Türkiye visa — Democratic Republic of the Congo passport

Good to know

Tourist visa

• Duration of stayConditions and details

  The duration of stay granted by a visa or an exemption cannot exceed 90 days per 180-day period, a rule that applies to all foreigners. Turkish consular offices issue visas with a duration of stay of at most 90 days; to stay longer, one must apply for a short-term residence permit at the provincial directorate of migration management.
• 15-day visa for certain nationalitiesHolders of an ordinary passport from Bhutan, Guyana, Nauru, Nepal, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu can obtain a 15-day visa from Turkish representations.
• e-Visa possible with a visa or residence permit of a third countryConditions and details

  For several nationalities subject to the visa, including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Senegal, Sri Lanka and Yemen, holders of a valid visa or residence permit of a Schengen State, the United States, the United Kingdom or Ireland can, under conditions, obtain a single-entry e-Visa, most often of one month or 30 days, at www.evisa.gov.tr.
• The visa does not guarantee entryConditions and details

  Visas issued to foreigners do not guarantee them an absolute right of entry into Türkiye. At entry, the authorities check whether the traveler falls under a refusal case, for example a passport that expires less than 60 days after the end of the visa.
• Non-refunded feesVisa fees are not refunded in case of refusal of the application.
• Statutory entry visa fee scheduleConditions and details

  The Presidency of Migration Management publishes the 2026 fee schedule set by the general communiqué on the law on fees (Official Gazette of December 31, 2025, No. 33124): 9 376,40 TL for a single-entry visa and 31 410,00 TL for a multiple-entry visa. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs determines, according to the principle of reciprocity, the nationalities subject to application or visa fees and the amounts applied.
• Two passportsA foreigner who holds two passports cannot stay 90 days with each of them in the same 180-day period.
• Cruise stopoverConditions and details

  Travelers subject to the visa who arrive by a port during a tourist trip can receive from the local authorities a visa-free entry permit of at most 72 hours, valid only to visit the surroundings of the port; this permit (« Harbor City Entry Permit ») must be returned on exit.

Student visa

• The study visa is applied for at a Turkish representationConditions and details

  Visa applications for a trip that does not have a tourist or commercial purpose, such as work or studies, are made at Turkish representations abroad. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs classifies under the "student – education" visa the purpose "Education Purpose", as well as internships (including Erasmus and AIESEC), Turkish language courses, courses and studies in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The visa regime for a tourist or business stay may differ from that for work and studies.
• Visa and residence permit: two distinct proceduresConditions and details

  Consular offices issue visas with a duration of stay of 90 days at most; the stay under a visa or exemption cannot exceed 90 days out of 180. To stay beyond the stay authorized by the visa or exemption, or more than 90 days, one must apply for the residence permit corresponding to one's situation. In higher education, the student residence application is made online, then the documents are submitted to the university without waiting for the appointment date.
• Student residence permit: beneficiaries, duration and conditionsConditions and details

  The student residence permit is provided for by Articles 38 to 41 of Law No. 6458. It is issued to foreigners who are following an associate, bachelor's, master's or doctoral program, or a specialty training in medicine (TUS) or dentistry (DUS), and to those who are following primary or secondary education without a family residence permit. If the studies last less than one year, the duration of the permit does not exceed that of the studies; for students coming through public institutions and organizations, it may be issued for the duration of the studies. One must present the information and documents on the purpose of the stay, not fall under a ground for refusal of entry under Article 7 and indicate one's address of stay in Türkiye.
• Health insurance for the student residence permitConditions and details

  Another health insurance is not required if the student applies for general health insurance within three months of admission, according to the rules of the law on social insurance and general health insurance; if they lose this right for lack of application within this period, private health insurance is required.
• Working during studiesConditions and details

  Foreign students enrolled in an in-person higher education course may work with a work permit. In a short cycle (associate degree) and in bachelor's, the application is possible only after the first year and the work is part-time. These restrictions do not apply to students of second and third cycle programs. The work permit does not terminate the student residence permit or the rights it confers.
• Exchange students who entered without a visaConditions and details

  Foreigners who arrive in Türkiye on the invitation of universities under the Council of Higher Education, to study at an associate, bachelor's, master's or doctoral level within the framework of student exchange programs, cultural programs or European Union programs for education and youth, and who enter under the visa-free regime without having obtained a study visa, apply for their residence permit at the provincial directorates of migration management. For higher education students applying for a student permit, the documents are submitted to the competent department of the university after the online application, without waiting for the appointment.
• Recommended timeframe and non-refundable feesConditions and details

  The Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommends applying for the visa at least one month before the planned trip, to avoid processing delays. The visa does not guarantee an absolute right of entry into Türkiye, and visa fees are not refunded in case of refusal.
• Grounds for refusal of visa and entryConditions and details

  A visa exemption does not remove checks at entry. Grounds for refusal include in particular insufficient passport validity, an entry ban, risks to public order, security or health, the absence of valid health insurance, of justification of the stay or of sufficient and sustainable resources, as well as refusal to pay certain debts and fines. The official page refers to Articles 7 and 15 of Law No. 6458 without prejudice to international protection rules.
• Statutory entry visa fee scheduleConditions and details

  The Presidency of Migration Management publishes the 2026 scale set by the general communiqué on the law on fees (Official Gazette of 31 December 2025, No. 33124): 9 376,40 TL for a single-entry visa and 31 410,00 TL for a multiple-entry visa. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs determines, according to the principle of reciprocity, the nationalities subject to application or visa fees and the amounts applied: the amount of the study visa is not specified on these pages.

Work visa

• The work visa is applied for at a Turkish representationConditions and details

  Visa applications for a trip that does not have a tourist or business purpose, such as work or studies, are made at Turkish representations abroad. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs classifies under the "work" visa employment (or special employment), seconded teachers and academics, athletes, artists, free zone workers and seconded journalists, as well as assembly and repair grounds. The visa regime for a tourist or business stay may differ from that for work and studies.
• Application abroad or from TürkiyeConditions and details

  Abroad, the application begins in person at a Turkish embassy or consulate of the country of nationality or legal residence; the 16-digit reference number is transmitted to the employer, who completes e-İzin. In Türkiye, the domestic submission normally concerns holders of a residence permit issued for at least six months and still valid on the application date, with a foreign identity number beginning with 99. Certain categories determined by the general directorate may submit from Türkiye without a valid residence permit if they are legally present there.
• Conditions imposed on the employer: headcount, financial capacity and salaryConditions and details

  For each foreigner, the employer whose accounts follow the balance sheet method employs in principle at least five Turkish citizens; workplaces whose net sales of the previous year reach 50 000 000 TL are exempt from this criterion for at most five foreigners. A newly established workplace must have paid-in capital of at least 500 000 TL; a workplace keeping accounts under the balance sheet method must have at least 500 000 TL of paid-in capital, 8 000 000 TL of net sales or 150 000 USD of exports. The foreigner's remuneration reaches at least the gross minimum wage in force on the application date, multiplied by: five for executive managers and pilots, four for engineers and architects, three for other managers, two for jobs requiring expertise and mastery, one for domestic work and other occupations. Exceptions and criteria specific to certain sectors exist.
• Documents provided by the employerConditions and details

  The employer transmits online, with the employment contract, the copy of the foreigner's passport, the Turkish trade registry journal showing the most recent capital and shareholding structure, and the previous year's balance sheet and income statement approved by the tax office or by a sworn financial advisor. Documents specific to certain sectors are requested: education, health, tourism, entertainment, aviation, engineers and architects, foreign direct investment, liaison offices. The documents are digitized and sent through the electronic work permit system.
• Passport for the work permitConditions and details

  The work permit issued to the foreigner is established for a duration that does not exceed the date sixty days before the expiration of his passport. Applications submitted with a passport or a document serving in its place whose validity duration is less than sixty days on the application date are not processed. If the passport is not written in Latin characters, a translation certified by a sworn translator or by the official authorities is attached.
• Duration of the work permit and extensionConditions and details

  On the first application, the fixed-term work permit is granted for at most one year, without exceeding the duration of the employment contract, for a specific workplace, job and employer. On the first extension, it may be granted for at most two years, then for at most three years on subsequent extensions, with the same employer; an application for another employer is processed as a first application. The extension application is made online, before expiration, from 60 days before the expiration date.
• The work permit serves as a residence permitConditions and details

  A work permit or a permit exemption is in principle equivalent to a residence permit during its validity. Permits issued to international protection applicants, conditional refugees and beneficiaries of temporary protection are exceptions. After an entry with a work visa, the address must be registered within at most 20 days. For an application submitted abroad, work must begin within the month following entry and, in all cases, within six months following the start of validity of the permit, while fulfilling the applicable social security obligations.
• 2026 work permit fees according to durationConditions and details

  For 2026, the document fee for the fixed-term work permit is 12 574,90 TL up to one year, 25 149,80 TL from more than one year to two years, 37 724,70 TL from more than two years to three years, 50 299,60 TL from more than three years to four years and 62 874,50 TL from more than four years to five years; the permanent work permit and the independent work permit each cost 125 802,20 TL. The valuable paper fee (964,00 TL) is added thereto. Renewal of a document declared lost or stolen costs half of the fee in force plus the valuable paper fee.
• Statutory entry visa fee scheduleConditions and details

  The Presidency of Migration Management publishes the 2026 fee schedule set by the general communiqué on the law on fees (Official Gazette of 31 December 2025, No. 33124): 9 376,40 TL for a single-entry visa and 31 410,00 TL for a multiple-entry visa. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs determines, according to the principle of reciprocity, the nationalities subject to application or visa fees and the amounts applied: the amount of the work visa is not specified on these pages.
• Professions reserved for Turkish citizensConditions and details

  The law reserves for Turkish citizens and prohibits to foreigners certain professions and functions, in particular lawyer, notary, judge and prosecutor, mediator, dentist, pharmacist, veterinarian, tourist guide, private security officer, director of a private hospital, founder of a school opened by foreigners teaching in a language other than Turkish, and certain functions of the merchant marine and of fishing in territorial waters. The page lists them, with the articles of law.
• Prior authorizations and specific proceduresConditions and details

  In higher education, YÖK gives the prior authorization and the Ministry of Labor issues the permit; the establishment submits the application in the system. Foreign experts employed by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism must also obtain a permit from the Ministry of Labor before starting. For free zones, Article 18 of Law No. 6735 provides a specific processing procedure: the permit remains issued by the Ministry of Labor after a favorable opinion of the competent authority. Verify the procedure specific to the position with the employer.
• Recommended timeframe and non-refundable feesConditions and details

  The Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommends applying for the visa at least one month before the planned trip, to avoid processing delays. The visa does not guarantee an absolute right of entry into Türkiye, and visa fees are not refunded in case of refusal.