Visa requirement
Turkey visa for South African citizens
Official-source answer with stay limit, cost, required documents and last verification date.
Do South African citizens need a visa for Turkey?
Checked answer — confirm before travel
South African citizens need an eVisa to enter Turkey for up to 30 days.
Last verified:
What this means: An eVisa is a real visa you apply for online before travel; approval arrives before you fly, unlike a visa on arrival.
Confidence: Medium Likely current — confirm details with the official source.
This answer is for ordinary South African passport holders travelling as citizens of that passport. Residence permits, long-stay visas or living in another country can change which embassy or rule applies.
Visa types at a glance
| Visa type | Availability | Stay |
|---|---|---|
| Tourist visa-free? | No | This page stores a visa or authorization route instead. |
| eVisa? | Yes | Up to 30 days. |
| Visa on arrival? | No | No visa-on-arrival route is stored for this corridor. |
- 30 days
- Varies — see notes
- Apply online before you fly
Before you travel
- 1 Entry step Apply online before you fly Official route (opens in a new tab)
- 2 Stay limit 30 days
- 3 Official fee Varies — see notes
- 4 Passport validity Official rule stored below. See full note
- 5 Transit airside: not required; landside: required. Full note below. See full note
- 6 Freshness Checked 23 Jul 2026; confidence: medium
Shareable verdict: South African citizens need an eVisa to enter Turkey for up to 30 days. Checked 23 Jul 2026.
Open SVG cardCost note
The official e-Visa fee is shown during the nationality-specific application flow; confirm the amount before payment.
Passport and transit notes
- Passport validity
- Passport should be valid at least 60 days beyond the permitted duration of stay, e-Visa, visa exemption or residence permit. Türkiye also advises having a passport valid for at least 6 months from arrival.
- Validity source (opens in a new tab) Validity guide
- Transit
- airside transit: not required; landside transit: required; Türkiye says no visa is needed if the traveller does not leave the international transit area. If the traveller leaves the transit area or passes passport control, they must meet Türkiye's normal visa, e-Visa or visa-exemption rule for their passport; narrow route-specific airport-transit rules can apply.
- Transit source (opens in a new tab) Transit guide
What you need
- passport valid at least 60 days beyond the permitted duration of stay
- approved Turkish e-Visa before travel
- return or onward ticket may be requested
Why this verdict
South African ordinary passport holders can obtain a 30-day single-entry Turkish e-Visa through the official portal. A longer 90-day multiple-entry visa may instead be requested through a Turkish mission.
Frequently asked questions
Do South African citizens need a visa for Turkey?
South African citizens need an eVisa to enter Turkey for up to 30 days. (eVisa.) Verified 23 Jul 2026 against the official source.
How long can South African passport holders stay in Turkey?
Up to 30 days.
How much does entry to Turkey cost for South African citizens?
The official fee varies — see the official source. This page tracks the official government fee only, not agent markup.