Turkey grants visa-free regime to citizens of 6 countries: list
Visa-free travel is an important step for tourism development and strengthening international relations on the global stage. Turkey has introduced a visa-free regime and now citizens of these six countries have the right to travel to the country and stay here for 90 days.
This decision was announced in a decree by President Erdogan published in the country's official gazette. The decision was made in accordance with Article 18 of the Foreigners and International Protection Law No. 6458.
The government expects the visa-free regime to have a significant impact on Turkey's tourism sector, which has been hit hard by the pandemic and geopolitical issues. According to the World Tourism Organization, in 2022, the number of tourists in Turkey decreased compared to 2019. Subsequently, the situation improved slightly in 2023. The abolition of visa requirements for these six countries aims to boost the tourism sector. However, analysts note that the result will be visible after some time.
The list of countries whose citizens do not need a visa to travel to Turkey:
- Saudi Arabia;
- United Arab Emirates (UAE);
- Oman;
- United States of America (USA);
- Bahrain;
- Canada.
As a reminder, in 2016, Turkey exempted citizens of Qatar from tourist visas, and in 2017, Kuwait.