We regret that there are still a lot of lot of disinformation in some Turkish media outlets regarding Schengen visas.

To set the record straight:

1) Contrary to the allegations about excessive supporting documents, the documents required to apply for a Schengen visa in Türkiye if the purpose of travel is business are listed in a dedicated Commission Implementing Decision for applicants for short stay visas in Turkey from 2021, which is publicly available, and is used by all Schengen consulates. As it is clear from this list, the number of documents is substantially lower than the one mentioned in the media articles.

2) The statement that certain Member States would have closed their doors to Türkiye is also false. In fact, Schengen consulates are processing record numbers of visa applications, significantly surpassing pre-pandemic numbers.

3) Unlike what is alleged in the articles about high costs of Schengen visas, the application fee for Schengen visas is 90 EUR (and lower for certain well-defined categories). Additional fees – so called ‘service fees’ – might be charged by external visa service providers (who are official outsourcing companies, entrusted by Member States to collect visa applications on their behalf) but these fees are limited as per EU rules. While it has to be acknowledged that official translations might require additional costs, this would remain much below the sum mentioned in the articles. Unfortunately, there are a wide range of unauthorised intermediaries active in Türkiye that charge disproportionate amounts for allegedly facilitating the visa procedure. These unauthorised intermediaries are not in any way affiliated with Schengen consulates. The support of these intermediaries is not need to apply for and receive a Schengen visas. Moreover, these intermediaries often engage in fraudulent behaviour.