Türkiye’s government has decided to abolish visa requirements for nationals of Romania, through a decree signed by Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The new changes mean that Romanian citizens can now head to Türkiye for tourism or transit purposes by only holding their ID cards, without having to apply for a visa at first, VisaGuide.World reports.
Authorities in Türkiye have said that the new changes are expected to become effective at the beginning of next month once the technical changes are met.
Romanian citizens holding a national identity document are exempt from visa requirements for tourist and transit travel to Türkiye, with a maximum stay of 90 days within a 180-day period, in accordance with Article 18 of Law No. 6458 on Foreigners and International Protection.
The decree was signed during the visit of Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, to Türkiye, following an invitation from the Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
However, Turkish nationals are subject to visa requirements when traveling to Romania, in spite of the recent decision of Türkiye.
Over 867,600 Visas Issued to Turkish Nationals in 2023
The recent figures from the European Commission revealed that in 2023, Türkiye was placed in the second position in terms of the most significant number of Schengen visa applications received in Schengen countries.
Based on the European Union’s statistics, of the total 1,055,885 applications from Turkish nationals, 867,646 visas were issued while 13,611 were denied.
On March 31, Romania officially became part of the Schengen Zone by air and sea, however, land border controls continue to remain effective.
Following the partial accession of Romania to the Schengen Zone, last month, Romania’s government approved the initiating of talks with Türkiye related to a new agreement based on Schengen acquis in terms of visas.
Bilateral negotiations will begin for the conclusion of a new agreement, based on the Schengen acquis in terms of visas. The partial denunciation does not affect the execution of the rest of the provisions of the agreement.
In addition, last month, Turkish Industry and Technology Mehmet Minister, Fatih Kacır, urged the European Union to exclude young Turkish researchers and entrepreneurs from visa requirements, stressing the boost that it would give Europe’s innovation and technology.
Recently, the head of the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TÜRSAB), Firuz Bağlıkaya, said that the surge in Schengen visa denial rates for Türkiye has brought tour companies’ operations to a halt.