Germany to apply longer-term visa rule more widely in Türkiye

IZMIR

German Consul General Ralf Schröer.

The German Consul General in the Turkish Aegean city of İzmir has announced that Germany will more extensively implement the Cascade Rule in Türkiye, a stipulation offering longer-term Schengen visas.

"According to the agreement we reached with the Turkish government, priority in visa issuance is given to businesspeople and students. Unfortunately, applicants under the visitor and tourist categories may have to wait several months due to high demand during this period,” Ralf Schröer told a seminar at Yaşar University in İzmir.

Schröer reminded that Germany issues approximately 250,000 visas annually to Turkish citizens.

He also emphasized that seeking external assistance in visa applications does not positively impact the process.

"Unless absolutely necessary, avoid working with visa consultancy firms. The involvement of commercial visa consultants neither improves nor expedites your application; on the contrary, it may even slow down the process."

Recently, aside from increased visa refusals, it has become more difficult to secure appointments for visa applications, while intermediary agencies in Türkiye charge additional fees on top of the official costs for their services.

Schröer further highlighted that the Cascade Rule, which envisions a gradual extension of Schengen visa validity periods, will be implemented more effectively in Türkiye.

According to this regulation, the initial visa is issued for a short duration, but if the visa conditions are adhered to, subsequent applications can result in longer-term visas.

Visa applications for Schengen zone travel from Turkish citizens continued to climb in 2024, while the rate of rejections saw a modest decline, according to recent data released by the European Union.

Last year, Turkish nationals submitted approximately 1.1 million Schengen visa applications — a figure that positioned Türkiye as the second-largest source of applications globally.

The data also highlighted the Schengen countries most frequently approached by Turkish applicants. Greece topped the list, having received more than 296,000 applications in 2024, followed by Germany and France, respectively.