After almost a year of vacation in my home country, the Philippines, I am now going back to Serbia, my husband’s home country.
For this trip, we booked through Turkish Airlines because they are the most affordable and I specifically asked my husband to choose the flight with a very long layover (13 hours!!) even when he wanted the get the one with only less than 3 hours ofย waiting, so we can join TourIstanbul, a free tour of Istanbul provided by Turkish Airlines.
Sinceย I hold a Philippine passport, for me to be able to join this tour, I would need to apply for a visa. My husband and daughter are both holders of a Serbian passport so they don’t need a transit visa.
There are two ways to apply:
- Online atย https://www.evisa.gov.tr/en/, only if you have a valid visa OR valid residence permit from one of the Schengen Countries, USA, UK or Ireland. Fee is 20usd.
- By visiting any Turkish Embassy near you. You will need to submit your pre-application and make an appointment first atย https://www.konsolosluk.gov.tr/. Fee is 60usd.
Since I don’t have a Schengen, USA, UK, or Ireland Visa yet, I had to go to the Turkish Embassy in Manila. I submitted my pre-applicationย toย https://www.konsolosluk.gov.tr/ and scheduled my appointment.
There are 10 types of tourist visa according to the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs website:
a) Touristic Visit
b) Single Transit
c) Double Transit
d) Business Meeting/Commerce
e) Conference/Seminar/Meeting
f) Festival/Fair/Exhibition
g) Sportive Activity
h) Cultural Artistic Activity
i) Official Visit
j) a Visit to Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
and there are different requirements for each type.
When you fill out your pre-application online and choose Touristic Visit – Single Transit, it will tell you to submit ONLY the following online and bring the originals when you visit the Embassy:
I was confident to get a Single Transit Visa because I have and submitted all three online. I didn’t expect to received arrogantly at the Embassy when I went there. I was early for my appointment and when the staff asked me what I need, I said I’m applying for a Tourist Visa – Single Transit. The staff arrogantly (yes, I am stressing arrogant here because the lady was dismissive and disrespectful) replied that they don’t issue transit visas and that transit visas are only for seafarers. Then she gave me a list of requirements that I need to bring if I’m applying for a Touristic Visit which includes an invitation from a Turkish citizen/resident and a hotel reservation, which I do not have because no one is inviting me and we are not even going to stay there. I explained that when I submitted my pre-application, it only instructed me to bring the 3 requirements stated above.
I have a booked and fully-paid ticket to Serbia (with a 13-hour layover in Turkey) from Turkish Airlines, a Serbian Visa, and photo. I have a Travel Insurance even when it’s not required. The staff didn’t even look at my application form nor my requirements. I was (again) arrogantly dismissed.
It’s okay to be strict with implementing regulations, I understand that it’s for your country and citizen’s security, but to have an arrogant (and probably uninformed about policies) staff at a Turkish representation in another country is unacceptable.ย How can you promote your country’s tourism?
Our flight is at the end of July, and since I can’t find any other way to get a transit visa (no visa on arrival for Philippine passport holders, unfortunately) to Turkey, we’ll have to spend 13 hours in an airport. My bad, I should have listened to my husband when he said we should have booked the one with the shortest layover. T.T
Is it really like this in other Turkish Embassies or just the one in Manila? How about you, what’s your Turkish Visa experience in Manila?
UPDATE:
I was applying for a Tourist Visa – Single Transit rankhaya.com/. Haha!
Good day!
Mam /Sir, i already apply E-Visa but they send me an email i need to provide resident permit..im philippine passport holder only..i have my returned ticket..(august 28 my flight).purposes is visiting my husband there..he is a british resident/passport holder..now he is in turkey (originally born)
Can you help me what to do please!!
Respectfully yours,
Rowena Manzano
Hi Rowena,
Sorry! I don’t have much information about the Turkish Visa Requirements. I don’t work at their embassy. I only wrote this blog post long time ago to rant about my experience applying for visa with them.
Hi! My client will be visiting Turkey on Nov. 11 this year. She is a first timer. Can I apply on her behalf at the turkish Embassy? She doesnโt have any passport stamps of OECD countries because this is her first time traveling out of the Country. Please help.
If you’re a Turkish resident/citizen, you may send her an invitation. She needs to apply for a Turkish Visa. Please review travel restrictions for Philippine passport holders.
Hi! I am a Travel Agency Owner here in the Philippines and sheโs my client. Is it possible for us, our company to apply for her Visa application in her behalf in the Turkish Embassy?
I don’t think you can apply on behalf of your client. They have to go there. If it’s for tourism purposes, then they can present their itinerary, they should already have an accommodation and roundtrip flight booked, travel insurance, and proof of financial capacity.. You can maybe help them get these requirements if they booked with you. Other papers they need to submit are listed on the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Hi miss Bianca,
Thank you for these. The Embassy already replied to my email and since there is no physical appearance as of the moment, we can send the documents through courier. And wait for the result. Thank you so much! Appreciate all of these. ๐
Hi! I sent my documents via the courier. How long until you received it back? Thank you!
I have no idea, Kiks! I don’t work for the Embassy. ๐
I successfully booked an appointment but the DASMARINAS Village did not allow me to enter. This embassy sucks. This just happened today. They said the embassy does not accept tourist visa application now in person pero ipapa dala daw sa cW EXPRESS which I did. Pero iba requirements sa W Express compared sa Website nila. Wala di answers email and landlines nila puro ring! w but on their site they are accepting applications!!! Insane. Wasting money and effort.
I gave up with the Turkish Embassy in Manila. Don’t even know where to report them anymore. ๐
my god, same thing happened to me today!
My dad dropped me off at SM as I waited for them to pick up the phone or reply to my email. When I finally got to talk to someone, courier na daw, luckily meron sa SM Makati but yeah, requirements are more thorough with them versus website. Kailangan daw ng Travel Insurance, no amount naman magkano dapat minimum coverage. Oh and wait, if today daw appointment mo, di ka pwede magpacourier same day, dapat 5 days ahead ang pacourier
Oh my ๐ฆ any update? Di pa din ba sila nag aaccept? I am currently processing my papers para magpa appointment. Ang dami ko nang gastos
hello, after submission nyo po ng requirments online gaano po katagal bago ung appointment sched?
Hi Anya, I have no details anymore. I wrote this rant in 2018. That is the only time I interacted with Turkish Embassy in the Philippines.
Hello Nina, After you sent the requirements thru WExpress, is it necessary to appear in person pa for interview? and did you send your valid passport thru courier?
May i know if the Turkish Embassy in Manila are open for the Tourist Visa , single entry? couldnt find their email contact in internet. pls help me thanks
Here: embassy.manila@mfa.gov.tr
Hi po ms bianca, ask ko lang paano magpa appointment sa embassy sa makati?nagihirapan kasi ako dun sa online site ,walang conformation,please wait ung sabi tpz wala nmn result po,salamat sa sagut po
Hi Keri, I have no details anymore. I wrote this rant in 2018. That is the only time I interacted with Turkish Embassy in the Philippines.
Hi keri ask ko lang if nkakuha k ng appointment sa turkish embassy in manila..
Hi there,
We are planning to travel to Tel Aviv for 5 days, but we have to go to Istanbul first for a layover of 8 hours, do we need an in-transit visa or any visa for turkey? Please advise.
Regards,
Rodette
If you’re going out of the Airport, yes, you need a visa to Turkey. But if you’re staying inside while waiting for your flight to Tel Aviv then you don’t need a visa to Turkey.
hi Bianca! may I know how did you go about your transit in Istanbul? did you get a tourist visa? pls give me some details as we are also transitting in Istanbul. Thanks!
Hi Angeline,
I didn’t get one. I had no time. I thought it was easy, because according to the website, i have complete requirements for Tourist Transit (onward ticket). So I had to spend 13 hours at the airport waiting for my next flight.. too bad Turkish Airlines offers a free city tour for transits that are longer than 6hrs. ๐
Oh my god.
That makes me sad since I was planning to do the same thing, Touristanbul and all that jazz. I canโt believe theyโre requiring a hotel reservation for a layover.
Our client will be traveling to Greece via Turkey tomorrow evening, March 12, she is taking Singapore Airlines with stop over of 5 hours in Istanbul then a connecting flight to Athens via Turkish Airlines. She has to claim her baggage at the Istanbul airport then will check it in at the Turkish Airline counter for flight to Athens. Do she has to pass thru the Immigration counter? Do she need to apply for a tourist visa?
Hi Aliander, baggage claim is after immigration counters.. so she will need a transit visa… not sure how she will go about it though.. if she’s able to get one. let me know. thanks!
Hi! My client will be visiting Turkey on Nov. 11 this year. She is a first timer. Can I apply on her behalf at the turkish Embassy? She doesn’t have any passport stamps of OECD countries because this is her first time traveling out of the Country. Please help.