Cypriot leisure and business travellers heading to Turkey woke up this week to a fundamental change in entry formalities. Ankara has withdrawn the decades-old "sticker" visa that could be purchased for €25 at Istanbul, Antalya and other ports of entry, replacing it with a mandatory electronic visa or consular visa obtained in advance. The policy, announced in a Turkish Foreign Ministry circular but only confirmed publicly on 4 January, took effect on 2 January 2026 and immediately caught holiday-makers, shipping executives and crew-change agencies by surprise.
Under the new rules, holders of Republic of Cyprus passports must complete an online application, upload supporting documents, pay the fee by credit card and receive approval before boarding. Group applications are no longer accepted, and travellers transiting Turkey by air must also hold an e-visa unless staying airside. Turkish officials frame the shift as part of a broader digital-government drive that has already phased out sticker visas for most nationalities and centralised biometric vetting.
![Turkey Ends On-Arrival “Sticker” Visas for Cypriots—E-Visa Required Before Travel]()
For Cypriot corporates, the biggest immediate impact is on crews and technicians who routinely fly to Turkish shipyards and energy projects on short notice. Employers now need to build in a 1- to 3-day buffer to secure e-visas and should consider dual-passport strategies for staff who also hold EU or British citizenship. Travel-management companies advise updating GDS profiles so ticketing systems flag the new requirement at PNR creation.
Political analysts see the move as part of Ankara’s calibrated pressure on Nicosia amid stalled reunification talks and a more assertive Turkish foreign-policy posture in the Eastern Mediterranean. While the e-visa is available to most EU citizens, Cypriots had until now enjoyed the unique convenience of paying on arrival; the revocation symbolically places them on the same footing as other third-country nationals.
In practical terms, companies should circulate a compliance alert, budget for the higher e-visa fee (US$60 equivalent) and ensure mobile connectivity for staff travelling via Istanbul so that last-minute approvals can still be downloaded. Failure to present the e-visa QR code at check-in will result in denied boarding under carrier-liability rules.
Under the new rules, holders of Republic of Cyprus passports must complete an online application, upload supporting documents, pay the fee by credit card and receive approval before boarding. Group applications are no longer accepted, and travellers transiting Turkey by air must also hold an e-visa unless staying airside. Turkish officials frame the shift as part of a broader digital-government drive that has already phased out sticker visas for most nationalities and centralised biometric vetting.
For Cypriot corporates, the biggest immediate impact is on crews and technicians who routinely fly to Turkish shipyards and energy projects on short notice. Employers now need to build in a 1- to 3-day buffer to secure e-visas and should consider dual-passport strategies for staff who also hold EU or British citizenship. Travel-management companies advise updating GDS profiles so ticketing systems flag the new requirement at PNR creation.
Political analysts see the move as part of Ankara’s calibrated pressure on Nicosia amid stalled reunification talks and a more assertive Turkish foreign-policy posture in the Eastern Mediterranean. While the e-visa is available to most EU citizens, Cypriots had until now enjoyed the unique convenience of paying on arrival; the revocation symbolically places them on the same footing as other third-country nationals.
In practical terms, companies should circulate a compliance alert, budget for the higher e-visa fee (US$60 equivalent) and ensure mobile connectivity for staff travelling via Istanbul so that last-minute approvals can still be downloaded. Failure to present the e-visa QR code at check-in will result in denied boarding under carrier-liability rules.
Source: VisaHQ Global Mobility News
