You can apply for a Schengen visa yourself or with the help of an intermediary represented by a travel agency representative. When self-registration of the Schengen, it is better to first study the statistics of refusals and contact those consulates where the percentage of refusals tends to zero.
You can get a Schengen visa at the consulate of any European country, but not all consulates are loyal to travelers. Therefore, in some consulates it is quite simple to obtain a visa, and in some, additional proof of financial solvency and other documents that are not included in the standard visa package of documentation may be required from tourists.
Obtaining a Schengen visa yourself
When obtaining visas on your own, it is recommended to choose the consulates of the countries with the lowest refusal rate, then you will have a better chance of getting Schengen. For example, the French consulate in relation to Russian travelers has a minimal refusal rate. However, a tourist wishing to obtain a multiple-entry visa is advised to develop his travel itinerary in such a way that the country of first entry into Europe is France.
The consulates of Italy and Spain also issue Schengen visas to Russians, including multiple-entry visas, without any problems. That is why many travelers go to these consulates for multiple entry visas.
The Greek Consulate rarely refuses to issue single entry tourist visas. And when visiting Greece again, a tourist has every chance of getting a multivisa for more than six months.
For any consulate, a tourist needs to prepare a standard set of documents: a passport, photocopies of the pages of an internal passport, photographs, a certificate from the place of work with information on wages, travel medical insurance, air tickets and hotel rooms, as well as a completed application form, the form of which can always be found on the website consulates. In addition to the above documents, the tourist may be required to have bank statements confirming financial solvency. Sometimes a hotel reservation is not required, in this case it is enough to present a return ticket, which serves as a confirmation that you will return back.
Getting a Schengen visa through a travel agency
If you go abroad on a voucher, then there should be no problems with a visa at all. No matter where you go to rest. When a representative of a travel agency submits documents to the consulate, the process of obtaining a Schengen visa is greatly simplified and accelerated. For example, when submitting documents in person, a tourist needs to make an appointment in advance for a visit to the consulate, usually an appointment takes three to four weeks.
Travel agents and their representatives do not need to register in advance, so they can apply for visas for their clients within one week, and sometimes even faster. Obtaining Schengen through such intermediaries is the easiest and fastest way.
