Have you made travel plans for Greece? Is Greece your next travel destination? If any of these cases hold for you, then you must also be aware of the visa rules and policies.
To visit Greece, you need a travel document, the Greece Schengen visa. It is important to acquire the Greek Schengen Visa as Greece is one of the Schengen countries.
This article will further brief you about the Greek Schengen visa, the requirements, and how you can apply for one and successfully reach Greece!
What is a Schengen Visa?
A Schengen visa is a type of visa that covers the Schengen area. Certain countries form the Schengen zone, and the travel restrictions are limited for the countries belonging to this zone. With a Schengen visa, you can travel wherever you want to among the Schengen countries.
What are the Different Types of Greece Schengen Visa?
Greece Tourist Visa
The Greek tourist visa is mainly for tourists or individuals visiting Greece to visit their family members or friends. This visa is a type of Greece visitor visa and must not be used for official purposes. For the tourist visa to Greece, if someone has invited you, then a letter from the inviting person must be provided which tells the details of your trip and what you will be doing during the trip along with the host's details.
Greece Business Visa
People who intend to go to Greece for business purposes, such as attending conferences, meetings, contract signings, and negotiations, need to apply for a Greek business visa. The Greek business visa should not be confused with the work visa, nevertheless.
You will not be permitted to work and the business visa does not function as a work permit. You are only allowed to engage in non-work-related activities that are business-related.
You must submit the invitation letter from the organization that invited you in order to obtain a business visa.
Other Visas
There are also other visas, such as the Greece transit visa, to be acquired when you travel through Greece to go to another country. You will need a Greece medical visa to visit Greece and get medical treatment.
What are the Greece Visa Requirements?
When you apply for a visa, there are a few requirements that you must fulfill. The requirements can differ depending on the visa you choose to apply for, but more or less, some documents will remain the same for all types of visas. These include having a filled Greek Schengen visa application form. You must ensure that no information in the form is left blank. Moreover, you must provide a valid passport with at least 2 blank pages. Moreover, the visa should be valid for at least 6 months after departure from the country.
You also have to provide your passport photo, preferably with a white background. The Greece visa application may sometimes ask you for your previous passports and visas.
Additional documents include providing the travel itinerary. This should include proof of travel, such as flight tickets and hotel accommodation. Moreover, the Greek authorities should know that you have sufficient funds to spend your time in Greece, and you must submit your bank statements for that purpose.
It would be best if you also had medical insurance that covers your stay in Greece. Therefore, proof of proper medical insurance can be required.
You must pay the visa fee, and if you are applying through any third-party service, you must also pay the service fee.
Processing Time
The processing time normally takes about 15 days. However, sometimes it may take 30 days or more too if your visa has to be approved by other countries too.
How to Apply For a Greek Visa?
The Greece Embassy in your country is there to cater to you if you wish to apply for a visa. However, to apply through the Embassy, you must schedule an appointment beforehand and visit the Embassy or the visa application center. This can be time-consuming for most. Hence, there is another method too through which you can apply online.
VisaHQ is a third-party service that offers passport and visa services. You can get assistance as required with the help of the skilled team at VisaHQ. The procedure for applying for the Greece Schengen visa is simple. You need to choose your destination country, Greece, and then choose your citizenship.
Once you have done so, the site will show you the details about the visa. You will get to see information about the visa types, processing time, visa fees, and what are requirements for the visa. You can apply online by filling out the Greece visa application form on the website. Then you can gather the documents, scan them and upload them according to the requirements. Once you submit your Greece visa application, you will have to wait for the visa to be processed.