Things just got worse for frustrated Turkish citizens trying to secure a Schengen visa appointment slot – they now have to beat the bot to it.

Some Turks, maddened by what seems to be an automated operation run by Russian hackers to grab and sell on the prized appointments, are resorting to paying up to €3,000 on the black market to end their nightmare in the endless e-queue, according to business daily Ekonomim.

Since September last year, appointment availability has reportedly plummeted. Official visa intermediary platforms show no open slots for months.

The bots scan visa appointment systems in real time, instantly reserving newly available appointments for those with EU Schengen Area travel plans before human applicants can react. The reserved appointments, it appears, are then sold through encrypted messaging apps like Telegram and WhatsApp, under the guise of “consultancy services”.

Prices range from €600 to €3,000, often exceeding Turkey’s minimum wage by four to five times.

The bot system has become so organised that users of it receive multiple appointment options from paid groups, while official systems still show “no availability”.

There are claims that the bot operators may be collaborating with insiders at visa application centres, gaining early access to appointment openings. This has led to widespread anger, especially among citizens with urgent travel needs or limited financial means.

Visa consultancy firms confirm the existence of this underground market and express concern over the lack of effective countermeasures from intermediary agencies and consulates.

Despite the chaos, official statistics from the EU show an increase in acceptance rates for Turkish Schengen visa applications—from 83.9% in 2023 to 85.5% in 2024.

However, the real challenge lies not in getting approved, but in securing the appointment to request an approval in the first place.

Thousands spend months glued to the screen trying to book a visa appointment, only to give up and buy one from the hackers in the end.

The Schengen Area operates with a system of open borders that encompass 29 European countries that have officially abolished border controls at their common borders. It mostly functions as a single jurisdiction under a common visa policy for international travel purposes.