kirkster a few years ago i sent a letter of invitation to my Turkish friend inviting him for a holiday. I did this in October and wanted him to come for Xmas. We had to send a letter and all my husband's salary details plus details of our home to the Turkish embassy. He had to have an interview in Istanbul,for a holiday visa, and was refused. I don't know how you arrange this in days ours took ages. Good luck

I am afraid it is just not possible, they have to go through strict regulations and need a proper visa, hardly any get a holiday visa, how old is he, has he done national service, if he hasny he has no chance.

Just realised it could take a couple of weeks for a letter to reach your friend let alone him applying for a visa. Sorry don't think there's any chance in 3 days

he is 19 hes been to london to university thanks for the help anyway ill see what happens and let you all know xxxx

have a look on the UK visa website,
theer is information for sponsors here http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1006977150088

I believe it's the Turkish government who cause the problems regarding Turkish people wanting to travel, not so much the UK refusing entry.

thats interesting glynis because on holiday this month i was talking to a few turks about this very thing and they said that its the uk that wont let them in, i said are you sure its not your government and they all said no, im also in contact with a family we met years ago and chat quite a lot on msn to them and she wants to visit uk and she also said its our government that wont let them in easy, very strange , wonder whats being said to them looks like somehow the uk are being blamed, difficult to know the exact truth ,unless its a bit of both

I only know through a friend of mine Ellie. Her bloke has tried twice to visit her here in the UK. She's sent all her bank and work details etc, owns her own house blah de blah.....and he's been refused twice by a Turkish employee. They've proven that they have know each other for about 3/4 years now. The excuse the last time was, that they didn't feel he was close enough to his family (ie he may not come back) Thing is he lives with his parents in Izmit (sp?)

I'll ask her for more details next time I speak to her. I know she has had to go and visit him twice and is going again over the Christmas holidays because he cannot get an exit visa.

If he is only 19, he will not have done his national service, they usually don't let them out of the country till they have as tey may not return.

Being through this process with my hubby it is def the British Consulate in Istanbul/Ankara/Cyprus who has control over who gets in or not. The Turkish Government has no say in the matter.

This is a long & intricate process which usually take months - By the time you apply and then most cases they will want to interview the person which there is usually a couple of months backlog - All this is required for any visit of any duration

Glynis - your friend has had the most common reason for refusal - They think they will come here and just get lost in the system never to return to Turkey

LA

A barman at our hotel in Marmaris told us that the only place they are allowed to visit outside Turkey without permission is Turkish Cyprus. Everywhere else they have to get special permission from their own government.

Thats not quite right - they can visit a number of places without a visa - to be exact .......

Andorra, Argentina, Albania, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus (Turkish side only....aka Turkish Rep. Of Northern Cyprus), Dominica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Fiji, Gambia, Georgia, Grenada, Hong Kong (special admin. area"¦ updated?), Indonesia, Iran, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Monaco, Morocco, Philippines, Romania, Saint Lucia, San Marino, South Africa South Korea Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Swaziland, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Tuvalu, Uruguay, Vatican City, West Samoa

Anywhere else they need a visa

I also have always thought the permission was needed from the Turkish side and understood that is was very difficult for turkish people to visit britian or any other country for that matter unless they had good reason to return i.e had their own business in turkey,property,plenty of money etc...

how true this is i dont know but one of the entertainment team at our hotel last year said he had been offered a place at a london football club - milwall to be precise . he had to apply to whoever it was in turkey with proof of the offer, which he did and was refused . he wasnt very old so assume he hadnt yet done his national service

lyn

I was told that although my husband and i had proved we could support our guest he hadn't done his national service and had no proof he would return to Turkey!!! Don't know if it's his Government but he was convinced it was ours not wanting him in the country. Must admit i was really cross cos i thought how dare any Government tell me who i can and can't invite to stay with me. If we could prove we could support him and accommodate him i didn't understand the problem

I know I will get flamed but.... I have been to Turkey 5 times over the last 5 years, and find that the people that work with tourists tend to exagerate what they do/achieve.
I always take with a pinch of salt the number of very highly educated/pro footballers you meet working as waiters
One was braging to me he owned all we could see, untill a shout from the kitchen and he ran off
But having said all that the Turkish people are very friendly, and I will be back there next year.....

I agree with that pa38. I think we so want to believe them but im never that convinced about many of the stories

lyn

Hi there,

My Turkish boyfriend is in the UK at the moment, having come over on a Visitor's visa. I have heard that they are difficult to obtain, but my boyfriend was granted one with no problem at all. All he needed was a letter of sponsorship from myself, proof of my finances and that I wasn't receiving Benefits, details of my accommodation (his temporary abode whilst in the UK), and some kind of proof that he had interests in Turkey (to show that he would want to return) i.e. a job awaiting him, his own business/home in Turkey etc.

The process was very straightforward, and he received his Visa within one hour of applying in person, without even being interiewed. We did supply proof that we had been together (and lived as a couple in Turkey) for over two years, thereby erasing doubts that he may abscond once in Britain - I have heard of some Turkish men befriending Brits just to get a Visa and then vanishing once here!

It's definately the British Government who decide whether or not to grant a Visa - in fact, the Turkish Government aren't involved in the process at all. You're applying to the British Consulate, not the Turkish.

As for the guy who claimed that he'd been offered a job as a pro-footballer for Millwall - if that was true he would have definately been granted a Visa as the football club themselves would have sorted out his Visa.

thanks for making that clear strawberry and its what i thought and have been told over the many years ive been going to turkey that it was the uk government , but wasnt sure if it was true or not, good job turkey doesnt do the same to uk residents or none of us would have our lovely holidays lol, seems a bit harsh though to have such hassle having a holiday !!!!

One of the waiters we got friendly with in July is actually in Scotland now on a 6 month holiday visa.

He has been seeing a Scottish girl, who worked in Marmaris as a rep for Goldtrail for nearly 2 years.

He flew to Cyprus to get his visa as he said it was a lot easier to go that way. I think he had to pay well over £200 for it, but am not 100% sure on the price.

He is here anyway and that is the main thing. Having said that, he must be very cold in Scotland lol after the Marmaris sunshine. Not knocking Scotland here, I am Scottish myself, but live in South Wales.

Mary x