Getting that Turkey tourist visa felt like dodging landmines, honestly. Heard horror stories from friends who got rejected for dumb reasons, so I made my own checklist before diving in. Pulled up the official requirements, grabbed coffee, and started ticking boxes one by one.
The Document Hunt
First thing, my passport photos. Measured twice like cutting wood – 2.5×2.5 inches, white background, no shadows or stupid smiles. Almost used last year’s leftover ones till I noticed Turkey wants recent shots within 6 months. Got new ones same day.
- Passport validity check: Opened it – yup, over 180 days left after planned exit.
- Hotel bookings: Printed every single reservation, even Airbnb. Made sure all booking numbers showed clear.
- Flight itinerary: Double-clicked PDF confirmation to see if return date bolded properly.
Filling That Beastly Application Form
Clicked through the online portal after midnight when it ran faster. Every single field became a potential trap:
- Typed dad’s name exactly like my birth certificate. Middle name? Skipped it ’cause the passport skips it.
- Sweated bullets at “Purpose of Visit.” Wrote “TOURISM” in caps after deleting things like “eating kebabs.”
- Travel history? Listed my last three trips even though it said “last 10 years.” Didn’t wanna risk omission flags.
Scheduling The Appointment Tango
Created an account on their visa site, refreshed the calendar page nonstop for two days till a slot popped up. Paid the fee online – card went through first try, but held my breath anyway.
Visa Center Showdown
Dressed semi-decently. Arrived an hour early. The officer flipped through my documents like shuffling cards. Stopped at the bank statements – almost panicked till he nodded. Turns out not highlighting anything was smart. Others got grilled for fluorescent-pen markups. Just handed plain papers.
Final pitfall avoided? Forgetting wet signature on printed application. Saw the guy next to me get sent back for that. Slapped my inked scribble right before entering the building.
The Waiting Game
Tracked status daily like stalking an ex. “Processing” for three days. Then – “Approved.” Relief. Passport arrived by mail with that shiny sticker. Whole thing cost €60 plus shipping. Cheaper than redoing it.
