How and where to apply for an "island" visa to Greece

"Schengen" is the most problematic visa, in order to obtain it, you must have a stable and solid income, as well as medical insurance (about the policy).
In addition, obtaining this visa is quite costly in terms of time and finances.

But few people know that you can visit Greece without having a Schengen visa in your passport.

Closed area for open entry

A few kilometers from the coast of Turkey, in the Aegean Sea, scattered by the generous hand of one of the ancient gods, the most beautiful islands that are part of several Greek archipelagos - the Southern Sporades and the Northern Sporades.

The names of some of them - Rhodes, Lesvos - delight the ear of any traveler, because it is here that a real tourist paradise is located.

In the season - from April to November - ferries from neighboring Turkey come to these Greek islands and bring on excursions those who rest in the neighboring tourist Mecca - the fashionable Turkish resorts of Marmaris and Bodrum.

Tourists get from one state to another in just a few hours by sea. It is for these "Turkish guests" that an open Schengen visa is not required: stepping on the shore of any of the Hellas islands in the Aegean Sea, each of them receives a one-time Greek visa.

In 2012, Greece completely canceled entry visas for Russian tourists coming with an excursion from Marmaris and Bodrum to the islands of Kos, Lesvos, Rhodes, Samos and Chios.
The main condition for visa-free admission was the return of the guest to the shores of Turkey within a few days and a ban on traveling outside these islands to other regions of Greece.

But almost immediately after the entry into force of the innovation in Greece, two Russian tourists who arrived from Turkey on a one-day excursion literally disappeared. From the island of Rhodes, they somehow moved to the mainland of Greece, and from there, after a while, flew to Moscow. Therefore, the Greek side, having barely begun the experiment, closed it.

Now, citizens of the Russian Federation and Ukraine arriving on a one-day or two-day excursion are required to apply for an “island” visa, which gives the right to stay on the islands adjacent to Turkey for two weeks.

The bad news is that you can't go anywhere else in Hellas with this visa.

The good news is that in 2014 the islands of Kastellorizon and Symi were added to the list of "visa-free" islands.

Short-term visa: registration and receipt

If you decide to visit not only Turkish resorts, but also the best Greek islands, such as Rhodes or Kos, in one vacation, then you need to make such a decision in advance.

Documents for a short-term "island" visa must be submitted no later than a week before the planned excursion.

You can do this in several ways:

• still at home through a tour operator from whom you bought a ticket to one of the Turkish hotels;
• through the hotel guide of your tour operator, being already directly in Turkey;
• through local Turkish travel agencies that carry small study tours to the Greek islands.

To apply for a short-term visa to the islands of Rhodes, Kos, Samos, Lesvos and Chios, the following documents are required:

• a certificate from the bank confirming that at least 500 euros are currently in your account and available;
• two photographs (you can take a picture both at home and at the port of arrival at the customs post with the direct processing of a visa);
• photocopy of the passport;
• ferry tickets to and from the destination;
• if the excursion is multi-day, then confirmation of the paid hotel reservation on the island of stay.

The manager of the tour operator or one of the travel companies on the Turkish coast will prepare all the documents necessary for the Greek side, but the tourists will receive and pay for the visa itself on the land of the Greek island, passing through customs.

A visa is issued only after the presentation of the originals of all documents.

The cost of a short-term visa is 35 euros.

Important Details

The cost of an "island" Greek visa when applying for it through a Turkish travel agency will almost double: the amount will consist of the payment for the agency's work and the Greek fee itself for obtaining an entry document.

If you are going on an excursion to the Greek islands as a family of several people, you should keep in mind that the bank account statement must contain a figure of at least 500 euros for each family member. It is best to take care of obtaining such a certificate (in English!) at home.

When planning a vacation in the Turkish resorts of Marmaris and Bodrum, study the issue of excursions to Greece in advance and prepare all the necessary documents. Holidays are usually short, and southern peoples don't like to fuss. Give the documents for obtaining the desired visa in the first days of your stay in Turkey, then there should be no problems with obtaining it.