Since the implementation of Greece’s visa-on-arrival program for Turkish citizens on April 1, 2024, over 100,000 Turkish tourists have crossed the Greek islands, sparking a boom in regional tourism.
The scheme, which allows Turkish nationals to visit select Greek islands for short stays with a 60 euros ($63) entry fee, has been hailed as a major success by both Greek and Turkish officials.
The announcement came during a recent meeting between Greek Minister of Shipping Christos Stylianidis and Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu in Istanbul, where both ministers emphasized the positive economic and diplomatic impact of the program.
“This program has not only boosted tourism but has also created a pathway for greater cooperation between Greece and Türkiye,” Stylianidis said, showing that the scheme allows for stays ranging from one to seven days on islands such as Rhodes (Rodos), Lesbos (Midilli) and Samos (Sisam) without requiring a full Schengen visa.
In its first months, as the Greek magazine Oikonomikos Tachydromos reported, the initiative saw nearly 400,000 Turkish visitors, with the figures continuing to rise as the summer months ended. In the northeast Aegean, local authorities recorded 54,373 additional visas issued by the end of August, highlighting the program’s growing success.
Both ministers expressed their commitment to further strengthening maritime ties, which have flourished under this new framework. Stylianidis pointed to the “win-win” benefits, noting that enhanced ferry connections between Türkiye and Greece are not only fostering tourism but also contributing to economic growth in coastal regions on both sides.
As a result of this success, Greece plans to extend the program through 2025, according to Stylianidis. This decision follows recommendations from local officials, including Northern Aegean Regional Governor Konstantinos Moutzouris, who proposed expanding the program to other non-Schengen visitors as well.
The visa scheme was established following an agreement between Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to ease tensions between the two countries, particularly over disputes in the Aegean Sea. While long-standing issues remain, both nations have shown cautious optimism about strengthening bilateral relations through practical cooperation, especially in the tourism and maritime sectors.
