For citizens of Belarus, the most convenient way to travel to the countries of Central and Western Europe is to go shopping in Poland. Despite the fact that these words are in quotation marks, you will have to make a shopping tour - at least for the first time. And, we assure you, these purchases will be beneficial both in the quality of the purchased goods and in price. So there is mutual benefit here: Belarusians make profitable shopping and get to know the country, and Poland exports its goods, which increases its GDP. But how to get a Na zakupy visa? This article will be devoted to this issue. For step-by-step instructions on how to apply for permission to enter Poland for a shopping tour, read below.
Pros and Cons of the “Shopping” Visa
The relevance and popularity of this entry permit is explained simply: a minimum of documents when submitting, a minimum of refusals, and a maximum stay. If an ordinary tourist traveling to see the sights of Warsaw, Krakow, Poznan or Wroclaw, as well as relax on the Baltic coast in Gdansk, is required to provide vouchers, confirmation of hotel reservations and considerable financial solvency, then the visa for shopping “Poland” is available even for students, pensioners and ... unemployed. And this category of the population has a chance to get permission to enter the Schengen zone for a year! The disadvantages of the “Procurement” visa include the fact that not all citizens of Belarus can apply for it, but only those who are resident in the regions bordering Poland. These are Brest, Minsk and Grodno regions. Other Belarusians can only apply for a tourist visa. But the lucky owners of the "shopping tour" will never receive a refusal to enter the border. Unless, of course, they confirm the purpose of their trip by the availability of funds. Shopping in Poland also needs to be done wisely. After all, you will later have to prove that you went to the country to buy goods, and not on other matters. Although this brand allows you to travel to all countries of the Schengen Agreement.
Visa to Poland "Shopping" in Brest
A feature of this type of entry permit is that in different consulates the requirements for a package of documents are slightly different. Therefore, we will take a look at the procedure for applying for a shopping visa in Brest, Minsk and Grodno one by one. If you are officially registered in these areas, then you have a pretty good chance of visiting Europe. How? Let's start with the passport. Regardless of the embassy or type of visa, it must comply with such requirements. Firstly, the validity of the passport should not come to an end. The document must be valid for another three months (this is the minimum) after completing your trip to the Schengen country . Secondly, the passport must have at least two blank pages. One is needed for gluing in a visa, and the second will be stamped with a border crossing. Then you need to take a photo that meets the requirements of the diplomatic mission. Now comes the most difficult stage - registration on the website of the consulate of the Republic of Poland. Having passed it, consider that you already have in your pocket a visa to Poland “For Shopping”. Registration in Brest (as well as in two other cities) is only electronic. The site requires you to fill out an online application form, after which you should be sent a letter with information about the number and the exact time when you will be accepted at the consulate.
Speed up the procedure
There are many people who want to register, so often petitioners wait their turn for months. In this regard, the network of “assistants” is flourishing - Belarusian companies pledging not only to help you fill out the online questionnaire, but also to expedite the receipt of a call to the consulate. Naturally, their services are paid, and the price varies between 50-80 euros. But even these agents do not give a 100% guarantee. After all, the consulate gives out registration only a few hours a month! When they tell you the time for the "audience", come to her fully prepared and with a full package of documents. If something goes wrong, you will have to register again. A visa to Poland “Shopping” does not require the collection of a huge pile of documents, everything is much simpler. Below we list the required papers.
Documents for obtaining a shopping visa (for all three consulates)
In addition to passports and photographs, you will need:
- Insurance valid in the territory of the European Union and covering thirty thousand euros of accident. Such policies are sold both near the consulate and in travel agencies.
- Proof of solvency. This can be a certificate of work about the salary for the last three months, an extract from the bank, a document on the receipt of a pension or other allowance. A visa to Poland “For purchases” is issued without any problems if the applicant has a credit card with at least two hundred euros in ruble equivalent.
- A photocopy of 32 and 33 pages of the internal Belarusian passport (with personal data).
- If you have had Schengen visas for the last three years, you need to make them photocopies. This will help to obtain an entry permit.
Visa to Poland "Shopping" in Minsk and Grodno
Until recently, these two consulates observed regional differences in the requirements for the package of documents provided. So, in Minsk, it was necessary to attach an invitation from a Polish store, in which the personal data of the applicant should be indicated. Moreover, not all outlets were suitable, but only large supermarkets. And the invitation should have been drawn up correctly, certified by the seal of the store, the signature of the director. Fortunately, this requirement has now been removed. Residents of Minsk should indicate in the questionnaire in the column “Purpose of Travel”: “Visa to Poland“ For Shopping ”. In Grodno, applicants for entry permits must submit, together with a package of papers, an application form in which they undertake to shop in the country of destination.
Consular fee and re-entry visa
After accepting the documents for consideration, an employee of the diplomatic mission issues a check to the applicant for payment of the consular fee. These 60 euros should be paid at the cash desk of the visa department before 14:00. To obtain a repeated visa (possibly for a longer period), it is necessary to provide the consulate with documents confirming the conformity of the purpose of the previous trip. This can be an invoice and invoice issued in your name and certified by the seal of the store and the signature of the seller. When paying in cash, you must provide the consulate with a TAX FREE return document or checks.