We cover issues related to obtaining a visa to Greece by Russian citizens in 2021: cost, documents, deadlines, refusal of entry, renewal procedure, visa on arrival.
Greece is a popular tourist destination, highly demanded among our compatriots. Despite all the loud statements made recently, the country remains a member of the EU, and in 2021 Russians still need a visa to visit Greece.
General information on visa regime
There are several types of visas. Schengen (C) is required for transit, tourist, guest and business travel. For permanent residence, work and study - national (D).
Schengen validity period can be from 30 days or more. Gold standard - 90 days total stay for six months. Actually, limiting the validity period is a matter of the competence of the staff of the Greek consulate, but, as practice shows, the Greeks are reluctant to grant multiple-entry visas, tourists are most often issued a document for a period of 1-2 months.
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Tourist visa to Greece for Russians in 2021
To open a Greek tourist visa, Russians just need to contact one of the visa service centers or the consulate of Greece. Such centers exist not only in Moscow and St. Petersburg. For the convenience of residents of other subjects of the Federation, similar organizations have been opened in Saratov, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Yekaterinburg, Krasnoyarsk, Khabarovsk, Vladivostok and other large cities. A complete list is available on the website of the Visa Application Center.
The Consulate General of Greece in the capital is located at 14 Spiridonovka; in St. Petersburg - on Chernyshevsky Avenue, 17. The official website of the consulate: www.mfa.gr.
Mandatory documents packagerequired for Russians to obtain a visa to Greece in 2020:
- Application form. In printed Latin letters, the applicant indicates personal data, phone number, e-mail, data on his employment, information on Schengen visas for the last 36 months. Information about the planned trip is entered - goals, travel dates, place of residence in Greece, financial support, etc. For minors, the questionnaire is filled out by his parents or official representatives.
- Original and copies of the passport with 2 free pages, valid for at least 90 days after the end of the planned trip.
- Copy of the RF passport. For children - a copy of a birth certificate, a certified power of attorney from a notary, if a minor is sent with one parent or with other persons.
- Two photos ICAO format (size 3.5x4.5, without corners and foreign objects, the applicant's full face occupies ¾ of the photo against a light background).
- Hotel booking confirmation or an invitation in the prescribed form from relatives / acquaintances with whom the applicant intends to live in Greece.
- Transport documents - air tickets, railway or documents for auto travelers (driver's license, technical passport with technical inspection, insurance and a detailed trip route with overnight stays and border crossing).
- Financial document applicant's solvency - salary certificate or credit card / account statement. If someone else pays for the trip - a letter from the sponsor, his financial document, a copy of his passport and a document confirming family ties.
- Medical insurance worth 30 thousand euros.
Get insurance online on the sites Sravn.ru or Cherehapa - they compare prices from all major insurance companies. You can choose a policy according to the parameters you need and the best price. The cost of the policy is from 300 rubles per week.
How much is a visa to Greece for Russians
The applicant must pay a visa fee (35 euros) and an additional service fee of 1,470 rubles, for babies under 6 years old you do not need to pay. An application in Moscow and St. Petersburg is processed quickly - usually within 2-5 days. In remote regions, the terms increase to 10-14 days. The applicant has the opportunity to track the readiness of the document through the official website.
Since 2015, in order to apply for a primary Schengen visa, persons over 12 years old must undergo fingerprinting, a photo is updated every 5 years. Children only need to be photographed.
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What to do in case of refusal
They are reluctant to open a second visa to Greece if the applicant had problems with the law on a previous trip, they are refused due to inaccuracies and inaccurate data provided by the applicant. Worst of all, if the terms of stay were violated, they can permanently deprive them of the right to enter.
In case of refusal, you can re-submit the package of documents the next day, eliminating the mistakes or inaccuracies. Another option is to appeal to the consulate, where you should explain the reasons for the refusal and ask to reconsider the application.
Extension of a visa in Greece
Russian tourists can extend their visa without leaving the country if Greek citizens apply for them. The authorities usually extend the extension for a short period of time - by 10-30 days. You can count on a longer period only in case of serious health problems, when the flight is extremely undesirable and even dangerous for medical reasons, for example, the threat of premature birth. The intention to get married in the country is not a reason for extending the stay.
First, you need to open a personal account with a local bank and deposit the amount for the extended period - at the rate of 500 euros for 10 days. Then contact the office of the Immigration Police Service at the place of residence of the citizen filing the application. Submit the documents, pay the 37 euros state fee and pass an interview. The police need to provide an application from a Greek citizen for a visa extension with justification of the need, 2 copies of his identity card, 3 of his photos, 2 copies of an unexpired visa and a certificate confirming the need for an extension, for example, a certificate from a hospital.
Where to stay in Greece? Search for hotels, hostels, apartments and villas on the search engine Roomguru, he will select the most profitable options among many booking systems.
Visa-free entry for Russians
In the summer of 2015, a simplified procedure was in force for Russians - a 15-day island visa to Greece upon arrival. It could be opened at the airport of Santorini or Mykonos. The cost of such a visa is 30 euros.
And since the summer of 2012, the islands of Kos, Rhodes, Chios, Lesvos, Symi, Samos, Kastelorizon can be visited by ferry from Turkey in the spring and summer.
