Diplomatic Initiative by Three Ministries for TIR Drivers' Visa Problem

The Ministries of Trade, Foreign Affairs, and Transport and Infrastructure are conducting diplomatic efforts to resolve the problems faced by international transport TIR drivers due to the Schengen visa and the 90-day stay within 180 days rule.

In initiatives taken with Bulgarian authorities and the European Commission, it is requested that visa facilitation be granted to professional drivers and priority processing flexibility be introduced. Minister of Trade Ömer Bolat, Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan, and Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu are coordinating the process.

Minister of Trade Ömer Bolat met with Bulgarian Minister of Interior Ivan Demerdhziev on October 29, 2026, to discuss accelerating border crossings and driver issues. While Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan held separate contacts with the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria, Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu also met with the Bulgarian Minister of Transport. Meanwhile, Minister of Trade Bolat met with the Board of Presidents of the International Transporters' Association (UND) via teleconference to evaluate the difficulties caused by the stay rule.