Visas

After 13 years of waiting, Bulgaria and Romania are to partially join the Europe's vast Schengen area of free movement on Sunday, opening up travel by air and sea without border checks.

But land border controls will remain in place due to Austria's opposition to the eastern European countries becoming full members of the Schengen zone for fear of an influx of asylum seekers.

Travelers passing through Terminal 2 of Sofia Airport can now enjoy a smoother journey with the introduction of electronic self-scanning counters for boarding passes. Set to officially launch on March 6, this innovative system aims to streamline the passenger experience, reducing wait times and enhancing efficiency during the security check process.

Starting this morning, the city of Plovdiv commenced the distribution of free travel cards for public transport to students aged 7 to 14.

There were no reports of overcrowding at the service desks, where parents could obtain the new travel documents for their children.

BELGRADE - In case a new migrant crisis breaks out due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, it will not be a direct threat to Serbia, Asylum Protection Centre Director Rados Djurovic told Tanjug on Wednesday.

Cyprus' passport is currently the 21st most powerful globally, with a total score of 104.00. This ranking considers not only travel opportunities but also taxation, global reputation, dual citizenship policies, and personal freedom.

The EU Commission has emphasized that the Schengen visa issues faced by Turkish citizens are not related to an attitude towards Türkiye but rather attributed to staff shortages in consulates.

Alamy Photo

The German embassy in Ankara on June 6 announced that around 100,000 Schengen visas were issued in Türkiye in 2023, countering the recent difficulties faced by Turkish citizens when applying for visas.

Germany currently does not issue more visas to any country in the world than Türkiye, the statement released on the embassy's Twitter account emphasized.

Cyprus is launching an information campaign to counter a spike in irregular migration, authorities said on Tuesday, saying they were struggling with the highest inflows in the European Union.

The island has had the highest new asylum applications in proportion to its population for the past six years. Eurostat data for 2022 showed it at double that of second-placed Austria.

"Bulgaria has done its homework for Schengen, there are no obstacles to its membership." This was stated by the Vice President of the European Parliament, Evelyn Regner, on Nova TV.

With the rising Schengen visa problems experienced by Turkish citizens, a Turkish man from Istanbul will be unable to attend his own wedding in Germany due to the rejection of his application, local media has reported.

Complaints about the Schengen visa, which is required for Turkish citizens to enter European Union member countries, have increased recently.