Initially planned to start on March 1, the on-the-spot visa application for Turkish citizens visiting the Greek Islands had been postponed.
Yorgo Gerapetritis, the Greek Foreign Minister, expressed hope that the "on-the-spot visa" program for Turks on 5 islands in the Aegean would commence on March 30.
Responding to a parliamentary question posed by PASOK MP Yorgos Nikitiadis about the delay of the fast-track visa program aimed at Turkish tourists, Gerapetritis explained the situation.
Nikitiadis noted that the visa program, initially scheduled to shift from February 1 to March 1, experienced further delays. Minister Gerapetritis attributed the postponement to the complex coordination required between different ministries, mentioning that following a pilot phase encompassing 5 islands, the program would be implemented.
According to a report in Sözcü, Gerapetritis mentioned that other islands had also requested to join the program, but "on-the-spot visa" applications would remain limited due to Schengen restrictions.
Amidst recent positive developments between Greece and Türkiye, it was announced that Turkish tourists would be granted visas on arrival on 10 Aegean islands. With the European Union's approval, Greece plans to initially offer "on-the-spot visas" on 5 Aegean islands as part of the program.
Greece anticipates attracting at least 1.5 million Turkish tourists to the Aegean islands through the visa on arrival scheme. Under this arrangement, Turkish tourists can obtain visas upon arrival at the islands of Limnos, Lesbos, Chios, Samos, Leros, Kalymnos, Kos, Rhodes, Symi, and Kastellorizo, allowing them to vacation for a week.
