Applying for a visa to Greece for Russians - how to prepare a set of documents correctly?
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| Question | Answer |
| Yes. | |
| Follow the link and check it out. | |
| The validity of the document is 3 months, each entry is given no more than 4 days. | |
| For 30 days. The authorities are interested in the influx of tourists. | |
| transit A, B; short-term up to 30 days - C; · national D ordinary (up to 100 days) and multivisa (unlimited number of entries during the year). |
|
| Such a document is issued by travel agents in Marmaris or Bodrum. | |
| This is a series of islands: Rhodes, Kos, Samos, Lesvos, Sion and others. |
The main income of Greece 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 had already visited the Schengen zone.
And also new centers were opened, the staff of consulates was understaffed, as the number of people wishing to visit the country increased. Greece is a state where antiquity can be found at every turn: Athens, Delphi, Thebes and Meteora, medieval monastery complexes and the sacred Mount Athos. Also, tourists are offered excellent beaches, clear sea, 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 area is not allowed.
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Visa-free entry
The Greek visa regime has some exceptions. There are places in this country that you can visit without the need to apply for a Schengen visa. These are a number of islands: Rhodes, Kos, Samos, Lesvos, Sion, etc. For such trips, the government allowed a selective simplified entry regime for foreign citizens who are not residents of the Schengen zone. In particular, we are talking about the Russians.
There is one caveat, simplified entry is only possible during the summer period (from June 7 to September 30).
Short term to the islands
An island visa is issued to persons planning a vacation in Turkey and visiting the Greek islands who arrived from Turkey on any sea transport. Such a document is issued by travel agencies in Marmaris or Bodrum. All islands (Rhodes, Kos, Samos, Lesvos, Sion, etc.) allowed to visit with a short-term island visa are located in the Aegean Sea near the Turkish border. The simplified procedure also applies to the islands of Santorini and Mykonos. The entry document is valid for 15 days.
Earlier we already wrote about whether Russians need a visa to Turkey and how to get it.
A day before the departure of the ferry, the tourist must request a single-entry Greek visa from the travel agency to visit the islands.
To do this, you need to provide a passport, application and photo. On the ferry, travelers pay a fee of 35 euros. If there is no access to the Internet in order to issue a document within 24 hours, then a simplified visa will be issued at the port. This will take time, so you need to arrive at the place in advance.
Entry on a Schengen visa of another state
Citizens of the Russian Federation can cross the Greek border 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;
- more time the traveler must spend in the same country.
Because when a person e.g. with a Dutch visa tries to enter Greece as a country of first entry, then formally the border guard has the right to prohibit crossing the border, referring to the rules of the Schengen Agreement.
Types of visas
- transit A, B;
- short-term up to 30 days - C;
- national D ordinary (up to 100 days) and multivisa (unlimited number of entries during the year).
Documents are divided according to the purpose of the trip:
- tourist (for recreation and travel);
- guest - at the invitation of friends, relatives;
- business - for businessmen;
- multiple visas are issued for multiple border crossings.
Tourist
Most often, a tourist visa C category is issued for trips for 30 days.
The document is issued at the visa center, consulate or embassy. The procedure is simple, as the Greek authorities are interested in the influx of tourists.
National visa type D
The document is provided only upon request to the Greek Consulate in Moscow. Application for a visa for a long stay in Greece. Great for long trips with serious goals. There are two types of national visas, distinguished by validity period. Ordinary - allows you to stay in the country for no more than six months, a multivisa makes it possible to cross the border many times throughout the year.
The basis for issuing a national Greek visa is: work, education, marriage.
transit
Issued for transit trips through Greek territory to third countries outside the Schengen area. The validity of the document is 3 months, for each entry no more than 4 days are allowed.
Visa to Athos
To see the monasteries of Athos, you need to obtain permission from the Greek authorities. The document is issued to professors, teachers, as well as students of the department of philosophy, theology, history, architecture, etc. A visa to Athos is valid only for 4 days. To get - you must submit a certificate confirming the occupation.
Tourists from the Russian Federation receive permission for a visa to Athos at the request of the consulate to the Ministry of Northern Greece.
Required Documents
The following package of documents is attached to the application: 
- passport valid for at least three months;
- photo of the established sample (1 pc.);
- completed application for a Schengen visa (Αιτηση για θεωρηση Schengen);
- a certificate from work indicating the contact details of the enterprise, position held and salary (minimum 15 thousand rubles per month);
- PE employees must submit copies of the registration certificate, license, income tax certificate;
- non-working persons - a letter from the sponsor paying for the trip;
- photocopies of all pages of the national passport.
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The passport must be signed by the owner personally. If there are two documents and they are valid, then both are presented at the embassy. If there are no Schengen visas in the new passport, copies of the previous passport are additionally attached (if it was and there are previously issued visas).
Filling out the questionnaire
Schengen visa application can be downloaded here, on the website of the consulate or obtained by contacting the visa center. The application must be completed in block letters in Greek or English. It is better to entrust the filling to the employees of the center for an additional fee.
The photo attached to the documents must comply with ICAO standards. You can do it in advance or on the spot at the visa center. The picture must be fresh (not older than 6 months), size - 35 by 45 mm. Color contrast image, face in 70–80% of the photo. Without digital enhancements, the upper shoulders are completely in the frame. Only the best quality photo paper.
Biometrics
In addition to the standard procedure for obtaining a visa, now you need to submit biometric data, that is, fingerprints and a digital live photo. Everyone who applies for a Greek visa for the first time must appear in person for biometrics. The information is current for five years. There is an option for an employee of the visa center to take biometric data remotely to any place indicated by the applicant. We have already written in more detail about the procedure for taking biometric data.
Documents for non-working citizens
Persons without official income must confirm their financial solvency. It is required to submit a letter from the sponsor and documents proving his identity, a certificate of income of the one who pays the expenses, a printout from the bank, an extract from the tax office. Pensioners and students additionally present copies of certificates.
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For information on how to write a sponsorship letter, read the special material on this topic.
The consulate may request data on the composition of the family or documents on movable and immovable property.
Visa for children
When a minor travels with only one of the parents with a package of papers, it is necessary to provide consent to leave from the other, certified by a notary.
The permit must be valid for the entire duration of the child's stay in Greece.
Self clearance
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 exempted 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 application centers offer personal assistant assistance also for an additional fee of 40 euros. The service guarantees priority service and support from the beginning to the stage of issuing a visa.
In St. Petersburg, you can apply for an additional 50 euros outside of business hours.
Cost and fees
The cost of a visa depends on its category and the chosen method of registration. Certain groups of citizens are exempt from fees.
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Base cost:
- Schengen - 35 €;
- national - 180 €;
- student - 90 €.
When submitting documents to the visa centers, an additional fee of 20 € is charged. Payment is made in rubles, the exact amount can be found out only at the time of payment, as it depends on the CBR exchange rate.
If the visa application is rejected, the funds will not be refunded.
Terms of registration
Documents are reviewed within two days to two weeks. The day of filing the application is not taken into account, as well as the time required for the delivery of papers to the consulate.
Employees of the diplomatic mission have the right to request additional information, invite them to a personal interview. The application processing time is extended to 30 days. Sometimes up to 60 days.
It is advisable to apply for a visa in advance, but not earlier than three months and not later than 15 days before the trip.
Reasons for failures and possible actions
The application is rejected if:
- documents are filled out incorrectly;
- insufficient funds in the account;
- not paid for the hotel reservation;
- invitation is not formatted correctly.
In such cases, you need to correct the errors and submit documents again. If the reason for the refusal is that the applicant is included in the SIS system (black list), then a second application will not change anything. Persons who are prohibited from entering the Schengen area are included in the system database.
Travel by car
First of all, to travel to Greece by car, you need to issue a Green Card. Without this insurance, you cannot travel around Europe by personal transport. You can buy 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.
