How to Get a Turkish Visa from Singapore (Work Pass Holders)
Turkey is one of those places that has a bit of everything. The food, the history, the mosques of Istanbul, the fairy chimneys of Cappadocia. My wife and I had wanted to go for a long time, and in early 2025 we finally did.
The one hurdle before the trip was the visa. Depending on your nationality, you will likely need one, and the process is not the online-in-five-minutes kind. Here is exactly how we got ours from Singapore as work pass holders.
The short version: if you do not hold a valid visa or residence permit from a Schengen country, the USA, the UK, or Ireland, you apply for a sticker visa through the Turkish embassy in Singapore. Processing took us about three weeks, and it cost SGD 85 per person.
Our trip
We visited Turkey in February 2025, flying from Singapore and spending ten days across Istanbul and Cappadocia.
Our background
We are Sri Lankan nationals living in Singapore. I hold an Employment Pass (EP) and my wife holds an S Pass. Because we do not qualify for visa-free entry or an eVisa, we had to apply for a sticker visa through the Turkish Embassy in Singapore.
Do you qualify for an eVisa?
If you hold a valid visa or residence permit from a Schengen country, the USA, the UK, or Ireland, you may be eligible for a single-entry eVisa instead. That route is much faster and more convenient.
To check whether you qualify, use the official site: https://www.mfa.gov.tr/visa-information-for-foreigners.en.mfa
If you do not hold any of those visas or permits, you apply for a sticker visa at the embassy. The rest of this guide covers that route.
Prepare your documents
This is the part that decides everything. The embassy can ask for more documents or reject an application that is incomplete or wrong. So gather everything in advance and make sure each item meets the criteria.
Create a “Turkey Visa” folder on your computer, keep everything in JPG or PDF, and take printed copies to the embassy too.
Passport. A scanned copy of the bio page (PDF) or a clear photo of it (JPG).
Biometric photo. Both a soft copy (JPG) and a hard copy, passport-size, taken within the last six months.
Flight itinerary. Confirmed air tickets in PDF, for example Singapore to Istanbul and back.
Bank statements. Your last three statements showing enough funds for the trip. You can download these from internet banking, such as DBS or StanChart.
Confirmed hotel bookings. Booking confirmation for every place you stay. Your name must be on it (your spouse’s name is not mandatory).
Original employment letter. The original hard copy plus a scanned copy. Get it physically signed on company letterhead with all the necessary details. If your spouse also works in Singapore, they need their own employment letter.
Singapore work pass. Make a two-page PDF. On the first page, add images of the front and back of your pass (EP or S Pass). On the second page, add a screenshot of your pass validity, taken by scanning the QR on your pass with the SGWorkPass app.
Travel insurance. This is not listed on the embassy website, but it is required. Buy travel insurance and have the policy ready in PDF. The pre-application form has no place to upload it, but you will need it at the embassy.
Sponsorship letter for spouse. If you are sponsoring your spouse’s trip, you need a letter stating that.
Marriage certificate. An English-translated copy.
Latest salary slip. Optional.
The visa process
One important thing before you start: apply at least one month before your travel date.
Step 1: Nationality and visa details
Go to the Turkish consulate’s Visa Pre-Application for Foreigners form, enter your nationality and visa details, and proceed.
Link: https://www.konsolosluk.gov.tr/Visa
Step 2: Personal information
Enter your personal information, accept the terms and conditions, and verify your email.
You will get an email with a reference number. Copy it, paste it into the email verification page of your pre-application, and proceed.
Step 3: Contact information
Enter accurate contact information and your employer details, such as the employer’s name and address.
Step 4: Travel information
Enter your travel details, including passport details, arrival date, and mode of travel. Use the first hotel’s address as your address in Turkey.
Step 5: Upload your documents
Upload soft copies of the following:
- Your biometric photo (JPG)
- Your passport (JPG or PDF)
- Confirmed air ticket
- Proof of income (I attached my latest salary slip, but you can use your latest bank statement)
- Accommodation (I attached the confirmed hotel booking for our first few days)
- Invitation letter (just attach the same hotel booking as above)
- Employment letter showing your employment details
- The document you prepared with the front, back, and validity of your work pass
- Your latest bank statement showing enough funds for the trip
Step 6: Review everything and continue
Step 7: Add another person
Add your spouse and repeat the same steps for their application under yours.
- 4th upload: attach the sponsorship letter as your spouse’s proof of income
- 9th upload: if your spouse has a bank account, attach their latest bank statement. Otherwise, attach the same sponsorship letter.
Step 8: Download and confirm
Download the visa pre-application and confirm it.
Step 9: Make an appointment
Step 10: Visit the Turkish Embassy in Singapore
Before you go, get hard copies of everything you uploaded, plus:
- A hard copy of the biometric photo
- Passport
- The sponsorship letter, if you are sponsoring your wife
- Original employment letter
- Travel insurance policy document
- Original marriage certificate and a copy of it
- Last three months of bank statements
- SGD 85 per person in cash (bring some extra just in case)
- The SGWorkPass app installed on your phone
At the embassy
An officer checks all your documents, takes your fingerprints, collects the money, and gives you a receipt to collect the passport later.
How long it took
The embassy said they would call in two to three weeks. I did not get a call by the end of the third week, so I emailed them asking for an update. They told me to come in two days, and I collected the passport then.
Validity
We applied for a single-entry visa and got it for three months.
A couple of recommendations
- Hotel in Cappadocia: Cappadocia Pyramid Stone House ($100 per night)
- Hotel in Istanbul: Sura Hagia Sophia Hotel İstanbul ($220 per night)
Photos
We loved the food and the sights. This was one of our favourite trips ever. A few photos from Turkey:
FAQs
Can I apply for a Turkish visa online from Singapore? Only if you hold a valid visa or residence permit from a Schengen country, the USA, the UK, or Ireland. Otherwise you must apply for a sticker visa through the Turkish embassy in Singapore.
How long does the Turkish visa process take in Singapore? In most cases, less than three weeks.
Do I need travel insurance for a Turkish visa? Yes. It is not listed as a required document, but you need it.
How much is the visa fee? SGD 85 per person, paid in cash.
Heading to Europe next?
If Turkey has you thinking about the wider region, my Schengen visa guide from Singapore covers the sticker-visa process for the EU in the same detail.
A sticker visa takes more effort than an eVisa, but it is not complicated. Prepare the documents carefully, apply a month ahead, and the embassy visit itself is quick.
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