Almost everyone wants to visit Europe to see its ancient architecture, famous places, as well as relax in the most famous resorts. To visit countries that are in the Schengen area, you must apply for the same name visa. This process is considered quite simple, and permission to enter is issued very quickly. But everyone should know what documents are needed for a Schengen visa.
What privileges does this document give?
There are several types of visas for Schengen countries. The most popular are categories C and C1. In the first case, a person has the right to stay in certain countries for 90 days. Moreover, he is not limited to visiting only one country, he can freely move around all the states that have concluded this agreement. Moreover, you can repeatedly return to Russia and again enter Europe, when necessary, for the entire period of validity of the entry document.
A C1 category visa allows its holder to cross the state border of the Russian Federation and Schengen countries only once. You can stay in European countries for no more than 30 days. Despite this, obtaining such a visa is much easier.
Documents for a Schengen visa
It must be understood that it is possible to apply for a visa at the consulates or visa centers of different fears that have concluded this agreement. Based on this, the list of required securities may vary slightly. The standard set of documents for a Schengen visa looks exactly like this:
- foreign passport (if there are any ineffective ones, it is necessary to make copies thereof);
- internal passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation;
- two photos (photo is color, the face should occupy at least 70% of the area, without hats and other accessories);
- certificate from the actual place of work where the position will be indicated, as well as salary;
- insurance (it must cover the entire period of the visa);
- financial solvency (it can be money on a card, bank statement or 2-personal income tax certificate);
- Reservation of the place of residence (if you are going to relatives, you must specify the address of the actual place of stay);
- return tickets (not always checked, but their availability is recommended).
If a Schengen visa is issued for a child who is not yet 18 years old, and it is planned to cross the state border with only one of the parents, then a written, notarized permission to leave the second parent is required. When a person does not have a formal job and permanent income, then in this case you should have a sponsorship letter and the presence of documents confirming the financial condition of the sponsor.
Note! Depending on which country you are heading to, there are certain rules for the availability of funds. On average, this amount is up to 70 to 100 US dollars per day (4500-6800 rubles). If you do not have the required amount, then border guards may not be allowed to go to another country even if they have a visa.
Where to draw up documents?
In the case of sending only one country to the Schengen zone, you should apply for a visa at the consulate or visa center of a particular state. For example, you plan to visit Germany, in which case it is most logical to draw up an entry permit at the consulate of this country. If many countries will be visited, then there are no definite rules where exactly the visa will be made.
The Schengen visa is the same in all countries that have signed this agreement. That is, you can apply for a visa at the Polish Consulate and travel around all Schengen countries with this visa.
Experienced tourists recommend applying through visa centers, in which case the process will be a bit more expensive than through a consulate, but it’s much easier and more convenient. Depending on the country, sometimes making an appointment with the consular department is almost impossible, all because of the large influx of people. Visa centers also have a more pleasant atmosphere and a friendly attitude towards applicants.
The cost of paperwork
According to generally accepted rules, the price of the consular fee is 60 euros (4700 rubles), however, Russia has concluded a contract to reduce the cost. Therefore, citizens of the Russian Federation are required to pay only 35 euros (2700 rubles). This price is fixed, and it does not matter at all which consulate the application will be submitted.
In some cases, citizens urgently need to obtain permission to enter European countries. Therefore, there is an expedited service for obtaining documents for a Schengen visa. In this case, the applicant must pay double the consular fee. In addition, a written explanation of such urgency should be submitted, the reason must be really good, otherwise the quick examination of the papers will be denied, and a person may fall under a number of suspicions.
When an entry permit is issued through visa centers, it is additionally necessary to pay a service fee - a fee for the services of the CC. The cost of this fee can vary significantly depending on the visa center. On average in Russia this price is about 2000 rubles. It is worth noting that the CCs are located in many cities across the country, and the consulates only in large cities are located in Moscow and St. Petersburg, so it is quite advisable to pay 2000 rubles and not spend money on long enough trips across the country.
At consulates, payment is made only in European currency, and through visa centers in Russian rubles in relation to the current exchange rate.
Important! Consular and service fee - fee for considering the application. Therefore, if you are denied a visa, then the funds will not be returned.
Terms of consideration
The time for issuing a visa also depends on the specific country that will deal with the documents. On average, you can get a ready-made passport within 7-14 days, but almost all consulates reserve the right to make a decision up to 30 days from the date of filing. Such delays may be due to the workload of the structure, as well as if not the entire package of documents for a Schengen visa was submitted.
The expedited process of issuing an entry permit is up to three days. During this time, you will probably find out if you are allowed to enter the Schengen countries or not.
Conclusion
This is all that a person needs to know in order to apply for a Schengen visa. As a rule, obtaining this type of entry permit is quite simple. It is most important to show your financial viability, and also not have problems with previous visits to other countries. If the visa regime was violated once, then in this case it will be much more difficult to obtain a Schengen visa.