Greece is a member of the Schengen Agreement. From this it follows that in order to visit the state, citizens of Russia will need to apply for a visa. It is worth noting that 2017 is the year of culture of Greece and Russia. Within the framework of the agreement between the two states is the decision of the Greek Government to issue multiple visas for Russian tourists, the duration of which will be 3 years.
Cross Year of Culture
The Cross Year of Culture, already mentioned above, is organized between countries to get acquainted with the state and folk heritage, as well as to increase the tourist flow. Simultaneously with the decision to issue three-year permits for crossing the border, the Consul General of Greece announced the abolition of a number of requirements for the documentation package.
So, since 2017, it is no longer required to present the original birth certificate of the child in order to obtain permission. Russian citizens residing in St. Petersburg will not need to document their place of registration.
Requirements for applicants
To obtain a Greek visa for three years, the applicant must meet a number of requirements:
- Availability of trips abroad. The applicant must have a foreign passport with several completed pages. The employees of the migration center take into account trips to countries that have signed the Schengen Agreement and the UK;
- There are no violations of the visa regime. So, the applicant must not violate the terms of stay abroad, use the permit in accordance with the purposes for which it was issued;
- Documentally, the applicant must confirm the need to obtain a visa to Greece for three years. For example, a document confirming the registration of a business in the state;
- Confirmation of financial well-being. It is important that the potential holder of a Greek visa for three years be able to provide for himself financially;
- The presence of a reason for the tourist to return back to their homeland. As an example, one can cite the ownership of real estate on the right of ownership, the residence of close relatives in Russia, etc.
Instructions for obtaining a visa
To independently obtain a visa to Greece for three years, you must follow the instructions:
- Fill out the form. It is important to indicate only reliable information in it - personal data, place of residence, the purpose of the visit to Greece, the category of the requested visa, the planned time of stay in the state. In the questionnaire it is necessary to indicate whether Schengen visas have been previously obtained.
- Take two photographs corresponding to the parameters of 3 by 4 cm. They must be in color format without frames. If children go on a trip, then their photographs are pasted into the parents' foreign passport.
- Collect a certain package of documents. In accordance with the requirements put forward by the Embassy of Greece, citizens who have changed their citizenship in order to obtain permission to cross the border are required to submit a package of additional papers for verification.
Documents for registration
So, in order to get a visa to Greece valid for three years, you will need to collect the following list of documents:
- Compiled on the letterhead of the organization;
- The presence of the seal and signature of the management;
- Indication of the position occupied by the applicant, salary;
- HR department phone number.
- If the visa applicant does not have a job, then he submits a sponsorship letter and relevant information about this person. In addition to a certificate from his place of work, it is important to hand over a document indicating your family ties.
- If the applicant is an entrepreneur, then he submits documents confirming the registration of the business and tax registration. Additionally, a declaration drawn up in accordance with form 2 - personal income tax is attached.
- Air tickets in both directions or an application for their reservation.
Attention! If the applicant lives in Moscow, then he will need to attach a photocopy of registration in the capital to the list of documents.
If you need to obtain a visa for a child, you must submit the following additional package of documents:
- Birth certificate - a copy certified by a notary;
- Permission from parents to cross the border, if entry is planned with only one of them or with an accompanying person.
Problems with obtaining permission to cross the border often arise if the applicant's salary does not exceed 20,000 rubles a month, or there are conflicts with countries that have signed the Schengen Agreement.
The most serious violation established by the Greek migration law is the violation of the time of stay in the state. A few days overdue may cause a ban on visiting European countries in the future.
Photo Requirements
When applying for a Greek visa, it is important to consider the photo requirements. These include:
- Compliance with the expiration date of the snapshot. The photo is valid for 6 months - no more;
- 80-85% of the image should be occupied by the applicant's face;
- The background of the photograph must be light;
- The basic requirements are the absence of sunglasses, a headdress (with the exception of religious beliefs), accessories that cover the face, etc.
It is worth saying a few words about filling out the questionnaire. It is printed in block letters, which eliminates the misinterpretation of words during processing. It is recommended that when filling out, pay attention to columns 24 and 25, since they will indicate information on the frequency of visits and duration of stay.
Increasingly, there are rumors that visas to Greece will be cancelled. Is this really so, when to expect changes for the Russians? Unfortunately, at the moment such news is not true. Greece is a member of the Schengen Agreement and does not officially declare its desire to lose its status.
To obtain a Greek visa for 3 years, you will need to collect a significant package of documents and submit it for consideration to the Consulate or one of the visa centers. It is important to comply with all the requirements and conditions - following them is the guarantor of a positive decision.
2016-09-22 Vitaly
