Effective October 8, the Government of Turkey suspended visa services to U.S. citizens, to include the issuance of physical “sticker” visas at the Turkish Embassy and Consulates in the United States and the online Turkish electronic visa (otherwise known as an e-visa). At the present time, U.S. citizens are no longer permitted to apply for e-visas online or upon arrival at a Turkish airport/land border. The suspension of visa services should not impact travelers who only transit an international airport in Turkey, such as Ataturk Airport in Istanbul, but if you are a U.S. citizen planning to enter the country, you must arrive with a valid Turkish visa.
U.S. citizens planning travel to Turkey and who have questions regarding this regulation should contact the closest Embassy or Consulate of Turkey, or monitor the website of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
U.S. citizens traveling to or living in Afghanistan are advised to:
- See the State Department’s travel website for the Worldwide Caution, Travel Warning for Afghanistan, Travel Alerts, and Afghanistan Country Specific Information.
- Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security messages and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
- Carry the contact information for the U.S. Embassy, which is located at Great Massoud Road between Radio Afghanistan and the Ministry of Public Health in Kabul. To reach the American Citizen Services (ACS) unit of the Consular Section during business hours, please call 0700-114-000 or send an email to KabulACS@state.gov. You can also reach the ACS unit through the Embassy’s switchboard by calling 0700-108-000. For after-hours emergencies involving U.S. citizens, please call the Consular Duty Officer at 0700-11-4000. Please note that the Duty Officer does not answer U.S. visa questions.
- Call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays) if you require additional information about American Citizen Services abroad.
