Inequality in passport fees: A comparison between Turkey and abroad

A citizen of the Republic of Turkey who resides or is located abroad must apply to the Turkish consulate in the relevant country if they wish to obtain or renew a passport.

According to a report by Haberglobal, the maximum amount a person applying for a new passport at a consulate must pay to obtain one is 105 euros. This means the amount to be paid for a 10-year valid passport is approximately 3,950 Turkish Lira at the current exchange rate.

Of this amount, 76 euros is the fee paid for the duration, while 25 euros is paid for the passport booklet. There is also a 4-euro passport postage fee.

So, how much does a Turkish citizen living in Turkey pay if they want to obtain a new passport valid for 10 years or renew their passport?

According to the figures on the website of the General Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs, the amount a Turkish citizen must pay for a 10-year valid passport, including the booklet fee, is 8623.30 TL. Of this, 7833 TL is the fee charged for the duration, and 790 TL is the booklet fee.

In other words, a citizen residing in Turkey who wants to obtain a passport from Turkey has to pay 4,673 liras more for a 10-year passport compared to a person living or located abroad.

Moreover, this gap will widen even further at the end of the year as the costs of valuable papers increase in line with the inflation rate.

The difference between the two prices charged for the same passport is more than double. Moreover, Turkish citizens pay a departure fee of 500 lira per person every time they travel abroad. Those who hold a second citizenship outside of Turkey, however, do not pay this fee.

This injustice has drawn everyone's attention. Citizens are demanding that this unfairness be corrected as soon as possible and that the passport fees paid by those living in Turkey be reduced to the levels seen abroad.