Panagiotis Taktikos, the mayor of Mytilini, stated on Thursday that Lesvos will begin expedited visa processing for Turkish nationals on April 1.

This move follows the agreement reached by Athens and Ankara to bring back the Schengen Express Visa program specifically for Turkish nationals planning trips to some eastern Aegean islands. Following discussions between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of the Republic of Turkey and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis of the Hellenic Republic, the agreement was made public last December.

Prime Minister Mitsotakis disclosed that his administration had already obtained the EU Commission’s clearance for the implementation of this kind of scheme. He also expressed support for Turkey’s request to enter the Schengen Area without a visa.

As per the agreement, Turkish nationals visiting Greece for a maximum of seven days will be granted a visa upon their arrival. Lemnos, Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Leros, Kalymnos, Kos, Rhodes, Symi, and Kastelorizo are the 10 Greek Islands that are part of this initiative.

Greek authorities, including the North Aegean Region police commander, the Mytilini Coast Guard, and island customs officials, met in Mytilini last week to prepare for the expected flood of Turkish tourists. Port improvements are also in progress to expedite the arrival of travelers and automobiles.

According to the VisaGuide Passport Index, the Turkish passport ranks 93rd in the world as of March 2024, allowing its holders to visit 77 countries without a need for a visa. But bearers of Turkish passports need to get regular visas in order to access Greece and 93 other countries across the world.

With 778,409 applications, Turkish citizens filed the most Schengen visa applications at Schengen consulates in Turkey in 2022. Out of all of them, the Greek consulate in Türkiye processed 164,829 applications, making Greece the second-highest receiver in terms of applications from Turkish nationals that year, after Germany (223,699).