Cypriots heading to Turkey must now obtain an e-visa in advance or apply through a Turkish diplomatic mission after Ankara quietly abolished its long-standing sticker-visa-on-arrival system on 2 January. The change—highlighted in Cypriot media on 15 February—does not affect residents of the self-declared ‘TRNC’, who remain visa-exempt.
For leisure travellers the new requirement adds only a minor administrative step: Turkey’s electronic visa portal generally issues approvals within minutes for €35. For business visitors, however, the shift has more serious implications. Multi-entry sticker visas, once issued on arrival for up to 90 days per half-year, are no longer available; holders must instead apply for a multiple-entry business visa at Turkish consulates, a process that can take up to ten working days.
![Turkey Scraps Sticker Visa, Requires E-Visa for Republic of Cyprus Passports]()
Need assistance navigating Turkey’s new e-visa landscape? VisaHQ’s Cyprus team can manage the application on your behalf—whether you’re seeking a single-entry tourist permit or a multi-entry business visa—through their streamlined portal, courier services and real-time tracking tools. Find out more at https://www.visahq.com/cyprus/
The timing coincides with Ankara’s broader overhaul of border-management technology, including the rollout of biometric e-gates at Istanbul Airport and a transition to API-driven passenger vetting. Some analysts also view the move as a diplomatic signal amid stalled efforts to restart Cyprus reunification talks.
Companies running regular Cyprus–Turkey rotations should update travel handbooks, build e-visa fees into T&E budgets and remind employees that overstaying or working on a tourist e-visa risks fines and entry bans. Travel managers can pre-populate employee data in Turkey’s e-visa portal to accelerate bulk applications ahead of trade-fair season.
For leisure travellers the new requirement adds only a minor administrative step: Turkey’s electronic visa portal generally issues approvals within minutes for €35. For business visitors, however, the shift has more serious implications. Multi-entry sticker visas, once issued on arrival for up to 90 days per half-year, are no longer available; holders must instead apply for a multiple-entry business visa at Turkish consulates, a process that can take up to ten working days.
Need assistance navigating Turkey’s new e-visa landscape? VisaHQ’s Cyprus team can manage the application on your behalf—whether you’re seeking a single-entry tourist permit or a multi-entry business visa—through their streamlined portal, courier services and real-time tracking tools. Find out more at https://www.visahq.com/cyprus/
The timing coincides with Ankara’s broader overhaul of border-management technology, including the rollout of biometric e-gates at Istanbul Airport and a transition to API-driven passenger vetting. Some analysts also view the move as a diplomatic signal amid stalled efforts to restart Cyprus reunification talks.
Companies running regular Cyprus–Turkey rotations should update travel handbooks, build e-visa fees into T&E budgets and remind employees that overstaying or working on a tourist e-visa risks fines and entry bans. Travel managers can pre-populate employee data in Turkey’s e-visa portal to accelerate bulk applications ahead of trade-fair season.
