South African ordinary passport holders need a visa to enter Türkiye (Turkey). According to the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, you can get either a one-month, single-entry e-Visa online at evisa.gov.tr, or a three-month, multiple-entry visa from a Turkish mission abroad.
Your passport must be valid for at least 60 days beyond the “duration of stay” of your visa. The e-Visa is only valid for tourism or commerce; work or study needs a visa from a Turkish embassy or consulate. Use the official government sites only, because lookalike sites exist.
Eligibility and Entry Requirements at a Glance
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs visa information page sets out the position for South Africans.
- A visa is required. South African ordinary passports are not visa-exempt.
- e-Visa: one month, single entry, applied for at evisa.gov.tr.
- Mission visa: three months, multiple entry, from a Turkish representation abroad.
- Purpose: the e-Visa is valid only for tourism or commerce. For work and study, visas are issued by Turkish embassies or consulates.
- Passport: valid at least 60 days beyond the duration of stay of your visa.
- Insurance: mandatory travel insurance is part of the e-Visa application (see below).
For South Africa the ministry’s entry lists no requirement to hold a Schengen, US or UK visa first, which it does list for some other nationalities. Rules change, so check the ministry page again before you book.
Passport and Travel Document Requirements
Turkish law on foreigners requires a passport that expires at least 60 days after the “duration of stay” of your visa. Count from the length of stay the visa allows, not from the day you plan to leave.
- A 30-day stay needs a passport valid for 90 days at entry.
- A 90-day stay needs a passport valid for 150 days.
These are the ministry’s own worked examples. Check your passport expiry date before you book flights, since the rule is applied to the permitted stay and not only to your travel dates.
Visa and Supporting Document Requirements
e-Visa. You fill in your identity, passport and travel details online and pay the visa fee online. The fee is shown during the application, so pay only what the official site charges.
Sticker visa. Applications are started at visa.gov.tr. The Turkish embassy in Pretoria and the consulate general in Cape Town handle consular matters; the published pages do not give a document list or fee for sticker visas, so ask the mission which documents it wants before you pay or travel to it.
Other visa types. If you are going to work or study, you cannot use the e-Visa. Apply for the appropriate visa through a Turkish embassy or consulate.
Financial, Health and Entry Conditions
Travel insurance is mandatory for the e-Visa. The Turkish Consulate General in Cape Town states that all applicants must buy travel insurance through the e-visa website to complete their application, and that insurance fees apply. Its announcement dated 25 March 2026 says applicants are redirected from evisa.gov.tr to dtvgroup.com.tr, which handles this step.
Scam sites. The consulate warns applicants to beware of scam websites. Start at evisa.gov.tr (for the e-Visa) or visa.gov.tr (for a sticker visa) and do not use a site that charges a separate agent fee for the same visa.
Funds, accommodation and onward travel. The Turkish government pages do not list a specific amount of money or accommodation evidence for South African visitors. Border officers decide on entry, so carry your booking and return ticket details as ordinary good practice, and ask a Turkish mission what it expects if you are applying for a sticker visa.
Overstaying. Stay within the period on your visa. Penalties and re-entry bans for overstaying, and how to extend a stay, are not set out on the pages we reference; ask the Turkish authorities before your visa runs out rather than after.
Children. South African rules on children travelling abroad are set by the Department of Home Affairs. Confirm them with Home Affairs before you travel.
How to Prepare or Apply
- Check that your passport will still be valid 60 days after the end of the stay your visa allows.
- Confirm on the ministry visa page that your trip is tourism or commerce if you want the e-Visa.
- Apply at evisa.gov.tr: enter your identity, passport and travel dates, buy the mandatory insurance when you are redirected, and pay the visa fee online.
- For a longer or multiple-entry visa, or for work or study, begin at visa.gov.tr and contact the Turkish embassy in Pretoria or the consulate general in Cape Town.
- The Cape Town consulate takes cash only for consular fees. Contact it at [email protected] or +27 21 109 24 50.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do South Africans need a visa for Turkey?
Yes. South African ordinary passport holders need a visa. You can get a one-month single-entry e-Visa at evisa.gov.tr or a three-month multiple-entry visa from a Turkish mission abroad.
Can South Africans get a Turkish e-Visa?
Yes, for tourism or commerce. The ministry’s entry for South Africa lists no Schengen, US or UK visa condition. The Cape Town consulate confirms South African ordinary passport holders may apply at evisa.gov.tr.
Which website should I use?
Only evisa.gov.tr for the e-Visa, or visa.gov.tr for a sticker visa. The consulate warns about scam websites.
What are the requirements for a Turkey visa?
A passport valid 60 days beyond your permitted stay, an online application with the visa fee and mandatory travel insurance for the e-Visa, or a sticker visa application through visa.gov.tr. The documents for a sticker visa are set by the mission, so ask the embassy or consulate.
Is the visa validity the same as the permitted stay?
No. Your passport must be valid for 60 days beyond the “duration of stay” on the visa, which is the stay allowed, so read the details on your e-Visa. The ministry describes the e-Visa as one month, single entry.
What if I want to work or study in Turkey?
The e-Visa does not cover work or study. These visas are issued by Turkish embassies or consulates.
Confirm the current position with the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and your nearest Turkish mission. See visa requirements and browse all travel and immigration requirements.