A considerable number of Russian citizens prefer to relax in hot countries. Greek resorts are one of the most popular among the Russian population. This fact is not surprising, since everyone who is even a little familiar with the tourism sector knows that Greece is a very colorful country, which, in addition to the pleasant Mediterranean climate, has a huge number of attractions.
Do I need a visa to Greece? Yes, I need it. You can get it at the Greek representative office, which is located on the territory of the Russian Federation. Is it possible to apply for a visa to Greece on my own? Of course, yes, but this process will require some effort. Which ones? About it further.
What is a visa?
A visa is a permit to enter a country and stay on its territory for a certain period. It is issued at official representative offices located on the territory of Russia.
Outwardly, it is an actual document set forth on paper in the form of a small coupon. Also, a seal on permission to cross the border of the country should be affixed to the passport of the citizen.
Where can I get a visa?
The centers where visas are issued to Greece are located in large cities of Russia - in total, their number is 25. The largest of them are located in St. Petersburg, Moscow, Khabarovsk and Nizhny Novgorod, but the main one, of course, is the one located in the capital of the state.
Opening hours of the Greece Visa Application Center in Moscow: from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. It is located at 66 Mytnaya Street. In addition, many citizens of the Russian Federation make independent appeals to the Consulate General of the country, which is also located in Moscow (Spiridonovka Street, 14).
You can also get permission by contacting a travel agency in your area of residence and acquiring a ticket to a separate country. However, in this case, you should pay attention to the accreditation of the company, so as not to become a victim of fraudsters.
Type A visa
In order to cross the Greek border and stay on the territory of this state, Russian citizens need to apply for one of the possible types of visas. Which one of them to choose depends on the purpose of the visit and the period during which the stay abroad is calculated.
Group A visa has a different name - transit or airport. It is issued in case the tourist needs to stay at the terminal, and the traveler has no right to leave it. As a rule, citizens of the Russian Federation do not request this type of visa. In practice, it turns out to be necessary for tourists who plan a trip to distant countries with a transfer at Greek airports.
Type D visa
This document is a permit for a long-term stay of a Russian in Greece. It is provided for a rather long period - up to 90 calendar days, which can be spent in this state for one half year. As a rule, such a document is popular among students who plan to receive education in Greek universities, people engaged in doing business in the territory of this state, as well as persons conducting labor activities.
Russians also have the opportunity to apply for a multi-visa class D, which allows you to stay within Greece for six months.
Type C + D visa
This document is universal and is a combination of class C and D visas. Its main feature is that if you stay in Greece, it has the value of a national visa, and outside of it - a Schengen visa. Obtaining such permission is convenient for people who practice traveling to other countries that are part of the so-called Schengen zone.
This type of visa is often offered to tourists who regularly travel to Europe. For such persons, permits are often issued for a longer period - up to five years. In order to receive it, at the time of filing an application, it is necessary to present a convincing justification for the need for such. When applying for a long-term visa, the fee does not increase.
Type C visa
This type of visa to Greece for Russians is another name - Schengen. Its main feature is that it operates throughout the territory of the European Union, but it is necessary to request and receive it at the representative office of the country to which the trip is planned. As a rule, such a visa is used for tourist trips, visits to relatives, acquaintances, as well as for foreign treatment.
A type C visa is not a long-term document - it is granted for a period of not more than 30 calendar days within one half-year, but this period is quite enough, for example, to make a tour of the country's sights or a package tour, which, as a rule, is designed for 7- 10 days.
Due to the fact that most Russians apply for a Schengen visa to Greece, we will discuss the features of obtaining it later.
Visa application center
In order to obtain a visa, you must contact the nearest state office. Since this process can become quite lengthy, it is recommended to start applying for a visa to Greece on your own at least a month before the planned trip. Regulatory documents establish a certain time frame within which documents can be submitted: no earlier than three months and no later than two weeks.
Any citizen of Russia who wants to apply for a visa to Greece on their own must first make an online recording, which is done on the official website of the country representative office. Reception will be scheduled for a specific time and date - that is when the traveler must come.
At the time of the actual appearance at the consulate or at the visa center, a person submits a written application with a request for a tourist visa to Greece, as well as all the necessary documents. This will be later stamped on the passport, indicating the date of receipt of documents for consideration, the place of filing, as well as the desired visa category. After a government agency gives permission for a Russian citizen to enter Greece, this seal will be replaced by a glued visa.
Package of documents required for applying for a visa
Every tourist who wants to apply for a visa to Greece on his own is faced with the problem of collecting certain papers. It often happens that it takes time to get some of them. That is why it is advisable to deal with papers in advance, shortly before applying to the visa center.
What documents for a visa to Greece must be submitted to the representative office of the country? First of all, it is necessary to fill out the form of the established form, the form of which can be found on the website of the visa center. In the event that children will also cross the state border in the company of parents, they also need to fill out separate visa application forms for Greece. The representative office will also require the original passport of a Russian citizen, as well as photocopies of all pages filled in it - all this is needed in one copy. In addition, two photographs 2.5 x 3.5 cm in size, taken with certain requirements in mind, will be required.
The representative must present the original passport, to which certain requirements are also put forward:
- Its validity period must be calculated for at least 3 months from the date of the planned arrival in Greece, and there must also be a minimum of a couple of blank pages.
- In addition to the original document, you will definitely need a copy made from all the completed pages.
When applying for a Schengen visa to Greece, you must provide a certificate of employment issued on the letterhead of the company or organization. It must necessarily contain information related to the job title of the traveler, his salary and the period of employment at the company. This document can be replaced by any other evidence that reflects the solvency of the tourist. Some travelers present a printout of a bank statement for three months.
A tourist who wishes to obtain a Schengen visa must present at the consulate medical insurance in the amount of at least 30,000 euros. This insurance must be valid in the Schengen area.
The above documents should be accompanied by facts regarding the availability of train or air tickets, places of residence in Greece (hotel reservation, ticket).
In the event that the tourist plans to cross the border of the state with the animal, he needs to make a document with the veterinarian, which will reflect the state of health of the pet, as well as the availability of all vaccinations.
Visa for a child
Do I need a visa to Greece for a child? Yes, I need it. In order to receive it, it is necessary to add a certain list of copies and certificates to the main package of documents that must be collected for an adult citizen of the Russian Federation.
First of all, the original and a copy of the birth certificate of a small tourist should be attached. In the event that one of the parents takes the baby out of the Russian Federation, it is mandatory to provide a notarized permission from the second parent, and if he leaves with third parties, then permission from both will be required.
Moreover, to apply for a child visa, photocopies of passports of parents or accompanying persons must be provided, as well as copies of their visas. As for the questionnaire, it should be filled out by the hand of any of the parents.
Cost
Before the trip, some tourists ask questions about how much it costs to make a visa to Greece yourself? The answer is simple: officially, exactly the same amount as through intermediaries, just in case third parties participate in this procedure, the price for processing a document rises due to payment for a person’s services.
The official cost of a visa to Greece is 35 euros - this price is set to obtain permission to enter all countries included in the Schengen zone. You will need to pay this amount on the day of the application, in rubles (in terms of official rates).
Any tourist has the right to expedite the consideration of the application - in this case, the traveler receives a response after a maximum of three days. However, the cost of a visa to Greece then doubles - it will be 70 euros.
In the case of applying for a visa for children under 12 years of age, consideration of the submitted application is free of charge. Members of national missions, students studying abroad, persons with disabilities and those who accompany them, as well as athletes who take part in international competitions are also exempted from paying such a fee.
As practice shows, subject to applying to various companies that provide some assistance in providing permission to enter Schengen countries, the price of a visa is at least 6,000 rubles.
Term for obtaining permission
The time for considering the application and making a decision on granting a visa or refusing it directly depends on the city in which the application was submitted. So, the issue of a visa to Greece for Russians who applied to consulates located in St. Petersburg or in the capital will be resolved within a couple of days, not counting the day when the documents were submitted. As for residents of more distant cities, it may take up to 10 business days to consider the request.
Tour operators and those tourists who regularly deal with such issues, recommend applying for a visa at least 30 days before departure from Russia. This is due to the fact that often there is a need for additional consideration of documents or their revision, which also takes time.
If a visa is refused
Persons who have been refused permission to enter Greece have the right to appeal and put forward a request for a review of the decision. Before this, the tourist should familiarize themselves with the reasons for the refusal and, if possible, eliminate them.
As a rule, travelers receive a negative response if they provide information about too little income or make mistakes in filling out documents.
How to avoid the most common mistakes? Asking questions about how to apply for a visa to Greece yourself, you should decide in advance which country Schengen is planning a trip to. It is in the representation of this state that a package of documents should be submitted. Some tourists planning a tour in several European countries must submit papers to the consulate of the country on whose territory they plan to stay for the longest time, or to the visa center of the state, the border of which will be crossed as a matter of priority.
Another reason for refusing a visa is a low income citizen. As practice shows, all persons who indicate a level of less than 25,000 rubles per month do not receive permission to enter. Presenting a bank statement, you should also consider the total amount - it should be enough for the entire trip. So, on average, the cost of a day's stay in Europe is calculated on the basis of 60 euros per day - under other conditions, you can be refused.