Turkey holidays could be about to get a lot cheaper for Brits, as the Turkish authorities have revealed plans to scrap charges for visas.
The new rules are set to kick off from March 2020, and will mean that Brits will no longer have to pay a fee of approximately £27 each for the e-Visa.
The visas are required for both adults and children - so once the charges are scrapped, it could save a family of four over £100 on a holiday to Turkey.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced in a statement: "As of 2 March 2020, Turkey has decided to exempt visa requirements for the members of the European Union Schengen area, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Poland as well as the United Kingdom citizens for touristic travels to Turkey for every 90 days within 180 day period.
"This step aims at increasing our tourism potential with these countries as well as further developing our trade, economic and cultural relations."
Under the current rules, Brits needed a visa to enter Turkey, which typically costs approximately £27 per person.
(The only exception was for cruise ship passengers with a British Citizen passport, provided that the visit doesn't exceed 72 hours).
The visas are valid for multiple stays up to a maximum of 90 days in a 180 day period.
While the rules on visas are set to change, it's worth noting that other rules such as your passport validity will continue under the current regulations.
The FCO travel advice for Turkey explains: "The Turkish government advise that your passport should be valid for at least 6 months from the date you enter Turkey and that there is a full blank page for the entry and exit stamps. You can find more detail about the requirements for entry into Turkey on the website of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs."
A spokesperson for ABTA said of the changes to visa rules: "It’s welcome news that UK holidaymakers travelling to Turkey after 2 March 2020 will now no longer have to obtain a visa. Getting an e-visa is a straight forward process, but it will still be one less thing to do before going away and give a boost to this already popular holiday destination for Brits.
"With the visas costing around £30 per person this bonus will add up to a free Turkish meze and baklava to finish courtesy of the government, especially with exchange rates currently being favourable."
