JEDDAH, 2 May 2005 — Turkey has relaxed its visa procedure for Saudi vacationers from yesterday. The visa fee has also been reduced by more than half for the season which lasts from May 1 through Oct. 31.
According to the new procedure, Saudi citizens holding normal passports can obtain tourist visas at Turkey’s various entry points for a three-month stay for a fee of $20 (SR75), as against the normal fee of SR200.
Saudis holding official passports will have still to obtain visas from the Turkish Embassy in Riyadh or the consulate in Jeddah.
“We’ve relaxed the procedure for Saudi families and tourists so that they don’t have to go through the hassle of obtaining visas in advance as in normal periods. It is aimed at attracting more Saudis to Turkey in the upcoming vacation season,” Turkish Vice Consul Mehmet Akif Ozdemir told Arab News.
Asked about the visa procedure for expatriates, Ozdemir said that they depend on the applicant’s nationality. “They have to apply in advance and the waiting time ranges from 48 hours in normal cases to a month in extreme cases,” he said.
