Exporters Call for New Regulations on Green Passports

Recent delays and disruptions in visa application processes are putting exporters in a tough spot. Exporters eligible for a green passport are facing challenges due to the requirement to report staff departures within three business days. If the notification is not made within this period, exporters are requesting a change to the rule that prohibits other authorized personnel in the company from receiving green passports for four years. They want any punitive actions to be applied solely to the passport holder, not the company.

Exporters, who are the driving force behind the Turkish economy, are struggling more than ever with visa issues lately. While delays and disruptions in visa application processes are putting exporters in a difficult situation, the need for a special stamped passport, known as the green passport, has become more critical.

Pointing out that exports play a vital role in opening domestic production to international markets, securing foreign currency inflows, increasing employment, developing local industry, and promoting technological innovations, exporters are calling for regulation regarding the green passport application. The regulation in question refers to the rule stipulated in the Decision No. 2017/9962 published in the Official Gazette dated March 23, 2017, which states that company officials who fail to meet the obligation to notify the departure of staff within three business days, as well as other authorized personnel from the notifying company, shall not be granted special stamped passports for four years.

This situation creates significant grievances for exporters, who are requesting that retrospective punitive actions be halted to prevent these grievances and that any future punitive measures apply solely to the passport holder and not the company.