The European Commission has approved the renewal for one more year, from 1 April 2025, of the short-stay visa programme for Turkish citizens and their family members on the Aegean islands.

According to diplomatic sources, following actions by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Commission assessed the implementation of the programme over the past 12 months as successful and acknowledged its positive contribution to promoting contacts between the two countries.

The short-stay visa programme covers the islands of Kalymnos, Kastelorizo, Kos, Lesvos, Leros, Lemnos, Rhodes, Samos, Symi, and Chios and is extended to two more, Patmos and Samothrace.

The visa will be valid for seven days and will be issued at the entry points of the islands' ports.