Turkish Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Ahmet Muhtar Gün, said yesterday that Saudi nationals who wish to visit Turkey for tourism or business purposes can now obtain their visa online.

“In order to ease the visa process for Saudis visiting Turkey for tourism or business, visas can be acquired online from their home or office,” said Ahmet Muhtar Gün in his letter sent to Arab News yesterday.

In a previous statement, the Turkish Embassy said that as of April 17 this year, the Turkish government has begun issuing electronic visas, or “e-Vize,” which will replace the issuance of visas at the airport upon arrival, adding however that this process is available for a limited period of time.

According to an advisory, in order to obtain an “e-Vize,” it will be compulsory for the applicant to possess a passport valid for at least six months on the date of travel, together with a flight reservation and a valid Master Card for the payment of the visa fees.

Applicants must fill out the form on the website, pay by credit card (Master of Visa card) and download the "e-Vize" from the internet.

The “e-Vize” will be sent to the applicant’s e-mail address within 24 hours following the approval of the application.

The visa will be in PDF format. It should be printed out and retained throughout the journey, said the advisory.