The Turkish passport (Turkish: Türk pasaportu) is issued to Turkish citizens for travel outside Turkey as per the Passport Act dated July 15, 1950. Citizens of the de facto state of Northern Cyprus are also eligible to apply for a Turkish passport. Passports issued since 1 June 2010 are biometric and valid for up to 10 years.
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Types
Ordinary passport (Turkish: Umuma mahsus pasaport), also referred to as the Maroon Passport (Bordo pasaport). It is issued to Turkish citizens who do not qualify for any of the following passport types.
Special passport (Hususi pasaport), also referred to as the Green Passport (Yeşil pasaport), allows the bearer to travel visa-free to European countries (except the UK and Ireland), some 67 countries, including but not limited to Ivory Coast, China, the Philippines. As opposed to the regular passport, it is exempt from the passport fee and is only subject to the booklet fee (₺1135). It is issued to:
First, Second or Third grade public servants.
Retired First, Second or Third grade public servants.
Non-metropolitan Mayors
Academics and lawyers with at least 15 years of experience
The spouse of special passport holders
Single and unemployed children of special passport holders under the age of 25 living with their parents.
Service passport (Hizmet pasaportu), also referred to as the Grey Passport (Gri pasaport). It is issued to:
People who do not qualify for the Special or diplomatic passports, however, are assigned to travel abroad for official and/or government related purposes.
National athletes
Turkish citizens working for international organisations of which Turkey is a member
Staff members of the Turkish Red Crescent
Visa requirements map
Visa requirements for Turkish ordinary passport holders
As of 2026, Turkish citizens have visa-free or visa on arrival access to 113 countries and territories, ranking the Turkish passport 45th in the world according to the Henley Passport Index.
Turkey is the only EU candidate country whose citizens are still required visas for their travels to the European Union member countries.
Turkish passport, along with the Russian passport, is the highest ranking ordinary passport whose holders are still required visas for their travels to the European Union, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada.
Visa requirements for Turkish special, service, and diplomatic passport holders
Apart from ordinary passports, the other three passport types offered are special, service, and diplomatic passport types. All three types of non-ordinary Turkish passports are exempted from visa requirements for travel to the Schengen area. Special passport holders can travel to 158 destinations, plus the Schengen area. Also these three types of passports placed 16th on the world rank. Only diplomatic passport holders are exempted from visa requirements for their travels to the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, and India.
International travel using Turkish identity card
Turkish citizens can use their identity cards in lieu of a Turkish passport to travel to the following countries under bilateral agreements that have been concluded between the Turkish Government and governments of the respective countries:
Biometric passport
Turkish biometric passport, compatible with the new ICAO standards, have been available since 1 June 2010. Application appointments for the new passports can be reserved online through the government's website, applications must be lodged in person.
Multiple passports
People with valid reasons may be allowed to hold more than one passport. This usually applies to people who travel frequently for business and may need a passport to travel while the other person is waiting for a visa to another country. Some Muslim-majority countries, such as Lebanon, Syria, Kuwait, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Yemen, do not issue visas to visitors who have an Israeli stamp or visa in their passport. In this case, the person can apply for a second passport to avoid travel problems.
Gallery
Historic passports
Listed chronologically: