How to Apply for a Turkey Visa in San Francisco

San Francisco, known as the “City by the Bay”, is one of America’s most famous and beautiful cities.  Located in Northern California, San Francisco is just one of the many cities that together make up the San Francisco Bay Area, or Bay Area for short.  The 14-county combined statistical area (that comprises the Bay Area) has nearly 10 million people, making it the fifth-most populous region in the United States.  The Bay Area includes cities such as Oakland, Berkeley, Concord, Pleasanton, Fremont, San Jose, San Mateo, Palo Alto, Sausalito, San Rafael, and Novato.  There are about 15,000 Turkish people living in the Bay Area and there are several Turkish cultural organizations that teach language courses, folk dancing, and cooking.  Turkish Airlines has nonstop flights from San Francisco (SFO) to Istanbul (IST), helping to strengthen commercial and cultural ties between these two beautiful cities.  

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.  Istanbul is the country’s cultural and commercial capital, while Ankara is the political capital.  There are hundreds of American companies doing business in Turkey including several San Francisco Bay Area apparel and consumer goods firms, however, many Silicon Valley companies are still struggling to reach their full potential in this market.  Turkey is the 19th largest economy in the world and has a robust industrial sector that manufactures automobiles, ships, electronics, textiles, and construction materials.  Turkey is also producing its own military and industrial technologies at Teknopark Istanbul, one of the country’s innovation centers.  Of course, Turkey is also well known for its huge tourism sector that attracts 50 million visitors each year thanks to its rich culture, historical sights, and 5,000 miles of spectacular coastline.  

Obtaining a Turkey Visa from San Francisco 

Getting a Turkey visa for San Francisco Bay Area residents is easy.  If you are a U.S. citizen traveling to Turkey for tourism or business purposes, and you already have a valid American passport, 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 simple 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 Francisco Bay 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 Francisco

If you are a Turkish citizen in the San Francisco Bay Area with 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 Francisco Bay 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