Greece is a country with a rich history, ancient sights, interesting architecture and wonderful nature. However, in order to enjoy all this, citizens of the Russian Federation need not only to buy a plane ticket, but also to obtain a Schengen visa.
Visa documents
You can plan your trip to Greece on your own or use the help of a travel agency, which also takes care of the visa processing. However, both of these options involve collecting standard documents. So, in order to obtain a Schengen visa, you must have a passport that will be valid for 3 months from the date of the end of the trip, and also in which there are 2 blank pages for sticking a visa. A photocopy of all completed pages of a valid Russian passport is also required.
For independent travelers, it is also necessary to provide confirmation of the hotel reservation in the form of an original, photocopy or printout. At the same time, confirmation from international sites may not be accepted if no prepayment has been made for the hotel. It is also good to have confirmation of your flight reservations to your destination.
The consular section of the Greek Embassy must also submit a completed application form in English and personally signed by the applicant. There are required 2 color photographs measuring 35 by 45 mm, the original certificate from the place of work or study. The last document must contain the address and telephone number of the organization. For an adult unemployed person, you need a sponsorship letter from the next of kin with a certificate from their place of work and an indication of the average salary. In addition, you need to provide a bank or personal account statement confirming the financial capabilities of the traveler, as well as medical insurance, which is valid throughout the Schengen area.
For minor children, you must also provide a passport and a copy of a birth certificate. If the child leaves with only one of the parents, a certified exit permit from the other is required, if accompanied by third parties - from both parents. The exact list of required documents, based on specific circumstances, should be specified on the website of the Greek Embassy in Moscow.
Visa Application Procedure
After collecting all the necessary documents, you should transfer them personally, through a representative of a travel agency or an official representative to the consular section of the Greek Embassy or the official visa center of this country. To do this, you need to clarify the opening hours and the procedure for admitting this organization in your city. In some visa centers, for example, an appointment is required.
Arriving at the appointed time at the visa center, you need to pay the cost of the visa when submitting the documents, which consists of the amount of the visa and service fees. Its size depends on the duration of the visa, and payment is made in cash in rubles. After that, all that remains is to wait for a decision from the center employee, which can take from 1 to 5 days.
