When to get Turkey Visa?
Dec 19, 2010 | 3:13 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Reston, Virginia, USA
Posts: 653
When to get Turkey Visa?
Traveling to Istanbul in the spring on a tour. Grand Circle recommends we get visas ahead of time for USD $225 from PVS International. The alternative is to get them upon arrival at IST for USD $25 each.
On an earlier trip to Egypt, we sprung for the exorbitant PVS advance fee to avoid waiting in a long line. Then we saw those who got their visas at CAI took only minutes to get them. Smells like PVS has a racket.
So what is the visa deal at IST? Is it worth it to pop $225, or is the visa line as short as it was in CAI?
On an earlier trip to Egypt, we sprung for the exorbitant PVS advance fee to avoid waiting in a long line. Then we saw those who got their visas at CAI took only minutes to get them. Smells like PVS has a racket.
So what is the visa deal at IST? Is it worth it to pop $225, or is the visa line as short as it was in CAI?
Dec 19, 2010 | 10:56 pm
#4
Join Date: Dec 2009
Programs: AA PLT MM, BA, UA, AC
Posts: 800
Simple answer to your Q, get a visa on arrival.
More complex answer to your Q, get a visa on arrival and tell PVS to *(&#@&%@!!!!!!!!!!
Have fun in Turkey.
More complex answer to your Q, get a visa on arrival and tell PVS to *(&#@&%@!!!!!!!!!!
Have fun in Turkey.
Last edited by startpacking; Dec 19, 2010 at 11:52 pm
Dec 20, 2010 | 5:03 am
#7
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: CBR
Programs: QF, Velocity, AA
Posts: 284
Nthing getting the visa on arrival.
And really, how long is a visa line going to be, that it's worth $200 USD to avoid? And even if you do pay that, depending on the airport, you may be up for a long wait anyway, regardless of whether you have your visa in advance (I waited 1hr45m at LHR once...!).
As someone else has said already, I'd almost go as far as to say this is a scam.
And anyway, even if you did want to get it in advance, why wouldn't you just apply directly to the Turkish Embassy?
And really, how long is a visa line going to be, that it's worth $200 USD to avoid? And even if you do pay that, depending on the airport, you may be up for a long wait anyway, regardless of whether you have your visa in advance (I waited 1hr45m at LHR once...!).
As someone else has said already, I'd almost go as far as to say this is a scam.
And anyway, even if you did want to get it in advance, why wouldn't you just apply directly to the Turkish Embassy?
Dec 24, 2010 | 7:41 am
#11
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: MSY
Programs: BA GfL
Posts: 6,057
Definitely, PVS is running a giant racket and has lined the pockets of someone at Grand Circle to get this very suspect recommendation. In both Turkey and Egypt, it couldn't be simpler to get the visa on arrival. You have to carry the proper amount of USD or EUR (in Turkey this has varied over the years, but these days it's $20) and just make sure to go to the visa stamp counter before getting in line for immigration. The line for the visa stamp might take 10 minutes at most.
Dec 25, 2010 | 8:45 am
#12
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Oakland
Programs: Free Agent
Posts: 1,109
You can see all the fees here: http://www.mfa.gov.tr/visa-fees-at-b...or-2010.en.mfa
