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Greece to Continue Door Visa Policy with Türkiye in 2026
The door visa scheme is of great importance for Turkish tourists who face difficulties in the Schengen visa process.
At an event organised by the Greek Embassy in Ankara, it was announced that Greece will extend its border visa policy with Türkiye into 2026.
Held on 4 November at the Ankara Hilton Hotel, the meeting brought together tourism authorities from both countries, local administrations, and industry representatives. Participants discussed ways to enhance bilateral tourism, develop new flight routes, strengthen maritime cooperation, and explore investment opportunities and destination strategies.
Greek Ambassador Theodoros Bizakis, who hosted the event, welcomed leading figures from the tourism and business sectors of both nations. Among the attendees were representatives from the Greek National Tourism Organisation, Pegasus Airlines, Enterprise Greece, TÜRSAB, and local administrators from regions such as Chios (Sakız Island), Alexandroupolis (Dedeağaç), and Orestiada. The programme also featured B2B meetings between travel agencies from both sides.
Itır İpekel Tsiropoulos, CEO of Argolis Yacht Lines, one of the leading yacht companies at the event, shared her views:
“The meeting provided a valuable platform for exchanging ideas on the development of maritime, luxury, and sustainable tourism. At Argolis Yacht Lines, we remain committed to connecting Greece and Türkiye through our shared cultural and maritime heritage, contributing to the growth of the sector and building strong business partnerships.”
The event also highlighted key topics including the continuation of the “door visa” (border visa) scheme for Turkish citizens, real estate investment opportunities, and tourism cooperation between the two countries.
According to recent data, the first eight months of 2025 saw a significant rise in travel from Türkiye to Greece. Air travel increased by 25% to Athens, 14% to Thessaloniki, 219% to Crete, and over 550% to Mykonos. Land border crossings also rose, with 2 million travellers passing through İpsala and 720,000 through Pazarkule.
While no maritime data for 2025 has yet been released, figures from 2024 show that 1,153,000 passengers travelled from Türkiye to the Greek islands - a 43.4% increase over the previous year. The introduction of new ferry routes was cited as a major factor behind this growth.
It was also announced that Pegasus Airlines plans to expand both the number of flights and destinations to the Greek islands next year.
Overall, the meeting marked an important step toward strengthening friendship and cooperation between Greece and Türkiye and promoting sustainable tourism growth across the Aegean.
