Formalities and rules of entry into Hungary: personal experience. National visa: advantages and disadvantages Crossing the Hungarian border on a Polish visa


New rules that came into force in 2020 in the Schengen area for tourists. How to calculate the term of stay in the Schengen. What does a visa for 90 days mean.
  - A very convenient way to freely travel almost throughout Europe. Having received permission to enter one European country, you can travel almost all over Europe, stopping at the border except for the photographic capture of this fact. No lines, customs inspection and passport control.

Quiet European street, in "Old Europe"

But one should not think that there is no control at all. In fact, in the Schengen free zone, there are quite strict rules for entry on a Schengen visa, place and duration of stay. Ignoring which may close the possibility of obtaining permission to enter the country in the future.

Official rules for applying and processing.

Despite the fact that initially and until now the European Union declared freedom of movement of people without borders, there are certain Schengen rules regarding foreigners. Which are also valid in 2020.

There are only three of them:

  • First entry rule;
  • Rule of the main country;
  • Limitation of stay.

If you are planning a trip to Europe, you should carefully study them before applying for a visa. Because the violation of these, at first glance, uncontrolled rules by anyone, can lead to very sad consequences. Because the lack of supervision over their implementation is only apparent.

First entry rule

There is no Schengen country on the map. This is just a village in Luxembourg, where almost thirty years ago an agreement was signed on the abolition of the visa regime between five European countries. And today, two and a half dozen countries are included in the Schengen zone. And you need to get a visa in one of them.

If you plan to visit only one country, then everything is quite simple. You need to collect all the documents and go to the appropriate embassy, \u200b\u200bconsulate, visa center or travel agency. Even if you later want to go on an excursion to a neighboring country, no one will have questions.

But Europe is not so big. Crossing it by car or train can be easily done in a fairly short time. And the lack of boundaries makes this event simple and easy. And it seems to some that you can apply for any visa at the embassy, \u200b\u200bwhich is conveniently located. But this is not so.

  The first entry into Schengen should be in the country that issued the visa.   This is the first entry rule. But a literal understanding of this rule gives rise to confusion and myths that it should not be violated in any case. Therefore, you should start your trip exactly to the state where you applied for a visa.

It should not be thought that if issued, then it will not be possible to get to any other country earlier. No one will close the border in front of a tourist if he flew to Paris and gets on by bus or car. This rule works a little differently.

For holders of a single visa, it means that they must spend most of their travels in the country whose visa they received.

Travel through other countries, not exceeding 1-5 days, will be considered as transit. This is true, for example, for bus tours or for traveling by car.

But for those who plan to take advantage of an approximately equally long stay in several countries, the order of their visit already matters. However, even in these situations, violation of this rule does not have serious consequences.

Simply, if the country of first entry does not coincide with the visa that you received, when applying for the next one, you can get a recommendation to contact another embassy. When the reason for the refusal is only in violation of the rules of the first entry, then you should not have problems with the repeated multivisa.

Sample multivisa.

There is one more situation when this rule should be taken into account when choosing a country for obtaining a visa. It is mainly related to car trips. In this situation, it may turn out that in a country through which you have to pass on the way there and back, in total more time will be accumulated than in any other.

For example, on a trip to the countries of Scandinavia, you will have to spend the night at 2 nights on the way there, then spend a couple of days in Norway and Sweden and, returning through Finland, again stay there for the night. It turns out that the longest will have to be in the territory of this particular country, in addition, it is the first on the list. Therefore, you will need to apply for a visa at the Finnish consulate.

Host Country Rule

Another, at first glance, an optional rule. It applies only to short-term visas, while it does not matter whether it is a single entry or multivisa. issued to someone who is going to live, study or work in a particular country already implies choosing it as the main one.

The rule of the main country also applies to fairly rare cases of obtaining a double transit visa. It is issued if a transfer is planned in one of the Schengen countries for a further trip outside the region and subsequent return. The principle of applying the rule is the same. Where there are more overnight stays during transit, there is the main country. For an equal length of stay - the rule of the country of first entry is applicable.

Duration of stay in the Schengen area

More recently, more precisely, from October 18, 2013, amendments to the rules for entering the Schengen countries came into force, which are also valid in 2020. The new rules relate to periods of stay in Europe. Those who have a single-entry tourist visa are not affected by these innovations. But the owners of multi-visions will fully experience all the disadvantages and advantages of these requirements.

As before the entry into force of the new regulation, the duration of stay on a Schengen visa in any of the states remained equal to three months.

But now they will have to be used in a new way, based on updated rules. Because now the wording has changed a bit.

If earlier, for using 90 days of permissible stay in the country, there were six calendar months, after which it was possible to stay as much if the next visa was issued, now everything is much stricter. And combining the two periods in order to spend six months in Europe with one trip will no longer work.

This video discusses the new visa requirements for the Schengen area.

The visa half year for each tourist will be counted individually, from the moment of the first border crossing. But not forward, but backward. During this time, you can stay in the EU countries for a total of 90 days, that is, three months. If you use them all at once, having spent, for example, summer vacation, then over the next three months, entry into Europe will be closed.

But the main thing is that, according to the new rules, calculating the stay of days in Schengen is becoming quite difficult. In order to facilitate it, special calculators have appeared on embassy websites, using which you can determine how many days abroad you can count on in the near future.

It’s worth saying right away that canceling a visa and opening a new one will not help to deceive the system. All visas, both valid and already extinguished, are taken into account.

Any 180 days in total should not contain more than 90 spent in the Schengen zone. And control at the border is thorough.

But counting the days left to stay in Europe, applies not only to the tourist himself. If he is not allowed into the country due to a violation of existing visa rules, the air carrier and travel agency will be forced to return a negligent client to their homeland at their own expense. So when selling tickets and checking at the airport of departure, all this is also taken into account.

The new rules for staying on a Schengen visa are quite strict. Their introduction was aimed at cutting off those who enjoyed the ease of obtaining a tourist visa for other, not tourist, purposes. And also to minimize possible violations of the visa regime by not too conscientious tourists.

However, this rule still does not apply to European countries that are not members of the Schengen zone. These are the United Kingdom, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland, Romania and Croatia. Obtaining visas and staying in these states is determined by their own legislation.

What is the difference between a Schengen and a national visa? Polish or Lithuanian, for example. In fact, if you are in Europe and you have any of them in your passport, then you will not really feel the difference. However, there are a number of differences both in design and in the conditions and rules of stay in the Schengen zone.

Not everyone can get a national visa (D), but only those who plan to stay in the country in the general account (during one or more trips) for more than 90 days (at least 91 days) within six months, counting from the date of first entry . In this case, the reasons for the stay should be significant: studying at the university, business trips, cultural or sporting events. Everything must be documented with an invitation from the host.

Features of a national visa category D

For citizens of the Republic of Belarus, as well as holders of a Pole Card or confirmation of Lithuanian descent, Polish and Lithuanian nationals are issued is free   (Schengen costs 60 euros). For citizens of other countries, it will cost 20 euros, which is less than for a Schengen visa (35 euros for Russians and Ukrainians).

Do not confuse the national long-term visa with a multiple short-term Schengen type C visa! A short-term visa can be for 1 day, there for 5 years, but it gives the right to stay in the Schengen zone for no more than 90 days in each half year of the visa, but

National visa (D) allows you to:

- be in the territory of the country that issued it according to the time of stay and the validity of the visa (from 90 days to six months, usually issued annually);
  - additionally move through the territory of other states included in the Schengen zone, up to three months within six months. This item has been operating since March 2010, and the national visa (D) actually received the status of a residence permit, HOWEVER, not all employees of border and other structures are aware of this introduction (although it has been a long time), therefore, if you have a national visa ( Polish, for example), when visiting other Schengen countries, you should be able to clarify this point, but it is better to have a printout of this part of the EU Visa Code so as not to be delayed during the proceedings.

Documents required for obtaining a national visa (D):

- travel document (passport);
  - a completed and signed visa application;
  - biometric photo;
  - medical insurance (see below is an important point!);
  - additional documents confirming: purpose of arrival; availability of funds for entry, stay and departure from Poland; the need to stay in Poland for more than 90 days for six months.

Although for three months you can stay in other countries of the Schengen agreement, however, the following details of this type of visa should be taken into account:

- The first entry on a visa must be made to the territory of the country that issued the visa (provided that it borders with your state). For example, you have a Polish national, and if you go from Belarus to Lithuania directly, bypassing the territory of Poland, you must have a stamp in your passport that you have already visited Poland on this visa. Otherwise, the Poles may then not give a visa, since you are using it for a purpose other than that indicated on the questionnaire (cultural, sports, educational events in the country). This item has an unofficial name - "The rule of first entry." Many are frivolous about this rule, having experience of multiple entries through third countries. But the author of the article personally spent many hours in the frontier service office, which checked the accompanying documents, called the inviting organization, and conducted an interrogation. This is not unfounded information.
  - the minimum insurance coverage for staying in Poland and Lithuania is 30 thousand US dollars, for many Schengen countries this insurance is not enough, you need a policy with a minimum coverage of 50 thousand dollars, so get the right insurance;
  - due to certain legal aspects that arose during the signing of the Customs Code, they may not be allowed to enter Denmark with a national visa of another country;
  - Remember that Switzerland is not a member of the agreement, but only a country that allows foreigners to enter its territory with a Schengen visa, therefore entry there on a national visa (D) is also allowed, as well as in Iceland and Norway;
  - be prepared that border guards of other countries will nervously consider your passport and ask questions about the purpose of the visit, especially if you have issued visa D for official purposes, that is, constant trips to your national (Polish, Lithuanian) counterparty.

In a short summary, the following disadvantages and advantages of a national visa can be identified (D):

Disadvantages:
  - you need to enter the country that issued the visa for the first time (very desirable!);
  - Mandatory documents confirming the need for a long stay in the host country (university certificates, contract with work in the EU);
  - problems may arise in other Schengen countries if border guards, customs or police officers are not familiar with the amendments to the Visa Code (bring a printout with you);
  - you need a good reason to stay in the country for at least 91 days a year (half the validity period).

Items 1, 2, and 4 do NOT apply to Pole Card holders. They receive a visa on other grounds and the main documents for issuing a visa is the KP.

Benefits:
  - the actual possession of a residence permit, which gives the right to do business in the country on common rights with citizens of the countries (if permission is obtained);
  - the possibility of staying in other Schengen countries for up to three months in each half year of the visa;
  - allows an unlimited number of times during the year to cross the border with Schengen;
  - The cost of a national visa is lower (or even free).
  - Under special transit conditions, citizens of Belarus for up to 48 hours.

Thus, using all the advantages to the full, and taking into account all the disadvantages, a national visa (D) is a convenient option for traveling and living both within the issuing country and throughout Europe.

June 2009 Sanchez

So, the process of obtaining a visa did not cause any particular complaints and problems. Given: desire to go for 3 days, June 12-14, 2009 in Budapest. The following was done: hotel reservation through booking.com, asked to send a fax with name, dates, the next day I received it without any problems. Signed up for April 23, 2009 via REDroxx. For a couple of days I collected all the docks, made copies. Next is the process in the consular department. Late for an hour - Moscow is a great cork capital. The security guard still missed after calling the visa department. People sitting fills out questionnaires and glues photos. Therefore, everything is as it should be - we brake more than necessary.

Filed in the window number 5 the following docks and plus copies:
  - passport + old canceled;
  - photocopy of passport, data page;
  - hotel reservation for 3 days, without payment;
  - insurance;
  - booking air tickets;

Help from work;
  - Bank reference;
  - Russian passport, or rather a page where there are any marks;
  - Application form, completed in Russian, with one photo.

They took everything away, returned only the original insurance. And a sheet with the date of issue on April 29, 2009 from 16 to 16-30. In the window No. 3 payment, on call and then stop - did not like 10 euros, on which there was a tear of 2 mm (measured out of interest), asked to change. I ran a quick doe, fortunately there is a bank nearby, bought two new 5 euros, returned, gave it back, and they gave me a check. He arrived earlier on April 29, 2009, that is, at 14-40, called the consular department, asked if it was possible to get a passport early. They said you can. Result: visa from June 10 to June 29, 2009, 5 days of stay and 1-time entry. So be brave and good luck to everyone.

Submission of visa documents to the Embassy of Hungary

It was recorded at 9.00 (recording on the Internet). At 8.55 she went to the embassy. I gave the policeman a passport. He went to the booth, checked the record, returned the passport. He said, wait until they open the gate to the embassy. At 9.00 a gate opened, an embassy guard came out and took his passports. I checked the record in the booth. He let in the gate. I gave my passports. In the embassy building - a guard met. He asked to show the completed application form. He looked and said to go to window 1.

In the window I gave:

1. Passport;

2. Honey. insurance and a copy of insurance. The girl left a copy and returned the original;

3. Faxes from the hotel (paid Austrian and reservation in Budapest);

4. A copy of the Russian passport;

5. Application form with photos 3.5 to 4.5;

6. Wrote a travel route: Budapest-Vienna-Budapest. The girl looked (carefully) and returned;

7. Still copies of Schengen visas were made from the new and old passports - returned;

8. Electronic plane tickets;

9. Certificate of employment income.

I received a receipt on 02/05/2009 for 16 hours for a passport (I hope with a visa). I paid 35 euros. At 9.15, she left the embassy. Waiting for a visa.

Hungarian tourist Schengen directly

12/07/2009 Andrey

Handed over to the Hungarian Schengen type C independently. Documents were collected according to the list in Travel.ru, railway tickets were bought, insurance was done. Recording takes place over the telephone or through an interactive calendar located on the embassy website. Usually during off-season there are a lot of free days, and you can sign up without any problems in 2-3 days. As it turned out later, you can try to get through this way, because many of the recorded ones do not come, and in the hall itself, where the windows are, there are 5-7 people at most (I emphasize that the experience was in off-season). The consulate is very friendly and comfortable. We take a piece of paper with a number, we are waiting for ourselves on the scoreboard. In less than five minutes, we are already standing near the window.

The list of documents is almost correct, but there is no “either” in the proof of security: if you work, a certificate of employment is required, it is not replaced by a bank statement. It can also be brought, this is only a plus, but it is as if an addition to the help. You must have copies and originals of all documents with you. Tickets are watched, given away, copies taken away. Insurance is the same. Bank statements and certificates of employment are taken in the original, they look at copies, return (it is not clear why they then need these copies). Our reservation was fax prepaid. Also looked at the fax, returned, took a copy. As for the prepayment, the data is contradictory. But you can definitely do without 100%. Visas were made quickly, the date of issue was already the day after the date of delivery (however, the date of receipt was set in 10 days).

Visa to Hungary on your own

From 12/27/08 to 11/11/09 Natalya

Yesterday I received a Hungarian Schengen. Everything turned out to be easy and pleasant. I collected documents according to the list provided on the website www.travel.ru. The most difficult thing was to receive fax confirmation of 100% prepayment from hotels. I have booked hotels in Budapest and Vienna, each for 8 days. I had to call several times - to remind myself. After I collected all the documents, I signed up for an interview on the embassy's website at 9 am. The consular section of the embassy is located at: st. Mosfilmovskaya, 62. I got from the Kiev station on trolleybus 34 to the stop "Universitetskiy prospekt".

At the embassy they sell honey. insurance. Before you miss the embassy, \u200b\u200bthe policeman asks for insurance and cash in euros. It turns out that many come without insurance, and without the euro. When accepting documents, I was asked only the mother's maiden name. I paid a consular fee of 35 euros, received a receipt with the date, time of receipt of the passport and the number of the issuing window. Yesterday, that is, exactly one week later, I received my passport with a visa for 18 days (instead of the requested 16) and with a period from 12/25/08 to 01/26/09 (instead of the requested 12/27/08 - 01/11/09).

It will be quite possible to find a job in the EU countries without a visa, at least in Poland and Hungary. These countries decided not to complicate the lives of Ukrainians who want to work for them, and simplified the job application for those who have a biometric passport.

Work in Poland without a visa

So in Poland, at the legislative level, employment was allowed for those Ukrainians who entered the country without a visa. This is stated in the official explanation of the Polish border guards.

Earlier, Ukrainians who entered Poland on a Polish Schengen visa did not have this right, and in order to legally work in this country, they had to apply for a work visa. Now for citizens of Ukraine with biometric passports, such a visa is not required.

So, a visa-free Ukrainian in Poland has the right to legally ask the state for permission to work or issue a so-called declaration of intent to employ a foreigner. Such a declaration in Poland is issued for citizens of only a few states, including Ukraine. It gives the right to work in Poland for no more than six months a year, which is enough for those who are looking for seasonal work in Poland.

To receive the relevant declaration, the Polish employer must fill out this document and register it with the local labor office .   You do not need to pay for the execution of the declaration.

However, it is worth remembering that despite the fact that the term of such a work permit is six months, a visa-free regime allows you to stay in the European Union for no more than 90 days for every 180-day period, and if you violate this rule, you will be deported and banned when leaving Poland to enter the EU for several years. Therefore, in order for you not to be deported, before the end of the 90-day period you need to submit an application to the regional department for foreigners about legalization of your stay.

Jobs in Hungary made easy

If in Poland legislative changes on the employment of Ukrainians are an innovation, then in Hungary, where our compatriots can also work without visa, the simplified conditions for obtaining a work permit for citizens of Ukraine and Serbia have been in force since July 2016. Detailed explanations were provided by the Hungarian Ministry of Economics, reports mukachevo.net.

However, with the introduction of visa-free travel for Ukrainians, these conditions have been simplified even more, because in order to go to Hungary and already be employed there according to a simplified procedure, Ukrainians no longer need visas at all.

Earlier, or rather, since July 2016, citizens of Ukraine could get a job in Hungary by stopping by the country on any visa, even on a tourist visa. And the procedure for obtaining a work permit took one day. Now, in order to officially find a job in Hungary, you only need a biometric passport and you can get a work permit for free in a day.

But since, according to the rules of a visa-free regime with the EU, Ukrainians can stay in European countries for no more than 3 months for six months, then they can also work in Hungary without a work visa for no longer than 3 months. Next, you either need to return to Ukraine, or get a residence permit.

However, it is worth remembering that legislative changes that simplify obtaining work permits for Ukrainians and Serbs relate primarily to professions whose specialists are not enough in the country. In particular it programmers, engineers, builders, drivers, seamstresses, joiners and nurses.   And in order to get a work permit, you need to provide a diploma or work book that will confirm your professional qualifications.

Poland is quite close to Russia, and the Kaliningrad region of the Russian Federation even borders on it. In this regard, tourist trips to Poland by car are very popular, and an increasing number of Russian citizens are needing a Polish visa. They receive it according to the standard procedure: Poland has been included in Schengen since 2004, so there is no way to do without a visa for a tourist trip.

For a long time, all Schengen states, including the Republic of Poland, have entrusted the work with special mediators - visa centers. Therefore, obtaining a visa to Poland is possible through these organizations, as well as through the country's diplomatic missions in the Russian Federation - the Embassy and Consulates General in Moscow or other cities.
  If you decide to apply for a visa without failures, quickly and inexpensively, we recommend the Online Visa Application Center.

A Polish visa will be more difficult to obtain than a Schengen in another country.

Do I need a visa

If there is any doubt whether a visa is needed for Poland for Russians, it is better to immediately understand that it is necessary for all guests of this country. Without special permission, there is no way to get there, so a visa must be done without fail. If the purpose of the visit, for example, is tourism, visiting your close relatives, a business trip or an official visit, then you need a document called a Schengen visa to Poland. If you need to stay in Poland for a long time and in the future to obtain a residence permit, you are already applying for a national visa, not a Schengen one.

Entry with a visa from another country

If the passport already contains a valid Schengen visa stamp of any of the 26 states in this zone, then Russians do not need a separate visa to Poland, but in this situation there are also limitations. A visa must be opened in the country that issued it and more time should be spent there, but you can come to Poland after.

Types of Visas

Visa to Poland is Schengen. Now there is only one type of such visa - category C. It is issued to all tourists, citizens of Russia who have invitations and go on a visit, business travelers, employees whose activities are connected with periodic working visits to Poland, for short studies and so on.

Photo of a Polish visa

But there is another type of Polish entry permit - this is the national visa D. Such a visa to Poland is no longer Schengen. It has an extended period of validity and duration of stay in Poland; it is possible to obtain a residence permit in this state through it. It is issued in cases where a Russian in Poland has plans to study / work, live with a spouse who is a Pole, and so on.

Tourist visa to Poland

We should separately dwell on a tourist visa to Poland, since most of our citizens still go to Poland specifically for tourist purposes. In this country there really is something to visit - medieval cities, mountains, health resorts, which attract with their low price and European quality. A tourist visa to Poland is the same Schengen visa C. It must be issued according to the general rules for these categories of entry documents. Tourist entry permit - a document that needs to be issued most often.

Transit visa to Poland

The topic of tourist transit through the territory of Poland is very relevant for many Russians, because many use the car to drive further to Western Europe. Transit through Poland without separate registration of the Polish Schengen is quite possible, if there is a visa of the state of destination. That is, the traveler will be allowed to pass through the territory of Poland with a visa from France, Italy, Germany and so on.

If in Poland you need to make a transfer from plane to plane, then, provided that the international zone of the airport does not leave, Polish Schengen is also not needed. If you still need to leave the international zone of the Polish airport, then you cannot do without a transit visa. These points must be taken into account in order to plan the trip correctly.

Entry for residents of Kaliningrad and the region

There is a special visa to Poland for those Russians who live in Kaliningrad and the region. It is called the WFP map for residents of areas on the border. It can be obtained in a simplified version by providing evidence that in the past three years the applicant has really lived in Kaliningrad or the region, the registration takes several days.

Such a visa to Poland for Russians has restrictions on the geography of the visit. With it, access is only available to certain cities and areas bordering the Kaliningrad Region: Gdansk, Elblag, Gdynia, Puck and so on.

Required documents

A visa to Poland for Russians in 2020 is issued after submitting a regulated list of required documents. It is fairly standard and practically does not differ from the list for other Schengen states. So, opening a visa to Poland is possible with the following papers:

  1. The completed application form for a visa to Poland, the form must be filled out in Latin letters or in Polish (in this case, it is better to immediately fill out the application form in Polish), under the application form you need to sign in the right places;
  2. The original valid passport issued in the last 10 years in the name of the applicant. The passport must be valid for another 90 days after leaving the Schengen territory and have at least 2 blank pages;
  3. Two photographs 3.5 × 4.5 cm .;
  4. A photocopy of the passport: those pages where the photograph and personal data of the applicant are present;
  5. If there is, then other / old passports and their copies;
  6. A photocopy of the internal Russian passport in the name of the applicant (not blank pages);
  7. Medical insurance that meets the requirements: insurance amount - 30,000 €, the territory of the policy - the whole Schengen area;
  8. Financial travel guarantees confirming solvency, availability of funds:
    • Bank statement;
    • Bank statement from a credit card account;
    • Certificate of employment, where the position and salary are indicated;
    • IP certificate;
    • Sponsorship letter from a sponsor who is a close relative. This sponsorship letter must be accompanied by financial guarantees from the sponsor itself, confirming the satisfactory financial position / availability of funds.
A minimum of PLN 100 per person per day is required.
The validity period of financial documents is limited to one month, bank statements must show the movement of money in bank accounts for three months, a translation into Polish / English is not needed.

The listed documents for a Polish visa are basic and mandatory for everyone. They are served by tourists, business travelers, invited.

Additional documents for a tourist visa to Poland:

  1. Route confirmation: transport tickets / booking of transport tickets;
  2. Booking a hotel / hotel or other place to stay. The reservation must be paid at least 50%, the confirmation must contain: the address and telephone number of the hotel / hotel, names and surnames of tourists, dates of travel. A seal must be on the confirmation of the reservation (copies with the seal sent by fax are also suitable).

Additional documents for a Schengen visa to Poland upon invitation from a private person:

  1. A notarized letter of invitation containing: first names, surnames, addresses, phone numbers of the guest and the inviting party, passport number of the invitee, date and purpose of the trip;
  2. Invitation confirmation of legal residence in Poland;
  3. Copy of the first page of the passport of the inviter;
  4. If the inviting party is not a relative, then you need the original and a copy of the invitation, which are registered in the Voivodeship at the place of residence.

Additional documents for opening a visa to Poland at the invitation of an organization or company:

  1. An invitation from a partner / company in Poland on the letterhead of a company with the seal, the necessary signatures, dates, purpose of the trip, first and last names, drawn up / certified in the Voivodeship.

Additional documents for opening a Polish visa for a short study:

  1. Certificate of entry in the list of students / certificate of admission to an educational institution / student card - both the original and a copy are required.
If a Russian citizen travels to Poland by invitation, it doesn’t matter from a frequent or official person, then the invitation should indicate who will bear the costs and where the invitee will live, appropriate guarantees must be attached. If this information is not available, then the invitee provides financial documents from 8 points of the main list.

Filling in the application form

The central place in the preparation of the visa application for Poland for Russians is the questionnaire. A lot depends on the correctness of its filling. It is good that the questionnaire itself is in Russian and the questions are very clear: if you have any difficulties, you can look at the sample. This sample is also in the visa center itself.

The application is downloaded to a computer from the website of the visa center and printed out, for convenience it can be completed at home. You need to adhere to simple filling rules:

  1. Fill in the form with Latin letters;
  2. Write neatly;
  3. Enter reliable information;
  4. Sign in the right places;
  5. Do not allow blots.

Photo Requirements

Photos for obtaining a visa to Poland must also meet the established parameters:

  • Size 3.5 × 4.5 cm., The face is located in the center;
  • The height of the head in the photo is about 30 mm, the head occupies 70-80% of the entire photo;
  • Without fringing and on a light background;
  • The photo must not be older than six months;
  • Without hats, even for religious reasons;
  • Glasses in the photo are allowed only for medical reasons;
  • Full-face photo, preferably with open ears.

Ride with children

No less relevant is the question of how to make a visa to Poland for children. For any minor, a full package of documents is submitted with adults. The child must submit:

  1. Birth certificate - copy plus original;
  2. Consent / power of attorney to leave if the child travels alone, with one parent or with third parties. The consent or power of attorney must be certified by a notary public, this will give the child the right to travel alone or with the parent;
  3. If consent / power of attorney for the right to leave a minor cannot be obtained, then papers are needed explaining this fact;
  4. Copies of Schengen visas and passport pages with parental information if a child visa is done separately.

To open a visa to Poland for a child, you need to take into account that his visa stamp will be pasted into the passport of the parent, if there is no passport yet.

Self-registration

Many tourists ask how to apply for a visa to Poland on their own. With the growing popularity of travel without travel agencies, this is the first item on the agenda. Self-processing of a Polish visa is carried out either through the visa centers of this state, or through its Consulates General, located in several constituent entities of the Russian Federation.

The most common and popular way is to use the services of the offices of visa centers, they are in many cities. Visa to Poland through the Consulate is possible if, for example, a refusal was received, or if you need a national visa, not a Schengen one.

All travelers who apply for a visa to Poland on their own need to know that a new procedure has been in effect since September 2015. This is the submission of biometric data when applying for a visa application. The visa center or consulate will need to be fingerprinted and photographed. Registration of a Polish visa is now possible only after this procedure. The data will be stored for five years, then it will be necessary to submit it again. Children under 12 do not give prints.

Registration through the visa center

A visa is being made to Poland through the visa center in Moscow and through its branches in other Russian cities. There are a lot of them, a complete list can be found on the website of the visa center. To apply, you need to follow an algorithm consisting of several simple points:

  1. Decide on the purpose of the trip and the desired type of entry permit;
  2. Collect documents;
  3. Download to a computer and fill out a questionnaire;
  4. Bring a package of papers to the visa center (pre-registration and recording is needed, there is an electronic queue);
  5. Pay a consular and service fee for services, receive a check and attach it to a package of papers;
  6. Submit documents and get an individual number to track the status of the application.

Obtaining a visa to Poland through the Moscow Visa Application Center and its regional departments is a streamlined, quick and not at all difficult procedure. Before submitting papers, you can go to the CC site and read the instructions to be completely sure of the correctness of your actions.

In the visa center you can make insurance (medical policy), take pictures, and also order photocopies of documents if all this has not been done in advance.

Some are interested in how to get a visa to Poland on their own through the Consulate at the Embassy. As well as through the visa center. Recording and registering for an appointment is required, as the Consulate works to receive and issue only at certain hours of the working day. There is no electronic queue in the Consulate, you can only sign up by phone.

Polish visa yourself: 2020 reviews

It should be further noted that Poland is not the most loyal country to the Russians in visa matters (and not only in them). Despite the formally simple list of required papers, there are some strange requirements - mandatory hotel printing in reservation, 50% payment for accommodation. And, of course, according to reviews of self-obtaining a Polish visa, the statistics of negative decisions among Poles are higher than among the French, and especially the Spaniards.

According to reviews of independent travelers, the Polish Consulate more often finds fault with paper shortcomings and may require additional confirmation or financial guarantees. That is, the reviews may give the impression that obtaining a visa to Poland on your own is not easy. But this is no more difficult than applying for a visa to Estonia or, for example, to Latvia. It so happened historically that these countries are less loyal to Russia, therefore, the collection and submission of documents should be taken seriously and everything should be done carefully, without errors.

Visa to Poland on your own: a trip by car

A large number of Russian citizens go to Poland precisely by car, because it is not far, you can go around more attractions. Also, the shortest transit route further to Europe is possible only through the territory of Poland.

A trip by car can be planned calmly, since in this case there are no special features, a Polish visa for traveling by car is the same Schengen type C as for other trips. It must be issued according to general rules.

A transit route through Poland by car is also possible with a visa from another Schengen country. Border guards, of course, can find fault with something, but this is more likely due to the general situation in relations between countries.

When crossing the Polish border on a car, a stamp with a drawing of a car is put in the passport, which indicates the fact of the foreigner's arrival by land, and not by another way.

Registration cost

In the question of how much does a visa to Poland cost for Russians, we must first understand what visa is required. If it is Schengen - then one price, if national - another. The price of a visa to Poland consists of two components: consular fee and visa center fee for services. Actual value is shown in the table below.

In addition to the cost of a visa to Poland, you must also pay the cost of the service fee of the visa center. It is not the same for different cities, there are two prices. For Moscow, Rostov-on-Don, Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Samara, Smolensk, Yekaterinburg and Voronezh, the service fee of the visa center is 19.5 euros. For Saratov, Novorossiysk, Krasnodar, Perm and Ufa - 23 euros.

It should be emphasized that the price of a Polish type C visa does not depend on how long the document is valid.

Validity period

In the visa issue, it is important not only how much a Polish visa costs for Russians, but also how long it lasts. Based on EU standards, for visa C, the period is limited to six months, and for visa D - one year. Number of days of stay: for C - 3 months, for D - 6 months.

In fact, documents can be issued with completely different terms. For the first trip, the limit of action will be limited to only the dates of the trip and the visa will be single-entry, then you can count on the multi-month Schengen multi-visa, which is multiple.

Long-term Polish multivisa

There is a rule that if the applicant already has at least two Schengen in his passport, no matter which state, he can be approved with a multiple entry visa to Poland for 2 years. But with such a visa it will still be possible to spend in Poland / another Schengen country no more than 3 months every six months. A Polish visa for 2 years provides ample opportunities for trips to Europe.

This rule is optional, so you need to be prepared for what a single document can give.

Photo of a national visa to Poland

Deadlines

Since the Republic of Poland has long been a Schengen member, there are special documents that govern the timing of the issuance of an entry Schengen visa. According to official papers, the period during which a Schengen document is issued - 10 or 14 days, a national visa D is issued a little longer. In practice, the term for applying for a Polish Schengen Type C may be limited to a period of 5 or 10 days. If you need to get a visa to Poland quickly in three days, then enough to pay 70 euros, and the application will be considered out of turn.

In some cases, a visa is issued for a longer time. What is the reason for this is not entirely clear, but such situations are still rare.

Refusal to receive

Russians need a visa to Poland, so there are a lot of people in its visa centers who want to apply for entry. However, practice suggests that a refusal can be received and the chances of it being received are not equal to zero.