Passports (for non-Turkish participants) #
Check that your passport is signed and that it will not expire before your return to your country. If you need to apply for a passport, be sure to do so soon.
Research visas (for non-Turkish participants) #
Permit regulations require that every non-Turkish citizen on the project obtain a research visa before entering Türkiye. This is different from a tourist visa, which most other visitors to Türkiye need upon entry. Some important points to keep in mind if you are not at Turkish citizen:
- You CANNOT enter Türkiye to work on this project without a RESEARCH VISA;
- You can obtain this visa only after the excavation permit has been issued and delivered to your preferred visa-granting Turkish embassy or consulate (as selected in the Travel and Emergency Contact Information Form);
- Once you hear from us that the excavation permit has been issued and research visas can be applied for, you will need to apply for and get the research visa via your preferred visa-granting Turkish embassy or consulate; and
- Many Turkish embassies and consulates are now using private third-party companies to manage all visa processes; you may need to allow extra time for all processes to be completed.
DO NOT attempt to apply for a research visa for this project until you hear from us to do so. As soon as the excavation permit for this year’s work is issued, we will be in touch with detailed information on the acquisition of research visas. Do not depart for Türkiye without your research visa or you will not be able to participate in the project!
Residence permits (for non-Turkish participants) #
Once in Türkiye, participants planning to stay in Türkiye for a period of time that results in their having spent more than 90 days in Türkiye during the previous 180 days (6 months) will be required to apply for a residence permit. The Project can provide information on how and where to do this. If you will be staying in Türkiye for less than 90 days, you should not be required to apply for a residence permit (though regulations are subject to change). If you have been granted a residence permit from Türkiye in previous years, be sure to bring with you your residence permit booklet or card (ikamet tezkeresi).
Carrying project equipment to the project #
As per the Participant Forms, project participants are expected to leave room in their baggage to carry project equipment to and from project. For international travelers, “Equipment Letters” in English and Turkish and copies of the excavation permit will accompany any request from us to carry project equipment and must be carried in carry-on baggage during travel.
Inoculations, health, and insurance #
Participants should consult the World Health Organization (WHO) for a list of inoculations recommended for visitors to Türkiye. The directors strongly recommend the following: Tetanus/Diphtheria (Td) Booster (usually good for 10 years); Hepatitis A or immune globulin (IG).
Other things for which you should consider inoculations: Polio booster; Typhoid vaccine; Cholera; Malaria; Hepatitis B.
Participants should consult their physicians regarding specific medical needs and should bring their own supply of all prescription drugs as well as preferred brands of insect repellent, sun block, and over the counter medicine (e.g., for intestinal infection, mild pain, colds, allergies, and minor skin infections).
The project does not cover the costs of medical treatment while in Türkiye or following your departure from Türkiye. Double check that the health insurance coverage entered on the participant forms is valid over the summer and that it covers serious illness and accidents away from home. The project requires that all participants be enrolled in emergency insurance coverage valid internationally for the duration of their time with the project.
Things to bring: #
Clothing #
(Note that the area provides little, if any, shade and is very windy and also that the project usually provides access to washing machines which participants may use once a week.)
- Sweater / fleece jacket (nights can be cool, particularly in April through early June)
- Windbreaker
- At least one ‘nice’ outfit (for socially diplomatic occasions, e.g., with local mayor or museum staff)
- Appropriate clothing for fieldwork in very sunny and wind-exposed areas including:
- Long-sleeve (but light-weight) shirts and pants
- Comfortable but supportive hiking / walking shoes
- A good hat
- Bathing suit (for those (unfortunately) rare trips to swimmable locales)
- Flip flops, sandals, or other comfy footwear for lab work or down time
Equipment #
- Daypack for equipment, lunch, water, etc.
- Water bottle
- Leatherman, Swiss Army knife, or other multitool
- Personal First Aid kit
- This include your own adequate supply of required prescription drugs and over-the-counter medicine for intestinal infection, mild pain, colds, allergies, and minor skin infections
- Binoculars
- Laptop computer
- Tablet computer
Other #
- Digital copies of identification papers (e.g., ID card, passport, birth certificate), airline tickets, eyeglass prescription, medical prescriptions, etc.
- Linens
- Basic linens (bathroom towels, sheets, a light-weight comforter) are available, but you may choose to bring your own
- A laundry bag
- Sunglasses
- Light-weight but protective work gloves
- Basic first-aid kit
- Sun-blocking creams
- Mosquito repellant and/or mosquito bed-netting (lodging may or may not have screened windows)
- Reading materials (fiction or non-fiction, analog or digital)
- Turkish language book and/or pocket dictionary
- Battery powered reading light
- Guidebook(s) for Türkiye
- Flashlight