ANKARA – In a bid to facilitate longer stays and promote legal residency for Kyrgyz citizens, the Turkish government has announced an extension of the visa-free regime for up to six months.
This decision was announced by Ruslan Kazakbaev, the Ambassador of the Kyrgyz Republic to Turkey, during a meeting of the Parliament’s Committee on International Affairs, Defense, Security, and Migration.
Previously, Kyrgyz nationals enjoyed a visa-free entry to Turkey for a duration of three months but the extension aims to encourage Kyrgyz individuals with expired visas to regularize their stay in Turkey for extended periods.
Ambassador Kazakbaev disclosed that there are currently around 20,000 Kyrgyz nationals residing in Turkey, with the number surging to 40,000 during the summer months, largely due to the extended holiday season in Antalya.
The basic problem faced by the citizens from Kyrgyzstan was the 90-day limit on visa-free stays, which has now been addressed through collaboration between authorities of both countries.
Besides the extension in visa-free stay, a green corridor has been established for Kyrgyz citizens who may have violated local laws, allowing them to exit and re-enter Turkey after paying fines to streamline the process for individuals previously blacklisted or banned from entering Turkey.
In another development, Turkey has issued a final warning to Kyrgyz citizens whose three-month tourist visas have expired, providing them with an opportunity to secure employment and legalize their residency within the country.
Like other countries, Turkey has also changed its visa policies in recent months to recover from the damages caused by the pandemic. The country granted visa-free entry to six additional countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, the United States, Canada, Bahrain, and Oman.
Effective December 2023, citizens of these countries can now stay in Turkey for up to 90 days within a 180-day period without requiring a visa for tourism purposes. However, individuals intending to stay longer for work or study purposes will need to undergo the necessary visa procedures.
