Visa warning from Germany's Consulate General in Izmir
Meeting with students in Izmir, German Consul General Ralf Schröer stated that visa applicants should avoid intermediary companies. Schröer said, "Consultants do not speed up the process; on the contrary, they can slow it down."
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Ralf Schröer, Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Izmir, met with students at an event held at a university in the city. Providing important information regarding visa processes, Schröer noted that Turkey is among the countries that receive the most visas from Germany, stating, "We only issue more visas to China than to Turkey. The reason for this is that China's population exceeds 1 billion."
IZMIR IS IN THE TOP 10 WORLDWIDE FOR VISAS
Consul General Schröer stated that Izmir ranks 10th among Germany's diplomatic missions worldwide in terms of visa processing, while Istanbul ranks first and Ankara ranks fifth.
"CONSULTANCY FIRMS DO NOT SPEED UP THE PROCESS"
Issuing warnings regarding visa consultancy services, Schröer noted the following:
"Do not apply to consultancy firms unless it is mandatory. The involvement of such commercial intermediaries neither speeds up nor simplifies the process. On the contrary, making the application directly and completely to the consulates both simplifies the process and makes it easier for you to obtain a visa."
The German official stated that, according to an agreement made with the Turkish government, priority is given to students and business people in visa processing, while tourist and visit-purpose applications may face a wait of several months due to high demand.
Schröer also stated that the "Cascade" rule for Schengen visas will be applied more widely in Turkey. According to this rule, a person who receives a short-term visa on their first application can obtain longer-term, multiple-entry visas in subsequent applications, provided they use the visa correctly.