Turkey Uncovers Scheme Reselling Schengen Visa Slots
- Turkish authorities raided 63 addresses across six cities and detained dozens of people linked to a Schengen visa appointment resale ring
- Investigators traced more than 2.84 billion Turkish Liras ($59 million) in transactions tied to companies connected to the probe
- Turkey welcomed approximately 52.6 million foreign visitors in 2024 and reached record tourism revenues of $65.2 billion in 2025
PAY ATTENTION: Mark Legit.ng as a preferred source, and our content will appear higher in your Google feed!
Legit.ng journalist, Ridwan Adeola Yusuf, has over 5 years of experience covering migration and international issues.
Ankara, Turkey - Turkish authorities have arrested 49 people suspected of using automated software to bulk-book Schengen visa appointments and sell them at inflated prices, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office announced.
As reported on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, by Hurriyet Daily News, the suspects, who operated as visa consultants, are accused of deploying bots to access booking systems run by European consulates and authorised visa service providers, locking out regular applicants from securing slots directly.
Source: Getty Images
They then sold guaranteed appointments or visas at a premium, disguising the charges as software, consultancy or service fees.
Stockholm Center for Freedom also noted Turkish authorities' crackdown.
Justice Minister Akın Gurlek said investigators found evidence that fees were not returned to clients when the promised services were never delivered. Applicants' personal data was also allegedly transferred to private digital systems without consent.
Turkey uncovers $59m visa scam transactions
A financial investigation covering January 2024 to July 2026 uncovered more than 2.84 billion Turkish Liras, equivalent to roughly $59 million, in transactions connected to companies under scrutiny. Investigators said the group collected over 918 million liras from more than 41,000 people. Authorities also flagged significant cash flows, cryptocurrency holdings and precious-metal transactions, with large sums moved to company partners and staff.
The operation covered 63 locations across Istanbul, Ankara, Antalya, Balıkesir, Bursa and Izmir. Digital devices and documents seized during the raids are currently under examination.
Turkey’s Schengen visa appointment crisis deepens
The arrests come amid persistent difficulties faced by Turkish citizens trying to book Schengen visa appointments. Turkey ranked as the second-largest source of Schengen visa applications in 2025, with about 1.26 million submissions, according to European Commission data. Appointment shortages have driven a shadow market where slots have been resold for between 300 and 500 euros, climbing to as much as 1,000 euros for urgent bookings. The problem has previously been raised in the Turkish Parliament.
The broader visa outsourcing industry has also drawn scrutiny in a separate context. A joint investigation by Lighthouse Reports and 14 media partners examined the global operations of a major international visa outsourcing firm working with governments across dozens of countries. That inquiry alleged applicants were sometimes pressured into buying add-on services such as SMS alerts, courier delivery and premium lounge access, and raised concerns over data handling and bribery within the system.
View the X post below on the Schengen visa appointment fraud probe in Turkey:
Read more on visa applications
- Nigerian man shares how he got US visa after 15 applicants were rejected before him
- South Africa rejects Nigerian lady's visa, cites reason in refusal letter: "it pained me"
- List of countries that require visa to enter Canada in 2026 released
- US congressman Riley Moore calls for end to H-1B visa programme in fresh call
Australia sets citizenship residence requirements
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Australia's Department of Home Affairs has outlined the residence requirement foreigners must meet before applying for citizenship.
Applicants must have lived in Australia on a valid visa for a number of years before the date they apply for citizenship.
The rules also specify how much time applicants are allowed to have spent outside Australia during that period.
Source: Legit.ng
