Schengen Declaration on Türkiye in Italy
Giorgio Marrapodi, the Italian Ambassador to Ankara, stated that Schengen visa applications from Turkey to his country increased by 110 percent in the 5 months of this year compared to the same period of the previous year, saying: We ask for authorization for increase it,” he said.
Recently, rising Schengen visa refusal rates and longer waiting times for appointments have come to light.
Having the lowest rejection rate in Turkey’s Schengen visa applications, Italy’s Ambassador to Ankara Marrapodi made assessments to the AA correspondent regarding the rejection and acceptance rates of his country’s applications. Emphasizing that traveling is important for business, cultural exchange and students, Marrapodi stated that they care about the visa issue and treat it in a sensitive and friendly manner.
Noting that there are strong ties between Turkey and Italy in the fields of trade, culture, science and politics, Marrapodi said: “We want Italians to come to Turkey because this is a very beautiful country. We also want Turkish tourists to go to Italy because tourism is a matter of culture, of getting to know each other better. Tourism is a major driving force in the economies of both countries.
DEMAND MORE THAN TWICE
Expressing that they have increased the number of applications they process, the Ambassador said: “Let’s look at the latest figures for the first 5 months of 2023. If we compare January-May 2023 with January-May 2022, we see an increase of more than 100 percent in application processing. We are around 110 percent in Türkiye. We had a 90 percent increase in Ankara and 90 to 100 percent in Istanbul. Just over 100 percent, that is, the number of applications we receive in Izmir is more than double from last year.
Ambassador Marrapodi said that the number of staff is the same, but they are trying to increase efficiency by implementing innovative procedures.
Noting that rejection rates are low despite applications increasing by more than 100 percent, Marrapodi said: “The applications we received in the first 5 months are approximately 110 percent more than last year. Despite this, we have very low rejection rates. It’s around 7-8 percent,” he said.
Assessing the status of appointments for visa applications, Ambassador Marrapodi said that it is difficult to get an appointment due to the intensity of the summer months, and that the waiting time for an appointment is reduced in the winter.
On the other hand, Marrapodi noted that those who have previously received a Schengen visa from Italy can get a longer-term visa on their next application, saying:
“We are also trying to look at the situation of people who have received visas in the past. In this case, we always issue a visa for a longer period. If you have been to Italy once, got a visa, then came back, then the second time we give you a longer visa, but the third time we give you a 3 year multiple entry, sometimes a 5 year visa. So the more you travel, the less visa you will need.”
Marrapodi indicated that they reorganized human resources to meet more visa demands and explained that more personnel were assigned to consular affairs. (AA)