Practical information

Visa rules, fees and prices change. Everything on this page that can change is linked to an official source — check those before you travel rather than relying on this summary.

Entry and visas

Whether you need a visa depends entirely on your nationality. Citizens of many countries enter visa-free for a set number of days; others must obtain an e-Visa online before travelling; a third group must apply at a Turkish consulate.

The only correct place to check your own case is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs visa information page, and the only official place to apply online is evisa.gov.tr. There are many lookalike sites charging a markup for the same document — the official one is the .gov.tr domain.

A common rule to watch for: even visa-free visitors usually need a passport valid for a set period beyond their intended departure, and stays are counted within a rolling 180-day window. Overstaying carries a fine and an entry ban.

Money

The currency is the Turkish lira (TL / TRY). Cards are accepted almost everywhere in cities, including for small purchases, and contactless is standard. Cash still matters in village shops, small restaurants, local markets, dolmuş minibuses and at some site entrances.

Exchanging money. Rates at exchange offices (döviz bürosu) in city centres are generally better than at airports and hotels. Banks work too. Compare the rate against the Central Bank’s published rate at tcmb.gov.tr so you know what a fair spread looks like.

ATMs are widespread. Many charge a withdrawal fee and offer to convert to your home currency at the machine — always decline that conversion and let your own bank do it; the machine’s rate is worse.

Tipping is customary but modest: roughly 5–10% in restaurants, rounding up for taxis, a small note for hotel staff. Some restaurants add a service charge, so check the bill first.

Language

Turkish is the official language. English is widely spoken in tourist areas, hotels and among younger people in the big cities, and much less so in villages and the interior. German is common in coastal resorts, Arabic in parts of the south and southeast.

Turkish is phonetic — once you know the letters, words are pronounced exactly as written. Some letters differ from English: c is “j” (cami = jah-mee), ç is “ch”, ş is “sh”, ı (dotless) is a neutral vowel, ğ lengthens the vowel before it.

A handful of words goes a surprisingly long way:

• Merhaba — hello
• Teşekkür ederim / sağ ol — thank you (formal / casual)
• Lütfen — please
• Evet / hayır — yes / no
• Ne kadar? — how much?
• Hesap, lütfen — the bill, please
• Su — water
• Afiyet olsun — enjoy your meal (said to you constantly)
• Kolay gelsin — “may it come easy”, said to anyone working. There is no English equivalent, and using it correctly will make people smile.

Connectivity

Mobile coverage is good in cities and along main roads, patchy in mountains and on long trails.

Phones and the IMEI rule. Türkiye registers foreign handsets. A phone brought in from abroad works on a Turkish SIM for a limited period — commonly around 120 days — after which the device is blocked on Turkish networks unless it is registered and a fee paid. This surprises long-stay visitors regularly. For a short trip it is irrelevant; for a longer one, an eSIM avoids the issue entirely, as does roaming on your home SIM.

Wi-Fi is standard in hotels, cafés and long-distance buses. Some public networks ask for a Turkish phone number to authenticate.

Electricity is 220 V, 50 Hz, with the round two-pin European plug (types C and F).

Health and emergencies

112 is the single emergency number for ambulance, fire and police across Türkiye.

Tap water is chlorinated and treated in cities, and used for cooking and washing everywhere, but most people — locals included — drink bottled or filtered water. Large refillable bottles are delivered to homes as a matter of course.

Pharmacies (eczane) are everywhere, and pharmacists advise on minor problems directly. In each district one pharmacy stays open overnight on rotation — the nöbetçi eczane — and its address is posted in the window of the others.

Private hospitals in cities are modern and often have English-speaking staff. Travel insurance covering medical treatment is strongly advisable; for some visa categories it is required. Check current vaccination advice with your own country’s health service before travelling.

Safety

Türkiye is generally safe for visitors, including for solo travellers, and violent crime against tourists is rare. The realistic concerns are ordinary ones:

• Pickpocketing in crowded areas of Istanbul — Istiklal Avenue, the Grand Bazaar, busy transit.
• Traffic. Pedestrian crossings are treated as suggestions in many places. Cross with locals.
• Taxi disputes. Insist on the meter, or use an app that shows the fare in advance.
• Overly friendly invitations. A stranger who approaches you on the street in Istanbul and suggests a bar or nightclub is running a known scam that ends in an enormous bill.
• Earthquakes. Türkiye is seismically active. Know your building’s exits; the standard advice is drop, cover and hold on.

Check your own government’s current travel advice for any regional restrictions, particularly near the southeastern borders.

Etiquette

Mosques. Visitors are welcome outside prayer times. Remove your shoes at the entrance; women cover their hair, and both men and women cover shoulders and knees. Scarves are usually available at the door. Do not walk in front of someone praying and keep your voice down. There is no entry fee, though donations are accepted.

Hospitality. Being offered tea is not a sales tactic in most contexts — it is ordinary courtesy, and accepting is the polite response. Refusing food or drink at someone’s home repeatedly comes across as cold; taking a small amount is enough.

Shoes come off when entering a home, always.

Bargaining is expected in bazaars and with carpet and souvenir sellers, and is not done in shops with fixed prices, supermarkets or restaurants.

Photographing people — ask first, especially older people in villages and women.

Ramadan. During the fasting month, eating and drinking in public during daylight is legal and common in cities, but discreet behaviour is appreciated, especially in conservative areas. Evenings are festive; the iftar meal at sunset is worth experiencing.

A note on names. The country’s name in English is Türkiye, which is the form used in official contexts and at the UN.