Do you like to travel around Europe? Then you know firsthand about such a concept as a “Schengen visa”. This is a kind of entry pass to a number of European countries, the history of which began even 20 years ago, and 1985 is considered the starting point. The place where the historic event took place was the city of Schengen in Luxembourg. The first countries that signed the agreement on creating a special European zone were France, the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg and Belgium, and later Spain, Portugal and Austria joined the list. Today, a Schengen visa is active in 25 countries. Countries together form a single Schengen space.
The Schengen visa for Russians ensures the free movement of citizens within the borders of the countries participating in the Agreement. Such free movement is limited in time, since the pass has a certain period of validity.
To obtain a visa, some prefer to apply for services to specialized travel agencies, while others save money by relying solely on their own resources. But issuing an entry permit is not quite simple, since any such procedure contains both obvious aspects and pitfalls. This explains the relevance of the question of how to get a Schengen visa yourself in Moscow.
Categorization by category
Schengen visas are divided into five categories. Let us consider in more detail each of them.
Category A - Airport Transit Visa. The owner of such a “pass” is a person who makes a transit air flight through the territorial space that is in the possession of a Schengen contracted country. This type of visa gives its owner the right to be in the transit zone of the airport. Movement within the country is strictly prohibited. Only the airport!
Category B - Schengen transit visa. Gives the right to follow through the territorial space of a Schengen country. Such a visa has a fairly short validity period (1-5 days). A person applying for a transit type pass cannot travel to a Schengen member country for employment or a long stay in the country.
Category C - Schengen tourist visa. Registration is carried out within the walls of the consulate or embassy of the state that you plan to visit, and represents an entry pass into its territory. Tourist visa is single and multiple. Validity, as a rule, is six months. There is also such a thing as a “guest visa”. Such an entry permit is issued on the basis of receiving a special invitation from friends or relatives.
Below is a sample of a Schengen visa.
Category D - national Schengen visa. The term for which it is issued exceeds 3 months. It is drawn up in accordance with the legislation of a particular country. Grants the right to travel through the country party to the Agreement with the aim of entering the country where the visa was issued. The maximum transit period of the transit type is 5 days.
Category C + D - long stay visa. The combination of national and tourist. Allows its owner to stay for a long period in the territory of a country that is part of the Schengen zone, as well as move through the territory of other countries that have signed the Agreement.
What opportunities does a Schengen visa provide?
- Free movement across Europe between the countries participating in the Schengen Agreement and individual countries of Eastern Europe.
- Possibility of prompt / extra urgent departure to one of the 25 participating countries (last minute packages, special offers, etc.).
- The possibility of departure to the countries of America (Central and South), Africa, using the flights of European low-cost airlines in Europe and beyond its borders.
Where is the Schengen visa issued? Visa Application Centers in Moscow
It is possible to apply for a Schengen visa only at the embassy of the country in which you want to go on a visit. The registration process, as a rule, takes from 4 to 12 days, depending on which country is chosen for travel.
Visa Application Centers in Moscow:
- Service and Visa Application Center in Germany. Address: Moscow, st. Shabolovka, d. 31 (Shabolovskaya metro station.).
- Service and Visa Application Center of Spain. Address: Moscow, Kaluga Square, 1, building 2.
- France Visa Application Center Address: Moscow, st. Marxist, d. 3, p. 2.
- Visa Center. Address: Moscow, Nizhny Susalny Lane, d. 5, p. 19. Specializes in receiving documents for obtaining visas to the USA, Singapore, China, Japan, Cyprus, Latvia, Slovakia, Estonia.
- India Visa Application Center. Address: Moscow, st. Novy Arbat, d. 2, floor 4, office No. 412.
- Austria Visa Application Center Address: Moscow, st. Dubininskaya, 35.
- Service and visa center of Belgium. Address: Moscow, st. Pinch, 11, p. 1.
- Service and Visa Application Center of Greece. Address: Moscow, Nikitsky Boulevard, d.17.
- Service and Visa Application Center of Finland. Address: Moscow, st. Prospect Mira, d. 54, floor 3.
- Service and visa center of the Czech Republic. Address: Moscow, st. Suschevsky Val, 31, p. 2.
- Service and Visa Application Center of Italy. Address: Moscow, per. Maly Tolmachevsky, d.6, p. 1.
- Switzerland Visa Application Center Address: Moscow, per. Podsosensky.
- Malta Visa Application Center. Address: Moscow, st. Pinch, 11, p. 1.
- Netherlands Visa Application Center. Address: Moscow, st. Pinch, 11, p. 1.
Schengen visa: cost
How much the pass will cost depends on the type of Schengen being issued. There are four such. And they differ in terms of receipt, cost and term of the maximum possible stay in the countries of the Agreement.
- Schengen visa for a year (90/365). You can issue it in 4-5 days. The price is 350 euros. Allows you to stay in the Schengen area for up to 90 days inclusively every six months. Condition: one Schengen visa for the last 24 months.
- Urgent Schengen visa for a year (90/365). It is made out within 2-3 days. It will cost 100 euros more than a regular annual visa - 450 euros. The number of possible days of stay in the country and the conditions are identical with respect to the previous type of pass.
- Three-year Schengen visa (90/3 years). The deadline for receipt is about one working week, but not more than 8 days. The type of pass under consideration is a Schengen visa, the cost of which will be 350 euros. Grants the right to 90 days in the country party to the Agreement in each half year. Condition: availability of an annual visa.
- Schengen visa for 5 years. The deadline for receipt is 7-8 days. Price: 550 euros. The number of days during which you can stay in the eurozone country is 90. Condition: availability of a three-year Schengen visa.
Getting a Schengen visa yourself: myth or reality?
You can apply for a Schengen visa without contacting specialized agencies. Of course, it is worth noting that this will take a lot of time and effort. The key to successful self-registration of a pass is the unquestioning performance of certain actions.
How to get a Schengen visa yourself in Moscow? Step-by-step instructions are presented below.
Step No. 1. First of all, you should clearly define the country you want to visit for one purpose or another, and the embassy you will contact for this purpose. This step is considered very important, since all subsequent requirements depend on the choice of the country and consulate, the fulfillment of which ensures obtaining a pass.
Step No. 2. Documentation. You should consult with the embassy staff in order to obtain information on what specific documents should be submitted for consideration, in order to subsequently obtain the status of “Schengen visa holder”. For most people, this step is considered the most difficult, since its implementation can cause a lot of problems.
What is the difficulty? The fact is that the one and only office authorized to inform with absolute accuracy the necessary documentation for applying for a Schengen is an office that will issue you a visa - the embassy. Not a single travel agent, acquaintance, comrade or yellow press will announce the exact list of necessary information. Therefore, before you get a Schengen visa yourself in Moscow, you should learn everything about the list of documents that need to be collected. This can be done either directly in the embassy itself or online on the official website of the embassy that represents the country where you intend to go. There is a lot of information on the portal, therefore, in order not to waste time in vain, immediately pay special attention to the “Visas. Documents for a travel visa. " And remember that a refusal to obtain a visa may be caused by the collection of an incomplete set of documents.
Step number 3. Collecting the necessary documents. Having studied in detail the list of documentation, the provision of which is the key to successful visa processing, we begin to prepare the paper. As a rule, the general list of documents includes confirmations of the reservation at the hotel, tickets, a salary certificate, evidence of the availability of certain funds for daily expenses, an insurance policy, photographs, a questionnaire and several other specific documents.
When all the necessary documentation is collected, it is provided to the consular officer.
He picks up your documents, and in return provides a payment to pay the consular fee. Such a receipt consists of two sheets of yellow and white. Be sure to save it, because on its basis, the consular fee is paid, and only upon presentation you can pick up your passport with a visa.
Step number 4. Interview. Negotiations with embassy representatives take place on a predetermined date at a specific time. You should bring all the prepared documents with you, the list of which can be adjusted depending on which country you are traveling to and the embassy of which state you applied for a visa. If you were preparing based on information received at the embassy or on the website of the office, then there should be no problems.
A Schengen visa is issued to a child according to the same strategy as a visa pass for an adult.
Filling out a visa questionnaire yourself
To get a Schengen visa, one of the most important requirements is a correctly completed application form. This is a special questionnaire, which has a single sample for all applicants. The form was created in strict accordance with the Visa Code of the Union, and the form itself includes a set of columns that are unified, and a list of questions of a standard type.
Filling in a Schengen visa:
The questionnaire can be filled in two ways: by hand or through computer typing. If the first option is chosen, then when writing, you should use exclusively capitalized printed letters. If machine font is preferred, then such a questionnaire must be certified by the signature of the applicant for the status of “visa holder”.
Also, when choosing a method of filling out computer typing, it is recommended that you first familiarize yourself with the rules for putting dashes, since each Schengen member country has its own guidelines on this issue.
Innings:
After filling out the questionnaire is handed over to the authorized bodies. And some European states accept the completed application online through the official Internet portal. The electronic form of the application implies a Schengen visa of the country of Estonia, as well as countries such as Latvia, Liechtenstein, Slovakia, Norway, Switzerland. All applicants who want to obtain permission to enter the above countries must undergo an additional registration procedure before submitting a questionnaire. It is quite simple and transparent, and it does not take much time to complete it.
One of the prerequisites for such a registration procedure is an e-mail, to which the applicant has constant access. Countries that provide an opportunity for the applicant to choose how he will fill out and submit the questionnaire include Poland, Portugal, Lithuania, Finland, Germany. In them, both electronically and in a traditional way, a Schengen visa can be issued. The list of countries compliant on this ends, all other states use only the traditional paper form for the preparation and submission of the application form for a visa.
Tongue:
The questionnaire is filled out in the national language of that state, the embassy of which it is addressed, or in the international language - English. This is a general rule. Variations in language design may vary from country to country. So, the embassies of Poland, Germany and Estonia accept questionnaires in Russian, Finland can take questionnaires containing Russian words, which were written using Latin letters. But! If the questionnaire is submitted online, then the Russian language is prohibited.
The Latin alphabet should write data, the source of which is the passport, the name of the business partner, the name of the hotel, etc.
A completed application form in traditional paper form for obtaining a Schengen pass consists of four A4 pages. If the questionnaire was compiled and registered on the network, then another four pages are attached to the main four pages - the fifth, which contains the barcode.
These four pages contain 37 question-answer format items. From 1 to 20 points personal data are indicated (full name, date and place of birth, citizenship, information on previous foreign passports of a citizen of the Russian Federation, place of work or study).
From 21 to 30 points, information is disclosed regarding the purpose of entering the territory of the European zone, that is, the reason for the Schengen visa is issued: work, tourism, visit to relatives, etc. The country with the maximum stay, the state of entry into the zone is also indicated Schengen, the estimated length of stay with fixing the date of arrival and departure, information on the Schengen passes, which were issued for the last three years before the submission of the next application, biometric data. The remaining paragraphs contain information regarding the concretization of the receiving party about relatives with European citizenship, the date and place of preparation of the document.
The structure of the questionnaire also contains the final line, within the framework of which the applicant confirms the veracity and accuracy of the information provided, assumes responsibility for the purchase of medical insurance at each entry, agrees to the processing of personal data in the VIS database (visa information system).
Before you get a Schengen visa yourself in Moscow, study all the rules for filling out the questionnaire in more detail.
Registration of a French Schengen visa - the path of least resistance
Repeatedly confirmed the fact that the degree of complexity of obtaining a visa pass is directly dependent on the country in which you want to receive the right to stay. You can get a “light” Schengen visa at the French consulate in Moscow.
Here, even a person with a “clean” passport can get a “long pass”. The French are loyal to the list of necessary documentation of the applicant.
This behavior of a foreign state in relation to Russian tourists is due to the fact that France today is a supporter of the abolition of visas for Russian citizens. And this is understandable, because tourism industry revenues have positive growth dynamics and are increasing from year to year.
What documents does the French embassy in Moscow require?
1. Application for a Schengen visa.
2. A completed questionnaire (see the rules for filling out below).
3. Flight tickets to and from France. You can provide a reservation.
4. Confirmation of the reservation of the hotel (or other place of residence). The French Embassy accepts reservations from all booking sites, regardless of whether prepayment is made or not.
If a visa pass is issued at the same time by two, three, etc. people, then in the reservation of housing apartments in the field “Guest names” you should enter the names of all those people who are traveling with you and will stay in the same room as you . If only one last name was entered during the reservation, the reservation must be edited. The latter consists in appending guests spouse / child, etc., who travel with you.
5. Medical insurance policy + photocopy of it. Insurance must cover the entire period of stay in a foreign country. - 30 .
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If you are sponsoring your close relatives, say, parents of retirement age or a housewife, then a photocopy of birth certificate, marriage and other documents that are indisputable proof of family ties, as well as a photocopy of documents confirming your financial situation. In this case, a sponsorship letter is written. Its form is arbitrary.
7. Two photographs, the parameters of which correspond to the requirements of the French consulate.
In order not to guess, it’s suitable, it won’t, you can take a picture directly at the consulate itself, where the procedure for processing and issuing a visa pass will take place. A photo taken in such an office will definitely be what you need.
Visa pass to Germany
A Schengen visa to Germany is issued on the basis of the submission of the following package of documents:
- compiled application form;
- photocopy of the completed questionnaire;
- photos (2 pcs.);
- an invitation from relatives or friends from the German state, which states the purpose and timing of the visit;
- income statement;
- account statement;
- insurance;
- a document that acts as direct evidence that returning to one’s homeland is inevitable (it can be a certificate of marriage or of ownership of a property).
A Schengen visa to Germany will be obtained if:
- The solvency of the applicant is confirmed and is within the required amount. Solvency is considered proven when the funds in the account are enough for the entire stay in a European state, based on the calculation of 50 euros daily.
- When applying for a tourist visa, a mandatory requirement is the dedication of the Consulate for the purpose of the trip, providing the route of your movement, a check on making payment for the hotel.
Possible reasons for refusing to receive Schengen
A visa may not be issued if deportation from a country that is a party to the Schengen Agreement took place during a previous trip. At the same time, it does not matter which country you were deported from or which country you want to go to, since all participating countries have a single computer base, which is systematically updated with data from individuals who violate the law (for example, a Schengen visa from a German country will not be issued if there was a fact before deportations from France).
The second reason for refusal is the provision of incorrect information (not true) in the questionnaire.
The next reason is the lack of employment and decent wages.
The above reasons are considered official. In addition to them, there are also so-called unofficial reasons, which include the unpresentable appearance and others.