Travelling to Turkey from Pakistan:
Acquiring a Visa
Visa Requirements
Visa Fees
Visa Processing Time
Turkish Currency
Obtaining a SIM Card
Estimated Cost of Travelling
What to eat
Famous Tourist attractions
Staying in Turkey
A lot of us dream about travelling to Turkey from Pakistan, but only a few can make this dream come true on their own. If you’re sceptical about how to begin, worry no more! Here is a comprehensive guide to help you prepare for your trip to Turkey.
Turkey is a hotspot for world tourism: rich culture, historical architecture, and amazing food are some things that work as a magnet for most globetrotters. Not to mention, it is the only place where you can devour the delicacies of Asia while enjoying the view of Europe. The country has witnessed the rise and fall of several empires and it is quite evident via landmarks dotted everywhere.
Keep scrolling to find everything you need to know about travelling to Turkey from Pakistan!
How to Acquire a Visa When Travelling to Turkey from Pakistan
If you’ve taken the leap of faith and want to explore Turkey on your own, the first thing you need to take care of is obtaining a Turkish visa from Pakistan. While some people may believe that it is a long and taxing procedure, reality is far from it; the process is simplified and easy as long as you meet all requirements.
We have mentioned visa requirements, processing time, and visa fees for Turkey below.
Requirements of Turkey Visit Visa for Pakistanis
Here are all the essential documents that will be required when applying for a visit visa to Turkey from Pakistan.
- A correctly filled-out visa application form
- Two 5×5 biometric photographs with white background
- A request letter filled by the applicant
- Passport, having validity for at least 6 months after you land in Turkey
- Copies of all the stamped pages of the recent and old passports
- Travel health insurance certificate
- Polio vaccination certificate
- Copy of the flight reservations
- Copy of hotel bookings/invitation letter if the plan is to stay at a local’s house
- NADRA family registration certificate if you’re visiting with your family
- Bank account maintenance certificate
- Bank statements for the last three months
- NTN number
- Signed and stamped salary slips
- Employment letter on employer’s letterhead
Unlike past procedures where you either had to visit the Turkish embassy in Islamabad or the Turkish Consulate General in Karachi, you can easily apply for the visa using the visa facilitation service called Gerry’s.
Note: The usual duration of a visa granted to Pakistani tourists is 10 days.
Visa Fee for Turkey
As per Gerry’s official website, Pakistani citizens are required to pay an amount of PKR 9000 for a single-entry visa and PKR 36,000 for a multiple-entry visit visa. Turkey has recently introduced a visa that costs around PKR 16,424. It is a single-entry visa and it is valid for 1 year.
In case of a multiple-entry visa, the applicant will be required to produce an invitation letter from a company or relatives residing in Turkey. In cases where applicants are applying for a work visa, they will be required to provide an additional fee to the Turkish Embassy, after their application has been approved.
Applicants that have valid US, UK, Ireland, or Schengen visas are qualified to get an e-visa from Pakistan. One special offer to those travelling from the US, UK, or Ireland via Turkish Airlines is that they are eligible to apply for a 7-day transit visa without any cost.
Applicants who choose to opt for Gerry’s visa facilitation services, they have to pay a total of PKR 3,450 per application. They also offer a premium lounge service where a professional agent helps you arrange and fill all the required documents. The charges for the premium lounge services are PKR 4,830.
Note: You can fill out an insurance form at Gerry’s at the time of applying for a visa.
Visa Processing Time
Now that you have filled the application and submitted your documents; the next step is to wait for the visa to arrive. One question that may come up in your mind could be how long does a normal visa application take to process – the answer varies based on the procedure. The application processing time generally varies between 10 days and 4 weeks. However, the time can get prolonged in some cases.
It is advisable that an applicant should apply for the visit visa at least 1.5 months before the departure date.
What is the Best Time to Visit Turkey?
The weather conditions can play a huge role in how effective your trip goes – an ideal time to visit Turkey if you’re travelling from Pakistan would either be from April to May and from September to October. Travelling besides these months means that you will experience extreme humidity, rain, heat, or cold.
Turkish Currency
One of the biggest concerns for people travelling from Pakistan to other countries is always which currency they should be using and exchange rates. The official currency in Turkey, the Turkish Lira is denoted as TL and TRY. However, some hotels and shops in Turkey also accept euros. As for the exchange rate 1 TL is equal to PKR 19.13.
It is strongly recommended that you only carry a few TL for transport and tipping and keep the rest of the money as US dollars or euros and get them exchanged from a trusted shop in the city.
Obtaining a SIM Card in Turkey
A lot of people travel with their families, but some travel alone or with friends. In such cases, keeping in touch with family back home is an essential part of your trip. Using Pakistani network providers to make calls would cost you a fortune. Instead, it’s better if you choose to buy a local SIM card for communication.
There are two major network operators that you can choose from including Turkcell and Vodafone. You can easily find kiosks of these service providers within the airport which lets you buy SIM cards on arrival, making the rest of the trip worry free.
Travelling to Turkey from Pakistan
The only thing left to do is figure out how to get to Turkey – the answer is simple, you book a flight. However, you might know what airline to choose and ticket prices from Pakistan to Turkey. Most tourists prefer to land in Istanbul. There are two international airports in Istanbul namely Ataturk International Airport and Sabiha Gokcen International Airport.
Some of the most popular airline options that provide flights from Pakistan to Turkey include Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Emirates, Qatar, and Fly Dubai. If you’ve decided to visit Turkey, the estimated airfare for a round trip to Istanbul would be somewhere between PKR 50,000 and PKR 95,000 for the economy class. It usually takes six hours to travel from Turkey to Pakistan.
Pro Tip: Booking tickets a few months in advance would help you avail cheaper air-tickets as compared to when you buy them just before your trip.
Estimated Cost for Travelling from Pakistan to Turkey
Whether you are choosing to travel with an agency or you decide to do it on your own, the entire cost of travelling from Pakistan to Turkey would be more or less the same. If you choose to travel with a company, most of them would charge somewhere around PKR 1.6 lakh to PKR 2 lakh for a predesigned travel package. These packages include flight bookings, accommodation, breakfast, inter and intra-city travelling, and sometimes entrance fee for popular places.
However, if you decide to do everything on your own, it will still cost you a little around 1.8 lakh per person.
What You Should Be Eating – Famous Turkish Delights
Turkey is known for its rich culture and their unique cuisine. Turkish food is a combination of Mediterranean, Asian, and Arabic culture blended into one to create the perfect fusion of tastes. If you’re in Turkey, or are planning to head there soon, you need to visit the local restaurants and try the following dishes:
- Mezze Platters
- Doner
- Kofte
- Lahmacun
- Turkish Delight
- Baklava
- İskender Kebab
- Manti
- Kumpir
- Simit
- Börek
- Pide
Don’t forget to get something packed for your friends and family members waiting for you back home in Pakistan. Try to carry the food in your hand luggage and get it just a few hours before boarding on your flight, so that everything stays fresh.
Famous Tourist Attraction in Turkey
The list of famous tourist attractions in Turkey is never-ending, but we’ve compiled the main places that you shouldn’t miss at any cost.
You don’t go to Turkey every other day, so when you do you make the most of it. Whether it is the food you eat or the tourist spots you visit – make sure they are the ones that give you a fulfilling experience. In order to help you we have compiled a list of the best cities in Turkey that you should visit:
- Istanbul
- Antalya
- Cappadocia
- Ankara
Each of these cities have a plethora of tourist attractions that will give you an insight into the historical importance, the culture, and the visual attraction. Whether it is mosques or famous museums in Turkey, take a look at the lists of top tourist attractions in each of the cities mentioned above.
Top Tourist Attractions in Istanbul
Istanbul is rich in culture and historical locations, none of which you should be missing at all. Here is a list of all the famous and top visited tourist attractions in Istanbul:
- Hagia Sophia Museum
- The Blue Mosque
- Topkapi Palace and Museum
- Dolmabahce Palace
Top Tourist Attractions in Antalya
With a gorgeous beach, and moderately beautiful weather, Antalya is the perfect location for you to visit if you’re planning a trip to Turkey. When you’re in Antalya, here are some of the tourist spots that you should be visiting:
- Old Town (Kaleiçi)
- Entrance Fee: None
- Duden Waterfalls
- Hadrian’s Gate
Top Tourist Attractions in Ankara
Being the second largest city in Turkey after Istanbul, Ankara has a lot to offer. Here are a few tourist spots that you shouldn’t miss out on, on your next visit to Turkey:
- Anitkabir
- Museum of Anatolian Civilisations
Top Tourist Attractions in Cappadocia
When travelling to Turkey from Pakistan, it is essential that you keep Cappadocia on your list of places that you want to visit. It is known for the scenic hot air balloon rides. While you’re in Cappadocia, there are a few other tourist spots you can visit such as:
- Goreme Open Air Museum
- Underground Cities
- Uchisar Castle
Where to Stay in Turkey?
Turkey is a beautiful place, once you reach there you want to visit as many places possible, however, we’ve selected some of the best places where you should be staying in Turkey:
- Istanbul
- Antalya
- Ankara
- Cappadocia
In this blog, we have listed down a number of suggestions for you to take into consideration when you plan on travelling to Turkey from Pakistan. For more updates on tourism, keep reading Jagah Online Blogs.
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