Foreign Ministry takes action on Schengen visa crisis: Priority requested for certain professions

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has taken action following the rising rejection rates for Schengen visas.

According to a report by Metin Kaan Kurtuluş from Gazete Oksijen, among the proposals put forward by the Foreign Ministry is that Turkish citizens who hold valid visas from Western countries that are not members of the Schengen Area should not have to reapply for a visa to travel to EU countries.

If Brussels accepts this formula, for example, a Turkish citizen with a US or UK visa would be able to travel to EU countries by bypassing the Schengen visa bureaucracy.

DEMAND FOR REDUCTION OF DOCUMENTS

On the other hand, Turkey has also requested a reduction in the documents required for Schengen applications. EU countries state that the number of visa applications made from Turkey to many consulates and embassies has increased since the pandemic, leading to staff shortages, which in turn causes delays.

Ankara also suggested that if an EU country's mission in Turkey receives too many visa applications, that mission should receive assistance from the representations of another Schengen Area country for evaluations. It was also noted that some EU countries are planning to increase the number of visa department employees by the end of the year to speed up the processes.

PRIORITY REQUESTED FOR CERTAIN PROFESSIONS

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs proposed that priority be given to Schengen visa applications made for medical reasons, as well as applications from students, academics, business people, and truck drivers.

Many people from these professional groups have been complaining that they could not travel on time due to delayed visas.