The reality of issuing Schengen to Russian tourists after the suspension of the visa facilitation agreement by the EU does not meet pessimistic expectations. Indeed, some difficulties have appeared, the number of refusals and issuance of “short” visas has increased, however, the visa policy of many countries remains quite friendly to the Russian user – and this includes such countries popular with tourists as France and Spain – the timing of issuance “space ” are not delayed, and those who are determined to spend the New Year in Europe can still have time. This is how the situation was assessed after a month and a half of work according to the new rules by experts from the tourist market, who described the main trends for ATOR.
Recall that after the suspension of the agreement, Russian tourists receive Schengen visas in accordance with the general conditions of the EU Visa Code. In particular, this led to their rise in price: the amount of the visa fee for adults is 80 euros, for children 6-12 years old – 40 euros. More documents will also be required to justify the purpose of the trip and prove financial solvency. But the main thing that tourists feared was delays: the officially standard period for considering a visa application is 15 days, but it can be “stretched” up to 45 days if additional documents are required.
So, this didn't happen. Not a single such case has been recorded. Tour operators report that “a significant change in the terms of consideration of documents for a visa, contrary to pessimistic forecasts, has not happened.” The average processing time is 2.5 weeks. The reason for this, however, is also the significantly reduced demand due to higher prices, an additional package of documents and, in general, a reduction in the number of people rushing to Europe, including due to the “closed doors” policy.
However, not all consulates carry it out. “Relatively loyal policy” in relation to Russian applicants tour operators record in the consulates of France, Italy, Spain and Hungary. At the same time, the term for issuing a visa to France is approximately 1.5 weeks, visas to Spain, Italy, Hungary and Austria are issued for up to 3 weeks. Greece issues visas on average up to 10 calendar days, but recommends submitting documents at least 15 days before departure.
It is more difficult with Germany and Austria, especially with the first one – they began to require insurance issued in the EU, as well as a certificate from a bank operating in the EU. By the way, as the tour operators said, it is the lack of bank funds in the account that turns out to be one of the main reasons for the refusal. Experts recommend attaching certificates of at least 300 thousand rubles in the bank account to the package of documents.
Another “trend” is a massive reduction in terms, an increase in the number of single and short multiple visas. Tourists have become more likely to receive single-entry visas for travel dates and multiple visas valid for only 1 to 3 months. Moreover, this does not depend on the previous visa history and the number of used visas in the passport. There are exceptions – according to tour operators, the French Consulate still issues semi-annual, annual or five-year visas.
As a result, as tour operators assure, if there is a desire to get to Europe for the New Year, then the tourist has a couple more weeks to submit documents. You can also “catch slots” in November for entry to the visa centers of France, Italy and Spain. According to tour operators, “windows” periodically appear for tourists to book appointments for the next dates, due to the fact that some tourists decided to cancel or reschedule their visit to the visa center.
For those who value a healthy lifestyle , we recommend reading: “The urologist named 8 reasons for frequent visits to the toilet and when to see a doctor.”