Passport and documents

This page is for checking whether your passport and official documents are ready before traveling to the USA. We explain how long your passport must be valid, what to do when a visa remains in an old passport, how to obtain and renew a Turkish passport, what to do if it is lost, and which Turkish documents are required for visa and immigration matters (including translation and apostille).

• As a general rule, a visitor coming to the USA must have a passport valid for 6 months beyond the planned stay.
• Türkiye is on the list of countries exempt from this rule. A Turkish passport only needs to be valid for the duration of your stay in the USA. The list is included in CBP's announcement dated December 18, 2025.
• You also need a valid passport to leave the USA and enter another country.
• For visa applications, the Embassy also refers applicants to the same CBP list for the validity requirement.

• 5×5 cm, color, white background, taken within the last 6 months.
• Glasses are not allowed.
• For detailed rules, see 1.3 Temporary visa application step by step.

• If your valid U.S. visa is in your expired old passport, you do not need a new visa. You travel with both passports.
• Conditions:
  • the visa must be valid and undamaged
  • the visa type must match the purpose of your trip (for example, a tourist visa for tourism)
  • both passports must be from the same country
• The CBP officer checks the visa in the old passport. If entry is permitted, an entry stamp marked "VIOPP" (visa in other passport) is placed in the new passport.
• Do not remove the visa from the old passport and attach it to the new one. The visa will become invalid.
• On the Turkish side: The General Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs (NVİ) does not cancel pages containing valid visas, residence permits, or work permits when a passport is replaced. You must carry the old passport together with the new one when traveling.
• If your name changed due to marriage, divorce, or a court decision, you must obtain a new passport. The U.S. Department of State recommends applying for a new U.S. visa in this situation.

• In Türkiye: appointments are made through the NVİ appointment website (randevu.nvi.gov.tr), e-Devlet, NVİ Mobil, Nüfusmatik, or Alo 199. For an ordinary (maroon) passport, visit a provincial or district population directorate.
• In the USA: applications are submitted to Turkish embassies or consulates general. Make an appointment through konsolosluk.gov.tr and appear in person.
• Required documents (ordinary passport):
  • Republic of Türkiye identity card or temporary identity document
  • 1 biometric photograph taken within the last 6 months
  • old passport that has not been canceled
  • for minors, a consent form if legal representatives will not attend
• Fee: the passport booklet fee and passport fee are paid before the application. Tax offices, PTT branches, participating banks, or ivd.gib.gov.tr may be used. Current amounts are published on the appointment website shown on NVİ's passport page.
• Fee-exempt passport: students who are enrolled in education and are under 25, as well as those going abroad for education, may obtain a fee-exempt ordinary passport.
• There is no extension procedure. A new passport is issued for every application.
• Adult passports are valid for a maximum of 10 years, depending on the fee paid.

1. Report the loss or theft to the local police. Keep a copy of the police report.
2. For a Turkish passport, contact the Turkish consulate. Applications for a "new passport due to loss" and a "temporary passport" are made by appointment and in person at consulates.
3. Notify the visa section of the U.S. Embassy or Consulate that issued the visa about the loss of your U.S. visa by email. Include:
   • full name, date and place of birth
   • your address and email address in the USA
   • whether the visa was lost or stolen
   • a copy of the passport and visa, if available; otherwise, the visa type and passport number
4. Even if you later find the visa you reported lost, it is no longer valid.
5. A U.S. visa cannot be renewed inside the USA. You apply in person at a U.S. mission abroad. Bring a written explanation of the loss and the police report.
6. Even if your visa is lost, you may remain in the USA until the date shown on your I-94. You can retrieve your electronic I-94 record again at i94.cbp.dhs.gov.

• Population Registry Record (proof of birth): issued by e-Devlet, population directorates, or Turkish consulates; it is free.
  • The e-Devlet document contains a QR code instead of a seal.
  • A record obtained from e-Devlet is generally considered valid for 1 month, while one obtained from a population directorate is valid for up to 6 months.
  • If necessary, obtain a more detailed "Population Registry Record with Events."
• Formül A (International Birth Record): a multilingual birth record, obtained from the same locations.
• Marriage: International Family Booklet or Formül B (Marriage Record).
• Divorce: the finalized divorce judgment of the family court. A certified copy can be obtained from the court or from the UYAP Citizen Portal on e-Devlet.
• Criminal record: "Criminal Record with Archive Information." It is obtained from e-Devlet, courthouse criminal-record offices, or consulates; it is free. It is not requested from persons under 16.
• Military service: Military Status Document, obtained from e-Devlet or the military service office.
• A Republic of Türkiye identity card is not required for an immigrant visa application.
• Documents must be obtained from the official authority authorized to issue them.
• The required document varies by visa type. For immigrant visas, see 3.9 Immigrant visa interview (Ankara).

• For USCIS (applications filed from within the USA): a full English translation must be attached to every document in a foreign language. The translator must provide a written statement that the translation is complete and accurate and that they are competent to translate from that language into English.
• Immigrant visas (NVC and consular processing): certified translations must be attached to documents that are not in English or the official language of the country where you apply. The translation must include the translator's signed statement of accuracy and competence.
• Place the translation next to the document, not instead of the document itself. The original document is always required.

• An apostille is a certification confirming the authenticity of an official document and valid between countries party to the Hague Convention of October 5, 1961.
• The USA also uses this system. In the USA, the state's Secretary of State office issues apostilles for state documents, while the U.S. Department of State issues them for federal documents.
• Who issues them in Türkiye?
  • administrative documents (such as population registry records and diplomas): the governor's office in provinces and the district governor's office in districts
  • judicial documents (criminal records and court decisions): the relevant courthouse (presidency of the justice commission)
• e-Apostille: apply with e-Devlet at eapostil.gov.tr. The authorized institution (the Ministry of Justice or Ministry of Interior) issues the document electronically; PTT signs it with a qualified electronic certificate. The foreign authority can verify the document online.
  • Criminal records and court decisions have been available with e-Apostille since 2019. Applications can be made without traveling to Türkiye.
• The institution requesting the document decides whether it must have an apostille. Ask that institution first.

• Population directorates (Türkiye) — passports, identity documents, population registry records
  • Appointment: randevu.nvi.gov.tr, e-Devlet, or Alo 199 (within Türkiye) · Information: NVİ passport page
• Turkish embassies and consulates general (USA) — passports, lost passports, temporary passports
  • Appointment: konsolosluk.gov.tr
  • Consular Call Center (24/7): +1 888 566 7656 from the USA and Canada, +90 312 292 29 29 from other countries
• U.S. Embassy Ankara — visas; Phone: +90 312 294 00 00
• U.S. Consulate General Istanbul — nonimmigrant visas; Phone: +90 212 335 90 00

• Removing the visa from the old passport and attaching it to the new passport.
• Leaving the old passport at home while it contains a valid visa.
• Mixing up travel documents bearing the old name after a name change.
• Obtaining a criminal record without archive information.
• Allowing the validity period of an e-Devlet document (generally 1 month) to expire.
• Failing to include the translator's competence and accuracy statement with the translation.
• Failing to make copies of the passport, visa, and entry stamp.

• My passport expires in 3 months. Can I travel to the USA? Türkiye is exempt from the six-month rule. It is sufficient if your passport is valid for the duration of your stay in the USA.
• My passport was renewed, and my visa is in the old one. Do I need a new visa? No. If the visa is valid, you travel with both passports.
• Can I extend the validity of my Turkish passport? No. A new passport is issued for every application.
• I lost my passport in the USA. Can I renew my visa there? No. A U.S. visa is issued only at a U.S. mission abroad.
• Can I obtain my population registry record from e-Devlet? Yes. A document with a QR code is accepted; an additional certified copy is not required.
• Does every Turkish document require an apostille? No. The institution requesting the document decides.

• Countries exempt from the CBP six-month rule (PDF)
• NVİ passport services
• Consular appointments and services
• e-Devlet
• e-Apostille
• Passport fee payment (GİB)
• Lost and stolen visas, I-94 information
• I-94 record