Simplified visa regime for tourists arriving from Turkey to Greek islands has extended

“The European Commission agreed to extend for 2018 a simplified visa regime for tourists arriving from Turkey and planning to visit Greek islands of the Aegean Sea”, - the press service of the Greek Foreign Ministry reported. This system was launched in 2012. It allows tourists who stay on the Aegean coast of Turkey and who want to visit the islands of Dodecanese archipelago - Kos, Rhodes, and others - to arrive there by ferry from the Turkish ports of Bodrum and Marmaris and get a visa upon arrival. The cost of a single-entry visa is 35 Euros. This is not a Schengen visa and does not allow entering the rest of Greece and the European Union. Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) reported that from April to mid-November a large number of tourists - Turkish and third-country nationals, primarily from Russia and Iran - arrive to Greece by ferries from Turkey. "Renewal of the program is a critical issue for the island's economy and this issue is constantly raised by business and local authorities", - the Greek Foreign Ministry said.