How to Apply for a Turkey Visa in San Diego
San Diego is America’s 17th-most populous city and is the third-most populous urban area in the state of California.  This metropolis of 3.3 million residents shares a 15-mile border with Mexico, where just to the other side sits Tijuana—Mexico’s sixth-most populous city.  About 200,000 people cross the border each day, making this one of the busiest land borders in the world.  San Diego is well known for its mild Mediterranean climate, which is not dissimilar from that of southern Turkey.  The San Diego metropolitan area includes cities such as Carlsbad, Chula Vista, El Cajon, San Marcos, Santee, La Mesa, National City, Oceanside, Vista, and Encinitas.  There are several thousand Turkish people living in San Diego County and the city is home to a chapter of the Association of Turkish Americans.  Turkish culture is also represented at the House of Turkey in Balboa Park, where there are social events celebrating friendship between the American and Turkish people.  

Turkey is a country in the Middle East with a population of 83 million people that is almost twice the size of California by land area and shares a border with Greece, Bulgaria, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, and Syria.  Istanbul is the country’s cultural and commercial capital and is also one of the largest cities in the world.  Izmir and Bursa are other important commercial centers.  There are hundreds of American companies doing business in Turkey across multiple sectors of the economy.  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 also a popular tourist destination that attracts 50 million visitors each year thanks to its many historical sights and miles of picturesque coastline.  Seaside towns like Bodrum, Fethiye, Marmaris, Kaş, Alanya, and Kalkan are popular destinations for both domestic and international tourists.

Obtaining a Turkey Visa from San Diego 

Getting a Turkey visa for San Diego 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 San Diego 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 Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Boston, Houston, and New York City, 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 San Diego

If you are a Turkish citizen in San Diego and you have an emergency or require urgent assistance, you can reach the consulate in Los Angeles by calling + 1 310-228-4467 or + 1 310-855-1015.  There is also a call center in Turkey that can be reached at +90 312 292 29 29.  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 Los Angeles website: https://www.konsolosluk.gov.tr/Procedure

Here is the physical address of the Turkish consulate in Los Angeles:

Turkish Consulate General in Los Angeles
8500 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 900
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
U.S.A

We Can Help if You Need Assistance

If you live in the San Diego area 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