Pursuing Progress Gradually Leads to Success: A Schengen Journey of a Friend from Turkey
In a significant move to improve EU-Turkey relations, the updated Schengen visa rules for Turkish citizens have been announced. Effective from mid-2025, these new regulations introduce a more favourable "cascade rule" visa regime that aims to ease the process and reduce frequent reapplications.
With approximately 1.2 million Schengen visa applications submitted by Turkish applicants in 2024, making Türkiye the second-largest source worldwide after China, this reform targets improving accessibility and reducing the administrative burden.
The new regime applies to Turkish citizens residing in Turkey who apply there, except for truck drivers. The progression of visas under this new system is as follows:
- The first visa issued generally covers the intended travel duration and can be single or multiple entry.
- The second visa can be a multiple entry visa valid for 90 days within a six-month period.
- Subsequent visas can be issued for one year, then three years, and eventually five years, if previous visas were lawfully used and the passport remains valid.
This reform is expected to benefit trade, education, tourism, and overall EU-Turkey relations. It is a significant step forward towards longer-term visa validity and simplified travel for Turkish nationals.
Unfortunately, Merve, a friend who loves literature and initially planned her honeymoon in Italy, found the process of applying for a Schengen visa complicated. Due to these issues, she had to honeymoon in Sarajevo and Mostar instead of her dream destination, Italy.
Italy, a destination for the soul for centuries, boasts attractions such as Florence, Galleria dell'Accademia, Uffizi Gallery, Boboli Gardens, Piazzale Michelangelo, Naples, Da Michele, Sorrento, Positano, Capri, Venice, and Rome. Merve and her husband had planned to visit these places, but visa issues stood in their way.
The EU's decision to ease Schengen rules for Turkish citizens comes at a time when NATO and EU officials are urging closer ties with Ankara, especially in light of shared security needs. However, the EU and Turkey have complex relations due to unresolved disputes like Cyprus and maritime overflights.
In a parallel development, Bosnia-Herzegovina began EU accession talks last year, but substantial economic, judicial, and anti-corruption reforms are still needed before membership can proceed. Despite not being a member country, Bosnians can travel freely around Schengen since 2010.
As Merve's story illustrates, the easing of Schengen visa rules for Turkish citizens is a welcome development for many. The Italian saying, "Viaggiare e vivere," or "to travel is to live," encapsulates the spirit of this reform, offering a brighter future for Turkish travelers seeking to explore the beauty of Europe.
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- The updated Schengen visa rules, which will become effective in mid-2025, are expected to benefit not only Turkey-EU relations but also sectors like trade, education, and tourism.
- With Turkey being the second-largest source of Schengen visa applications worldwide, this reform targets improving accessibility and reducing the administrative burden for Turkish applicants.
- The new visa regime, which applies to Turkish citizens residing in Turkey, introduces a more favorable "cascade rule" visa system that aims to simplify the process and reduce frequent reapplications.
- Under this new system, the progression of visas is as follows: the first visa issued generally covers the intended travel duration and can be single or multiple entry; the second visa can be a multiple entry visa valid for 90 days within a six-month period; subsequent visas can be issued for one year, then three years, and eventually five years, if previous visas were lawfully used and the passport remains valid.
- As Bosnia-Herzegovina began EU accession talks last year, Turkey's eased Schengen visa rules come at a time when NATO and EU officials are urging closer ties with Ankara, especially in light of shared security needs.
- Merve, a friend who loves literature and initially planned her honeymoon in Italy, found the process of applying for a Schengen visa complicated, forcing her to change her honeymoon destination to Sarajevo and Mostar, illustrating the need for visa reforms. The Italian saying, "Viaggiare e vivere," or "to travel is to live," encapsulates the spirit of this reform, offering a brighter future for Turkish travelers seeking to explore the beauty of Europe.
