Visa requirements for Indonesian citizens

The agreement between the government of the Republic of Cyprus and the government of the United States of America on cooperation on the use of travel information, signed in Washington on June 17, was ratified on Thursday by the House of Representatives in Nicosia.

EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson praised the revised Schengen legislation and hailed the forthcoming accession of Bulgaria and Romania to Schengen as significant progress. Speaking on Tuesday during the presentation of a report on the state of Schengen, Johansson emphasized the importance of strengthening the European border agency Frontex.

With Bulgaria's recent entry into the Schengen area by air and sea, maritime border services are adapting to a new set of regulations that offer greater flexibility for passengers, yachts, and vessels traveling between Schengen ports. The shift in border control procedures brings significant changes for both crews and travelers aboard ships.

Bulgaria has joined the Schengen area for free travel, but initially only by air and sea routes. This entails the elimination of border controls for air travel among member countries of the agreement. Here are some key questions and answers for travelers regarding this development:

What is Schengen?

Switzerland has decided to eliminate passport checks at its airports for travelers flying to and from Bulgaria and Romania, following the European Union's recent move to admit the two countries into "air and sea Schengen".

People applying for visas to visit Europe's Schengen area will soon do so via an online platform, under a change adopted by EU foreign ministers.

The shift towards digitalization of the visa process will also do away with the need for applicants to get a sticker in their passport, meaning no more appointments at consulates or service providers' offices.

The European Union is ushering in a new era for Schengen visas, making the process fully digital. This move eliminates the need for physical stickers in passports, streamlining the application process, as reported by AFP.

OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman has been granted Indonesia's first golden visa, officials said, as Southeast Asia's biggest economy looks to attract wealthy foreign investors.

A 17-year-old musician who has won numerous awards in international competitions has encountered a visa issue that might prevent him from attending a prestigious music school in Germany for his future education.

It was reported that Güneş Tunçkıran, the promising pianist from the southern province of Antalya, has yet to even get an appointment to apply for a Schengen visa.

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.