#WhatTheCOPThe unofficial guide to COP31
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Before you travel

Visas for COP31

If you are registered for COP31, you need a COP31 Visa or a COP31 Visa Exemption Certificate before you travel to Türkiye. Both are free, and both come from Türkiye’s e-Visa platform.

Apply on evisa.gov.tr ↗Allow seven working days.

We last checked this against the official pages on 21 October 2026. It is a summary. The official pages, linked below, are what count, and your nearest Turkish mission can answer questions about your own case.

What you need

You are registered and need a visa to enter Türkiye

A COP31 Visa. Apply on the e-Visa platform once the UNFCCC has confirmed your registration.

cop31.tr, Visa and Entry ↗

You are registered and your passport lets you into Türkiye without a visa

A COP31 Visa Exemption Certificate, from the same platform.

The two official pages word this a little differently. The UNFCCC asks participants to get the certificate and notes that travelling without it may lead to delays or refusal of entry. The host’s page describes it as voluntary. To be on the safe side, we suggest getting it.

UNFCCC visa FAQ, question 6 ↗

You hold a UN or EU laissez-passer

UNLP, all types: the Exemption Certificate, and carry printed copies of it and of your UNFCCC Acknowledgement Letter. EULP: a COP31 Visa.

UNFCCC visa FAQ, questions 7 and 8 ↗

Someone is travelling with you and is not registered

They cannot get a COP31 Visa. They follow Türkiye’s normal visa rules, if their passport needs one.

UNFCCC visa FAQ, question 21 ↗

You already have a Turkish visa that covers November

You still need the COP31 Visa or the Exemption Certificate.

UNFCCC visa FAQ, question 23 ↗

You are only visiting the Green Zone

The COP31 Visa is only for people the UNFCCC has approved as participants. Registering to visit the Green Zone does not make you one, so Türkiye’s normal entry rules apply to you. The official pages do not say this in so many words: it is our reading of them.

cop31.tr, FAQ on the Green Zone ↗

How to apply

  1. Wait for the UNFCCC to confirm your registration. Its email gives you access to your Acknowledgement Letter, which has your Registration Code.
  2. Create an account on evisa.gov.tr with a valid email address, then activate it from the link they send you.
  3. Fill in the form. You need the Registration Code, your personal and contact details, the dates you plan to arrive and leave, your travel document details and a passport-size photo (JPEG, JPG or PNG, up to 4 MB). No flight details, no hotel booking and no other documents unless they ask.
  4. Type your name exactly as it is in your passport. A middle name goes after your first name, in the same field. If the visa does not match your passport, it is not valid.
  5. Submit, then download the visa from “My Visa Applications” once it is approved. You can check the status there too.

Sources: UNFCCC visa FAQ, questions 2, 4, 11, 14 to 16 and 25 ↗ cop31.tr, Visa and Entry ↗

The visa itself

Cost
Free, for e-Visas and for visas issued at a Turkish mission
Valid
1 to 30 November 2026
Entries
Multiple
Longest stay
30 days
Extensions
Not as a rule. If illness or force majeure keeps you longer, write to visas@unfccc.int straight away.
Processing
Normally within seven working days

Sources: UNFCCC visa FAQ, questions 3, 5, 12, 13, 19 and 22 ↗

When to apply

Now, if your registration is confirmed. Seven working days is more than a calendar week: if you plan to land on 8 November, apply by 28 October to leave that time. This is our arithmetic, and the UNFCCC says processing can take longer in some cases.

Before you fly

Sources: cop31.tr, Visa and Entry ↗ UNFCCC visa FAQ, questions 8 and 17 ↗

If the e-Visa will not work for you

Some people are told during the application, by a pop-up, to apply at a Turkish mission instead. The same applies if your travel document is not an ordinary, diplomatic, official, service or special passport, a UNLP or an EULP, or if a name field in it is blank. In those cases you apply for a sticker COP31 Visa at the nearest Turkish embassy or consulate, with an appointment made on konsolosluk.gov.tr. It is also free for approved participants. The mission may ask for more documents or an interview.

Delegations led by a Head of State or Government arrange their visas through the protocol office of Türkiye’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs or a Turkish mission.

Sources: UNFCCC visa FAQ, questions 9, 18 and 24 ↗ Turkish missions abroad ↗

Questions about your own visa

Write to the UNFCCC secretariat at visas@unfccc.int. We are an independent guide and cannot help with individual applications.

The full official text: cop31.tr, Visa and Entry ↗ UNFCCC, COP31 visa FAQ (PDF) ↗ UNFCCC, information for participants ↗

Once you are there: the venue map and what’s on.