Introduction

For Turkish citizens, securing a Schengen visa has always been a challenge, but now, it’s turning into a full-blown crisis. Fake visa appointments are being sold like concert tickets, with desperate applicants forced to pay up just for a chance to submit their documents. EU Ambassador to Turkey, Thomas Ossowski, has sounded the alarm: tourism agencies are gaming the system, blocking free appointment slots, and selling them to the highest bidder. The result? A bureaucratic mess that punishes honest travelers while fueling a black market for visas.

Key Takeaways

• Visa appointment slots in Turkey are being hijacked by tourism agencies – Free slots are booked in bulk, leaving genuine applicants without access.
• Fake appointments are sold for as much as €500 – The EU Ambassador personally witnessed offers from agencies selling visa spots at outrageous prices.
• Increase in fraudulent documents – Turkish embassies report a surge in fake paperwork, leading to more visa denials.
• EU and Turkey are working to crack down on scams – Officials acknowledge the issue, but real solutions remain unclear.
• Travelers bear the burden – Those who follow the rules are at a disadvantage, while scammers and middlemen profit.

A Broken Visa System Open to Exploitation

Imagine trying to book a visa appointment, only to find that every single slot has already been taken. Not because thousands of people rushed in at midnight, but because middlemen reserved them all—only to sell them back at a premium. This is the reality Turkish citizens now face.

The system is supposed to be simple: you go online, pick a slot, and apply for your visa. But these agencies exploit weaknesses in the appointment system, using automated bots or other means to hoard slots. Then, they charge desperate applicants hundreds of euros just to hand them back a right they should have had for free.

Desperate Measures Lead to More Visa Rejections

It gets worse. As the competition for visas becomes more desperate, embassies are seeing a rise in fake documents. Whether it’s forged hotel bookings, fake bank statements, or fabricated employment records, applicants feel pressured to “strengthen” their case. This, in turn, has led to higher rejection rates, making it even harder for Turkish citizens to travel legally.

Is the EU Serious About Fixing This?

Ambassador Ossowski’s warning is a step in the right direction, but words alone won’t stop this racket. Real action is needed:

• Stronger verification of appointments – Embassies should track patterns of bulk reservations and flag suspicious activity.
• Eliminating third-party monopolies – Visa processing should be handled directly, without reliance on external agencies that exploit the system.
• Clear consequences for fraudsters – If agencies are caught selling appointments, they should face severe penalties.

Opinion: A System That Punishes the Honest

The worst part of this situation? The ones who suffer the most are the honest travelers. Those who try to go through the proper channels get stuck in limbo, while those willing to bend the rules—or pay to bypass them—get ahead.

This is not just a minor issue. It’s a glaring sign of a flawed system, one that is actively fueling corruption instead of enabling fair travel. If the EU and Turkey don’t take decisive action, this black market will continue to grow, and the trust in the visa system will erode even further.

Source – schengen.news