Greek visa: how to apply, documents

Greece attracts Russian tourists no less than European capitals or coasts. Almost everyone who has visited the homeland of gods and heroes at least once, in the cradle of human civilization, dreams of returning there again. This is no accident, because in Greece there is everything for a comfortable life and a wonderful vacation: warm sea, gentle sun, healing air, indescribable atmosphere.

The progenitor country of the Olympic Games is now descending into the Schengen area, so an appropriate visa is required to visit it. Citizens of the CIS can go on a trip, having previously issued a Greek visa. Next, we will talk about how a document is issued, how much a visa will cost and what documents are needed. So, how to get a Greek visa for Russians in 2018?

Types of visas to Greece for Russians

To enter the territory of Greece you will need a Schengen visa. Having received such a document, the traveler will be able to visit the other 25 countries participating in the Schengen Agreement. These are Baltic Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Western European France, Luxembourg, Germany, and Scandinavian Sweden, Finland. Not included in this list are Bulgaria, the UK, Ireland, Romania and Cyprus. True, there is a certain limit to staying in the Schengen area, it is no more than 90 days in the last six months.

Depending on the estimated time spent in the country, a Russian traveling to Greece can receive the following types of permits:

1. Short-stay visa type A or B - transit. It is necessary only if a transfer is planned from one mode of transport to another in Greece. You can stay in the country, as a rule, no more than a couple of days, and even then without leaving the transit zone of the airport.
2. Type C Greek Visa is the most popular travel document for entry into the country. The valid stay is not more than 90 days in the last 6 months. You can get a visa for business trips, participating in various events, visiting relatives, relaxing and so on.
3. Type D national visa. This document gives a foreign national the right to stay in Greece for more than 3 consecutive months without leaving. Applicants for a Type D visa are subject to increased requirements, and the application processing time is longer.

Depending on the purpose of the trip, the following may be issued:

• tourist visa;
• guest room (for visiting friends or relatives permanently residing in Greece);
• business or business visa for businessmen and entrepreneurs.

Previously, there was also a document that allowed for a short time to officially work in Greece, but now you can only get a job if you have a type D visa, residence permit or citizenship.

Registration of three- and five-year visas

Russians most often apply for a type C visa for tourist trips to Greece, since other types of documents are much more difficult to obtain. However, in some cases it is more convenient to issue a three- or five-year permit for unhindered entry into the country. Such a proposal from the migration service of Greece is dictated by the need to attract financial resources from abroad to the country. Investors and people who are financially independent can rely on a Greek visa for 3 years. How to get such a document?

A three-year visa can only be issued if a citizen of a foreign country meets the requirements of the EU Visa Code and Greek migration rules. Here are the main ones:

1. Extensive foreign travel experience. Travel to the EU, as well as to the USA, Great Britain and some other developed countries that are not part of the European Union, are taken into account.
2. Use of past visas is strictly in accordance with the purpose of obtaining. For example, a tourist Schengen gives the right to go to European countries only on vacation, while you can’t get a job and permanently reside in the territory of another state. If in the past there were violations, then the issuance of a visa for 3 years may be refused. Moreover, violations of migration laws can cause problems even with obtaining a regular tourist visa type C.
3. The applicant must prove that he really needs to periodically travel to Greece during the validity period of the requested document. The purpose of trips may be real estate or business in the country, official duties, the need for regular treatment in Greek health resorts, visiting relatives living in Greece.
4. Sufficient material support. Repeatedly managed to notice on a practical example that the more wealthy a foreigner, the more willing to issue a Greek visa for 3 years with the possibility of multiple entries.
5. The applicant must provide a full package of documents, which depends on the purpose of the trip. For private visits, business and leisure trips, different papers are needed. A Greek visa for 3 years will not be issued if, for example, there is no confirmation of the purpose of the trip or material support in the package of documents.
6. Good reasons to return to your country. Under no circumstances should you exceed the permitted length of stay in the European Union, otherwise the traveler faces deportation with a possible ban on entry not only to Greece, but also to the Schengen agreement zone.

There is also a Greek visa for 5 years. How to get such a document? The requirements for the applicant in this case are very stringent. Such a long visa is issued only if there are close relatives, real estate or business in Greece. This must be documented.

Self receipt

How to get a Greek visa? You must collect documents and apply to the consulate or visa center no more than three months before the trip, but no less than two weeks. Consider the fact that on holidays the institution may not work. Documents for a Greek visa can be submitted only by appointment in online mode. You need to register for filing through the official website of the visa center, where later you can also track the registration stage.

After receiving documents for applying for a Greek visa, the visa center or consulate will put a stamp on the passport with the name of the country, the date the documents were started, the place of filing and the desired visa category. Later, this stamp is sealed with a issued visa. You can see the sample Greek visa below.

Some centers provide paid assistance in filling out an application, it is possible to arrange medical insurance on the spot, and the services of a photographer. Also available is a service of SMS alerts on the readiness of documents.

List of required papers

The list of documents for a Greek visa depends on the purpose of the trip. For tourist and private trips in 2018, you will need:

1. The application form, filled in letters of the Latin alphabet, with the personal signature of the applicant. If there are children who are included in the passport and also go on a trip, they need to fill out a separate application form.
2. Two color photos (35 x 45 mm) that were taken no more than 6 months ago. One of the photos must be attached to the first page of the questionnaire.
3. The original internal civil passport and copies of all pages marked. If the applicant temporarily resides outside the place of permanent registration, a temporary residence permit or other supporting documents are required, for example, a certificate of employment or a certificate of ownership of real estate.
4. Passport valid for at least three months after returning to their homeland. The passport must have at least two blank pages. You need to make photocopies of all pages. If you previously had a different passport, you need to make photocopies of its first page and old visas.
5. Certificate of employment on company letterhead. The company data, address, information about the position held, salary level, work experience should be indicated. The certificate is valid for a month, it must be signed by an authorized person.
6. Another confirmation of the source of income, if it is not possible to obtain a certificate of employment. For example, you can order an account statement for the last three months at least, a certificate of real estate in Russia and so on.
7. In the event that it is not possible to confirm the source of income or it is less than 25 thousand rubles per month per person, you need to prepare a letter from the sponsor. Only a close relative (wife, husband, parents, children, mother-in-law, son-in-law, grandparents) can be a sponsor. A letter about the sponsor’s income, a copy of the passport and confirmation of family ties should be attached to the letter.
8. Medical insurance valid in the Schengen area. Insurance must cover at least EUR 30,000 and be valid for the entire trip.
9. Air, train or bus tickets or their reservation. If you plan to travel on your own car, you need to provide a driver’s license, technical passport, international auto insurance, travel plan.
10. Proof of residence in Greece: hotel reservation or voucher, apartment rental agreement, letter from relatives who live in the country and are ready to host a traveler.
11. Individual entrepreneurs need to provide a certificate of registration of IP, a certificate of registration in the tax, a copy of the declaration.
12. Students must provide a student, a certificate from the university, proof of payment for tuition, which may be a certificate of employment, a sponsorship letter from close relatives or an account statement.
13. Pensioners must make a copy of the pension.
14. Citizens who are not officially employed must show an account statement at the visa center or consulate no more than one calendar month ago.
15. Women on the decree must confirm their income and make a certificate confirming the fact of caring for the child.
16. If you plan to travel with animals, you need to make a separate document on them (veterinary certificate), a veterinary certificate of vaccination and health status.

How to get a Greek visa in St. Petersburg and other cities of Russia? It is necessary to collect the necessary documents, register for submission, submit them for consideration and wait for the result.

Filling out a visa application form

An application for a visa to Greece looks the same as for other EU countries. The applicant must indicate his personal data: full name, date and place of birth, citizenship at present and at birth, if different, gender, marital status, presence of minor children, type of travel document, and so on. It is necessary to list the Schengen visas issued for the last three years, indicate the desired visa category and number of entries, duration of transit or stay. The Greek visa application form explains how to fill out.

Visa Photo Requirements

To obtain a Greek visa, you must provide several photos of the applicant, but they must be made in accordance with all the rules of the ICAO standard. First, shooting should be carried out no more than six months ago, the size of the photo, and secondly, should be exactly 34 x 45 mm. In addition, the face in the photo for documents should occupy 70-80% of the picture, the background should be light, the person’s gaze should be directed to the camera, and the face should not be covered by glare, dark glasses, headgear or hair. Pictures are taken only high-quality, clear, with normal contrast.

Biometric Data Submission

In the consulate or visa centers for obtaining a Greek visa on their own or through intermediary firms you need to submit biometric data. This means fingerprinting and (if necessary) a digital biometric picture. This procedure is free of charge and is carried out on the day of submission of papers. Naturally, this requires the presence of the applicant, even if he uses the services of intermediary firms to draw up a document.

Biometric data is entered into a common database, so when applying to the representative offices of other countries for processing documents, you will not need to re-submit fingerprints and take a digital photo. Re-submit the data will only after 59 months.

The following categories of citizens are exempted from biometrics:

• Applicants who have undergone the procedure since 2015, but if 59 months have not passed yet;
• children under 12 years old;
• persons with disabilities, persons with restrictions that make it impossible for them to take prints.

Children's Schengen to Greece

To receive a Greek visa in 2018 for a child, additional documents will be required. The list includes:

• original and photocopy of the birth certificate of the child;
• notarized permission to leave the second parent if the minor leaves the country with only one parent;
• certified permission to leave from both parents if the child is traveling with a third party;
• if it is not possible to obtain permission to leave the child abroad, you need to get a certificate of form 25 (“the father is written from the mother’s words”) in the registry office, provide (if available) a court decision on the deprivation of parental rights, a death certificate of the second parent or a certificate of recognition without lead the missing;
• for a minor child, the questionnaire is filled in by parents or guardians.

Registration fees and fees

The visa fee is the same for all Schengen countries and amounts to 35 euros. The duty is paid in rubles at the exchange rate on the day the application is submitted. If a negative decision is made about the visa, the money will not be returned. Urgent paperwork (up to 3 days) is paid according to another “tariff” - 70 euros. If the documents are not submitted directly to the consulate, but to the visa center, an additional service fee of 1240 rubles must be paid. In Moscow and St. Petersburg, you can pay for courier delivery of documents. It will cost from 700 rubles or more (depending on location).

The following categories of citizens are exempted from paying the visa fee:

• children under 12 years old;
• schoolchildren and students, teachers who accompany them, if the group goes to study;
• close relatives of Russian citizens who permanently reside in the EU;
• members of governments, parliaments, official delegations, courts;
• invalids and persons who accompany them;
• citizens who have submitted documents proving the need for an urgent trip for humanitarian purposes: to receive medical care, to attend the funeral of relatives or loved ones who are seriously ill;
• participants in international sports events and those who accompany them;
• persons involved in creative, scientific, cultural activities, representatives of non-profit organizations up to 25 years old.

Many benefits do not apply if documents are submitted for urgent review.

Duration and validity of visas

The term of a visa depends greatly on the place of filing a package of documents. So, in Moscow and St. Petersburg it takes 48 hours (excluding the day of filing), and in Novorossiysk, for example, it can stretch for 10 days. The maximum should be expected for 30 days, since if a longer consideration of the questionnaire or a heavy workload of the diplomatic representatives of the host country is necessary, the time frames can be greatly extended.

The validity of the visa is individual. If previously the applicant has already visited the Schengen countries and has no complaints about compliance with the migration legislation, then we can count on an increase in the validity period. A single-entry visa is issued for a period of up to 90 days, a multi-visa can be obtained for 6-12 months, but the restriction on the length of stay in the country remains. Active travelers in some cases can count on a visa for three years.

Refusal to issue a Greek visa

In the case of a negative decision on the results of consideration of documents, the applicant will receive an official notification letter. You can try to file the documents again the next day, correcting all the errors, or the appeal. The main reasons for the refusal are the insufficient amount of financial resources (the minimum level of the traveler’s income is 25 thousand rubles a month, if it’s actually less, then you need to look for a sponsor and prepare a letter), an incorrectly filled out application form and the wrong country to apply for.

Where can I apply?

How to get a Greek visa in St. Petersburg, Moscow and other cities of the Russian Federation, where to apply?In Russia, this can be done by making a personal visit to the consulate or visa center, through a travel agency (it must be accredited), with the help of a representative through a notarized power of attorney. If documents are submitted for the whole family, then at least one family member will need a visit.

Belarusians who live in Russia or at home can apply for a Greek visa at the Consulate General of Moscow. In Belarus itself there are no diplomatic missions of Greece. Ukrainians can apply in Kiev, Mariupol or Odessa.