How to Apply for a Turkey Visa in Philadelphia

Philadelphia is the largest city in the state of Pennsylvania and is one of the oldest cities in the United States.  Founded in 1682 by Englishman William Penn, a social reformer and champion of liberty, he named the city Philadelphia using the Greek term meaning “brotherly love”.  Philadelphia has the nickname “City of Brotherly Love” and is nowadays more casually known by locals and non-locals alike as “Philly”.  The Philadelphia metropolitan area has over 6 million people (America’s eighth-largest metropolis) and includes cities and towns in the states of New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland, in addition to Pennsylvania.  There are several thousand Turkish people in the Philadelphia metropolitan area, many of them coming to study or open small businesses.  There are Turkish Student Associations at the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel, and Temple University.  The Penn Language Center at the University of Pennsylvania offers courses in the Turkish language.  

Turkey is a country in the Middle East with a population of 83 million people that is nearly 6 ½-times the size of Pennsylvania by land area.  Istanbul, the country’s cultural and commercial capital, is a huge city that spans the continents of Asia and Europe.  Izmir and Bursa are other important commercial centers.  There are many American companies doing business in Turkey including Philadelphia-based FMC Corporation, Crown, Hill International, and BDP International.  Turkey is the 19th largest economy in the world and has a robust industrial sector that manufactures automobiles, ships, electronics, textiles, construction materials, and military hardware.  Turkey is a popular tourist destination that attracts 50 million annual visitors thanks to its many historical sights and beautiful Mediterranean coastline.  The country is also a popular destination for medical tourism, wedding tourism, and sports tourism (hiking, golfing, snow skiing, yachting, and sport competitions).  

Obtaining a Turkey Visa from Philadelphia 

Getting a Turkey visa for Philadelphia area residents that have a valid American passport is easy.  If you are a U.S. citizen traveling to Turkey for tourism or business purposes, just use the Turkish government’s e-Visa website to apply for your visa: https://www.evisa.gov.tr/en/. 

The process of applying for the visa is straightforward and will take about five minutes to complete online—just have your passport in hand and fill out a few personal details.  The government will email you the visa as soon as you make payment.  You will print out this document and carry it with you on the day of your trip.  You will present this document along with your passport to the immigration official at the airport in Turkey.

This visa will be valid for 180 days and allows you to make multiple visits to Turkey within this period.  Your stay cannot exceed 90 days per visit.  The government fee for U.S. citizens is $50, plus a service fee of $1.50.  

The e-Visa is also available for many non-U.S. citizens; so if you live in the Philadelphia area but have a foreign passport, please check the Turkish government website to determine your eligibility for the e-Visa: https://www.evisa.gov.tr/en/apply/.  You can also review the requirements on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website: http://www.mfa.gov.tr/visa-information-for-foreigners.en.mfa

If you are a foreign passport holder that is not eligible for the e-Visa, or if you are a U.S. citizen that is not traveling to Turkey for tourism or business meetings—for example, you plan to study in Turkey or will be employed in Turkey—you will be required to obtain a Turkish sticker visa (a visa that gets placed in your passport) through the Turkish government office in the United States.  The Turkish government is represented in the United States by six consulates located in New York City, Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, and Miami, along with one embassy located in Washington, D.C.  To get started with the process of obtaining a Turkish sticker visa, please check the embassy website for more details: https://www.konsolosluk.gov.tr/VisaInfo/Index.

Emergency Assistance for Turkish Citizens in Philadelphia

If you are a Turkish citizen in Philadelphia and you have an emergency or require urgent assistance, you can reach the consulate in New York by calling + 1 646-430-6560.  There is also a call center that can be reached at +1 888-566-7656.  If you need to renew your Turkish passport or obtain an emergency passport, you must schedule an appointment online and appear in person at the consulate.  You can find more information on the Turkish Consulate General in New York website: T.C. Dışişleri Bakanlığı Turkish Consulate General In New York (mfa.gov.tr). 

Here is the physical address of the Turkish consulate in New York:

Turkish Consulate General in New York
605 3rd Avenue, 30th Floor
New York, NY 10158

We Can Help if You Need Assistance

If you live in Philadelphia or anywhere in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, or Delaware and have difficulty applying for a visa for Turkey, please give our office a call at 404-682-5445 or schedule an appointment with our company.  We are a private agency in Atlanta providing Turkey visa services for Americans and other U.S.-based residents.  Our number one goal is to ensure your application documents for a visa are submitted accurately to the Turkish government.  Our services eliminate delays and give you the peace of mind to focus on your travel plans.  

We provide the following Turkey visa and travel services for our customers:

  • Turkey Tourist Visa (e-Visa)
  • Turkey Business Visa (e-Visa)
  • Turkey Work Visa (For Employment in Turkey)
  • Turkey Student Visa (Education Visa)
  • Turkey Medical Treatment Visa
  • Turkey Residence Permit (Valid for one year)
  • Turkey Hotel Accommodations
  • Turkey Guided Tours
  • Marriage in Turkey