The question: "Do I need a visa to Greece?" - Really idle. How else? After all, the country is a full member of the European Union, therefore, on its territory all the rules of stay and transit of foreigners that are introduced into the EU apply. Moreover, this state is also included in the notorious Schengen zone, and therefore getting a visa to Greece is quite problematic. But! Do not forget that the lion's share of the revenue in the state budget of this country comes from international tourism. So, Greece itself is interested in increasing the flow of tourists. You need to know some subtleties, and access to the sandy beaches of Rhodes and Kos will be open for you.
If you go to the website of the embassy of the country and ask if you need a visa to Greece, you will naturally be answered definitely “yes”. And the problems with getting the cherished stickers are not at all in the price. It is standard - 35 or 70 Euros, and for children under twelve years old is generally free. No, the visa process itself burns a lot of nerve cells. The weighty dossier that you have to collect, an appointment for an interview, standing in queues ... The purpose of providing some of the certificates that the embassy requires is difficult to comprehend with your mind: if you are going to rest (in fact, invest your money in the country), why do the consulate employees need to know your size salaries? And also your position and the date from which you occupy it?
But the rules are harsh, and you can ease your task only by contacting a travel agency or one of the visa centers that Greece opened for the convenience of Russians. Do I need a
Schengen visa with this mediation? Of course, but the entire burden of paperwork and collection of papers will be placed on the shoulders of the tour operator. True, the cost of a visa will increase at times, including for young children traveling with you.
Another question: "Do I need a visa to Greece if you have a valid" Schengen "with multiple entries received at the embassy of any other country?" The answer is no. You do not need to open a national Greek visa. However, it is worth considering the terms of stay in the EU countries. Even having a visa for a period of three or five years, you can stay on the territory of the Schengen states for no more than 90 days in six months.
There are other equally interesting nuances. To save your nerves and not be tormented with the acquisition of "Schengen", you can open a visa to Cyprus or to Macedonia. This process is not so difficult and is simply doomed to a successful outcome. And already having a passport in one of these countries in your passport, you can proudly enter Greece and stay there for a rest of up to fifteen days. But that is not all. It must be remembered that there is a downside to this problem - whether a visa to Greece is needed. We are also desperately needed by modern "Hellenes" (if not us, then our money). Therefore, as an experiment, since 2012, foreign tourists arriving by ferry from Turkey began to be allowed on the
island of Rhodes . Visas were issued to them right at the port.
This experiment showed its viability, and this was taken into account primarily by Greece itself. Do I need a 2013 visa? The list of Greek islands where it was possible to open an entry permit for up to 15 days has expanded this year. In addition to Rhodes, this could be done on Lesbos, Samos, Kos and Chios. The rule of “conditionally visa-free entry" was valid only in the tourist season - from 7.06 to 30.09.