Entry/Exit & Visa Requirements
Obey all Turkish visa regulations and maintain valid residence permits at all times. The U.S. Embassy is unable to assist with Turkish immigration and visa related matters. Turkish authorities enforce immigration laws.
- Passports must be valid for six months beyond your entry date. You will be denied entry into Turkey if there is not enough space for entry and exit stamps in your passport.
- You need a visa to travel to Turkey. If you are traveling for tourism or commerce for up to 90 days within a 180 day period, obtain a Turkish visa from Turkish missions abroad or from the e-Visa application system prior to arrival.
- U.S. citizens traveling on cruise ships can enter without a visa and the port of entry security authorities’ permission for a maximum of 72 hours. Check with the Embassy of the Republic of Turkey for the most current visa information.
- Get entry and exit stamps. You must have a Turkish entry stamp on the passport page containing your visa before you transfer to domestic flights. Get an exit stamp in your passport when leaving, or you may face difficulties re-entering Turkey and be subject to a fine on your next visit.
Language
Turkish, the official language, is spoken across the country with only minor regional differences in accent.
There are a number of different ethnicities living in Turkey who speak their own languages as well, for example Armenian, Arabic and various Balkan languages.
English and German are also widely spoken, especially in the major tourist areas.
Tipping
Tipping is very much a part of Turkish culture, especially in the service industry, and you should be prepared to tip guides, drivers and porters who assist you during your stay.
We recommend tipping your guide approximately 20 Turkish Lira per person per day for your guide and half that for your driver.
Money & expenses
Turkey’s currency is the Turkish Lira (TL), which you can buy before your trip from most banks and post offices. Banknotes exist in denominations TL1, TL5, TL10, TL20, TL50 and TL100, and coins from 1, 5, 10, 25 and 50 cents to TL1.
Visa and Mastercard are accepted in all hotels and most restaurants, as well as the larger shops. ATMs can be found in most towns.
Allow approximately TL170 to TL210 per person per day for general expenses (meals, drinks etc), but considerably more if you dine in some of the more top-end restaurants, or in the restaurants of international 5* hotels.
A main meal in a small, local establishment can cost as little as TL17, but on average a main meal at dinner will cost around TL42 to TL63. A beer will cost around TL6, but slightly more in Istanbul.
Food & drink
Turkish cuisine is a blend of Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Central Asian and Balkan cuisines, usually made with locally grown ingredients. Vegetables feature heavily, for example stuffed peppers or aubergine dip.
Typically, a meal begins with a variety of hot or cold meze dishes, usually including a few salads as well as fresh bread and dips such as hummus, a spicy pepper and walnut paste called acuka, and an aubergine and garlic mix.
Main meals vary depending on where you are. On the coast you’ll find lots of fresh fish and seafood on the menu while inland either meat (lamb is the most popular) or vegetables are served with rice, grains or bread.
The Turkish are very fond of their desserts, which are often extremely sweet. Baklava is a national speciality: pastry and nuts soaked in honey.
Dairy products are also important in Turkish cuisine. Yoghurt can supplement most meat dishes and a salted yoghurt drink is a popular accompaniment to kebabs. There are many varieties of cheeses produced in Turkey, many of which are from sheep’s milk, rather than cow’s.
Turkish coffee, brewed for much longer than usual and served in very small cups, is renowned for its intensity and appears on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. However, most Turkish people drink more tea (black) than coffee throughout the day.
A wide variety of fruit is grown throughout the country and you can buy fresh juice cheaply from street food stalls.
Turkey travel adaptors
You will need to consider what to pack, to ensure you can use your personal electrical appliances safely whilst abroad. This normally includes the use of a travel adaptor which is a device that simply allows you to plug any US electrical appliance into a foreign electrical socket. It is important to note that it does not convert the voltage or frequency.
For Turkey there are two associated plug types, types C and F. Plug type C is the plug which has two round pins and plug type F is the plug which has two round pins with two earth clips on the side. Turkey operates on a 230V supply voltage and 50Hz.
Voltage converters and transformers
Electricity supplies worldwide can vary from anything between 100V and 240V. It can be extremely dangerous to use an electrical appliance that is rated at a voltage different from the supply.
As voltage can differ from country to country, you may need to use a voltage converter or transformer whilst in Turkey. If the frequency is different, the normal operation of an electrical appliance may also be affected. For example, a 50Hz clock may run faster on a 60Hz electricity supply. Most voltage converters and transformers come supplied with plug adaptors, so you may not need to buy a separate travel adaptor.
All converters and transformers will have a maximum power rating (AMPS or WATTS) so make sure that any appliance you intend to use does not exceed this rating.
Dual voltage rated appliance
You can determine whether you’ll need to use a converter or transformer, by looking at the appliance rating plate.
A dual voltage rated appliance will display for example ‘INPUT: 110-240V’ on the body of the appliance or its power supply. This means that you will not need a converter or transformer but just a travel adaptor, because Turkey operates on a 230V supply voltage, which is within the 110-240V range that the dual voltage appliance operates on.
Single voltage rated appliances
In Turkey the supply voltage is 230V. If the appliance is a single voltage rated appliance, it will need to operate at the same voltage as the supply voltage of the country i.e. 230V. If this is not the case it should be used alongside a voltage transformer or converter to allow the appliance to work safely and properly.
Converters and transformers perform a similar function, but their applications differ. Converters are typically used with appliances that operate for a short duration (1-2hours), whilst most transformers can be used alongside appliances that operate continuously.
It’s important to understand that some travel adaptors are not suitable for any appliances that require an earth connection. These types of travel adaptors should only be used with double insulated equipment, which will be clearly marked with the symbol shown below.