Turkish Tourists Surge in Dodecanese, Eastern Aegean

Turkish visitors are becoming one of the most important pillars of the tourist economy on the Eastern Aegean and Dodecanese islands. The shift is largely driven by a fast track visa program that lets Turkish citizens skip the full Schengen application process for stays of up to seven days on 12 specific Greek islands.

According to Turkey’s national statistics agency, TÜİK, trips abroad by Turkish citizens rose 16.5 percent in the first half of 2025 compared with the same period the previous year, and Greek islands close to the Turkish coast have captured a large share of that growth.

How the visa program works

The program, dubbed Visa Express, has been in place since 2024 and was recently extended until April 2027. It covers 12 islands in the Eastern Aegean and Dodecanese: Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Kos, Rhodes, Limnos, Leros, Kalymnos, Symi, Kastellorizo, Patmos and Samothraki. Under the scheme, Turkish citizens and their families can obtain a short stay visa of up to seven days without going through the standard Schengen visa procedure, which typically requires more documentation and a