Job Discussion Forums

dagi · Joined: 01 Jan 2004 Posts: 425

When I leave the country do I have to take my Ikamet with me or is the big sticker in my passport enough?

How on earth do I put my lovely Turcell mobile on "roaming" so it works this time when I am abroad?

Will my Akkard work with ATMs in Europe? (in theory it should...)

justme · Joined: 18 May 2004 Posts: 1944 Location: Istanbul

Definitely take your ikamet. I don't know about the other 2 things.

Doctor on a Helicopter · Joined: 27 Nov 2006 Posts: 45 Location: Primrose Hill

Your Akkart will work abroad but don't forget that if you need to draw money out of your bank account, you have to have sufficient funds in it. For 'roaming', contact Turkcell or whatever network you are subscribing.

Vixter · Joined: 10 Aug 2006 Posts: 64

on a related subject I don't suppose we can go through the Turkish National queue at Passport control with the Ikamet when coming back into Turkey? Or still the standard foreigners' queue? I wonder if they have started to put signs telling 1st timers that they need to buy a visa before joining the massive queue for passport control - i've witnessed some pretty heated exchanges.

FGT · Joined: 14 Sep 2003 Posts: 762 Location: Turkey

With a valid Ikamet you still have to go to the foreigners' desk (if they have one) but you can queue jump by not having to buy a tourist visa so it's usually extremely painless. You still have to wait the same amount of time for baggage though!

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Surely the onus is on the traveller to find out about visa issues before heading to Turkey ?

yaramaz · Posted: Sat Jan 20, 2007 5:58 am Post subject:

There is a sign at the beginning of the passport queue which lists all the countries that need a visa and the costs. If people are too stupid to notice that- or to even wonder if they need one when they see the big Visa counter sign out of the corner of their eye- then they deserve to have to re queue.

howmucharefags · Joined: 30 Nov 2004 Posts: 299 Location: Eskisehir

Take the visa paperwork with you when you leave and just go to any Abone Merkezi and they'll push the right buttons for you.

dagi · Joined: 01 Jan 2004 Posts: 425

Allright then, I take the Ikamet with me. Was hoping I could do without, since I am paranoid of losing things. My last entry stamp is just a wee bit older than 3 months, bugger. Could have left and entered as a "tourist".

Visas? Lucky me, I have always been able to jump that queue Laughing

btw, agree with Yaramaz, if you are too daft to read that big sign right before you start to queue for passport control....you deserve it.

Vixter · Joined: 10 Aug 2006 Posts: 64

i used to work in tourism dwon on the SW coast, and the number of guests who would come out of Dalaman cursing was incredible. Even though we put it on every single piece of paperwork sent to them prior to arrival. double doh. At one time, the Visa price for US citizens was way above the UK visa cost, and I remember one American living in the UK going ballistic at the non-plussed visa control guys She tried to claim it back from our company. Really. So unnecessary. She failed.

dagi · Joined: 01 Jan 2004 Posts: 425

short update: when İ left İ had to show my İkamet but when İ got back İ just showed my passport, had it stamped and that was it.

justme · Joined: 18 May 2004 Posts: 1944 Location: Istanbul

Interesting! I've always had to show my Ikamet coming back in as well...

Welcome back!

yaramaz · Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2007 3:38 am Post subject:

Maybe Germans don't need visas. my French friend just came in on a passport, no questions asked. That would explain why they stamped it automatically.

dagi · Joined: 01 Jan 2004 Posts: 425

justme: if you have a nationality that requires a visa I bet they either want to see the tourist visa or your ikamet.
I was surprised anyway, cause there is quite a big sticker in my passport that says I have a work visa. Which means I must have an Ikamet, too.
Anyway, with all those stamps I get in my passport upon leaving and entering I more start to worry that my passport will fill up. Why on earth can't they just put a few stamps on one page? They are all turkish stamps anyway!!

TeachEnglish · Joined: 09 Feb 2005 Posts: 239

Take your passport and ikamet and show both at passport control when you leave and return to Istanbul. As far as roaming and Turkcell, you can key in the code for roaming and send before you board the plane in İstanbul and your phone should be ready to use when you turn it on again but be very careful about kontors. Making a call and receiving calls uses up a lot of kontors. Try to use sms as much as possible because that is not so bad. İ used more than 3000 kontors on a short trip and could not even send calls and sms's most of the time, but İ could receive.. İt was quite frustrating. Good luck and have a nice trip.