Travellers to Turkey have been warned by ABTA they will have to apply for an e-visa prior to departure from mid-April.

The system replaces the previous procedure which allowed visitors to purchase a visa on arrival.

ABTA explained in a statement: “We have already informed our members about the need for consumers travelling to Turkey to apply online for a visa for travel after April 10th 2014 and we will be reminding them again this week.

“Turkey is an extremely important destination for our members and we are concerned that consumers, particularly those who have not booked through ABTA members, may not be aware of the new requirement and may as a consequence be refused entry to Turkey.”

All visitors to Turkey from April 11th 2014 will be required to purchase their entry visa via the Turkish Government website.

The cost of the e-visa is currently $20.