[NCUC-DISCUSS] Visa for IGF Turkey

[Milton L Mueller]

Does IGF attendance count as “tourism”? US citizens need a visa but it is basically just a cash-register-visa, you pay them $20 when you land.

From: ncuc-discuss-bounces at lists.ncuc.org [mailto:ncuc-discuss-bounces at lists.ncuc.org] On Behalf Of William Drake
Sent: Thursday, August 07, 2014 3:56 AM
To: NCUC-discuss
Subject: [NCUC-DISCUSS] Visa for IGF Turkey

Hi

Anyway who is planning on going to the IGF in Istanbul and has yet to get a visa may want to hold off a bit.  I’ve asked about free courtesy visas and the government has said yes to that but the final options for collecting them are TBD.

Bill

Begin forwarded message:


From: William Drake <william.drake at uzh.ch<mailto:william.drake at uzh.ch>>
Subject: Re: Visa for Turkey
Date: August 6, 2014 at 12:38:08 PM GMT+2
To: Samet TUNCER <stuncer at btk.gov.tr<mailto:stuncer at btk.gov.tr>>
Cc: "igfmaglist-bounces at intgovforum.org<mailto:igfmaglist-bounces at intgovforum.org>" <igfmaglist-bounces at intgovforum.org<mailto:igfmaglist-bounces at intgovforum.org>>, Aysel KANDEMİR <akandemir at btk.gov.tr<mailto:akandemir at btk.gov.tr>>, Meral ÖZTARHAN <moztarhan at btk.gov.tr<mailto:moztarhan at btk.gov.tr>>

Hello Samet

Thank you for this excellent news, I’m sure it will be greatly appreciated by participants!

Just to be sure, are you saying that in order to receive a courtesy visa, one must go to an embassy or consulate?  While in my case there’s a Turkish consulate in Geneva, many other people won’t have this local option, and I assume it wouldn’t be possible to do with the online visa.  But could it be logistically possible to allow collection of a courtesy visa upon arrival at the airport with the IGF registration letter?

Best

Bill

On Aug 6, 2014, at 12:18 PM, Samet TUNCER <stuncer at btk.gov.tr<mailto:stuncer at btk.gov.tr>> wrote:


Dear Sir/Madam,

I would like to inform you that Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs have made an arrangement for visa for IGF participants. Accordingly, the “IGF Registration Confirmation Letter” sent by IGF Secretariat via e-mail  will be considered as valid proof for visa without fee in all Turkish Embassies/Consulates. So, you do not need to pay visa fee as IGF participants.

Best regards,

Samet Tuncer
Junior ICT Expert
Information and Communication Technologies Authority


Begin forwarded message:


From: William Drake <wjdrake at gmail.com<mailto:wjdrake at gmail.com>>
Subject: Re: [IGFmaglist] Visa for Turkey
Date: August 4, 2014 at 4:05:18 PM GMT+2
To: Filiz Yilmaz <koalafil at gmail.com<mailto:koalafil at gmail.com>>
Cc: MAG-public <Igfmaglist at intgovforum.org<mailto:Igfmaglist at intgovforum.org>>, IGF <IGF at unog.ch<mailto:IGF at unog.ch>>

Hi

Sorry, I couldn’t find an answer on the website or the list archive, so could someone please remind me: has there been an arrangement made for courtesy visas, as with previous IGFs?  Or do we just follow the normal application process and pay the full fee, as applicable?

Thanks

Bill


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