Turkish passport


Turkish passport are issued to Turkish citizens for travel outside Turkey as per the Passport Act dated July 15, 1950. Citizens of the de facto state of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus are also eligible to apply for a Turkish passport. Passports issued since 1 June 2010 are biometric and valid for up to 10 years. Turkey is the only EU candidate country whose citizens are still required visas for their travels to the European Union member countries.

Types

  • Ordinary passport, also referred to as the Maroon Passport. It is issued to Turkish citizens who don't qualify for any of the following passport types.
  • Special passport, also referred to as the Green Passport, allows the bearer to travel visa-free to European countries, some 67 countries, including but not limited to Ivory Coast, China, the Philippines. As opposed to the regular passport, it is exempt from the passport fee and is only subject to the booklet fee. It is issued to:
  • *First, Second or Third grade public servants.
  • *Retired First, Second or Third grade public servants.
  • *Non-metropolitan Mayors
  • *Academics and lawyers with at least 15 years of experience
  • *The spouse of special passport holders
  • *Single and unemployed children of special passport holders under the age of 25 living with their parents.
  • Service passport, also referred to as the Grey Passport. It is issued to:
  • *People who do not qualify for the Special or diplomatic passports, however, are assigned to travel abroad for official and/or government related purposes.
  • *National athletes
  • *Turkish citizens working for international organisations of which Turkey is a member
  • *Staff members of the Turkish Red Crescent
  • *Employees of the Turkish Aeronautical Association
  • *Spouse of the service passport holders
  • *Unwed and unemployed children of the service passport holders who live with parents, until they turn 25.
  • Diplomatic passport, also referred to as the Black Passport. Diplomatic passports are issued to diplomats, cabinet ministers and other government officials in positions of the utmost importance to national security and the operation of government. See below for a complete list of individuals eligible for a diplomatic passport:
TitleThe nature of importance
The President of TurkeyExecutive
Members of the Grand National Assembly of TurkeyLegislative
Cabinet MinistersExecutive
Constitutional Court membersJudicial
Supreme Court of Appeals membersJudicial
Council of State membersJudicial
Court of Jurisdictional Disputes membersJudicial
Court of Accounts membersJudicial
Chief of the General StaffMilitary
Deputy Chief of the General StaffMilitary
Chief Public ProsecutorJudicial
Full GeneralsMilitary
Full AdmiralsMilitary
Former PresidentsExecutive
Former Speakers of Legislative AssembliesLegislative
Former Prime MinistersExecutive
Former Foreign MinistersDiplomatic
Secretary-General of the PresidencyExecutive
Undersecretaries of the Prime Ministry and MinistriesExecutive
Head of the Directorate of Religious AffairsReligious
Individuals with the title of AmbassadorDiplomatic
Professional members of the Ministry of Foreign AffairsDiplomatic
Senior officials of the Presidency General Secretariat sent on official missionsDiplomatic
Advisers appointed at the representations of the Republic of Turkey abroadDiplomatic
Attachés appointed at the representations of the Republic of Turkey abroadDiplomatic
Assistants appointed at the representations of the Republic of Turkey abroadDiplomatic
Individuals sent to conduct international official negotiations on behalf of the GovernmentDiplomatic
Individuals sent to contract treatiesDiplomatic
Individuals sent to attend international meetings, congresses, and conferencesDiplomatic
Political couriersDiplomatic

Diplomatic passports can also be issued to the spouses, minor children, or children who are adults but living with them, unmarried, unemployed, and continuing their education until the age of 25, as well as adult children living with them, unmarried, unemployed, and in need of constant care due to at least one of physical, mental, or emotional disabilities as documented by an official health institution report, for as long as the eligibility of the person holding the diplomatic passport continues. Diplomatic passports are not subject to any stamp duty or tax.

Visa requirements map

Visa requirements for Turkish ordinary passport holders

As of 2025, Turkish citizens have visa-free or visa on arrival access to 114 countries and territories, ranking the Turkish passport 45th in the world according to the Henley Passport Index.
Turkish passport, along with the Russian passport, is the highest ranking ordinary passport whose holders are still required visas for their travels to the European Union, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada.

Visa requirements for Turkish special, service, and diplomatic passport holders

Apart from ordinary passports, the other three passport types offered are special, service, and diplomatic passport types. All three types of non-ordinary Turkish passports are exempted from visa requirements for travel to the Schengen area. Special passport holders can travel to 158 destinations, plus the Schengen area. Also these three types of passports placed 16th on the world rank. Only diplomatic passport holders are exempted from visa requirements for their travels to the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, and India.

International travel using Turkish identity card

Turkish citizens can use their identity cards in lieu of a Turkish passport to travel to the following countries under bilateral agreements that have been concluded between the Turkish Government and governments of the respective countries:
CountriesStay
Azerbaijanefn|name=condition1|Only if arriving directly from Turkey.yes|90 days

Biometric passport

Turkish biometric passport, compatible with the new ICAO standards, have been available since 1 June 2010. Application appointments for the new passports can be reserved online through the government's website, applications must be lodged in person.

Multiple passports

People with valid reasons may be allowed to hold more than one passport. This usually applies to people who travel frequently for business and may need a passport to travel while the other person is waiting for a visa to another country. Some Muslim-majority countries, such as Lebanon, Syria, Kuwait, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Yemen, do not issue visas to visitors who have an Israeli stamp or visa in their passport. In this case, the person can apply for a second passport to avoid travel problems.

Turkish Citizenship by Investment

Any applicant must purchase a property worth $400,000 to obtain a Turkish passport and citizenship. In this way, they can go through the process of obtaining a Turkish passport through property purchase in a short period of time and obtain Turkish citizenship.

Current passports

Historic passports

Listed chronologically: