If you want to visit such a picturesque and rich in sights Balkan country like Slovenia, then you should know that for this the Russians will have to open a visa. This state is included in the Schengen agreement, and this gives holders of permission to enter other neighboring states or just travel around Europe. Such documents can be issued to you by the consular department of the country or the visa center of Slovenia. In this article we will talk about how you can get permission to enter through such a specialized institution in Moscow. We will also give tourists advice on how to collect documents and what to look for.
Visa to Slovenia
For those who apply for permission for entry into this Balkan state for various reasons, the following information will be important. You need to know not only whether a visa to Slovenia is needed, but which one. After all, the institutions that issue such documents make them of two types. These are so-called Schengen visas and entry permits of a national character.
You will need documents of the first type in most travel cases - a short visit to acquaintances, friends or relatives, a tourist trip, a business trip or attending a conference, seminar, exhibition. But if, by the length of stay in the country or other conditions, such permission does not suit you, a national visa can be issued. However, it is issued very rarely.
A Schengen visa issued at an embassy or special center is valid in all countries of the agreement, but you need to enter only through the border of the state that issued this document to you. After all, Slovenia should be the main goal of your trip, and you should spend most of your time on its territory.
Visa at the Embassy
Who is involved in issuing permits to enter the country? First of all, this is the Embassy of Slovenia (consular section). It is located in Moscow on Malaya Dmitrovka street, house 14, building 1. Documents are accepted there from Monday to Wednesday, and also on Friday morning, from ten to noon. Ready permits are issued on the same days, but from half past one to one.
Short-term visas (category C) can still be obtained at the Consulate General of Latvia in St. Petersburg, Kaliningrad and Pskov.
The cost of an entry permit is 35 euros. How much will you pay if you contact the Slovenian Embassy. But many travelers find it easier to apply through the visa center and offer more guarantees. Therefore, they agree to additional costs.
What you need to get an entry permit: Slovenia Visa Application Center in Moscow
This institution in the Russian capital is located at ul. Shabolovka, 31/5. It is open on weekdays from nine in the morning until four in the evening. Often you can do without recording. People just come and become in a “live queue”.
In order to apply for permission to enter the country, you need to hand over the usual package of papers for the “Schengen”. The Slovenian Visa Application Center requires a passport to travel abroad, the period of which ends no earlier than three months after you return, as well as copies of all its pages. You will also need a color photo according to the requirements of the European Union - 3.5 by 4.5 centimeters in size, on a light background, without corners, ovals, with open ears. The original and a copy of the old foreign and domestic passport will also be required, especially if you did not have Schengen visas before.
Additional documents
Then you submit the usual confirmations that all European countries require:
- about your rooting in Russia (certificate from the place of work with all valid coordinates and phones, information verification is possible);
- about your financial guarantees (bank statement, sponsorship letter and other similar documents);
- reservation for the entire period that you will be in the country (original booking from the hotel with the hotel stamp, travel company voucher, invitation with a private address, and so on);
- return - round-trip tickets.
In addition, they also provide the original and a copy of the medical insurance policy, as well as personally signed consent to the processing of your personal data.
Visa processing procedure in a special center in Moscow
The staff strongly recommend that visitors decide in advance on the purpose of the visit. This way you will know what type of visa you need so as not to waste time in vain. You write an application for permission to enter Slovenia and collect all the necessary papers. Then it is determined whether you will go to the visa center yourself or act through a representative.
As already mentioned, you can bring a package of documents without an appointment. There is also the option to pre-book an interview date through the visa center website. They apply for the opening of an entry permit at the earliest three months before the trip you are planning, and at the latest - two weeks. The Slovenian Visa Application Center charges an additional 25 euros for its services (in rubles at the exchange rate on the day the documents are submitted). You can fill out an application, take the necessary photos and purchase medical insurance directly on the spot. Almost all services of this kind are paid.
Some features
Since June 2015, when applying for a visa, fingerprints must be submitted. This data is stored for five years, and then again you have to go through this procedure. In the visa center there is such a service as mobile biometrics. It consists in the fact that if you order it, then a specialist arrives at your home who takes fingerprints and at the same time accepts the documents.
There are also premium lounges in the Slovenian Visa Application Center. You can sign up for a privileged service there. This is done by e-mail or by calling the call center. When submitting an application, it is also advised to order a notification service via SMS.
When the process is complete, you will receive a notification. You can still track the status of your application on the website of the visa center. You receive your passport with an entry permit stamp on your own or through courier mail. If you send a proxy in your place, that person must have a document certified by a notary from you.
Where else are the centers open, the nuances of work
You can apply for entry into Slovenia in other cities of the Russian Federation. These are St. Petersburg, Vladivostok, Nizhny Novgorod, Murmansk, Kaliningrad, Novosibirsk, Irkutsk, Krasnoyarsk, Yekaterinburg, Kazan, Omsk, Saratov, Perm, Samara, Rostov-on-Don, Khabarovsk and Ufa. The Slovenian Visa Application Center - no matter in which locality it operates - has the same mode of receiving documents and visitors. Employees of visa centers warn that their work is purely administrative in nature. They only collect documents, check their correctness and send them to the embassy of the country. They have no influence on the visa process. The center staff, according to reviews, very friendly. The process of submitting documents takes no more than half an hour. The line passes very quickly. In Moscow, there are all amenities, even a place where you can drink coffee.
Tours to Slovenia
The services of the center in Moscow are often used by travelers who want to see the sights of the country. After all, it is famous for the fact that, despite its small size, it can provide anyone with almost any type of relaxation. Tours to Slovenia are extremely diverse. You can just visit the capital of the country and walk along the narrow streets of this beautiful European city, as well as explore its bridges, castles and museums. If you are aimed at improving your health, then the famous mineral waters of Rogaska Slatina resort are at your service.
Can't live without a beach holiday? So you have a direct road to Portoroz. And lovers of winter sports are attracted by the ski slopes of Kranska Gora or Bovets. Although Slovenia has not yet become the main destination for Russian tourists, the trump cards that it can take out of its sleeves will be seductive. Caves and mountain rivers, peaks and valleys, lakes and the sea, antiquity and modernity, Europe and the Slavs - all this you can see with the help of visa centers in Slovenia. The main thing is to draw up the documents correctly.