Turkey Introduces Free Digital Museum Card for Teachers, Seniors and Students

Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism has launched the E‑Museum Card, a digital QR‑code system that allows free entry to hundreds of museums and archaeological sites across the country during the summer holidays. The card is available to anyone with a chip‑enabled national ID, and free access is granted to groups such as students under 18, citizens over 65, teachers, people with disabilities, war veterans and families of martyrs.

In a ceremony at the Istanbul Archaeology Museum, Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy and Türk Telekom executive Ebubekir Şahin announced that the new system eliminates the need for a physical museum card. Visitors can simply scan their national ID or a mobile‑generated QR code at turnstiles, and the platform also records entry history. The partnership with Türk Telekom provides the digital infrastructure for the 216 museums currently connected to the network.

The initiative aims to simplify cultural‑heritage access, strengthen digital sovereignty and encourage domestic tourism by making museum visits more convenient and cost‑free for key population groups.