Many people are frightened by the upcoming procedure for obtaining a Schengen visa, and, as a result, they turn to intermediaries, paying considerable commissions. But in fact, once you walk this path on your own, you will be surprised at how simple it all is.
I am sure that the 50-100 euros that you give to intermediaries will be able to be used in the best possible way on your trip.
The process of obtaining a Schengen visa involves submitting a number of documents and certificates to the visa center of a particular European Union country. Most of which can be done without leaving home.
Schengen documents
In this article we will look at obtaining a tourist visa for one adult citizen of the Russian Federation with the requirements of for 2017.
The following documents will be required:
- Completed application form
- Color photos 2 pcs. (3.5 to 4.5)
- International passport
- Russian Federation passport
- Confirmation of accommodation (hotel reservation)
- Flight reservation
- Health insurance policy
- Certificate from place of employment
- Bank statement
Additional conditions for minors and foreign citizens. Download the full list of documents and a blank application form.
You will only have to leave home to get a certificate from your place of work, photographs and a bank statement. Everything else can be obtained with a computer and the Internet at hand.
Attention! If you are applying for a visa to visit several EU countries, then you should submit your application to the visa center of the country in which you will spend the most days!
Fill out the form
On the Internet, as well as on the websites of visa centers, there are many examples of filling out the application form. Moreover, the questionnaire itself contains a Russian translation of what needs to be filled out. We simply leave items that do not concern you blank.
As a rule, the visa center employee will indicate or add what you missed. *The myth that if you make a minor mistake you will be sent back* is greatly exaggerated by intermediaries. This is their “bread”.
But you should also understand that if you make a minor mistake (full name, passport number, etc.), you will be sent to rewrite the application form.
Photos
In Samara, for example, 4 Schengen photos cost 150 rubles. Don’t forget to tell the photographer that the photos are needed for a visa, you can tell them the size.
International passport
The international passport must be valid at the time of submission of documents. Moreover, the expiration date must be with a margin of 3 months. That is, after the end of the intended voyage, it must be valid for at least another 3 months. Make photocopies of ALL of its pages, even blank ones.
If you have a printer at home or at work, then quickly solve this problem.
Civil passport
Photocopies of all completed pages are required.
- Spread of the main page with your data
- Spread of page with registration
- Children, change of passport, if available
- Spread page about marital status (if married, married)
Confirmation of placement
This means that you must have a hotel reservation, rental agreement for an apartment or house. One of the most popular and inexpensive resources for finding accommodation abroad is the Booking website. You book a hotel online and immediately receive a printable document by email.
Air tickets
The same thing happens with booking plane tickets. For these purposes, I recommend a resource such as Skyscanner. This search engine will quickly and easily find the flight that suits you and offers good value for money.
Health insurance policy
Insurance can also be purchased online. The cost of the policy depends on:
- amounts of insurance,
- of the services you have chosen
- your age
The minimum amount of insurance coverage must be at least 50 000 euros. As a rule, non-departure insurance is chosen among additional services. The age of the tourist affects the cost of the insurance policy. If you are under 60 years old, then insurance can cost about 1000 rubles, plus or minus 200 rubles. For pensioners, the price will increase by one and a half times.
I should note that you can reduce the cost of your policy by taking out insurance for several people at once.
Certificate from place of employment
You simply turn to your manager with a request to issue a certificate of employment. It is advisable that this document indicate your average monthly salary and that you are on vacation during the trip.
Financial guarantees
Getting a bank statement about the status of your account will not be difficult. Just top up your card or account account in advance, and ask for a statement at the bank office. The cost of such a certificate, for example, in Sberbank will be 100 rubles.
Submitting documents to the visa center
Now that you have all the necessary certificates, photocopies, and tickets in your hands, you should find on the Internet the official website of the visa center of the desired country. On it you can submit an application, indicating a convenient date and time for you to visit the center.
At the visa center they will take your biometric data:
- Fingerprints
- Photo
A receipt will be issued here to pay for the visa and service fee. For example, a Spanish visa costs 3 258 rub.
Output
As you may have noticed, the lion’s share of documents that you will need for issuing a Schengen visa, you can make, pay, download and print without leaving your home. I remember the phrase from the commercial that has become very popular: “Why pay more?”
Or contact us for advice and we will help resolve this issue.
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