How Greece issues visas. Applying for a visa to Greece for Russians – how to properly prepare a set of documents? Detailed algorithm for obtaining a Schengen visa to Greece

To go on a visit to Greece, citizens of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus will need a Schengen visa. The exception to the rule is some Greek islands bordering Turkey. You can get a visa there upon arrival.

The requirements for the set of documents submitted for consideration are standard. If the applicant’s passport already has a Schengen visa, then there is a high probability of receiving a multiple visa for a period of five years.

The presence of a stamp from the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in your passport significantly reduces the likelihood of obtaining a visa to Greece due to tense relations between the countries. Therefore, a visit to Northern Cyprus It is better to apply after a trip to Greece.

There are several visa categories available for Greece:

• transit – category A and B;
• short-term – category C;
• national and multivisa – category D.

In order to independently apply for a tourist visa category C, you will need to submit for consideration next package documents:

• application form filled out in Latin;
• two photographs made in accordance with the requirements;
• international passport, which is valid for at least three months from the end of the trip and contains at least two blank pages;
• a copy of the page of the foreign passport with the applicant’s personal data and copies of Schengen visas, if any;
• a canceled foreign passport, provided it contains Schengen visas;
• copies of all pages of the Russian general passport;
• travel voucher or hotel reservation with confirmation of payment in the amount of 30%;
• medical policy with insurance coverage of 30,000 euros;
• financial support for the trip (certificate from place of work, sponsorship letter, current account statement);
• round-trip air tickets or confirmed air ticket reservation.

Provided you have a valid Schengen visa in your passport, which has already expired or has no blank pages left, entry is possible. However, the consulate still strongly recommends applying for and affixing a visa to a valid passport.

Requirements for photographs

• size 35x45mm;
• light background, corners and ovals are prohibited;
• the image of a person’s face occupies at least 70% of the photo;
• the photo should be clear, contrasty, without red eyes;
• There should be no folds, dirt or scratches on the photograph;
• Sunglasses and hats are prohibited (except for religious ones).

Applying for a visa for a child

• child's birth certificate;
• sponsorship letter and work certificates of the accompanying parent;
• consent to take the child out, certified by a notary, if only one of the parents goes on the trip;
• copy of pages Russian passport a parent who remains in the country;
• marriage certificate if the parents' surnames do not match.

Sponsor can only be close relative. A copy of a document confirming family ties must be attached to the sponsorship letter.

Applying for a transit visa

For transit visa When traveling to Greece, you must additionally attach the following documents:

• visa of the country that is the destination;
• tickets confirming the entire route.

Applying for a visa for a private visit

Attached to the main set of documents:

• an invitation issued in accordance with all the rules from the receiving party;
• a copy of the inviting person’s identity document;
• copy of residence permit;
• a copy of documents confirming family ties, in case of invitation from relatives;
• copy tax return host for Last year.

Special conditions for visiting certain regions of Greece

During the period from June 7 to September 30, entry without a Schengen visa is allowed to the following islands: Rhodes, Samos, Kos, Chios, Lesvos. The visiting conditions are as follows:

• arrival by ferry from Turkey;
• availability of a ferry ticket;
• availability of reservation at a hotel located on one of the listed islands;
• the ticket must be purchased from a travel agency that is officially registered in Turkey;
• one day before the trip, you must submit a copy of your passport, visa application, and photograph;
• upon arrival on the island, provide the originals of the above documents;
• pay a visa fee of 35 euros.

The simplified version of the visa has a validity period of 15 days and gives the right to stay only on the islands. You will not be able to visit mainland Greece with this visa.

Obtaining a visa to Mount Athos

A visa granting the right to visit Mount Athos is issued only to representatives of the scientific community. The visa period is 4 days; to obtain it, you must provide a certificate confirming your type of activity. Students of specialized universities must present a student ID. Other categories of tourists can visit Athos only if they have a letter of recommendation from the Russian consulate.

Visa application procedure and cost

Documents are accepted by:

• consular section of the Embassy in Moscow;
• visa department of the Consulates General in St. Petersburg;
• visa department of the Consulates General in Novorossiysk;
• Greek visa centers in other cities of the Russian Federation.

You can submit documents as follows: on a personal basis, and by issuing a notarized power of attorney to a third party. Visa centers in Moscow and St. Petersburg require the personal presence of the applicant. No pre-registration required.

Ukraine and Belarus

Citizens of Belarus submit the same documents as citizens of Russia. Citizens of Ukraine additionally provide a copy of the marriage certificate, divorce certificate, death of the spouse and a copy of the work book certified on each page with a stamp.

Visa requirements

Tourists from Russia who are planning to visit Greece must take care of a visa to Greece. Travelers can obtain a visa to Greece either independently or by contacting a travel agency. Let us remind tourists that Greece is a member country of the Schengen Agreement, so travelers in Greece have the opportunity to visit other countries.

It's interesting that in summer time Tourists have access to the Greek islands without a visa: this rule applies to tourists arriving in Greece by ferry from Turkey.

Documents for a visa to Greece:

Most often, tourists obtain a visa to Greece through a travel company. To obtain a visa to Greece, collect the following documents in advance:

1. A foreign passport, the validity of which expires no less than 3 months after the end of the planned trip to Greece. If you have old passport, make a copy of it (this must be done if you have Schengen visas issued earlier).
2. Carefully completed application form
3. Color photographs, photo size - 3x4 cm, light background. For a visa in Greece you will need 2 photographs of a tourist.
4. Make copies of all information pages of your civil passport.
5. Get a certificate from your place of work. This document must be issued on official form companies. The certificate should indicate the tourist’s position, the amount of his salary, as well as the contact details of the organization. If a tourist works for an individual entrepreneur, he will need a copy state standard about employer registration.

If you decide to apply for a visa to Greece on your own, you will need a fax letter from a hotel in Greece confirming your reservation, medical insurance covering all Schengen countries and at least 30 thousand euros.

Additional documents for a visa to Greece:

So, tourists who do not officially work anywhere, as well as students and tourists retirement age, you need to provide a photocopy of your student ID or pension certificate. In addition, a trip to Greece for tourists of this category is possible if there is a sponsor, from whom a handwritten application will be required. Let us clarify that the sponsor must be a relative of the traveler. The application must also be written according to the established standard. You will also need a certificate from the place of work of the person sponsoring the trip, and his wage must be at least 30 thousand rubles per month. An extract from bank account sponsor. Do not forget about documents confirming your relationship with the sponsor.

Student tourists traveling to Greece must obtain a copy of their birth certificate certified by a notary.

If a minor tourist traveling to Greece is listed in his parent’s passport, he does not need a separate application form to obtain a visa to Greece, but must provide 2 photos. But young tourists who hold international passports are required to provide documents in full.

If a minor tourist travels to Greece without his parents, he must have with him the permission of the traveler’s parents to travel to Greece, which is certified by a notary. It is also necessary to make copies of all pages civil passports parents. Please note that the full names of the parents of a tourist who requires a visa to Greece must match what is written on the child’s birth certificate.

Visiting Greece without a visa:

Interestingly, in the summer, Greece makes some concessions visa regime for tourists. So, in the summer, namely from 06/07 to 09/30 inclusive, tourists have the right to visit some Greek islands without a visa. This rule extends to the following islands: Lesbos and Rhodes, Chios and Kos, and Samos. We draw the attention of tourists that visiting Greece without a visa is only possible by ferry from Turkey. IN in this case the tourist is required to provide a ferry ticket and confirmation of a hotel reservation on the Greek island.

The procedure is as follows: a day before the start of the ferry, the tourist sends to travel company a copy of your passport, your photograph and an application for single entry visa to Greece. Features of a single-entry visa to Greece: it is issued to a tourist for 15 days. A tourist who holds a single-entry visa does not have the right to visit the Greek mainland.

Greece visa cost:

The consular fee for a tourist visa to Greece is 1,400 rubles. The fee is paid in rubles at the Visa Application Center or consular section at the Greek Embassy. Note that the Greek visa center also charges 800 rubles from each tourist for its work.

The following categories of tourists do not pay the consular fee for a visa to Greece: tourists under 6 years of age who are included in parental passports, relatives Russian citizens permanent residents of Greece and the European Union, schoolchildren and students coming to study in Greece.

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Greece's main income is tourism. Therefore, in order to attract foreigners, from February 2016 it was decided to issue a visa to Greece for three years to those who have already visited the Schengen zone.

New centers were also opened, and consular staff was increased, as the number of people wishing to visit the country increased.

Greece is a state where antiquity can be found at every step: Athens, Delphi, Thebes and Meteora, medieval monastery complexes and the sacred Mount Athos. Tourists are also offered excellent beaches, clear seas, colorful islands and health spa hotels.

To visit Greece you need a Schengen or national visa, the first gives the right to cross the border of any state in transit or stay on its territory. There is a condition - if a Schengen visa is opened to visit Greece, then you need to stay here the longest. When applying for a national visa, foreigners can only cross the Greek border. With such a document, entry into the Schengen zone is not allowed.

A day before the ferry departs, the tourist must request a single-entry Greek visa from the travel agency to visit the islands.

Entry with a Schengen visa from another country

Citizens of the Russian Federation can cross the border of Greece with a visa obtained in another Schengen country.

But there are two conditions:

• the first entry must be in the state that issued the document;
• The traveler must spend more time in the same country.

The consulate may request information on family composition or documents on movable and immovable property.

Visa for children

When a minor travels with only one of the parents and a package of papers, it is necessary to provide consent to travel from the other, certified by a notary.

The permit must be valid for the entire period the child is in Greece.

Self-registration

Without intermediaries, a Greek visa is issued at official representative offices (consulates, embassies, VFS.Global centers). Visa centers issue only short-term Schengen visas. National - issued only at the Consulate General (Moscow, Novorossiysk, St. Petersburg) at the place of residence (work, study).

Children under 12 years of age are exempt from the procedure for submitting biometric data.

Additional features

Clients who do not have free time can receive priority service in the premium service lounge. The service is paid - 70 euros. Some visa centers offer assistance from a personal assistant also for additional fee, 40 euros. The service guarantees priority service and support from the beginning to the stage of issuing a visa.

In St. Petersburg, you can submit an application during non-working hours for an additional 50 euros.

Cost and fees

The cost of a visa depends on its category and the chosen application method. Some groups of citizens are exempt from fees.

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Basic cost:

• Schengen – 35 €;
• national – 180 €;
• student – ​​90 €.

When submitting documents to visa centers, an additional fee of 20 € is charged. Payment is made in rubles, exact amount can only be found out at the time of payment, since it depends on the Central Bank exchange rate.

If your visa application is rejected, no refund will be given.

Registration deadlines

Documents are reviewed within two days to two weeks. The day the application is submitted is not taken into account, as is the time required to deliver the papers to the consulate.

Employees diplomatic mission has the right to request additional information, invite you for a personal interview. The processing time for the application increases to 30 days. Sometimes up to 60 days.

It is advisable to submit a visa application in advance, but no earlier than three months and no later than 15 days before the trip.

Reasons for failures and possible actions

The application is rejected if:

• documents are filled out incorrectly;
• there are insufficient funds in the account;
• hotel reservation has not been paid;
• The invitation is not designed according to the sample.

In such cases, you need to correct the errors and submit the documents again. If the reason for the refusal is that the applicant is included in the SIS system (black list), then re-application won't change anything. The system database includes persons who are prohibited from entering the Schengen zone.

Traveling by car

First of all, to travel to Greece by car you need to register “ Green card" Traveling around Europe without this insurance personal transport it is forbidden. You can purchase a card at the place of residence of any major insurance company. You also need to apply for a visa and book a hotel room.

Previously, travel by car began from Ukraine, but now this route has become more complicated. Options available through Minsk, Western Ukraine or Poland. Along the route you encounter the borders of Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria. For those who are prohibited from entering Ukraine, the route is lengthened. In countries such as Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania, travelers are charged a toll for driving on motorways. The payment is confirmed by a corresponding sticker - vignette. It costs about 7 €, but the fine for its absence is up to 300 €.

For permanent residence in Greece

How to apply for and obtain a visa to Greece on your own in 2019? Greece is a member of the Schengen agreement; visiting it without special permission Most Russians won't succeed. Turmoil in the tour operator market and the rapid decline in living standards have forced Russians to think about the advisability of turning to intermediaries to obtain visas. Increasingly, they prefer to apply for permission themselves. This is a little more difficult and will take more time, but it will save a lot of time and money.

If you decide to apply for a visa yourself, you need to be prepared to spend time collecting necessary documents and be careful when filling out all forms. Exactly inaccuracies in registration, incomplete packages of documents, and sometimes simply illegible handwriting become the reason for visa refusal. Number of failures at self-submission

documents are higher than when contacting intermediaries, because there will be no chance of getting lost in the mass of requests from a travel agency.

Schengen countries, including Greece, are more willing to issue entry permits to Russians who already have visas that are closed without violations; in this case, it is advisable to have old passports with them.

Attention! It will be a little more difficult to obtain a visa for foreigners whose passports contain a Northern Cyprus visa. At the border they will need to fill out a migration card.

The package of documents for independently applying for a Greek visa in 2019 will be the same as for all 26 countries of the Schengen area.

Package of documents for a Greek visa At independent registration the tourist applicant submits all documents, including hotel reservations and transport tickets, which could be provided. tourist agency Full list

• will look like this:
• Diplomatic, official or foreign passport, valid for at least 3 months from the end of the trip, copies of all its pages, including 2 copies of pages with personal data. Copied pages internal passport
• Russian. Questionnaire. It can be downloaded from the Internet and filled out at home, in a relaxed environment, by entering information on the computer. You can also get a form from the consulate and fill it out with a blue pen in English, Russian or Greek
• . It is advisable to use a sample.
• 2 color photos that meet Schengen requirements. Insurance covering 30 thousand euros of cost medical services
• . You can purchase it from any insurance company for 2–3 thousand rubles. The main thing is that it is valid throughout your stay in Greece.
• Transport tickets to Greece and back, preferably originals and copies.
• Hotel reservations, invitations from local companies or persons legally residing in the country. The invitation must indicate your residential address.

Bank account statement, traveler's checks or other documents confirming financing of at least 50 euros per day for the duration of the trip. If they do not exist, for example, unemployed foreigners, a sponsorship letter will be required. This is a written obligation to relatives to financially ensure the foreigner’s stay in Greece.

Collection of biometric information Taking into account the innovations of 2015 regarding the collection of biometric data especially relevant. You will have to appear to have your fingerprints taken if we're talking about more than 5 years have passed since your first visa or since your last fingerprinting. If the fingerprints are already in the database, then the date of the last fingerprinting is indicated in the form.

The standard requirements for photography are:

1. 2 identical photos;
2. current – ​​no older than six months;
3. size 35 * 45 mm;
4. background white or light blue;
5. quality without highlights or other defects;
6. the face in the photo occupies at least 70%;
7. hair does not cover the face, no sunglasses.

If you don’t have time to look for a photo studio, you can take a photo at the visa center.

Visa for minors

If children plan to travel to Greece in 2019, parents should take care of a visa. It is issued separately for each child. Together with the package of documents for his visa, the parent submits a similar package for the child, supplementing his birth certificate with the child’s international passport. If there is no foreigner yet, it is enough to enter the child in the parental document. This set is enough for a trip with parents.

Children can visit Greece on their own, with one parent or with others. For this you need notarised power of attorney to leave Russia, from each of the parents remaining in the country. If the mother or father is deprived parental rights, declared dead or missing, a court decision must be attached.

The application form for a child under 16 years of age is signed by legal representatives.

Island visa

In 2019, the islands of Kos, Lesbos, Chios, Samosia, Symi and Kastellorizon can be visited with a separate visa. Until 2012, Rhodes was included in this list, but after an unpleasant incident with Russian tourists it was excluded.

This visa is intended for visiting the islands by sea from the territory of Turkey.

Attention! You cannot visit the rest of Greece or Schengen countries using it, and it is valid for only 2 weeks.

It is not necessary to request such permission from the consular authorities in Russia; you can obtain it yourself on the spot in Turkey. For this you will need:

• 2 photos that can be taken at the port;
• A copy of the foreigner;
• Tickets for sea transport;
• Confirmation of hotel reservation if the trip is longer than one day;
• Bank account statement for at least 500 euros.

Permit price

Self-design is the most budget method obtaining a visa. You only have to pay consular fee. In 2019 it is 35 euros, at the current exchange rate about 2.5 thousand rubles.

If a visa is required urgently, you can contact the consular authorities with a written request to obtain a visa urgently within 3 days. The appeal shall indicate the reasons that prompted the applicant to request expedited consideration. If possible, the permit will be issued within 3 days, but the consular fee will be 70 euros, that is, about 5 thousand rubles.

Attention! Children under 6 years old will receive a visa free of charge.

Deadline for obtaining permission

In 2019, you should apply for a Greek visa no earlier than six months before your intended trip. During the peak tourist season, it is better to take into account the workload of consular authorities in advance; if you make an appointment, there may not be free time in the schedule at the last moment. Ordinary Application review period is 7 – 10 days, during the peak tourist season.

If the applicant can prove the importance of the reasons prompting an urgent visit Island state, then the application will be considered within 3 days. More often, agencies specialize in this service; the chance of getting an urgent permit will be higher, but you can try to do it in person.

Most Russians ask short term visa, valid for six months with the right of single entry for 90 days. There are options with double and multiple entries And for a one-year period stay. But it’s easier to get them if your passport already has a closed Schengen visa, and the purpose of the visit is not tourism.

Where can I apply for a Greek visa?

In 2019, Greek consular authorities operate in Russia in major cities, you can visit them at pre-registration.

• Consulate General of Greece in Moscow on the street. Spiridonovka, 14.

Official website: http://www.mfa.gr/russia/ru/consulate-general-moscow

• Consulate General in St. Petersburg at Chernyshevsky Ave., 17, (Chernyshevskaya metro station)

Official website http://www.mfa.gr/russia/ru/consulate-general-st-petersburg/

The work schedule of consulates in 2019 and reception times can be clarified on the official websites of the consulates. When planning a visit, you need to take into account the workload during the high tourist season and holidays in both countries.

Attention! Due to latest changes in legislation, Legal information This article may be out of date!