

A Visa agent would charge about LKR 10,000 (in 2024) for the documentation. However, you need to do the submission on your own.

Firstly Make sure your passport is valid for at least 6 months and that you're able to show the above funds (or at least close to it).

Step 1 - Gather all your legal documents (employment confirmation, 3 months' salary slips or salary confirmation letter, leave approval/business registration/deed, marriage certificate)

If you're being invited, make sure the person who's inviting you provides an attested income letter along with yours.

Step 2 - Gather your income documents (bank account statement of 6 months, balance statement)

Step 3 - Gather your identification documents (copies of passports, biometric photographs, children's birth certificates for family applications)

Step 4 - Draft the letters (Signed letter of visit, sponsorship letter if your spouse is sponsoring you/no objection letter by non-accompanying parent if applicable)

Step 5 - Fill out the Visa application form and pin your photos

Step 6 - Book your air ticket and hotel accommodations based on the travel dates specified in your application/letters. (It's best to get assistance from an agent for this task, as booking air tickets can be risky especially if the refund policies change during the Visa processing period.)

Step 7 - Visit Reired and submit your documents. You don't have to book an appointment. They will have a checklist of their own. Make sure you carry the originals as well as copies of all these documents with you to minimize the hassle.

Once you've submitted, you'll receive message alerts on your application status to keep you informed.

Now you're good to start planning your Turkey Itinerary on a serious note.

We hope this was helpful! Let us know your experience applying for Turkey Visa in the comments below!