Turkish Citizens Face Visa Appointment Crisis Amid Rising Black Market
Turkish Citizens Face Major Hurdles in Booking Schengen Visa Appointments Amid Black Market Surge
Turkish nationals continue to face mounting difficulties in securing appointments for Schengen visas, as a growing black market takes advantage of limited availability and high demand.
According to Hürriyet Daily News, tech-savvy intermediaries are deploying bots and automated software to instantly detect and block newly released appointment slots across various visa centers. Once these slots are secured, they are sold on the black market for exorbitant fees ranging from €500 to €3,000 per appointment.
Despite occasional availability via official portals, many Turkish citizens report spending days trying to book slots—with little success. The situation has forced many applicants to turn to intermediaries out of frustration and urgency.
Visa Service Experts Warn of Scams
Orhan İşcil, Managing Director of a visa services agency, revealed that some middlemen are exploiting the system by promoting fake services on social media and then disappearing after collecting payments. “Some agents are demanding between €500 and €1,000, and in some cases, even up to €3,000,” İşcil stated. He warned Turkish citizens not to trust unauthorized service providers online, as many fall victim to fraud.
VFS Global Responds With Anti-Bot Measures
Sertan Aslantürk, Deputy Regional Head of VFS Global for Türkiye and Azerbaijan, acknowledged the challenges and confirmed that the company has implemented multiple countermeasures to prevent manipulation of the booking system. These include:
- Virtual POS systems
- IP address restrictions
- Virtual keyboards
- Blocking access from VPNs
- A new digital waiting room mechanism
These measures aim to prevent automated interference and restore fair access to appointment slots for genuine applicants.
Visa Application Surge in 2024
According to recent statistics from AtoZSerwisPlus, Turkish nationals submitted 1,173,917 Schengen visa applications in 2024. Out of these, 993,875 were approved, and 170,129 were rejected—indicating a high demand and relatively strong approval rate despite the booking hurdles.
The ongoing situation highlights the need for more secure and transparent appointment systems to ensure equal access and curb illegal profiteering in visa facilitation.
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