Coffee visa between Greece and Turkey

Authorities in Greece and Turkey are working on adopting a new visa procedure in an effort to increase the tourist flow between the two countries. Due to the geographical proximity of the Turkish coasts and few Greek islands and the frequent ferry itineraries, particularly in summer season, the two sides work together to create a coffee visa programme.

This visa will cover day visits and will not require any visa procedures. This programme will facilitate both Greeks and Turks who want to take the ferry and visit the other country for a day tour or for shopping, giving a boost to both economies. This programme for coffee visa is expected to start next summer.

In 2012, a pilot programme was initiated to facilitate visas for Turkish citizens visiting the Greek islands of Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Rhodes and Kos, that are connected to Turkey with ferry. This programme allowed Turkish tourists to get a visa for visits less than 15 days directly at the ports of the islands.

This coffee visa is being implemented in other countries, too. For example, Poland has liberal arrangements for people living in the Polish Schengen borders with Ukraine, while Finland has managed to benefit enormously from thousands of Russians traveling day trips from St Petersburg to Southern Finland.