Visa policy of Greenland

A decision on Bulgaria and Romania's full membership in the Schengen area for free travel is expected by the end of the year, according to Yordanka Chobanova, head of Bulgaria's EU permanent representation, as reported by BNR.

Hundreds of Kosovars rushed to Pristina airport to travel to EU countries on Monday after visas for Europe's open-borders Schengen zone were waived.

Kosovo was the only country in the Western Balkans whose citizens still needed visas to travel to the EU, many of whose members are part of the programme.

People applying for visas to visit Europe's Schengen area will soon do so via an online platform, under a change adopted by EU foreign ministers.

The shift towards digitalization of the visa process will also do away with the need for applicants to get a sticker in their passport, meaning no more appointments at consulates or service providers' offices.

The EU Commission has emphasized that the Schengen visa issues faced by Turkish citizens are not related to an attitude towards Türkiye but rather attributed to staff shortages in consulates.

Alamy Photo

The German embassy in Ankara on June 6 announced that around 100,000 Schengen visas were issued in Türkiye in 2023, countering the recent difficulties faced by Turkish citizens when applying for visas.

Germany currently does not issue more visas to any country in the world than Türkiye, the statement released on the embassy's Twitter account emphasized.