Your cousin in Lahore has a valid US visa. He wants to visit Istanbul. He can apply for a Turkey e-visa online and get it in minutes. Your neighbour has no such visa. He must go through the visa application center with a folder of papers. Both are going to the same city. The path is different.
Turkey runs two systems for Pakistani passports. Which one applies to you depends on one thing: whether you hold a valid visa or residence permit from the US, the UK, Ireland or a Schengen country. This guide explains both routes, what they cost in 2026, and the steps for each.
Which route applies to you?
The official rule from the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs is simple. Ordinary Pakistani passport holders with a valid Schengen, USA, UK or Ireland visa or residence permit can get a one month single entry e-visa online at evisa.gov.tr. Everyone else needs a sticker visa from a Turkish mission.
Two conditions matter. First, the supporting visa must be a physical one. Electronic authorisations like the British ETA do not count. Second, your passport must stay valid for at least six months from the date you enter Turkey. If yours is close to expiry, read our guide on renewing your Pakistani passport from abroad.
The e-visa covers tourism and short business trips only. For work or study you need a visa from a Turkish embassy or consulate.
The e-visa route: three minutes online
If you qualify, go to evisa.gov.tr. It is the only official portal. Middleman sites charge extra for the same thing.
Fill in your identity details, passport number and travel dates. Pay the fee online by card. The fee is set per nationality and shown on the site before you pay. Download the e-visa PDF and keep it on your phone or print it.
Apply early. Most applications are processed within hours, but do not leave it to the last day.
The Turkey e-visa is one of several eVisas open to Pakistani passport holders.
The sticker visa route: through a visa application center
No supporting visa? Then you need the sticker visa. Since 20 February 2026, the Turkish Embassy in Islamabad receives applications only through Anatolia Travel Services. That is the official channel. There is no embassy counter for ordinary passport holders.
Step one is the online pre-application at konsolosluk.gov.tr. Fill it, print it, sign it. The form asks for your CNIC number, your parents' names and your complete addresses. Do not skip these.
Step two is choosing the right center. Anatolia has offices in Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Sialkot, Gujranwala, Faisalabad and Hyderabad. Which one you use depends on your CNIC address or your place of work. Since 11 March 2026, Punjab residents apply in Lahore, Sialkot, Faisalabad or Gujranwala. Islamabad, Rawalpindi, KPK and AJK residents apply in Islamabad or Peshawar. Sindh and Balochistan residents apply in Karachi or Hyderabad.
Step three is walking in. You do not book an appointment online. The embassy says appointments taken through the system are not valid. You go to the center between 9am and 3pm, Monday to Friday. Go early in the day.
The documents you need
The official list for a tourist visit is long. Gather everything before you go, or the center sends you back.
- Passport. Valid at least six months from arrival. Copies of the used pages of your current and old passports.
- Two photos. Recent, coloured, biometric, 5 by 5 cm, white background.
- The printed pre-application from konsolosluk.gov.tr, signed.
- A cover letter explaining your trip, signed by you.
- Travel health insurance of at least EUR 30,000 or USD 50,000, covering the stay and repatriation.
- Polio vaccination certificate from a government hospital or authorised laboratory. It must cover the travel period and be less than one year old.
- Flight reservation. A reservation, not a ticket.
- Hotel reservation or a notarised invitation letter from your host in Turkey.
- NADRA family registration certificate, or marriage registration certificate if newly married.
- Employment letter. If you work, a letter from your employer on letterhead with your title, salary, duration of employment and purpose of visit, plus your last three salary slips. If you own a business, a statement on your company letterhead. If you freelance, your signed contract.
- Sponsor affidavit on stamp paper, with proof of income, if someone else is paying for the trip.
- FBR and NTN documents. Income or active taxpayer certificates from the relevant tax office.
- Bank statements. Maintenance certificates and original statements for the last three months, signed and stamped by the bank. The current balance should cover the ticket, accommodation and expenses.
Applicants under 18 need a consent letter from their parents on stamp paper, attested by a notary public. Students need a bonafide letter from their institution. Government officers need ex-Pakistan leave papers or an NOC.
What it costs in 2026
The fee table was published by the Turkish Embassy in Islamabad on 20 February 2026. For Pakistani and other non-EU passports:
- Single entry, 3 months: PKR 52,200
- Single entry, 6 months: PKR 58,000
- Single entry, 12 months: PKR 63,800
- Multiple entry, 12 months: PKR 98,600
- Single transit: same as the single entry fee
- Double transit: PKR 69,600 for 3 months
Fees are paid in cash only. They are non-refundable, even if the visa is refused. GST and the center's service charge come on top. The VIP service costs an extra PKR 4,350.
How long does it take?
The embassy does not publish a fixed time. Travel agencies report 5 to 15 working days for most tourist applications. Plan for at least three weeks before your travel date.
The mistakes people make
Unofficial visa sites charge double and deliver nothing. Use evisa.gov.tr for the e-visa and Anatolia for the sticker visa. Nothing else is official.
An ETA is not a visa. If you only have a British ETA, the e-visa route is closed to you.
Online appointment bookings are invalid. Do not pay anyone who promises a booked slot.
Missing documents cause most refusals. The polio certificate is asked at the center, not the airport, and an expired one sends you back.
Overstaying your e-visa brings fines and can get you banned from re-entry. The one month stay cannot be extended inside Turkey.
For countries you can enter without any visa at all, see our guide to visa-free countries for Pakistani passport holders. For more guides like this, browse the Lexiber blog or start at lexiber.com.
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