While we were talking about visa fees, international departure stamp hikes, the rise of the euro and the dollar, those who want to travel abroad with a cheap way, like us, started to look for alternative ways.. In this article, we wanted to take a look at the subject of “visa-free Greek islands”, where tour companies are also frequently advertised.. Since the tour names are usually presented as “without a visa”, we wanted to examine whether it is possible to go to the Greek islands, which are normally subject to Schengen visa, without a visa, and we wanted to share our comments here in order to be useful to you.. Let’s get started then.
What is Visa Application at the Door?
With this application, which is valid between April/May and September every year, the islands of Rhodes, Kos, Lesvos (Lesvos), Meis (Kastellorizo), Chios (Chios) and Samos (Samos) are at their doorstep.
Greece gate visa is valid for a short time and can be obtained through travel agencies.. Since the Greek gate visa is issued for a single entry and for a short period of time, it is not possible to move to another country after entering the relevant islands.. As of the expiry date of your visa, the Greece gate visa expires and there is no question of extending the visa period from the island you are visiting.
The net dates and maximum stay period change every year between April and September.
What are the Documents Required for a Greece Gate Visa?
- Passport copy must be valid for at least 3 months and must not be TRNC visa stamp
- 2 biometric photographs
- Bank statement for the last 3 months
- Round-trip ferry ticket
- Hotel reservation
- Copy of ID
- Door visa application form
How to apply for a Greece Door Visa?
You must submit the above-mentioned documents 4 working days before which travel agency you will go with. needs. The agency sends these documents to the Passport Control Authorities at the border control points on the islands up to 24 hours before your departure date.. In order for a visa label to be processed on your passport, you need to have it with you, but you must have already sent the originals of other documents with your application. they enter special queues where it will be carried out somehow and passport tags will be processed.. After biometric data (fingerprint) submission, the visa sticker is processed on the passports if other entry conditions are met.
You are not allowed to enter another Greek island or mainland of Greece except the island you entered with a Greece gate visa and the other 6 islands.. Greece gate visa is issued as a single or double entry only for the island you will enter, and the visa authorities decide the number of entries.. However, the number of entries in the gate visa usually does not exceed two.
How much is the Greece Gate Visa Fee?
The visa fee is 55 Euros for adults and 20 Euros for children.
Other than this fee, of course, you also need to buy a ferry ticket depending on where you want to go.. Ticket prices vary between 30-35 euros one way on average.
Which Greek Islands Can You Visit With a Door Visa?
With Ege Birlik, Turyol and Ertürk Lines companies You can go to the above-mentioned islands by obtaining a gate visa from the following cities:
- From Bodrum, Fethiye or Marmaris to Rhodes
- From Bodrum to >To Kos
- From Ayvalık to Midilli
- From Kas to Meis island
- Cesme to Chios Island
- From Kusadasi, Bodrum or Seferihisar to Samos
Does it make sense to go to the Greek Islands with a Door Visa?
We think that visa at the door is actually a method invented to attract more tourists to Greece in the summer months.. Because, as you can see above, there is not much difference between the gate visa fee and the Schengen fee.. Schengen visa for 2019 has been determined as 60 Euros (only France 85 Euros). Likewise, the documents required for the visa are almost the same as the documents you normally need to submit to VFS or iDATA during the Schengen visa process.. The process is faster only in the door visa. In addition, if you want to buy a last-minute flight ticket in summer, the fee you have to pay will be more expensive than the ferry fee for these 6 islands, that’s all. If you have a summer house in our provinces where expeditions are organized, your time and financial means will be “Let’s go for a change, let me swim in the Greek islands and drink ouzo.” It is a method you can use if it is convenient to say.
Apart from this, you can get a Schengen visa and go comfortably to other Greek islands such as Aegina, Hydra, Spetses, Agistri, Poros, Kythnos, Kea, Andros, Santorini, Mykonos, Crete and Rhodes. seems more logical to us. Also, you can easily go to all other European countries by obtaining a longer Schengen visa with multiple entries and exits.
Or you can take an all-inclusive trip of at least 4-5 days with large cruise ships.. Of course, this type of holiday is more expensive, but it is very comfortable and fun as both accommodation, transportation and food and beverage are included.. We haven’t done a cruise yet, but we think it will be very nice.
In short, if we consider it as a Travel Moneybox, if your time and financial means allow you to see Chios on a 1-week holiday in Çeşme, for example, you can definitely consider the door visa application.. If not, we say get a Schengen visa and travel to Athens, Mykonos and other European countries in one stone.. Of course, the choice is yours
We wish you a happy holiday in advance..
