Austria is a magnificent country, famous for its nature and modern, well-equipped ski resorts. They have long been loved by our compatriots, who with great pleasure spend New Year's holidays here or any other, which turned out to be free, a week during the winter. However, in order to enter Austria, it is necessary to apply for a Schengen visa, which can be quite difficult for beginners traveling around Europe. They always have a lot of questions on the topic of paperwork. Where is the Austrian embassy and visa center located? What package of documents needs to be collected? How much does a Schengen cost? In how many cities of Russia are Austrian visa centers located? In this article we will try to answer all the questions raised, which will allow you to quickly and easily draw up the paper necessary for a trip on vacation.
Features of travel to Austria
Since the country is a member of the Schengen agreement, for the rest in it, Russians must apply for a visa. However, there are certain nuances that our compatriots need to get acquainted with before they even begin to collect a package of documents.
Quite often, travelers traveling to Europe plan to visit several countries at once. They believe that Schengen gives them the right to be in any state that is part of the Schengen Agreement. In part, this statement is true, but only in part.
Keep in mind that you need to get a visa at the embassy of the country that will be the main one on your list. This is a very important nuance for the border guards of the European Union. In cases where you cannot decide where to spend most of the time, be sure to apply for a visa to the state that will be the first on your list. For example, if you first want to visit Sweden, and only then Austria, then you should not submit documents to the Austrian visa center. They will stop you at the border; in recent years this moment has been monitored very strictly.
For those who violate the established rules, then it will be quite difficult to get a Schengen visa again. Therefore, initially try to be as responsible as possible in preparing your trip so as not to regret the wasted time and money.
What visa do Russians need to travel to Austria?
Before you go for an Austrian visa to the visa center, you need to find out which one will be necessary for you. Austria issues four types of visas, each of which is intended for a specific case:
- Transit. It will be needed by those who travel to the country and allow foreign citizens to be only in a special area at the airport while waiting for their flight.
- Transit visa for travel. This document provides for the stay in Austria for up to five days of citizens who are sent through EU countries to other states that are not related to the Schengen Agreement.
- Short-term. This option is mainly received by our compatriots going on a tourist trip. It gives travelers the opportunity to stay in any country of the European Union for ninety days for six months from the first visit to Austria or any other state.
- National This stamp in the passport allows foreigners to stay in the country from three to six months. At the same time, they receive the right to transit in any country of the European Union.
Keep in mind that it is not possible to extend a visa while you are in the country. In order to stay in Austria for a longer period than provided, you must obtain a residence permit.
Where can I get a visa?
Many of our compatriots mistakenly believe that the coveted Schengen can be obtained at the embassy or consulate of the country where they plan to go on vacation. That was until the moment when numerous service centers were opened that were involved in issuing visas to Russian citizens. To date, these institutions have taken over the full range of documents that were previously sent straight to the embassy of a country.
Therefore, those who plan to go to the Austrian ski resorts or to see the sights of this country need to prepare a package of documents and submit them to the Austrian visa service center. There are already more than seventeen such institutions in Russia, so you can always choose the one that is closest to your place of residence.
A few words about visa centers
It is a mistake to believe that the Austrian visa center is a branch of the Austrian consulate. In fact, work with documents is carried out by a separate certified company, which is authorized to deal only with the acceptance of papers and the issuance of ready-made passports. Therefore, do not ask service center employees if they refuse to open a Schengen. They do not have such information, because all decisions are made by the visa department of the embassy and then redirected documents to the service centers of Russia.
Pros and cons of visa centers
These institutions have made life easier for people who want to get Schengen. Previously, for this purpose, they were forced to go to Moscow, and it was necessary to do this at least twice. Not every potential tourist was willing to spend money on tickets to the embassy and back. Therefore, trips to the EU countries did not enjoy great popularity among our compatriots living in the outback. With the opening of visa centers, applying for Schengen became extremely easy, and the Russians were able to discover a host of new tourist routes.
Another undoubted advantage of such institutions is the fact that all visa issues can be solved quite quickly and with minimal queues. In many service centers, citizens are accepted only by appointment, this allows customers not to waste time waiting for their turn.
A significant drawback of all service centers in our country is the incompetence of their employees in visa matters. The fact is that they belong to middle managers, whose duties include only receiving documents, but not consulting visitors. Therefore, try to be more careful and not rely on the advice of the visa center staff. There are cases when it was they who, giving visitors irrelevant information, became the reason for the refusal to affix Schengen.
Cost of service center services
Since the Austrian visa center is an intermediary between the client and the visa department of the embassy, he will certainly charge an additional fee for his services. In addition to all visa fees, everyone must pay a fixed amount in rubles to the cash desk.
Austrian Visa Application Center in Moscow
In the Russian capital, a service center was opened one of the first. Today, it takes up to several thousand people a day during the season. There is an Austrian visa center on Dubininskaya street in the house at number thirty-five. The institution has its own website where you can make an appointment. This is also done through a telephone call.
Documents for Schengen are accepted five days a week from nine in the morning until five in the afternoon, admission is by appointment only. You can get a passport with a visa in the order of a live queue from Monday to Friday. Extradition is conducted from eleven o'clock in the morning until the end of the working day.
Austrian visa: visa center in St. Petersburg
Residents of the northern capital who want to get Schengen to Austria will have to look for a specialized service center for a long time. Indeed, in the city it simply does not exist. How, then, to apply for a visa for an Austrian travel? Will St. Petersburg have to go to Moscow for this purpose?
Not at all. The Consulate General of Finland is located in St. Petersburg . It has been his staff for already twelve years that they have every right to deal with visa issues of Russian citizens for a trip to Austria. However, only papers from private individuals are accepted here, various companies and travel agencies must send documents to the appropriate institutions in Moscow.
The Consulate General is located on Preobrazhenskaya Square, all questions regarding the submission of documents can be asked by phone number to employees of the institution. Reception is by appointment.
Features of applying for a visa to Austria
In order to collect papers for an Austrian visa, you need to use the general rules for applying for Schengen. They are identical for all EU countries, the consular fee is thirty-five euros.
Keep in mind that if you refuse to issue a visa, applicants are not explained its reasons and the money spent is not returned.