Schengen visa: terms and cost

Many consider obtaining a Schengen visa as a difficult task and do not want to take on the matter on their own. Therefore, companies that organize trips to various countries often deal with such issues. However, concerns about obtaining a Schengen visa are exaggerated. You only need to thoroughly prepare all the documents for the visa and take photos. In order for everything to go well and the Schengen visa does not become a difficult test for you, you must clearly follow the instructions for filling out the package of documents.

The procedure for obtaining a Schengen visa has undergone some changes since September 14, 2015. Firstly, the first step of registration has changed - citizens must, in any case, visit the visa center, even if the entire preparation process is entrusted to employees of a travel company. You are required to be present in person when applying for a Schengen visa. The updated system of information collection and data processing in the European Union makes it possible to effectively control the external borders of countries.

Key Documents Required in 2019

Depending on which country you are flying to, the conditions for submitting documents may differ slightly, so you need to first decide on your destination.

Documents required for any country in the European Union to obtain a Schengen visa:

Passport for overseas travel. Important! Registration of documents on a passport, the validity of which is less than 3 months is not allowed;
Insurance in the form of a special policy with a minimum insurance amount of 30,000 €. The company responsible for this policy must notify you that you must have the original document and a copy with you. A prerequisite for organizations issuing health insurance is official accreditation of a certain visa country. Such information can be clarified on the website of a particular embassy;
To stay in a Schengen country, you must confirm your financial well-being. This may be information from the bank about your card account (in some cases, the consulate requests a copy of the card itself), or an extract confirming the state of the bank account. Traveler's checks and other options are also suitable, which are prescribed separately in the conditions for each country.

When contacting the consulate, you can always clarify information about the full package of documents for obtaining Schengen, cost and terms.

The visa center is a special organization in which you can carry out all the necessary procedures for obtaining a Schengen visa. In such an institution, you can pay a special fee to obtain a visa, submit all documents for verification by the consulate. Also, the visa organization takes your biometric data for verification, here you can get your passport back with the desired Schengen visa.

Note! Visa Application Centers are not authorized to issue visas, they are only authorized to receive the necessary data and consular fees.

The cost of the consular fee in the period of 2019

How much does it cost? The final cost of a Schengen visa is influenced by various factors:

For Russians, citizens of Ukraine, Moldova, Armenia and Georgia, the same fee is set - 35 €. Typically, the duration of a visa is from 5 to 10 working days;
If you are not ready to apply for a Schengen visa without additional assistance, the total costs will increase by approximately 21 €. In this case, the cost of a Schengen visa will be 56 € - 21 € of which will be the service fee and 35 €, respectively, the main consular fee;
Sometimes a Schengen visa is required urgently. The minimum time for obtaining a Schengen visa is within three working days. Such a quick result is possible if you have tickets with a departure date for the next few days (three days). Also, evidence for this visa can be special documents that explain the reason for the short time. The cost of a Schengen visa for urgent receipt exceeds the standard consular fee twice - 70 €;
When a citizen of a third country who is in Russia applies to the embassy for a visa, a Schengen visa in this case will cost 60 €;
If you are interested in a long stay, then the payment for a Schengen visa will be 60 €.

Important! On the territory of Russia, the fee for obtaining a Schengen visa is made in the ruble equivalent. The exchange rate of € and ruble is determined by a specific embassy.

When is a Schengen fee not charged at checkout?

Consider all the existing options in which a Schengen visa is issued for citizens without fees at the consulate:

If your child is under 12 years old, he/she belongs to the category of citizens who do not need to pay for a visa before traveling to Schengen countries;
If your close relatives are citizens of a country where a Schengen visa is valid;
Persons who are members of regional and national government organizations, representatives of courts (supreme and constitutional) do not pay the contribution;
Citizens who are part of special delegations. As a rule, delegations stay in Schengen countries on a specific invitation;
Diplomats and some officials have certain passports;
If you are under 25 years old and you need a Schengen for the purpose of an internship or study in another country. Teachers accompanying students also have the right not to pay the fee;
Citizens with officially confirmed disabilities, as well as people who accompany them;
If the purpose of your visit is visiting relatives who are in serious condition, or attending a funeral;
For those who participate in various exchange programs, you will not have to pay for a Schengen visa.

Duration of the visa

A single-entry visa (the main purpose is tourism, category C1) allows you to stay in the country for up to 30 days and no more;
Type C2 visa allows you to enter the Schengen area for 6 months and no more than the specified period. In this case, you cannot be present in this territory for the entire period of validity of the permit - only 90 days;
The C3 visa allows you to enter the Schengen countries for one calendar year, but the length of stay is the same as in the previous category;
Transit permits have the shortest period (up to 5 days);
Category D has the longest stay among the Schengen visas – it allows the presence in the Schengen area up to 5 years, while there is no restriction on the length of stay.

Visiting relatives or friends living in Europe

This option is possible if the purpose of the visit is to visit relatives or friends. Obtaining a visa by invitation from a private person will simplify the whole process. However, there are a number of features associated with this type of visa production. Each country determines independently the conditions for this type of obtaining a permit. For example, in Germany officials approach this process very responsibly. Visiting relatives or friends will become officially possible only after checking the necessary conditions. These include: the availability of living space, a certain level of income and official confirmation of the host party about the financial responsibility for the guests.