Turkey visa and transit log: what are the requirements for sailing?

For a cruise in Turkey, British citizens do not need a visa: a valid passport is all you need. The transit log, the permit to sail in Turkish waters, is handled by the charter company or the crew when you hire a boat based in Turkey. All you need to sort out yourself is three things: valid passports, the crew list and, for bareboat hire, a recognised sailing qualification.

Do you need a visa or a passport to sail in Turkey?

No visa is needed for a holiday, but you must travel on a passport. British citizens can visit Turkey visa-free under the following conditions:

• Length of stay: up to 90 days in any 180-day period, in one or several visits (rules in force in October 2026, GOV.UK).
• Document: full British citizen passport.
• Validity: at least 150 days after your date of arrival in Turkey.
• Children: every child must have their own passport.

Travellers of other nationalities should check the requirements for their passport with the Turkish consulate or their own country's foreign ministry. Entry rules can change, so check the FCDO's Turkey travel advice on GOV.UK a few weeks before you travel.

What is the transit log and who takes care of it?

The transit log (Yat Kayıt Belgesi in Turkish) is the document that allows a boat to sail in Turkish waters and enter Turkish ports. It records the boat, its skipper, the crew and its movements from one port to the next.

If you hire a boat in Turkey

• If you hire a sailing yacht in Turkey or book a gulet holiday, the charter company or the crew handles the boat's documents and harbour master declarations.
• Your only task: fill in the crew list in your customer area, with the first name, surname, date of birth, nationality and passport number of every passenger.
• The details you enter must exactly match the documents shown at check-in.

If you sail a foreign-flagged boat

If you arrive in Turkey on your own boat, the transit log is issued at your first port of entry. It is valid for one year for a single entry and must be renewed whenever the skipper or crew changes.

Can you sail from Turkey to the Greek islands on a charter?

No. The boats Filovent offers in Turkey are not allowed to sail to the Greek islands, not even the closest ones such as Kos, Rhodes, Symi or Samos. Crossing between the two countries means clearing out of Turkey and into Greece, with immigration and customs checks on both sides, and complying with Greek charter regulations, which isn't feasible on a one-week charter.

Crossing without declaring it can lead to heavy fines for the crew and the boat being impounded. If you would like to explore the Dodecanese, the simplest option is to plan a boat hire from a Greek island.

Between the Gulf of Gökova and the Lycian coast there are more coves and ancient sites than you can visit in a week, so there is no need to leave Turkish waters.

What licence do you need to sail in Turkey?

It depends on the type of charter. A boating licence is only required for bareboat hire:

• Bareboat hire: RYA Day Skipper (practical) or higher, or an ICC (International Certificate of Competence). Charter companies also often ask for a VHF radio qualification (SRC).
• Skippered hire: no licence needed, as the professional skipper is responsible for navigation.
• Crewed gulet or caique: no licence needed.

For bareboat hire, the charter company will also assess your experience from your sailing CV: your experience must match the type and size of the boat you have booked.

What are the rules on wastewater on board?

Turkey enforces strict regulations on discharges at sea, monitored by the coastguard:

• black water (toilets) and grey water (showers, sinks) must both be collected on board, as discharging them into the sea is prohibited;
• checks vary from area to area and are particularly strict around Göcek, where a boat without a black-water holding tank cannot anchor in the bays;
• boats empty their tanks at marina pump-out stations;
• each pump-out is recorded in a digital system that replaced the former “Blue Card”;
• a boat unable to prove its pump-outs is liable to a fine.

The charter company takes care of registering the boat. For bareboat hire, simply build marina stops into your sailing itinerary in Turkey so you can empty the tanks during the week. On a crewed gulet, everything is taken care of for you.

Summary of formalities by type of charter

What other documents should you prepare before you leave?

• Insurance: the GHIC and EHIC are not valid in Turkey, so travel insurance that covers medical treatment and repatriation is strongly recommended.
• Booking voucher: to show the charter company at check-in.
• Licence and sailing CV: for bareboat hire, upload them to your customer area as soon as you book.

These come on top of the documents to prepare before your boat trip, which apply to every destination. Caique, gulet or bareboat sailing yacht: your Filovent adviser will tell you which documents the charter company expects.