Dreams of sunny Greece inevitably end with practical considerations - for example, whether Russian citizens need a visa. The answer is simple - you need a visa. Greece is part of the Schengen zone, therefore, the Russians will have to apply for a Schengen visa.

We will tell you about the types of Schengen visas, their validity periods and the procedure for obtaining them. After reading our article, you will be able to apply for a visa yourself, quickly and efficiently. You will also learn about the consular fee and be able to write out a couple of useful addresses. Forward!

Types of visas - what does a tourist need?

In 2015, answer unambiguously the question “Do Russian travelers need a Greek visa?” problematic.

You will not be able to enter the mainland without a visa. As for some Greek islands, in June-September 2014 it was possible to enter there by simplified procedure. Arriving wanderers were issued a guest visa for 30 euros directly. There is reason to believe that the “freebie” will fall on our heads in 2015 as well.

Here is a list of hospitable islands:

• Mykonos;
• Santorini;
• Chios;
• Rhodes;
• Lesvos.

For the rest of the Greek territories, you will need a Schengen. Depending on the term of stay, the following types of Greek visas are distinguished:

• A/B - transit visas;
• C - short-term (upper bar - 30 days);
• D - national (includes regular and multivisa).

The minimum validity of a regular visa is 100 days. A multivisa is an annual visa, and you can enter Greece an unlimited number of times.

There is also a division of visas into types (the basis is the purpose of your visit). Here the classification is:

• business visa (usually it is issued by businessmen);
• tourist (most often done by travel agencies);
• guest room (if you were invited by business partners or relatives);
• multivisa.

To travel to the resorts of the mainland, you need a Schengen visa.

Separately, it is worth mentioning Mount Athos. You can enter here only for four days, and even then not for everyone. "Athos" visa is issued to students studying architecture, history, fine arts, philosophy and theology, as well as teachers and university professors.

Multiple visas and troubles of the unemployed

We used to think that a multivisa allows you to travel around Greece throughout the year. But in some cases, a multivisa can be extended for 5 years. To get the right to an unlimited number of movements, you must first obtain a single "Schengen" or Greek visa.

We will describe the package of documents that you will have to collect a little later. We note the main advantages of multivisa:

• democratic price;
• fast clearance;
• visiting any countries belonging to the Schengen area;
• receipt without your presence.

How to get a visa for the unemployed? The procedure is slightly different from the standard.

Non-working travelers include pensioners, students and housewives. In theory, they cannot go at their own expense, so their sponsor (close relative) must write a statement confirming the fact of financial assistance.

In this case, the sponsor must earn at least 30 thousand rubles per month (certificate is provided). A financial guarantee can be not only a certificate, but also a bank statement (a copy of the passbook).

If you are invited to Greece by a citizen of this country (or a resident of the European Union), you can apply for a visa by invitation. For this you will need the following documents:

• 2 photographs (3x4, color);
• international passport;
• a copy of the passport;
• national passport (and its copy);
• invitation (notarized);
• identity card of the inviting person (copy);
• a copy of the tax return of the inviter.

An important point: the invitation is valid for 3 months.
Representatives of the consulate consider only original invitations, copies are not allowed.

Issuing a visa in Moscow: a travel agency or a consulate?

We have gradually approached the sacramental question: where is it better to apply for a visa?

The option with a consulate (visa center) is good for independent travelers. Tourists who prefer package tours will have to apply for a visa through a travel agency. Usually this option is included in the ticket price.

Employees of the travel agency support their client in every possible way:

• help to fill out the questionnaire;
• take over the interaction with the consulate;
• provide comprehensive support.

The advantage of working with an agency is the low bounce rate. In addition, your manager will take over the collection of documents, which will thoroughly save time. The downside is the higher cost of the service.

How to get a visa to Greece on your own? Here you will have to perform a series of gestures, which we will discuss below.

You can apply for a visa at the consulate / embassy or visa center. Here are the addresses of these points in Moscow:

1. Greek embassy. It is located in Leontievsky lane, house 4. The nearest landmark is Tverskoy Boulevard. You can take the metro, get off at the Tverskaya station, and it’s not far from there.
2. Consulate-General. Address: Spiridonovka, 14. It is near the Garden Ring and the Tverskaya, Pushkinskaya, Mayakovskaya metro stations.
   The cash desk is open daily (9.30-14.30), the consular department - 9.00-17.00.
3. Visa Service Center. Walking on foot from Spiridonovka, you will find yourself on Malaya Nikitskaya, 33. It is localized here Visa Center- it practically adjoins the Garden Ring. You can immediately take the metro and ride to the "Barrikadnaya".
   Applications are accepted only on weekdays, from nine to one. Passports are issued from three to five.

Travel agencies have a low percentage of visa refusals.

There is a visa center in St. Petersburg. It is located on Nekrasova, 27 - you can walk there from the Chernyshevskaya and Ploshchad Vosstaniya metro stations. On weekdays, applications are accepted until 14.00. The time for issuing passports takes two hours - 14.00-16.00.

What is the procedure for self-issuing a Schengen visa for traveling to Greece? The design process can be broken down into several key steps. Here they are:

• Step 1. Filling out an application form. You must indicate:
  • passport data and personal information,
  • email box,
  • place of residence,
  • purpose of the trip,
  • type of visa requested,
  • expected length of stay in Greece.

  If you have Schengen visas in your passport, they must be listed in the application form. The letters used to fill in the questionnaire are always PRINTED. You also need to indicate the address where you intend to live (hotel, apartment).

• Step 2. Photo collection. The corner should be absent, the image should be in color. Photos of children are pasted into the passports of parents (limit - up to 14 years). The expiration date of the photo is six months. The face takes up three-quarters of the image. The background is light. No headwear.
• Step 3. Collection of documents. If you changed citizenship, additional certificates will be added to the standard package of papers.

The fact of your stay in the unrecognized Northern Cyprus by the Greeks may affect the receipt of a visa.

Resting on the land of the Turkish Cypriots, make sure that the customs officer puts the entry visa on a special insert, and not in your passport. If the opposite happens, you can put an end to the beaches of Greece.

Collection of documents and the cost of obtaining a visa

We have already written about the list of documents that you will need for a trip to Greece by invitation. Now let's dwell on the papers required in order to make a standard tourist visa. Here they are:

• international passport (plus photocopies of its pages);
• original passport (two pages must remain blank);
• Russian passport (photocopies of ALL of its pages);
• in the presence of an outdated passport - photocopies of its pages;
• a copy of the Moscow registration (relevant only for Muscovites);
• confirmation of the reservation (any financial documents confirming the fact of your temporary residence - for example, payment vouchers);
• medical insurance policy (coverage - at least 30 thousand euros);
• original certificate of salary, taken at your place of work (documents for unemployed travelers are different, we described them above);
• air tickets (or application for booking);
• insurance certificate, driver's license, route sheet and inspection ticket (if you are traveling in your own car).

You can get a visa on your own or through a specialized intermediary agency.

We issue a visa quickly

You need to come to the Greek visa center in person - documents cannot be transferred through acquaintances. Any photocopies can be made on site.

After submitting correctly executed documents, get ready for waiting - the processing time is 1-2 weeks. You can track the status of documents through a specialized website.

In practice, visas are issued much faster than the stated period, since tourism is the main income of the Greeks.

The process can be "shrink" up to 3-4 days, but the visa will cost twice as much. Whether it's worth it is up to you.

Summarize. For Russians, a Greek visa can be issued for 35 euros (we are talking about a one-time tourist option), and this is done in a week or two.

Going to some Greek islands at the height of the season, you can not strain yourself at all by collecting papers and standing in lines at the consulate.

Be careful with the visa of Northern Cyprus - you need to put it on a special tab, otherwise you will not see Olympus. Have a nice trip to hospitable Hellas!

Greece has always been one of the popular as well as demanded tourism destinations for Russian citizens, so the first question that comes to mind is whether Russians need a visa to Greece in 2017 to cross the border. Of course, everyone needs it, and there are no exceptions. It should be remembered that Greece enters the Schengen and is not going to leave it yet. It means that for Russians, all the rules and regulations of the Schengen area apply when visiting Greece.

You can get a visa through one of any regional departments of the Greek Visa Application Center. Also, obtaining a visa to Greece is independently available and through Consulates General at the State Embassy.
For those who decide to apply for a visa without refusals, quickly and inexpensively, we recommend the Online Visa Application Center.

Greek Schengen - the chance of getting a long-term multivisa is not very high.

Do I need a visa

To the question of what kind of visa is needed for Greece, there is only one answer - Schengen. The rules for obtaining this document are practically the same for all EU states. Despite numerous speculations in the media, the subject of indulgence is not visa regime Greece with Russia should not doubt whether the Schengen to Greece is needed in 2017, there is still a need to obtain permission in advance for all categories of visitors to the country.

Moreover, there are even new rules. Since September 2015, one more item has been added to the list of what you need for a visa to Greece. Now everyone who wants to get a Schengen visa will have to personally submit their biometric data - fingerprints and photos every five years, this will require a personal presence at the visa center or at the Consulate. This information should be kept in mind for those travelers who do not want to apply for a Greek visa on their own, but prefer to do it through an agency. They still have to provide information only children under five years of age are exempted from the procedure.

Visa-free entry

Despite the fact that Greece still needs a Schengen, there are a number of situations when you can do without obtaining it and visit the country. These situations are very few, but still they are enough for our tourists. Directly in Greece without a visa in 2017 you can get to a number of islands: Chios, Lesvos, Kos, Rhodes, Samos, Kastellorizon, Symi. That is, a visa is still needed, but it no need to ask in advance in Russia.

There are a number of serious restrictions on visiting the Greek islands without a visa and you need to be aware of them. In fact, with obtaining permission to visit these territories, there is hardly a little less bureaucracy than with the design of the same Schengen.

Short stay island visa

And yet, what kind of visa is needed to visit the Greek islands and how to get it? It should immediately be noted that this is not Schengen. Such a document can only be obtained by those tourists who arrived on one of the above islands by sea by ship, ferry or other water transport from Turkey. Many Turkish hotels and agencies in Bodrum and Marmaris organize mini-tours to the Greek islands, and they will also help in the official issuance of an island visa.

Restrictions that are imposed on the island entry document:

• The island visa is not valid in the rest of Greece;
• The document assumes that the traveler will return back to Turkey and go through it to his homeland;
• Validity is limited to two weeks.

There is also a whole list of what is needed for this type of visa to Greece:

1. Two photos that can be taken upon arrival at the port;
2. Photocopy of the passport;
3. Round-trip tickets for sea transport;
4. Paid reservation from the hotel, if the excursion is for several days;
5. A certificate from the bank confirming that there are at least 500 euros on the personal account at the moment.

The document can be issued through a hotel guide or through a Turkish company that sells excursions to the islands. There is an opportunity to do this in Moscow through the same tour operator from whom you purchased a ticket to Turkey. If the Greek visa was made independently without purchasing a package tour, then you can still try to get permission to enter the islands through a travel agency.

Types of visas

Since Greece entered the Schengen area a long time ago, accordingly, the rules of this zone apply on its territory. They also apply to permits for entry.

In general, all types of Greek visas can be divided into two: Schengen C and national D. Previously also issued transit documents, but now visa C is simply marked accordingly.

For all those Russians who plan to go to Greece as independent tourists, to their acquaintances/friends/relatives or not so relatives, as members of delegations, on business trips, with short private visits, a Schengen visa to Greece for Russians of type C is needed. those who plan to stay in the state for a long time: work, study, live with a spouse, or even plan to obtain permanent residence, will need a national D visa.

Tourist

It should be noted that a tourist visa to Greece also belongs to the Schengen category, only the purpose of the trip in this case will be tourism. This visa is made according to the same rules as for other purposes of travel, adjusted for the list of documents, the cost of a tourist Schengen visa to Greece will be the same.

For Russians, Greece is becoming an increasingly popular destination, because it offers an excellent alternative to other resort countries for beach holiday. Therefore, a tourist visa to Greece is requested by more and more citizens of the Russian Federation. A considerable number of visa centers of this state have been opened in Russia, which is very convenient for our citizens. In other words, self-registration of a Greek visa is becoming more understandable and accessible.

National Type D

Such a document is no longer needed for tourist trips, but for more serious purposes. For example, a Russian citizen managed to find a place in Greece where he could work or go to university. There are also cases when citizens of the Russian Federation marry citizens of Greece and want to live together there. For all these situations, the national visa D is suitable. It is distinguished by more long terms activities and more days of permitted stay. Here, too, it is possible to obtain a visa to Greece on your own, only through the Consulate.

transit through the country

For transit, Russians will also need a permit. If Greece is an intermediate point between Russia and a non-Schengen country, then it is necessary to collect documents for transit visa to Greece.

If the finished country of destination belongs to the Schengen zone, then it is imperative to have a visa stamp of that country in your passport, otherwise you simply cannot pass through Hellas.

Required documents

The corresponding required list of documents for a visa to Greece is approved by the visa legislation. For different purposes of the visit, it is somewhat different, but there is a general list that is mandatory for everyone to submit.

Required documents for a visa to Greece in 2017 for tourist and other private visits - a general list:

Additional documents for a Schengen visa to Greece for persons entering by invitation:

1. Confirmation of the status of the inviting party, that is, a document that is able to confirm legal residence in Greece: ID, residence permit status, visa, and so on.

Booking from the hotel is not required if accommodation is supposed to be with the inviting party.

Additional documents for a visa to Greece for other categories:

1. An invitation from an authorized organization, issued according to the appropriate sample with a seal;
2. Letter / written request confirming the purpose of the trip;
3. For official delegations - a copy of the invitation from the interested party indicating the details of the invitee.

This is how the list of documents for a Schengen visa to Greece looks like, but there is also a national one. To receive it, you need to provide grounds. Such grounds can be: an employment contract, a certificate of admission to an educational institution, registration of marriage with a Greek citizen, and so on. Learn more about the procedure for obtaining national document can be found on the website of the Consulate of Greece.

Filling out the questionnaire

How to apply for a visa to Greece on your own and do everything right? It all starts with the correct filling of the questionnaire. It must contain accurate and truthful information about yourself and not allow blots, strikethroughs or illegible handwriting. When filling out, it is best to focus on the sample.

The questionnaire consists of the following sections:

1. Personal data, including mobile number, email address, passport data;
2. Job data;

   If there is no work, then this section does not need to be completed.

3. Information about the purpose of the trip;
4. Information about Schengen visas and the states that issued them;
5. Information about the trip itself: dates of the visit, countries, financial means;

The application form for a visa to Greece is filled out on your own very quickly and simply. You just need to be careful and try not to make mistakes so that you don’t have to redo everything again. At the very end of the questionnaire, you need to put the current date of filling and your signature.

Photo for a visa to Greece: 2017 requirements

In order for a photo to be accepted with a package of documents, it must comply with ICAO standards. The current requirements for photo parameters for a visa to Greece are as follows:

• Dimensions no more than 35 by 45 mm;
• Only a light or white background is allowed;
• The applicant must be alone in the frame;
• The face must be open, the presence of elements of the image that cover part of the face is not allowed;
• Hats are only out of religious necessity;
• Full-face photo, emotional color - neutral, without smiles, winks, head tilts and other things;
• Elements framing the image are not allowed: ovals, corners, cuts.

A child who is sent to Greece is subject to several additional rules when submitting documents:

Documents for children are processed according to the same rules as for adults. It should be remembered that the cost of a visa to Greece for children of Russians who are not yet six years old is zero, that is, they are exempt from paying the consular fee.

Self clearance

Now getting a visa to Greece on your own does not cause any particular difficulties. It is enough to apply to any of the visa centers of the state on the territory of Russia. Their websites detail the process of applying for a visa to Greece on their own, as well as answering more common questions from applicants.

Through the visa center

It should be noted that residents of different subjects of the Russian Federation must apply for services at the visa center under whose jurisdiction the region falls. There are offices not only in Moscow and St. Petersburg, but also in Khabarovsk, Kaliningrad, Nizhny Novgorod, Yekaterinburg, Rostov-on-Don, Kazan, Vladivostok, Ufa. Samara, Saratov. Irkutsk, Novorossiysk, Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk, Krasnodar.

There are slight differences between how to apply for a visa to Greece on your own in Moscow through a visa center and how to do it in another region. They relate to the form of agreement for the processing of personal data, because different providers deal with this in different subjects. Otherwise, the Greek visa is independently issued according to the same procedure in all visa centers.

1. First you need to define desired type visas and collect all papers;
2. Then go through registration and create an entry for the submission of papers to the nearest visa center;
3. Arrive at appointment time and undergo fingerprinting;
4. Pay the full price of a visa to Greece: consular, service fees;
5. Submit documents;
6. Wait for a decision.

A convenient option is available on the website of the visa center - tracking readiness. It's free and every person who has submitted documents can see when he needs to go pick up his passport.

Through the Consulate in Moscow

Where can I get a visa to Greece on my own in Moscow in addition to the visa center? This can be done at the Consulate. Please note that the Consulate only accepts applications for a national visa D, or you can submit documents there if the application through the visa center was refused.

It should be noted that obtaining a visa to Greece on your own in Moscow will take less time than if the request is made from another region. There is also the possibility of submitting documents to the Consulates of St. Petersburg and Novorossiysk. Applications are accepted only from persons who are under their jurisdiction.

Through a travel agency

All issues of registration of an entry document can be entrusted to a travel agency. This is done when buying a package tour. Or you can contact an intermediary who draws up a document without buying a tour.

It is difficult to answer the question of how long it takes to get a visa to Greece through a travel agency, as a rule it takes several days. At the same time, the applicant himself does not need to do anything - an employee will fill out the questionnaire for him and submit all the papers to the same visa center. It should be noted that a Schengen visa to Greece issued with the help of a travel agency is more expensive than if you receive it yourself.

With the introduction of the new fingerprinting procedure, the applicant himself must appear to submit data about himself, therefore if a Schengen visa is done for the first time, then you still have to go and hand over this data. Whether it makes sense to contact an intermediary, everyone decides for himself. Especially according to latest reviews about independently applying for a visa to Greece to make it more reliable yourself, since employees of a third-party company can make mistakes that lead to refusal, and after a refusal it is already more difficult to obtain a document.

If we turn again to the timing, it is obvious that it is not so important for a traveler how long it takes to get a visa to Greece through a travel agency, the main thing is to make the trip. But it must be remembered that no one can influence the decisions of the Consulate staff, no matter how fast deadlines intermediary firms did not promise.