Greece attracts Russian tourists no less than European capitals or coasts. Almost everyone who has at least once visited the homeland of gods and heroes, the cradle of human civilization, dreams of returning there again. This is no coincidence, because Greece has everything for a comfortable life and a wonderful holiday: warm sea, gentle sun, healing air, indescribable atmosphere.
The mother country of the Olympic Games is now going to the Schengen area, so you need an appropriate visa to visit it. Citizens of the CIS can go on a trip by issuing a Greek visa in advance. Next, we will talk about how the document is drawn up, how much the visa will cost and what documents are needed. So, how to get a Greek visa for Russians in 2018?
Types of visas to Greece for Russians
To enter Greece you will need a Schengen visa. Having received such a document, the traveler will be able to visit the other 25 Schengen countriesagreements. These are the B altic Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Western European France, Luxembourg, Germany, and Scandinavian Sweden, Finland. Not included in this list are Bulgaria, Great Britain, Ireland, Romania and Cyprus. True, there is a certain limit on staying in the Schengen area, it is no more than 90 days in the last six months.
Depending on the expected time of stay in the country, a Russian traveling to Greece can obtain the following types of permits:
- Short-term visa type A or B - transit. It is needed only if you plan to transfer from one mode of transport to another in Greece. You can usually stay in the country for no more than a couple of days, and even then without leaving the airport transit zone.
- Greek visa type C is the most popular tourist document for entering the country. Permissible period of stay - no more than 90 days during the last 6 months. You can get a visa for business trips, participation in various events, visiting relatives, leisure and so on.
- National visa type D. Such a document gives a foreign national the right to stay in Greece for more than 3 consecutive months without leaving. Applicants for type D visas are subject to higher requirements and longer processing times.
Depending on the purpose of the trip, it may be issued:
- tourist visa;
- guest (for visiting friends or relatives permanently residing in Greece);
- business or business visa for businessmen and entrepreneurs.
Previously, there was also a document that allowed for a short time to officially work in Greece, but now you can only get a job if you have a type D visa, residence permit or citizenship.
Three- and five-year visas
Russians most often apply for a type C visa for tourist trips to Greece, since other types of documents are much more difficult to obtain. However, in some cases it is more convenient to issue a three- or five-year permit for unhindered entry into the country. Such a proposal by the Greek Migration Service is dictated by the need to attract financial resources to the country from abroad. Investors and people who are financially independent can count on a Greek visa for 3 years. How to get such a document?
A three-year visa can only be issued if a citizen of a foreign state meets a number of requirements of the EU Visa Code and Greek migration rules. Here are the main ones:
- Great foreign travel experience. Travel within the EU is taken into account, as well as to the US, UK and some other developed countries that are not part of the European Union.
- The use of past visas is strictly in accordance with the purpose of obtaining. For example, the tourist Schengen en titles you to travel to European countries only on vacation, while you cannot get a job and permanently reside in the territory of another state. If there have been violations in the past, then the issuance of a visa for 3 years mayrefuse. Moreover, violations of migration laws can cause problems even with obtaining a regular tourist visa type C.
- The applicant must prove that he really needs to periodically travel to Greece during the period of validity of the requested document. The purpose of travel can be real estate or business in the country, official duties, the need for regular treatment in Greek he alth resorts, visiting relatives living in Greece.
- Sufficient material support. It has repeatedly been possible to notice in a practical example that the more we althy a foreigner is, the more willingly they issue a Greek visa for 3 years with the possibility of multiple entries.
- The applicant must provide a full package of documents, which depends on the purpose of the trip. For private visits, business and tourist trips, different papers are required. A Greek visa for 3 years will not be issued in the absence of, for example, confirmation of the purpose of the trip or material support in the package of documents.
- Good reasons to return to your country. Under no circumstances should the permitted period of stay in the European Union be exceeded, otherwise the traveler will face deportation with a possible ban on entry not only to Greece, but also to the Schengen zone.
There is also a Greek visa for 5 years. How to get such a document? The requirements for the applicant in this case are very strict. Such a long visa is issued only if there are close relatives, real estate or business in Greece. This needs to be documented.
Self-collection
How to get a Greek visa? It is necessary to collect documents and apply to the consulate or visa center no more than three months before the trip, but no less than two weeks. Please note that the office may be closed on public holidays. Documents for a Greek visa can only be submitted by prior appointment online. You need to register for the application through the official website of the visa center, where you can later track the processing stage.
At the visa center or consulate, after receiving documents for obtaining a Greek visa, a stamp will be placed in the passport with the name of the country, the date the documents were considered, the place of submission and the desired category of visa. Later, this stamp will be sealed with the issued visa. You can see a sample Greek visa below.
Some centers provide paid assistance in filling out an application, it is possible to obtain medical insurance on the spot, and photographer services. The service of SMS alerts about the readiness of documents is also available.
List of required papers
The list of documents for a Greek visa depends on the purpose of the trip. For tourist and private trips in 2018 you will need:
- Questionnaire, filled in the Latin alphabet, with the personal signature of the applicant. If there are children who are included in the passport and also go on a trip, you need to fill out a separate form for them.
- Two color photos (35 x 45 mm) taken no more than 6 months ago. onephotos must be attached to the first page of the questionnaire.
- Original internal civil passport and copies of all marked pages. If the applicant temporarily resides outside the place of permanent registration, a temporary residence permit or other supporting documents, such as a certificate from the place of employment or a certificate of ownership of real estate, is required.
- Passport valid for at least three more months after returning home. The passport must have at least two blank pages. Make photocopies of all pages. If you previously had another international passport, you need to make photocopies of its first page and old visas.
- Certificate from the place of employment on the letterhead of the company. The data of the company, address, information about the position held, salary level, work experience must be indicated. The certificate is valid for a month, it must be signed by an authorized person.
- Another proof of source of income if it is not possible to obtain a certificate of employment. For example, you can order an account statement for the last three months at least, a certificate of real estate in Russia, and so on.
- In the event that it is not possible to confirm the source of income or it is less than 25 thousand rubles per person per month, you need to prepare a letter from the sponsor. Only a close relative (wife, husband, parents, children, mother-in-law, son-in-law, grandparents) can be a sponsor. The letter must be accompanied by a certificate of income of the sponsor, a copy of the passport and proof of family ties.
- He alth insurance valid forterritory of the Schengen area. The insurance must cover at least €30,000 and be valid for the entire duration of the trip.
- Air, train or bus tickets or bookings. If you plan to travel in your own car, you need to provide a driver's license, technical passport, international car insurance, travel plan.
- Proof of residence in Greece: hotel reservation or voucher, apartment rental agreement, letter from relatives who live in the country and are ready to host the traveler.
- Individual entrepreneurs need to provide a certificate of registration of an individual entrepreneur, a certificate of tax registration, a copy of the declaration.
- Students must provide a student ID card, a certificate from the university, proof of tuition fees, which can be a certificate of employment, a sponsorship letter from close relatives or an account statement.
- Pensioners must make a copy of the pension.
- Citizens who are not officially employed must show at the visa center or consulate an account statement made no more than one calendar month ago.
- Women on maternity leave must confirm their income and make a certificate confirming the fact of caring for a child.
- If you plan to travel with animals, you need to make a separate document for them (veterinary passport), a veterinary certificate of vaccinations and he alth status.
How to get a Greek visa in St. Petersburg and other Russian cities? You need to collect the necessary documents, register for filing, submit them toconsideration and wait for the result.
Filling out the visa application form
Greece visa application looks the same as for other EU countries. The applicant must indicate his personal data: full name, date and place of birth, current citizenship and at birth, if different, gender, marital status, presence of minor children, type of travel document, and so on. It is necessary to list the Schengen visas issued within the last three years, indicate the desired category of visa and the number of entries, the duration of transit or stay. The application form for a Greek visa provides explanations regarding filling.
Visa Photo Requirements
To obtain a Greek visa, you must provide several photos of the applicant, but they must be made in accordance with all the rules of the ICAO standard. Firstly, the shooting should be carried out no more than six months ago, the size of the photo, and secondly, it should be exactly 34 x 45 mm. In addition, the face in the photo for documents should take up 70-80% of the picture, the background should be light, the person’s gaze should be directed to the camera, and the face should not be blocked by glare, dark glasses, hats or hair. Pictures are accepted only high-quality, clear, with normal contrast.
Submission of biometric data
At the consulate or visa centers to obtain a Greek visa on your own or through intermediary firms, you need to pass biometric data. This means fingerprinting and (if necessary) a digital biometric. This procedure is free and is carried out infiling day. Naturally, this requires the presence of the applicant even if he uses the services of intermediary firms to draw up the document.
Biometric data is entered into a common database, so when you contact the representative offices of other countries to process documents, you will not need to re-take fingerprints and take a digital photo. Data will be re-submitted only after 59 months.
The following categories of citizens are exempted from biometrics:
- applicants who have completed the procedure since 2015, but if 59 months have not yet passed;
- children under 12;
- disabled people with disabilities that make fingerprinting impossible for them.
Children's Schengen to Greece
To obtain a Greek visa in 2018 for a child, you will need to provide additional documents. List includes:
- original and photocopy of the child's birth certificate;
- notarized permission to leave from the second parent if the minor travels abroad with only one parent;
- certified travel authorization from both parents if the child is traveling with a third party;
- if it is not possible to obtain permission to leave the child abroad, you need to obtain a form 25 certificate from the registry office (“the father is recorded according to the mother”), provide (if any) a court decision on deprivation of parental rights, a death certificate of the second parent or certificate of recognition as missingmissing;
- for a minor child, the questionnaire is filled out by parents or guardians.
Pricing and fees
The visa fee is the same for all countries of the Schengen area and it is 35 euros. The fee is paid in rubles at the exchange rate on the day of submission of the questionnaire. If a negative decision is made regarding the visa, the money will not be returned. Urgent paperwork (up to 3 days) is paid at a different "tariff" - 70 euros. If the documents are not submitted directly to the consulate, but to the visa center, an additional service fee of 1240 rubles must be paid. In Moscow and St. Petersburg, you can pay for the courier delivery of documents. It will cost from 700 rubles or more (depending on location).
The following categories of citizens are exempt from paying the visa fee:
- children under 12;
- pupils and students, teachers who accompany them if the group is sent to study;
- close relatives of Russian citizens who permanently reside in the EU;
- members of governments, parliaments, official delegations, courts;
- disabled people and persons accompanying them;
- citizens who have provided documents confirming the need for an urgent trip for humanitarian purposes: to receive medical care, attend the funeral of relatives or loved ones who are seriously ill;
- participants in international sporting events and those who accompany them;
- persons involved in creative, scientific, cultural activities, representatives of non-profit organizations up to 25years.
Many benefits do not apply if applications are submitted for urgent processing.
Terms of issuance and validity of visas
The term for issuing a visa strongly depends on the place where the package of documents is submitted. So, in Moscow and St. Petersburg, it takes 48 hours (excluding the day of submission), and in Novorossiysk, for example, it can take 10 days. The maximum should be calculated for 30 days, since if it is necessary to consider a longer application form or a heavy workload of diplomatic representatives of the host country, the terms can be greatly extended.
Visa validity is individual. If the applicant has previously visited the Schengen countries and has no complaints about compliance with migration laws, then you can count on an increase in the period of validity. A single entry visa is issued for a period of up to 90 days, a multivisa can be obtained for 6-12 months, but the restriction on the period of stay in the country remains. Active travelers can in some cases be eligible for a three-year visa.
Greek visa denied
In case of a negative decision based on the results of consideration of documents, the applicant will receive an official notification letter. You can try to submit documents again the next day, correcting all errors, or appeal. The main reasons for the refusal are insufficient financial resources (the minimum level of income for a traveler is 25 thousand rubles per month, if in fact it is less, then you need to look for a sponsor and prepare a letter), wrongcompleted application form and wrong choice of country for application.
Where can I apply
How to get a Greek visa in St. Petersburg, Moscow and other cities of the Russian Federation, where to apply? On the territory of Russia, this can be done by making a personal visit to the consulate or visa center, through a travel agency (it must be accredited), with the help of a representative through a notarized power of attorney. If documents are submitted for the whole family, then at least one family member will need to visit.
Belarusians who live in Russia or at home can apply for a Greek visa at the Moscow Consulate General. There are no diplomatic missions of Greece in Belarus itself. Ukrainians can apply in Kyiv, Mariupol or Odessa.
