Turkish Citizens to Benefit from Facilitation in Schengen Visa Process: Foreign Ministry - Get updated on what's happening in tourism!

Following negotiations with the European Union since 2024, the European Commission has initiated a visa facilitation process aimed at streamlining access to the Schengen area for Turkish nationals. The process will simplify the issuance of first-time multiple-entry visas and enable future renewals with increasingly longer validity periods.

These improvements are designed to alleviate common issues faced by Turkish applicants, including frequent rejections of short-term visas and the repeated issuance of visas with limited validity—even for those who have previously held multiple-entry permits.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry welcomed the initiative, affirming that relevant Turkish institutions will continue to work in coordination with the European Commission to enhance the visa application procedure.

Trade Minister Ömer Bolat stated that Türkiye has consistently raised these concerns at all levels within the EU, including with the European Commission, the Council, in Brussels, and during bilateral meetings with member states. He reiterated Türkiye’s position that visa liberalization is a legitimate right for Turkish citizens under existing international agreements.

Bolat pointed out that EU officials have repeatedly acknowledged the high volume of visa applications from Türkiye—over one million annually—with a rejection rate of around 15%. He stressed that Türkiye has long called for urgent facilitation, especially for students, academics, businesspeople, and professionals, most recently during the Türkiye-EU High-Level Trade Dialogue Meeting in Ankara on 1 July.

A Significant Step Forward

Bolat praised the European Commission’s response to Türkiye’s demands, noting that initiating the facilitation process is a meaningful step toward easing visa procedures and boosting cooperation in areas such as trade, education, culture, tourism, and investment.

He added that positive dialogue between Türkiye and the EU will continue, with Ankara also expecting to begin talks on modernizing and expanding the EU-Türkiye Customs Union to include services and e-commerce—pending approval by the European Council.

At a press conference, Thomas Hans Ossowski, head of the EU Delegation to Türkiye, remarked: “These changes are a gesture of goodwill from the Schengen member states towards travelers from Türkiye.” He emphasized the importance of the so-called “cascade reform” in improving the visa process and called for the resumption of a structured visa liberalization dialogue to address long wait times and rising demand.

Ossowski noted that in 2024, Türkiye submitted nearly 1.2 million visa applications—a 10% increase compared to the previous year—with 65% of issued visas being multiple-entry, above the global average. He also highlighted that Türkiye’s rejection rate of 14.5% remains below the global average of approximately 16%.

He underscored the urgency of re-engaging in the visa liberalization process, noting: “All EU candidate countries except Türkiye benefit from visa-free travel. It is urgent to restart this dialogue between Türkiye and the European Union.”

Calling Türkiye a “great country” known for its hospitality, respect, and empathy, Ossowski reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening EU-Türkiye relations.

First Comprehensive Schengen Visa Talks Held in Ankara

In December 2024, Ankara hosted the first comprehensive meeting on Schengen visa policy. It was agreed that regular consultations would be held with embassies in Türkiye on visa-related matters, following a formal schedule.

As part of this framework, consular sections of Schengen country missions in Türkiye engaged in detailed discussions with the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, addressing each issue individually in a step-by-step approach.

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