Having looked through many sites and instructions on how to independently apply for a Schengen visa, I came to the conclusion that in most cases they are monotonous, general, the so-called "Copy Paste Articles", which are not suitable for many. Due to the rise in prices, this issue has come to the fore.
I will open all the cards to you using the example of a Schengen visa in Kazan. But you can also apply for it in other cities where there are accredited visa centers. A Schengen visa can be made in Ufa, Samara, Novosibirsk, etc.
I will share my personal experience using the example of two countries that are relatively simple to apply for a visa and the most popular destinations for Russians. These are Spain, Finland and France. Visas to Finland and Spain are often issued for a long time, especially if you already have stamps in your passport.
Not everyone knows that in many cities of Russia there are accredited visa centers that will allow you to get a visa right in your city. The basic documents required for a Schengen tourist visa to these countries are the same.
How to get a Schengen visa in Kazan? Instructions
1. You need to decide on the purpose of the trip and the route and, in accordance with the rules of the first entry and the longest stay in the country, with the country to which you plan to apply for a visa. I will not talk about these rules, since they are already thoroughly described everywhere. Standard - check your foreign policy and its validity period.
2. After you have decided on the country (my choice fell on Spain), we will begin to prepare the documents. Usually, with the right approach, it takes 1-2 days.
Let's start with the hardest part.
3. We go to the bank and make a statement from your card (necessarily in your name!). Usually the bank provides it for a certain fee, about 100-150 rubles (indicate in advance what exactly you need it for). The money on the card should be in the calculation of about 90 Euro / 1 day of stay.
* If you do not have that kind of money, borrow it from friends for literally a few hours, put it on the account, make a certificate and feel free to withdraw it back. Or replace with a sponsorship letter.
4. Next, we book a hostel. I usually do this on Booking or on AIRBNB (confirmation of booking is suitable for a visa). If you are not actually planning on staying at the hostel / hotel, then take a look at the free cancellation option! Otherwise, problems may arise later: a fine, a commission for refusal.
5. Now that you have a certificate from the bank and an accommodation reservation, you need to make a certificate from the place of work / study. I will not dwell on this point in detail. If you do not work, you can ask a friend / acquaintance with an individual entrepreneur or LLC for such a certificate. It is advisable to indicate a good level of income. From 35-40 thousand per month is usually enough.
6. Of the basic information, the ticket reservation remained. With this, difficulties usually arise, since you need to buy it. By the way, for those who chose Finland, ticket reservations are not needed (upd: from September 2019 needed).
But there is one option that few people know about, but I often use it for my trips - booking tickets at the Turkish Airlines office. They can book you a ticket for 1-2 weeks for free, so it's best to do this step on the very last day before applying for a Schengen visa.
7. So, the main documents are ready. It remains to take 2 photographs 3.5 x 4.5 cm (check the dimensions on the official website of the embassy), a copy of ALL pages of the Russian passport, a copy of the pages of the foreign passport, a copy of the old foreign passports (if any) and, of course, the Questionnaire. It can be filled in directly at the Visa Application Center. I will not describe detailed instructions either, because they are already full on the Internet. It is also necessary to purchase medical insurance for the period of stay in the amount of 30,000 euros (for a week it will cost around 700 rubles).
Visa to Spain in Kazan - features
- You need to sign up in advance
- Make copies of all foreign pages
- Instead of a bank certificate, you can attach a scan of a bank card and a check from an ATM
- The cost is 3900 rubles (depends on the euro exchange rate)
Visa Application Center Addresses in Kazan
- Spain Visa Application Center - st. Galaktionova, 6, 1st floor
- Italy Visa Application Center - st. Ostrovsky, 87
- All other countries - st. Paris Commune, 8
It is better to look for insurance online
After the purchase, they will come to your mail. I watch them on 3 services and choose the cheapest one:
- Cherekhapa
- Strahovkaru.ru
- Compare.ru
Travelata online booking site
I like to travel on my own, but sometimes booking tours is much more profitable (for example, to Asian countries - if you want to fly cheap on a tour to Thailand, Vietnam, China, etc.)
On this site you can buy a cheap tour at a very good price! My personal experience of buying a tour to Thailand for April 2017: initially the tour cost 68,200 rubles! Not expensive, right? Found it right here Travelata. Now how to make a discount of 4 500 rubles or 7%:
- If your tour costs more than 20 thousand rubles, use the Travelata promo code "flint1000" and get an additional discount of 1000 rubles for the tour!
- The second, very cool way to make the discount even more is to find partner banks who return 5% cashback from the tour. Personally, I use a Tinkoff Black debit card, they gave me back 3.5 thousand rubles from the tour! The total discount was 4.5 thousand rubles! Great!
Online booking site: Scyscanner.ru
He cooperates with most airlines, low-cost airlines and shows the cheapest prices! Check it out for yourself and compare your chosen flight on SkyScanner and Aviaseles.ru. You will be pleasantly surprised!
Booking hotels or hostels Booking
So far, here >> the cheapest offers are collected! Everything is clear and convenient. The main thing is to book with flexible cancellation options.
Which country do you want to fly to and which visa do you need? You can contact us with questions. We will definitely answer them!
