Ahead of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's visit to Türkiye, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani announced that they will hire more staff to solve the issue of visa grievances.
Minister Tajani noted that for a long time, Turkish citizens have been unable to get visa appointments from Italian diplomatic missions in Türkiye, regardless of whether it is for tourism, business, or education purposes.
"We will try to issue visas more quickly by hiring more staff"
In response to the question of when this problem will be resolved, Tajani pointed out that it stems from staff shortages and excessive demand:
"The visa issue is a problem in many countries. Often, consulates are overwhelmed with a surge in visa applications, which can require a bit more time. However, we will try to issue visas more quickly to those who are entitled to them, and for this purpose, we have decided to hire more staff."
Which are the Schengen countries?
The Schengen Area is a group of European countries that have abolished passport and other types of border control at their mutual borders. As of my last update in April 2023, the Schengen countries are:
Austria
Belgium
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland (not a member of the EU)
Italy
Latvia
Liechtenstein (not a member of the EU)
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Netherlands
Norway (not a member of the EU)
Poland
Portugal
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland (not a member of the EU)
It's important to note that while these countries are part of the Schengen Area, not all EU countries are Schengen members. Countries like Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Ireland, and Romania are EU members but not part of the Schengen Area. Conversely, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein are part of the Schengen Area but not members of the European Union.