How much is a Schengen visa? What documents are required to receive? Video

How long does it take to get a Schengen visa? How many days will it take to process documents through the consulate?

It's no secret that most European countries are located on the territory of the Schengen zone. It follows from this that in order to visit at least one of these countries, a citizen of the Russian Federation must obtain a Schengen visa. As practice shows, the Schengen visa is considered one of the easiest visas to obtain. But, before proceeding to the consideration of information on how long it takes to obtain a Schengen visa, it would be correct to familiarize yourself with what types of visas exist and what categories they are divided into.

Categories of Schengen visas

All Schengen visas are divided into just four categories. Each of them corresponds to a specific purpose of the visit. Let's take a closer look at each visa:

The first is category A. There is a type of visa that is required for those who fly to some country that is not part of the Schengen zone, but the traveler needs to transfer in a European country. In this case, in order to safely wait out the transfer time at the country's airport in the Schengen zone, the traveler needs to apply for a transit visa. With such a visa, a tourist is only allowed to stay at the airport for a short time. As a rule, this is the waiting time for the flight;
There is also a transit visa that allows you to leave the airport and stay in the country for five days. Such a visa is a category B visa;
The most popular to obtain is a category C visa. It is this visa that is issued to those who are going to visit a country located in the territory of a Schengen visa for a short time. The visit of a traveler with such a visa must not exceed 90 days, and the purposes must be non-commercial. If the purpose is tourism, visiting relatives, a business meeting or attending any competitions or events, then most likely the tourist will make a visa with category C. Despite the allowable long-term stay in the territory of the Schengen visa, it is forbidden to live in countries on a permanent basis and go there to work;
If the purpose of the trip is long-term residence in the country or countries that are included in the Schengen visa, then in this case it is necessary to apply for a category D visa.

List of documents required to apply for a visa

As with any other visa, in order to obtain a Schengen visa, a certain set of documents is required. Given the fact that each category will have its own set of documents, there is also a standard set that is required for each category of visa. Below is a list of the main documents that will be useful for each category. It should be noted that the list does not include documents required for a particular category. This information can be clarified by contacting the embassy directly.

Passport and its photocopies;
Color photographs. You should pay special attention to the design of photographs, since it is with them that travelers have the most problems;
An extract from a personal bank account confirming the fact that the tourist has enough money to fully secure financial independence during the trip;
If you have an invitation or a business letter, be sure to take it with you, this will increase the chances of obtaining a visa.

Terms for which a Schengen visa is made

It is believed that the Schengen visa is one of the fastest to obtain visas. Together with the paperwork, a regular visa can be done in approximately 5-7 working days. For those who need to make it faster, you can choose an accelerated option, which is done in 1-3 days.

The cost of obtaining a Schengen visa

The amount of the consular fee will directly depend on which visa is chosen. If you need to make a regular visa, then its cost will be 35 euros. As for urgent, its cost will be slightly higher - 55 euros. In addition to the consular fee, you will also need to pay a service fee of 30 euros.

Where can you get a visa?

Schengen visa is done in two ways: at the visa center or at the embassy. The advantage of the visa center is that there you can order the necessary advice on the correct collection of documents, as well as order services that will greatly simplify this process. As for the embassy, you will have to collect the entire package of documents there yourself, and if something is done incorrectly, then most likely there will be a refusal to accept documents until everything is done perfectly.