DistantNews
Support us
Greek Visa Scheme Gives Turks Easier Entry to Islands in EU
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia /Economy & Trade

Greek Visa Scheme Gives Turks Easier Entry to Islands in EU

From Asharq Al-Awsat · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • Greece has implemented a visa-on-arrival scheme for Turkish citizens visiting 12 Aegean islands, simplifying travel to the EU.
  • The "door visa" allows Turkish nationals to stay for up to seven days without a prior Schengen visa, boosting tourism between the two countries.
  • The initiative, launched in April 2024, has seen a significant increase in Turkish visitors, with nearly 1.5 million recorded in 2025, and is seen as a success by both Greek and Turkish officials.

A visa-on-arrival scheme has made traveling to several Greek Aegean islands significantly easier for Turkish tourists, transforming a previously difficult process requiring a Schengen visa into a simple "door visa" (kapi vizesi).

I think Samos was the perfect place to start.

— Ikra AltumsekA 21-year-old Turkish tourist describing her experience with the new visa scheme on the island of Samos.

Introduced in April 2024 and expanded to 12 islands near the Turkish coast, including Rhodes, Chios, and Kos, the scheme allows Turkish citizens to visit for up to seven days. This "door visa" does not permit onward travel to mainland Greece or other Schengen countries and cannot be extended, but it has greatly simplified short trips.

For many Turks, like 21-year-old university student Ikra Altumsek, the islands offer a convenient and appealing destination. Samos, in particular, is highlighted for its blend of beaches, natural beauty, and cultural heritage. The steady flow of Turkish visitors is evident, with Turkish-flagged boats frequently seen along the waterfronts.

The food is delicious. I have a 17-year-old son, and he keeps asking me, 'Mum, when are we going to Greece to eat?'

— Nevin CagliguneyA 51-year-old Turkish tourist expressing her enjoyment of Greek cuisine.

Nearly 1.5 million Turks visited Greece in 2025, a notable increase from 1.2 million in 2024, according to Bank of Greece figures. Turkish travel agents report that a majority utilized the express visa. The scheme offers an affordable holiday option amid rising inflation in Turkey, making domestic travel increasingly expensive.

Getting a Schengen visa is becoming increasingly difficult for Turks, but this new system makes it easy and fast for us to visit the Greek islands.

— Emirhan GursesA 21-year-old student from Manisa explaining the benefits of the visa-on-arrival scheme.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis praised the initiative during a visit to Ankara in February, calling it "particularly successful." He noted that hundreds of thousands of Turkish visitors have traveled to the Greek islands in the past year, fostering closer ties between the two nations.

In the last year alone, hundreds of thousands of Turkish friends have travelled to the Greek islands, bringing our peoples closer together.

— Kyriakos MitsotakisGreek Prime Minister commenting on the success of the visa scheme in fostering bilateral relations.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Asharq Al-Awsat. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog