site.btaFM Georgiev, German Ambassador Sign Agreement on Temporary Representation for Processing Transit Visas of Certain Turkish Nationals

At an official ceremony held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev and German Ambassador to Bulgaria Irene Maria Plank signed an agreement for temporary representation in the processing of transit visa applications for a specific category of individuals from the Republic of Turkiye, the Foreign Ministry said in a press release.

Addressing the ceremony, Georgiev said that the signing of this document marks an important step forward in Bulgaria’s cooperation with the Federal Republic of Germany.

For her part, Plank praised the responsibility Bulgaria is taking on regarding the Schengen area and emphasized that Bulgaria’s full membership in Schengen was an excellent decision.

Under the agreement, Germany will continue to process incoming applications for the issuance of Schengen transit visas for Turkish citizens seeking entry into the country to provide temporary services as employees engaged in lawful activities or services on behalf of employers based in the Republic of Turkiye (excluding activities in the tourism industry). This category includes individuals wishing to enter Germany as drivers engaged in international transport of passengers and goods, members of maritime crews, crews navigating inland waterways, or aircraft crews, as well as individuals employed in the installation, maintenance, and repair of delivered machinery and equipment, among others.

After the expiration of the agreement period, the processing of transit visa applications for these categories of Turkish nationals will be taken over by the Bulgarian diplomatic and consular missions in Turkiye, the press release further read.