Cost of visa & US$ vs. lira
 

We will be arriving at Istanbul Airport in 2 weeks. Would like to know what is current visa charge to enter Turkey for US citizen and do Turks accept US$ as readily as Turkish Lira? Thanks for responding... Mary

american money is not generally accepted...are you sure you need a visa...the last 2 times i wnt i did not need a visa....usually you get them before you leave from the un delegation or the embassy in washington, assuming that you are from usa?? they take a couple of weeks to get unless you can walk into one of those locations

someone else here can give you more info

I believe the visa is now $100 (US passport). Last time we were there we could just buy it at our arrival port. You can pay in US $

Take lots of lower denomination US currency - the lira is hard to use as you need one million practically now just to buy a soda.

Yes, it's US$100 to get a visa, in advance from Turkish Consulate or on arrival. For the latter you MUST have $100 in cash (no other currency - with the possible exception of euro - or traveler's checks accepted). Other nationalities pay a lot less (US$45 for Canadians, 10 pounds for Britons) or no visa required (Germans, Australians, French, NZ, RSA, Japanese).

Before going to Turkey we sent our passports to the Turkish Embassy (in Washington D.C.) with our check and application and had our passports back with the visa in about 10 days. You can get the form and address at a postoffice, or look it up on the internet and download the form.

I know some say it is just as easy to do it when you get there, but we smiled as we sailed through the airport with our visas already in our passports, and quite a line formed at the only counter open to sell them when our international flight landed in Istanbul early in the morning.

Given your time constraints, I am afraid you will have to purchase your visa on landing in Istanbul - just make sure you have enough cash (US$) available.

We just returned from Turkey one week ago. Spent 13 lovely days there. and yes, $100 US funds must be paid. They have several windows open for this and it should go very quickly. We didn't lose any time to speak of. Go to that window first.