Consulates of many countries visa regime for citizens of Russia, they ask applicants for a visa to provide certificates from banks confirming that a person has a certain amount of money in his personal possession. What is the purpose of this requirement? How is the corresponding certificate drawn up, what are the criteria for recognizing it as a legally significant document?

What is a bank visa certificate?

Help for a visa from a bank - a document that is issued on the official letterhead of a financial institution and confirms that a person has a certain amount of money in the form of a deposit or in a regular account. The bank account from which the relevant certificate can be issued can also be a card account, as well as a commercial current account - if the visa applicant is an individual entrepreneur or the founder of a business entity.

Why do I need a bank statement when applying for a visa?

A certificate for a visa from a bank is necessary, first of all, so that the applicant for entry can confirm his solvency to the consulate of the state he is going to go to. This aspect has highest value in terms of considering the likelihood of immigration of a person into the country (if the visa, of course, does not imply the subsequent receipt of a residence permit by the guest).

What documents can supplement the certificate?

A bank statement for a visa is certainly not the only document that can confirm a person's solvency. It can be supplemented or replaced, for example, by an extract from the state register of real estate ownership or, for example, by the assets of the enterprise.

Many consulates of countries, especially those that have strict requirements for guests from abroad, require that the document in question be supplemented with a certificate from the employer. This source assumes a reflection of the fact of employment, as well as the level of a person's salary. Actually, the relevant document in some cases is even more important for consulates than a bank visa certificate.

Of course, the size of the deposit that a person owns also plays a role. Let's study this aspect in more detail.

How big should the deposit be according to the certificate?

It is worth noting that the amount of the deposit, which is desirable in terms of a positive assessment of the solvency of the applicant for a visa, varies depending on the immigration policy of a particular state. So, a bank statement for a Schengen visa should reflect the size of the deposit, which allows to ensure the dynamics of a person's expenses in Europe, approximately 30-50 euros per day - relative to the duration of the trip. In countries with relatively low prices - for example, in those that belong to Eastern Europe, the requirements for the size of the capital of a tourist are usually lower, in the states of Western Europe - higher.

What does a bank statement look like for a visa?

How can a bank statement for a Schengen visa look like? A sample of the relevant document is in the picture below.

It is consistent with the standard help for tourist visa. It reflects the basic data that is necessary for the consulate to assess the solvency of a person who is going to enter the Schengen area.

What might the document in question look like for the consulates of countries outside of Europe? A sample certificate from a bank for a visa to the United States, Canada or, for example, to Japan may, in principle, look the same as a European one. It contains all the basic details that may be of interest to the consulates of these states.

What is the validity period of bank visa certificates?

The next most important aspect is the term of the bank's reference for a visa, that is, the period during which the consulate of a particular country is ready to consider it as a legally significant document. AT this case, again, we are talking about the conditions determined by the immigration policy of a particular state.

Thus, a bank statement for a Schengen visa is usually assessed as a legally significant source if it is issued no earlier than 1 month before the documents are submitted to the consulate. But there are countries that in some cases may allow a visa applicant to present a certificate ordered from a bank much earlier.

Does it matter how long ago the deposit was opened?

For many states, another aspect is of greater importance - the statute of limitations for a person placing a deposit in a bank or, for example, placing the main part of its constituent amount. But it is worth noting that not every bank certificate for obtaining a visa requires an indication of a specific date for making a deposit or, for example, opening an account.

This nuance, as a rule, is of the greatest importance for states that are the least active in issuing visas to Russian citizens. It is important for their consulates to trace the real solvency of a person. It happens that an applicant for a visa temporarily places on deposit not his own, but borrowed money or funds provided by a friend or relative. Apparently the consulates are aware of this approach. But the fact that the funds were credited to the account quite a long time ago - for example, a year before applying for a visa, may indicate that the person did not carry out such an operation - to place capital that does not belong to him.

Thus, for the consulate, it may often be important not how long a certificate from a bank for a visa is valid, but how long ago a person opened the corresponding account or deposited funds on it. Note that European states in practice, when it comes to issuing a tourist visa, may not attach this nuance special significance. A bank statement for a visa to Spain, France, Greece should only reflect the required amount of capital - within the limits indicated above, if the guest from Russia is a tourist.

But if, for example, a person seeks to travel to the USA, Canada or Japan, the requirements for his solvency may be higher. In this case, the age of the deposit placement may also be of greater importance. Also, for many consulates, the bank is important, in which a certificate is issued, about which in question. Let's study this aspect in more detail.

Does the bank matter for issuing a certificate to the consulate?

The bank statement from which is issued matters, as a rule, when applying not for a relatively short-term, tourist visa, but for a longer one - for example, a work or business one. In this case, consulates may pay attention to the status and stability of the financial institution.

The bank issuing the certificate must have high ratings, preferably good reporting indicators. For many consulates, an extremely positive criterion in assessing the solvency of a borrower may be the presence of a deposit in a large foreign financial institution. Especially if it is a bank located on the territory of the state to which the Russian is going to go. In this case, the probability that a bank visa certificate will reflect the presence of borrowed or temporarily provided funds on the account will be low, and the consulate may well be much more loyal to the visa applicant.

Hidden migration factor

True, there is one more important nuance here: the fact that a person has large deposits in the bank of the state to which he is going to go can be assessed just as a factor in the desire of a tourist to immigrate. Therefore, a certificate confirming the possession by a citizen of the Russian Federation of significant capital abroad should be presented only if it is really appropriate and desirable from the point of view of the migration policy of a particular state.

How many bank statements can be provided?

Another noteworthy nuance is the number of banks from which a certificate for the consulate was obtained. As a rule, the immigration policy of various states does not provide for the provision of large preferences to visa applicants who have shown that they have a deposit in several financial institutions. But in practice, their presentation can be useful in terms of assessing the sustainability of a citizen's savings. Deposits in the Russian Federation, as in many countries, are insured - but for a limited amount. And if we are talking about the placement of funds in a significant amount, it may make sense to distribute them among several banks and request a visa certificate from each of them.

However, you need to understand that the requirements for the relevant documents separately will be the same as we have discussed above. Each certificate from the bank for a visa should be as recent as possible, reflect, if possible, the fact that the account was created a long time ago, be issued by a large bank with a high rating.

Making a certificate for a visa

We will study how the document in question is drawn up. In order to get the right for a visa, you need to apply with a corresponding request directly to the office of the financial institution in which the deposit is opened. Many banks have approved special forms of the certificates in question, as well as the procedure for issuing them, so the required documents can be provided immediately upon the fact of the citizen's application.

But in some financial institutions, you need to apply for the issuance of the relevant certificate in advance. This may be due to the fact that this document is undergoing a lengthy certification procedure, which implies, for example, that the director of the financial institution must sign it directly. He can work in another office and even a city, and it will take time to get his signature.

The issuance of such a document as a certificate for a visa from a bank can be either a completely free procedure, or it may involve the collection of a commission - from a deposit or paid by the client at the time of ordering a document at the checkout.

The certificate in question should reflect the basic information about the citizen's bank account, include the signature of the employee who issued the document, as well as the seal of the bank branch. Note that some consulates do not have such requirements for a certificate: sometimes even a regular check from an ATM is enough if the account is a card account, or an extract from the personal online account of a client of a financial institution. In this case, it is not necessary to visit the bank office.

What language should the certificate be in?

The most important aspect of the execution of such a document as a certificate for a visa from a bank is the language in which it is drawn up. In many cases, the immigration policy of states with a visa regime for Russian citizens provides for the possibility of providing a relevant certificate in Russian. But in some cases, it needs to be translated, or, if possible, initially compiled in English or another language that is desirable for a particular consulate.

Therefore, it is highly desirable to find out in advance whether it is possible to send a certificate in Russian to the migration office of a particular state, or whether it should be translated. In this case, the translation must be carried out by a well-known, and in some cases recommended directly by the consulate, organization that provides services in this area. The firm must have the authority to give legal effect to the document: it may be necessary to have a special license in this case.

Summary

So, we have studied what it is intended for and how a certificate from a bank for a visa is issued. The validity period of this source is determined based on the standards adopted by the consulate of a particular state, but, as a rule, it is assumed that the document will be issued no earlier than 1 month before the visa applicant submits documents to the migration office of the country to which he is going to go.

The certificate in question must reflect the fact that the person has a deposit or other account with an amount sufficient to live in the host state during the period of stay in it, which is likely to correspond to the validity of the visa. In some cases, it is important not how long ago the certificate was issued, but when the deposit was opened, information about which is given in the document, or when the main amount of money was placed on it.

Many consulates welcome the execution of the document in question by a bank located abroad, in particular, in the state to which a Russian citizen is going to go. In this case, the probability of assessing its solvency as corresponding to a high level increases.

The document in question must contain all the necessary information, as well as duly certified by the bank's employees. If the migration standards of a particular state require the provision of the certificate in question in English or another language convenient for the consulate, the document should be translated from Russian using the services of competent companies.

When planning a trip abroad, you need to take care of the full package of documents in advance that allow you to apply to the consulate. One of the most important documents in this list is a certificate from the place of work on income for. It would seem, what could be easier? However, in practice it turns out that most tourists do not even imagine how this document should look like.

The travel agency where you apply for a visa will tell you what kind of certificate is needed for its issuance, and what should be indicated in it. A standard document is drawn up on the letterhead of the institution where the tourist works. It indicates the details of the employer, that is, the name, legal address, as well as contacts for communication (telephone number, e-mail or website, fax, etc.). To save yourself from unnecessary questions and phone calls, it is better to indicate in the certificate not only the phone number of the reception, but also contacts for communication directly with the personnel department.

Like any other document, the income statement must have an outgoing number recorded in a special journal at the enterprise, as well as the date of issue. If one of these details is missing on the form, then the certificate loses its legal significance. The document must record the position of the employee at the time of issuance of the certificate, the period of his work at this enterprise. In addition, a record is also required that during a trip abroad, the position indicated in the document will be retained by the employee without fail. In some consulates, for example, in German, it is also required to indicate in the certificate the fact of granting legal leave for the period of the trip, as well as the date that will be the first working day after returning to the country.

A mandatory item in the certificate for obtaining a visa is the amount of the average monthly salary. At the request of some consulates, the document should also indicate data on the amount of salary for the previous six months. At the same time, currency conversion from national to euro is not required.

The certificate must be certified by the seal and signature of the head, and, if necessary, the chief accountant. An inscription in the document about the name of the institution for which the certificate is issued, that is, the consulate, will not be superfluous. The phrase "at the place of requirement" is an alternative option.

And what should individual entrepreneurs do, because they cannot issue a certificate for a visa for themselves? To do this, you must contact the tax authority, which will issue an appropriate certificate, which will contain information on income and registration of individual entrepreneurship.

All of this information is general. To avoid misunderstandings and additional visits to the consulate, it is better to familiarize yourself with the sample certificate for obtaining a visa, which is mandatory posted on the information stands of the institution.

The period of validity of the certificate for issuing a visa is limited. From the date of issuance of this document to the receipt of a visa, no more than 30 days should elapse. It is best to issue a certificate at the same time as a bank statement from a valid account, which is also included in the mandatory list of documents that are required to obtain a Schengen visa.

In conclusion, it should be noted that consulates different countries may put forward various requirements for information that must be indicated in the income statement, so it is better to get appropriate advice over the phone. This will save you from having to re-visit the consulate.