Turkey has extended the period of visa-free stay for citizens of Kyrgyzstan

The Government of Turkey has announced the extension of the visa-free regime for up to six months for Kyrgyz citizens. The decision was announced by Ruslan Kazakbayev, Ambassador of the Kyrgyz Republic to Turkey, during a meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on International Affairs, Defense, Security and Migration.

Previously, Kyrgyz citizens enjoyed visa-free entry to Turkey for three months, but the extension is intended to encourage Kyrgyz citizens with expired visas to legalize their stay in Turkey for a longer period. Ambassador Kazakbayev said that there are currently about 20,000 Kyrgyz citizens living in Turkey, with their number rising to 40,000 during the summer months, mainly due to the long holiday season in Antalya, the Daily Pakistan website reports.

The main problem faced by Kyrgyz citizens was the 90-day visa-free stay limit, which has now been resolved through cooperation between the authorities of both countries. In addition to the extension of visa-free stay, a "green corridor" was created for Kyrgyz nationals who may have violated local laws, allowing them to exit and enter Turkey after paying fines to simplify the process for those who were previously blacklisted or banned from entering Turkey.

Turkey has also issued a final warning to Kyrgyz citizens whose three-month tourist visas have expired, allowing them to find employment and legalize their stay in the country.

Like other countries, Turkey has also changed its visa policy in recent months to recover from the damage caused by the pandemic. The country has granted visa-free entry to six other countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, the United States, Canada, Bahrain, and Oman.

Starting from December 2023, citizens of these countries may stay in Turkey for up to 90 days within 180 days without the need to obtain a visa for tourist purposes. However, those intending to stay longer for work or study purposes will need to go through the necessary visa procedures.

As previously reported by TravelWise, Kuwait has resumed issuing visas for family, commercial, and tourist purposes. According to the new rules, expats living in the country can obtain a visa for a visit through the Matta platform.