Turkey visa query

MrChips

Hi - I have a slightly technical visa query. Not sure if anyone on here will have the expertise necessary to resolve it, but I've been googling for an hour and still not sure of the answer so here goes.

My family are travelling to Turkey next week. I have a UK passport so need to buy a visa for $20 which I have done.

My wife and son are dual nationals and each has both a UK and Russian passport. We've been to Turkey a few times and they use their Russian passports to enter Turkey as Russian citizens do not need a visa to enter Turkey so $40 saved!

We've just spotted my wife's Russian passport expires in early October 2019. I know UK citizens need to have 90 days or so of validity left on their passport when entering. My wife will have her UK passport with her as well and this has plenty of time left until expiry. I am unsure if the same period of validity restriction applies to Russian nationals.

I'm therefore wondering if she will be able to enter without a visa on the basis of her Russian passport. If there is an issue with the period of validity, will she be able to enter visa free on the strength of being a Russian citizen, and also show her British passport to keep them happy that she has plenty of time left on at least one of her passports.

Unsurprisingly the FAQ section of the e-Visa site does not have this question on it!

Thanks in advance

TELLIT01

Generally, when travelling outside the EU it is necessary to have 6 months remaining on the passport. Are you sure about Turkey only requiring 90 days?
I would be amazed if any country would be happy about a person travelling on one passport but trying to use the benefits of another at the same time.

maman

TELLIT01 wrote: »

Generally, when travelling outside the EU it is necessary to have 6 months remaining on the passport. Are you sure about Turkey only requiring 90 days?
I would be amazed if any country would be happy about a person travelling on one passport but trying to use the benefits of another at the same time.

I think the 90 days corresponds to the length of the visa.

If there's a problem OP, your wife could buy a visa at the airport on arrival.

I know this is a mse site :money: but personally I'd rather pay my 20$ (online in advance) for peace of mind.

Voyager2002

TELLIT01 wrote: »

Generally, when travelling outside the EU it is necessary to have 6 months remaining on the passport.

Not really true: the only time I have encountered this was with China.

Voyager2002

Why has no-one suggested the obvious: ask the Turkish embassy, or see what the Russian equivalent of the Foreign Office says about Russian citizens visiting Turkey?

And... how long would it take to renew a Russian passport in the UK?

MrChips

I emailed the Turkish embassy earlier today but their reply wasn't very helpful - it just directed me to the e-Visa site. I applied as a Russian citizen and it confirms no visa is required but it did not contain any details about how much, if any, passport validity was required. It doesn't say anything about period of validity when applying with a British passport either but I do know a certain amount of extra validity is required there so the lack of anything stated on this isn't a guarantee that this isn't a problem.

Alas, I do not speak good enough Russian to consult the Russian foreign office, and my wife is currently overseas so isn't in a position to either until she gets back just before we leave. And there won't be enough time between her return and our leaving to organise a new Russian passport.

If we cannot get a certain answer before we go, I'll get the additional visa, but am using the last few days to try and find out one way or another.

asajj

I doubt it will be a problem but if it is, you can buy the visa on arrival.

Voyager2002

MrChips wrote: »

Alas, I do not speak good enough Russian to consult the Russian foreign office, and my wife is currently overseas so isn't in a position to either until she gets back just before we leave. And there won't be enough time between her return and our leaving to organise a new Russian passport.

I would imagine that the Russian foreign office maintains a website with information like this: could you not find a way to ask your wife to consult it?

Alternatively: the major airlines maintain a database of visa requirements (I think it is called TIMATIC) and you can consult this database via the websites of Air France and others. If you enter details of the Russian passport and its expiry date you should get a reasonably authoritative answer.

junebaby

I would ask on the Trip Advisor Turkey forum. There are some extremely knowledgeable people on there who, I am sure, will be able to answer your question or at least point you in the right direction.

MrChips

Thanks - as it happens I posted on there earlier today. Advice was in line with what was stated here. Russian passport will not be viable, and we should get a UK visa. I've just purchased one.

However, as an experiment we will try and travel on the Russian one just to see if it works. If challenged we will dig out the UK one.

maman

MrChips wrote: »

Thanks - as it happens I posted on there earlier today. Advice was in line with what was stated here. Russian passport will not be viable, and we should get a UK visa. I've just purchased one.

However, as an experiment we will try and travel on the Russian one just to see if it works. If challenged we will dig out the UK one.

You'll probably be OK leaving the UK with the Russian one but when you arrive in Turkey the visa is linked electronically to the UK passport you used to buy the Visa. They scan the passport and stamp it without looking at a copy. So I suppose if you get through on the Russian one you'll prove the point.