Turkey has tested serious Russian investors
As we’ve already reported, Turkish authorities have prolonged the duration of the visa-free period of stay for Russian visitors from 30 to 60 days. That decision was made by the country’s Cabinet after a lot of publicity about realty owner’s problems that arose after the introduction of visa free regime with Russia. The agreement came into effect on 2 July, but it expires on 31 December 2011. And that bothers a lot of Russian real estate owners, who are used to spending some months on the Antalya coast. It would be great if next year the visa-free period got extended up to 90 days, but what if gets reduced or cancelled whatsoever? After the visa regime was cancelled, Russian investors had to face some challenges in order to legally stay for more than 30 days in villas and apartments they own. In order to demonstrate how the system works we asked Mikhail Shein, owner of an apartment near Alania, to tell us how he arranged Turkish visas for his family.
For four years Mikhail has been sending his wife and daughter to Turkey, where they could stay for 60 days at a time. This season the family had to go through all the “circles of hell” in order to stay more than 30 days in the country. “The long-term visas were out of the question: in order to get them from the consulate we’d have to wait 2 months, half the summer, - says Mikhail. – So when the school year was over, I sent my family to Turkey and later came myself to help them get the visas”.
Early in the morning on the appointed day, the whole family went to the tax office, taking with them all the necessary documents: international passports, marriage and birth certificates (originals only!), real estate documentation and a bank statement, confirming they have more than $1850 in the account. Two days prior to this Mikhail had to visit the local notary office to translate and legalize all the documents, because Russian notarized documents are invalid there.
At the tax office it was necessary to get a personal tax reference number, confirming that a Russian citizen is now a taxpayer in Turkey. “I’m glad I have my own car there, otherwise we couldn’t complete the whole procedure in one day. Alania seems to be a rather small city, but if you’re on foot and have kids with you, it becomes pretty hard to get around town in the 30?degree heat, – says Mikhail. – And you should have seen the queue at the tax office! It goes even outside the building, like in Moscow McDonalds’ when they first opened up”.
By the way, even if you do not own realty but only lease it, or you are staying in a hotel for a long period of time, you still need that tax reference number. In that case you have to get an inquiry from the hotel that confirms you really are a customer there and that you’ve paid for your whole period of stay.
Having endured an hour and a half in the queue the Sheins have received their tax reference number and went to the Alania police department to get the visa forms. They had to be filled out in Turkish! In the visa center next-door you can get that done for 25 lira (about $15.5) per form. “In Russia I read, with reference to Turkish ministry of tourism, that forms can be filled out in English as well as Turkish. Don’t bother, – says Mikhail, - the police will still want a Turkish version of the form because no one speaks English there. I saw this myself”.
After turning in the filled out forms to the police, the Sheins got bills for visa processing, 36 lira (more than $22) each. You can pay them only in a certain bank, which is not in walking distance. “It was crowded in there too, Russians as well as locals, - Mikhail goes on. – We’ve spent some 40 minutes in the line. Then the police again and yet another line. After taking our papers the policeman checked if my children react to the names in the documents”. Also the officer demanded that Mikhail signed a paper, where he agreed to leave the children in the custody of their mother
A major detail is that the Sheins had had a translator all along the way. Their friend Ludmila, also from Russia, has been living in Turkey for a long time, knows the language, the laws and the locals. Mikhail says that without that kind of help it’s almost impossible to get the papers: “I saw some Russians in front of me get turned down by one of the police officers who grumbled something in Turkish. They didn’t even understand what’s wrong with their documents.”
In the police the Shein also had to get separate permits for his wife and kids. “The cost of this blue piece of paper is 149 lira (over $90). After a charming smile from our friend Ludmila the officer posted my kids’ photos in their mothers permit. That saved us 200 dollars, - explains Mikhail. – At least you can pay the bill right there and not go to the bank again”.
To be true, Mikhail had it easy. According to him, “local guys” will translate and fill out minor forms for 500 lira (over $300) per capita. “Also I heard some Russians bought bank statements from these people for 60 lira (around $40)”.
So how much would it cost to a three person family that doesn’t have a helping friend? Notary services – 110-130 lira; filling the forms out in Turkish – 25 lira each; 4 photos – about 5 lira; police services – 36 lira each; prolonged visa permit – 149 lira each. In case you don’t have a car, taxi charges – 40-60 lira. Help from local translators – 500 lira from every family member. That’s a total of 2200 lira (around $1340) for the whole procedure. And that’s not counting the bank commissions for opening and closing the bank account after obtaining the visa, because most people don’t need an account in a Turkish bank.
In ten days Mikhail’s spouse had to come and collect the visas. Not only did she have to bring the children, but as always, wait in a huge line in the sun with many other Russians, some with strollers and babies on their hands.
According to Mikhail, many of his neighbors had to spend several days in order to get the visas. Others, dreading the prospect, left the country on the 29-th day of their stay, not wanting to deal with authorities. “And they are homeowners, who paid for their apartments and also pay taxes! – rages Mikhail. – I don’t understand why in the middle of the season people are practically driven out of the country instead of being persuaded to spend money”.
The procedure is especially tedious on elderly people. Very often kids are sent to Turkey with their grandparents. Imagine going through all the instances in a foreign country, not knowing the language, with a child at your side? And what if you have 2 or 3 kids? “Some of my friends’ senior parents spend about half a year in Turkey, escaping bad Russian weather, - says Mikhail. – Now every month or two they will have to undergo that agonizing process of visa prolonging. Another choice is going on a “tour” across the border and returning in a day or two just to get a new visa”. But even that is a hassle for them, especially if they have little grandchildren on their hands
So what will the Turkish authorities decide for the next season? After all, it’s not enough to just keep the visa free period of 60 days, or even prolong it to 90 days. It’s important to make the visa obtaining procedures friendlier towards Russians, who are staying in the country for a long time. For instance, open special windows in the tax office, in the police and in the bank, so that people, spending fair amounts of money in the country, don’t have to stand in long lines, especially with children. And even better, if the visa stamps, that used to be available in the airport, are reintroduced to “long-term” tourists. If these $20 stickers used to ensure a 2-month stay in Turkey, why can’t they do in now?
Of course that kind of decision is only possible if Turkey is really interested in attracting Russian tourists and serious investors instead of just helping small bureaucrats and “shady guys”, charging $300 for a visa, get some pocket money.