Turkish Schengen Visa Talks Stall as Six Benchmarks Remain Unmet

The European Commission has confirmed that Türkiye has made zero progress on the six remaining benchmarks required for visa-free travel to the Schengen Area, keeping standard visa rules firmly in place over a decade after talks first kicked off.

The visa liberalisation dialogue originally launched in December 2013 with a roadmap consisting of 72 benchmarks, and under the March 2016 EU, Türkiye Statement, officials had expected visa-free movement to open by June 2016. Türkiye has since satisfied 66 of those targets. However, the final six, including adjustments to national anti-terrorism legislation, a cooperation agreement with Europol, and rules on personal data protection, remain completely stalled.

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For business operators, corporate executives, and frequent travellers navigating these rules, the operational friction remains high. Schengen consulates in Türkiye processed more than 1,265,000 visa applications, marking an increase of nearly 10 percent compared to the previous year, while total applications approached 1.27 million.

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To help ease chronic appointment backlogs, the European Union implemented the “cascade rule” on July 15, 2025. Under this framework, Turkish travellers with a solid, clean visa history can secure multiple-entry visas valid for up to five years. Data shows this policy shifted the share of multiple-entry visas issued in Türkiye up to 68.7 percent in 2025, rising from 65 percent in 2024.

Beyond the unfulfilled benchmarks, the European Commission’s Türkiye 2026 Report, published on November 4, 2026, highlighted ongoing friction over national alignment. Brussels is pressing Ankara to phase out electronic visas and border-issued visas, align its diplomatic mission issuance with the EU Visa Code, and drop restrictions affecting nationals of Cyprus. Furthermore, Türkiye continues to withhold full implementation of the EU, Türkiye Readmission Agreement, maintaining its stance that third-country national rules will not apply until the visa liberalisation process concludes.

Türkiye’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs swiftly rejected the report on the day of its release, dismissing the findings as biased.