Greek Islands introduce visa-on-arrival for Turkish citizens

A fast visa application process has been initiated for Turkish citizens on 10 Greek islands close to the shores of Türkiye.

Visa-on-arrival announced by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in December had also received approval from the European Commission within the framework of normalization between the two countries.

Under the application valid on 10 Greek islands, Turkish citizens can visit the islands for up to seven days by paying 60 euros ($64.44).

Passport control and fingerprint recording

Visitors will go through passport control and log fingerprints upon entry. Although Greece is part of the Schengen area, which is a free movement zone within the European Union, Turkish citizens will not be required to apply for a Schengen visa for Greece. However, they will not be able to transit to other Schengen countries from Greece.

The application will be valid on the islands of Rhodes, Lesbos, Lemnos, Chios, Samos, Ileros, Kalymnos, Kos, Symi, and Kastellorizo. Visa-on-arrival may be extended to other small islands in June.

'High demand from Turkish people'

President of the Rhodes Port Fund Vassilis Vayiannakis told the Associated Press on the first day of the application today, "The new system is ready. There is a strong demand from Turkish visitors. There is no boat planned to dock today. Boats will start coming in this week," he said.

While a new visa terminal for Turkish visitors was opened in Rhodes, renovations were made to the port in Lesbos, where an influx of visitors is expected.

Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis stated that the application would revive tourism and support local economies by encouraging visits even during less busy periods. He noted that the fast visa would be granted not only in the summer months but throughout the year.

Efforts to create a positive agenda and normalize relations between Greece and Türkiye are planned to continue. Mitsotakis is expected to visit Türkiye in May following Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to Greece in December.

Source: Newsroom