Greece’s Main Tourism Body Calls For Simplified Schengen Visa Procedures

Visa applications should be processed within 48 hours of their submission, the Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises (SETE) underlined in a recent letter to the Greek Tourism Ministry.

In the letter, the association outlined the steps Greece should take for the faster processing and issuance of Schengen visas to travelers from non European Union countries.

On the issue of the multiple-entry visa system, SETE believes that interested parties should be issued a single-use visa if it is their first visit to Greece; a one-year multiple visa for their second visit; and a three-year multiple visa for their third visit to the country.

SETE also suggested for a workshop to once again be held in Athens with consuls from key target markets. The workshop would aim to address a range of issues that consular authorities are facing in view of new season.

Strict visa regulations still remain an obstacle for Greece to see a major increase of arrivals from markets such as China and Russia, two markets that stood out last year among the 10 most important source markets in the world.