How to get a single visa for 5 years. How to get a long-term Schengen visa: life hacks from experienced tourists
A Schengen visa is a travel document intended for entry into European countries. The delivery time depends on the form being filled out correctly. financial situation, number of visits to a foreign country. For citizens who travel regularly and live in Europe for a long time, it is important to apply for a long-term visa.
Long-term Schengen visa: basic information
Obtaining a 5-year pass document depends on the number of previously issued visas to enter the Schengen area. A long-term visa allows you to live freely in a European country. Tourists can easily travel around some EU states that are parties to the agreement for 90 days over a 6-month period. A long period of validity of the permit is relevant for students, businessmen, and citizens whose relatives live in another country.
Description and benefits of the document
A long-term Schengen visa for 5 years makes it possible to stay in a European state for a long period without presenting additional papers or paying fees. The ability to continuously stay in other countries for three months allows you to buy last-minute trips at competitive prices and make spontaneous trips. With a long-term permit, a citizen can freely cross the border of states outside the Schengen zone: Cyprus, Bulgaria. An issued multiple visa increases the chances of approval of an application for an entry document to the United States.
Types of long-term Schengen visa
Long-term resolution allows you to continuously stay in foreign country from 90 days. There are 2 types of Schengen visa for long stay:
- category "C";
- category "D".
The first type of long-term stamp, which includes a tourist, guest, or business visa, allows you to stay in the Schengen zone for no more than three months every six months. When issuing a C1 permit, you can stay in Europe for 30 days, C2, C3 - 90 days for six months to a year, C4 - 90 days for a period of up to 5 years. A category “C” pass document can be short-term, double-entry, or multiple-entry. The validity period of a multiple visa ranges from six months to 3 years. If you receive a multiple-entry visa of category "C", you can continuously stay in the Schengen zone for no more than three months every six months.
If a citizen stays continuously in Europe for 90 days in the next three months, he cannot cross the border. Visa “C” gives the right to live for a long time and move freely throughout European countries. Businessmen, politicians, and diplomats have the right to obtain a C4 permit for business trips.
The capabilities of the “D” pass document are individual for each European state. A visa of this category is a national document that is issued for a long stay in another country for business, work, or study. The pass document allows you, if desired, to obtain a temporary residence permit in the future. A Schengen visa for 5 years allows you to live in a country whose consulate has issued permission to enter the Schengen zone for 90 days, but the period of stay in other European cities is limited to three months every 180 days.
Which embassies issue
The agreement on the creation of a single zone was signed by 26 European states. But not all countries give long-term Schengen visas to Russians. Citizens of the Russian Federation can easily obtain a pass document for a period of 3 years or 5 years at the visa center of Spain, Italy, Greece, Slovakia, Finland. Upon repeated receipt of entry permission, a French, Czech, Latvian, Hungarian, or Dutch embassy visa is issued without fail. It is problematic to obtain an Estonian, German, Austrian, Polish pass document.
List of required documents
The consulate of a European country independently determines the list of documents that need to be provided. To obtain a multiple visa, citizens must prove the need for a long-term trip to another state. The main list of documents has been established:
- foreign, internal passport;
- questionnaire;
- photo 3.5 x 4.5 cm;
- confirmation of a long-term visit;
- certificates of financial position;
- health insurance policy;
- receipt for payment of state duty.
The foreign passport must be valid for more than 3 months from the date of expiration of the requested visa. If you have an expired document that records previous crossings of the state border, you must provide its original or a photocopy. A visa cannot be issued without a completed application form, in which the citizen must indicate personal information:
- date, place of birth;
- actual residential address;
- citizenship;
- Family status;
- passport details;
- information about previously issued visas;
- place of official employment;
- purpose of visit to Europe.
The number of photographs measuring 3.4 x 4.5 cm depends on the embassy of the Schengen country. Confirmation of the purpose and nature of a long trip abroad are a tourist voucher, hotel reservation, invitation from close relative, business agreement. To obtain a long-term visa, you must provide a certificate from your place of work indicating your position and salary amount. Confirmation of financial solvency - an extract from a personal bank account, a document on receipt Money after concluding a transaction for the sale of real estate or the purchase of currency. To stay in the Schengen area for a long time, you need to have an insurance policy that provides medical care in a foreign country for 30 days for 180 days a year.
Features of obtaining a visa for a child
Availability legal representative A minor citizen with a biometric foreign passport is required to issue a separate document confirming the child’s identity. Children over 14 years of age must have an individual foreign passport. Minor child has the right to visit the Schengen area accompanied by parents, legal representatives (guardians) or third parties. When traveling with strangers, relatives are required to obtain permission to travel outside of Russia. Basic documents for obtaining a long-term visa for 3 years, 5 years for a minor citizen:
- foreign passport / old-style document of the parent, which contains the child’s data;
- original birth certificate (notarized copy);
- questionnaire;
- certificate from educational institution;
- color photo 3.5 x 4.5 cm;
- consent to travel to Europe from one of the legal representatives, if he remains in Russia at the time of travel;
- insurance policy.
If a child is traveling with a relative or another individual, the required documents are photocopies of completed pages Russian passport moms, dads, help with official place work of the legal representative, which reflects information about the position, work experience, and income. Parents must issue a sponsorship letter indicating their consent to pay expenses associated with the child’s stay in a foreign country. Confirmation of the solvency of the father or mother is a certificate from the place of work indicating income for 6 months, an extract from the personal account. If minor citizen(over 12 years old) crosses the border independently, he must have a notarized permission to leave from both parents indicating the date and place of stay. Some countries that are part of the Schengen area do not allow children under 14 years of age to be on the territory of the state unaccompanied by an adult.
Rules for filling out an application
Questionnaire – mandatory document, which is filled out separately for each person crossing state border. Correct entry of data increases the chances of obtaining a multiple Schengen visa for 5 years. A sample application form can be obtained in person at the consulate, visa center or downloaded from the official website of the department. You are allowed to fill out the application manually on an electronic device. Basic rules for application personal information to the questionnaire:
- The form must be filled out in transliteration, in English or the official language of the country to the consulate of which the visa application is being submitted.
- Recordings made cannot be corrected.
- It is necessary to fill out all points of the form without leaving any blanks.
- The data in the application must be entered in printed form or with a pen and black ink in block letters.
- Attach a photograph to the application form that is not older than six months.
You must indicate your full name according to your foreign passport (add information if the data has been changed). An individual must register his current citizenship and his citizenship assigned at birth. When entering data on marital status (married), a marriage certificate is a mandatory attachment to the documents.
Requirements for a candidate
To obtain a long-term visa to travel abroad, a citizen must comply with the rules. The main requirement for the candidate is a valid foreign passport, which must expire no earlier than three months from the end of the intended trip. Presence of at least two blank pages in the document – required condition. According to the new rules, since 2015, persons wishing to obtain a multi-Schengen visa must submit biometric data at the consulate. The procedure is carried out every 5 years.
The mandatory requirement for the candidate is official employment and financial solvency. To obtain a visa to the Czech Republic, Estonia and other countries, a citizen must confirm the ability to pay for a long stay in the state. The minimum salary for obtaining permission to enter the Schengen zone is 15 thousand rubles. If a citizen does not have an official income or sufficient money in a bank account, then he is required to provide a sponsorship letter, which indicates information about the guarantor.
Cost of visa for 5 years
The consular fee for obtaining a Schengen visa is the same – 35 €. For quick registration, the price of the permit increases to a maximum of 70 €. Money is not collected from citizens who have close relatives - citizens of a Schengen country, disabled people and their accompanying persons, persons traveling for education or medical care. An additional payment is a service fee, the cost of which depends on the European country. The amount differs depending on the place where the entry permit is issued: through Visa Center, tourist agency.
Many countries included in the Schengen zone provide the right to obtain a visa for minors free of charge: the child’s age should not exceed 6 years. This service is available when obtaining a visa to Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Portugal, Germany, Hungary, and Austria. When applying for an entry permit to Italy, France, Denmark, the Netherlands, Switzerland, children must have their own foreign passport, parents are required to pay the consular and service fee in full. Citizens under 14 years of age are exempt from paying the fee if their personal data is indicated in the document of one of their legal representatives.
In addition to the mandatory consular fee and payment for paperwork to obtain a long-term visa, citizens must have medical insurance. The cost of insurance depends on the country of visit, the minimum amount of coverage for assistance costs, and the inclusion of additional options. The price of the document when issuing a long-term permit is from 80 €.
Studying the entry rules
An issued Schengen visa for 5 years allows you to live and travel freely in Europe. The absence of passport control and customs inspection are the advantages of a long-term permit. For a comfortable stay abroad, re-receipt Schengen requirements must be met:
- first entry rule;
- stay rule;
- limiting the period of stay in the Schengen zone.
If a citizen plans to live in one European country for a long period of time, then he is obliged to contact the embassy of the selected state. But if you plan to travel to several countries, then individual must comply with the first entry rule. It is advisable for a citizen to open a visa in a country whose consulate has approved permission to visit the Schengen zone. Failure to comply with the rule leads to a refusal to issue a repeat long-term pass document at the embassy of a given state. If you are planning a long trip vehicle, to obtain a visa, it is recommended to contact the consulate of the country where you will spend more time in total. If you violate the first entry rule when re-applying for a permit, you must submit documents to the embassy of the state where the visa was issued.
It is advisable for a citizen to comply with the rule of the main country of residence. When applying for a long-term visa, a greater number of days must be spent in the country whose consular department issued the permit. Failure to comply with the condition leads to a refusal when re-applying for a pass to a given country.
An individual with a long-term visa has the right to live in the state for a maximum of three months in 180 days. But since 2018, an individual calculation of the visa half-year has been taking place, taking into account the date of first entry into the country. Determining the correct travel date can allow long-term permit holders to stay in Europe for 6 months.
How to arrange it yourself step by step
You can apply for a long-term Schengen visa through employees of a travel company, a special center, or independently through the consular department of a European state, the MFC or the embassy’s electronic website. Main stages self-receipt entry permits:
- Fill out the form.
- Collect documents.
- Take a photo.
- Sign up at the embassy to submit documents.
- Pay the embassy fee.
- Submit biometric data.
- Submit documents.
- Pick up your completed visa.
The main difficulty in independent registration passes – lengthy submission of documents. It is not possible to leave a request without a prior appointment. After submitting documents and paying the fee, the citizen may be called for an additional interview. The reasons for calling the candidate are to clarify personal information.
Deciding on the country
The choice of European state depends on the purpose of the trip. If the trip does not involve staying in one place, it is recommended to apply for a visa at the consulate of the country where you will spend more time in total. You should also pay attention to the rules for issuing entry permits for Russians. Many states that have entered into the Schengen Agreement are loyal to the issuance of long-term travel documents.
We collect the necessary documents
The collection of documents for applying for a visa should be carried out several months before the planned trip. But the minimum application period is 90 days before the start of the trip. To apply for a long-term visa adult citizens are required to provide:
- completed application form;
- valid foreign passport;
- copies of pages with marks from the identity document;
- photo, insurance policy;
- confirmation of the purpose of the visit to Europe and financial viability.
You must present photocopies of the pages with stamps of expired visas in your foreign passport to the consulate. A copy of the canceled document is a mandatory addition to the main list. The photograph must be taken according to the established requirements: a color image, 3.5 x 4.5 cm in size, on matte paper.
The purpose of the visit is confirmed by air tickets, a purchased tour, hotel reservation, and an invitation from a citizen of a European state. The satisfactory state of finances at the time of the trip must be reflected in a certificate of income from the place of employment or tax service for individual entrepreneurs, statements from a Visa credit card, bank account, sponsorship letter for unemployed citizens. Additional documents– a certificate from work indicating the position held, from an educational institution, a marriage certificate, a pension certificate, registration of an individual entrepreneur.
We submit documents to the consulate or visa center
The location for applying for a permit depends on the wishes of the individual. If a citizen does not want to stand in a long line or there is no embassy of a European country in the city, then he can use the services of a visa center. Independent registration at the consulate, cooperation with intermediaries involves personal visit with documents at the appointed time.
A mandatory procedure before submitting an application is payment of the embassy fee. If a citizen used the services commercial organization, he must deposit additional funds. After paying the fee, biometric data is submitted if fingerprints are entered into single base data for the first time since 2015.
Registration deadlines
After submitting documents, no more than 10 working days are allotted for consideration of the application. Embassy staff can issue a Schengen visa in 3 days if fast registration. Citizens have the right to track the status of submitted documents using the received coupon on the electronic website of the embassy or visa center.
What to do in case of refusal
Consuls often refuse to grant permission to enter the Schengen area. Individuals may receive a regular or permanent waiver. The main reasons for an unsatisfactory solution:
- inconsistency with the reality of the information provided in the documents;
- insufficient funds in the account, low income;
- lack of insurance policy;
- violation of the first entry rule;
- excess deadline stay in a foreign country;
- lack of confirmation of the purpose of the trip;
- the photograph does not comply with the established parameters;
- expired validity of the provided certificates;
- presence of violation of law and order, laws in the Schengen area.
Upon receipt of a refusal, a citizen has the right to find out the reason for the unsatisfactory decision. After correcting errors, an individual can resubmit documents.
Help from specialists
Russians can use the following to obtain a Schengen visa: paid services intermediaries. Specialists from the visa center and travel agency will help you fill out the application form. English language, issue an insurance policy, check and submit documents to the embassy. Seeking help from qualified employees increases the chances of getting your application approved (based on reviews from tourists).
Top 5 loyal countries for multi-year Schengen
If the country of first entry is not important to a citizen, it is recommended to apply for a Schengen visa at the consulate of Spain, Italy, Greece, Slovakia, and Finland. It is these European states that are loyal to issuing long-term entry permits for Russian tourists. A correctly completed application form, compliance of documents with established rules, and the presence of a previously issued visa are the main factors influencing the guaranteed provision of a multi-year Schengen visa.
Spain
Obtaining a long-term pass document is possible if the foreign passport contains a canceled tourist or spanish visa. When submitting an application for the first time, a citizen can receive an entry permit for six months immediately. If you spend less time on the territory of the state than in other countries of the Schengen area, the embassy issues a national visa allowing you to stay only in Spain.
Italy
At the first application of a citizen, Italians issue an entry permit for a period of 90 days, upon the second application - for 365 days. A multiple entry pass is issued after several visas have been issued. To obtain a long-term Italian visa, it is possible to have a cancellation permit issued by the embassies of any European countries in the Schengen area.
Greece
You can get a Schengen visa for 3 or 5 years after several issued permits. When you first submit an application, the validity period of the pass is limited to the travel dates. But regular follow-up applications increase the chances of approval of an application for a long-term Schengen visa.
Slovakia
Russians can apply for a multi-year visa after submitting a second application. Applying for the first time guarantees a six-month visa. When re-submitting documents in case of compliance visa rules The citizen is issued an entry permit for a period of 2 years.
Finland
A long period of stay in Finland is possible after obtaining several travel documents. Residents registered in the North-Western Federal District of Russia have a high probability of receiving an annual visa upon second application. Compliance with the rules of first entry and length of stay in a European country guarantees the provision of a Finnish multi-year “Schengen” visa.
When applying for a visa on your own, employees of specialized centers recommend that you carefully fill out the application form. Entering false data, blots, corrections, and the presence of empty columns are the main mistakes when working with a document. To increase the chance of obtaining a multi-year pass to Europe, it is necessary to confirm the purpose of the trip. Lack of hotel reservations, tickets, invitations is the reason for refusal of a long-term visa.
A multi-year Schengen visa is issued if the established requirements are met. Properly completed papers provided Required documents, adherence to passport and visa rules are a guarantee of receiving a satisfactory response. Frequent travel and high income allow you to count on a long-term visa upon repeated applications.
Such visas are desired not only by fans of annual trips to Europe, but also by businessmen who often travel abroad on business. The need to waste time and money each time to obtain a one-time visa discourages many from traveling. What do experienced tourists who have done the registration themselves say?
The Schengen multiple visa allows you to freely visit the 26 countries that have signed the agreement. In addition to them, with such a visa you can travel to those countries that have not signed the agreement, but have open borders with them. But this is not the only advantage of a five-year Schengen visa. Using it, tourists can visit Panama, Croatia, Costa Rica and enter other states that allow entry into their territory with a pan-European visa.
A five-year visa allows you to stay in signatory countries for a total of 90 days over a six-month period. There can be 180 days per year, 900 days for the entire period of validity, that is, almost three years.
Operating since 2017 General requirements When applying for a visa, completely identical documents are submitted to the centers at embassies or consulates. You are allowed to apply for such a visa at the visa center of any country that has signed the agreement, but not all of them treat Russian citizens the same. Some have few problems, while others issue long-term visas very reluctantly.
As experienced travelers note, the embassies of Spain and Greece are considered the most loyal to our compatriots; the embassies of France and Finland react positively. Greece, by the way, has made a special decision to make it as easy as possible for Russian citizens to obtain a Schengen visa.
Certificates and documents must be prepared taking into account the recommendations available on the website of the consulate or application center. If the departure date is not yet known exactly, then there is no need to buy a ticket and pay for a hotel just to present documents. It is enough with the condition of its subsequent redemption at the cash desk, print out the reservation and present it to the embassy.
The same can be done with a hotel. The room is booked with the possibility of free cancellation or payment on the spot after arrival. How and where to do this will be indicated in this article below.
Printed documents are sent to visa centers. As for confirming your financial situation, the more statements from the card, the better, the faster you can get a Schengen visa for five years.
What else needs to be done to increase the likelihood of obtaining a five-year Schengen visa?
- Document and confirm the need to frequently visit the country whose consulate must issue a visa. Such a reason may be elderly or sick relatives, the presence of branches of the company or head office, etc.
- Indicate that a visa is required for long-term travel to several Schengen countries. Such a journey cannot end quickly or there is a need to constantly return home. To qualify for regular traveler status, you must have hotel reservations in several EU countries, show tickets for two or three trips at once, and take out insurance for at least one year.
- Think about your visa history in advance and visit European countries several times on an existing visa. Pay maximum attention to the country that issued the Schengen card ordinary visa, this significantly increases the likelihood of getting a long-term one. Provided that you apply for it to the consulate of this particular country.
- Go on business trips or attend various seminars, official meetings, etc. as often as possible. Existing invitations from organizations from European countries have a great positive impact.
You need to keep in mind that you should not apply for a Schengen visa for five years to the embassies of Denmark, Belgium and Sweden; they rarely issue such documents; most likely it will be a visa for a one-time trip, maximum Schengen for one year. Problems also arise in the embassies of Austria and Germany.
Instructions for applying for a five-year visa through the Greek Embassy
As already mentioned, this country is very loyal to Russians. Experienced travelers recommend contacting its visa centers.
Step 1. Register at the Greece Visa Application Center. To do this, activate the window in which an entry for submitting documents is made, select the line “For individual applicants.” Will open new page with login, enter your details, enter your address Email, enter the confirmation numbers and create a password. Next, you should enter the received code and go to the main page of the resource.
Go to the main page and determine the district of competence
Step 2. Select the “Make an appointment to submit documents” item, indicate the location of the nearest visa center, select the multiple visa category and activate the “Continue” icon. When choosing your visa type, be sure to indicate that you require a long-term tourist or business visa. It is strongly recommended to provide details of old or current Schengen visas.
Practical advice. If you decide to travel with your whole family, then you can indicate the details of several people in one application.
When submitting an application, enter the details of your foreign passport, write your last name and first name in Latin letters exactly as they are written in the document.
Step 3. Select a date when you can visit the center in person.
At this point, the registration is completed, a confirmation message should be sent to your email. Download it to your computer and print it.
Now is the time to start collecting the documents required for a five-year Schengen visa. Find the “Preparation of Documents” section on the website, go to “Forms” and download the application form.
File for download. Greece visa application form
If you are confident in your abilities, then fill it out yourself. If not, then ask your friends for help and have them fill out the downloaded document. To make your work easier, it is recommended to download and carefully study the example correct filling questionnaires.
Important. Please note that the application form is for a multiple-entry visa, and the purpose of the trip is tourism or business. If you have Schengen visas issued within three last years, then indicate them, this will significantly increase the chances of getting a five-year.
Problems may arise with dates of entry/exit from the country. You can enter them yourself in advance, but when you arrive at the visa center, it is recommended to ask an employee for help. Tell him that you want to get a visa for , he will put in additional dates, taking into account the features of such a visa.
A long-term visa will not be issued if the validity of the foreign passport is less than three years; this is a mandatory condition.
You must bring your civil and foreign passport with copies of all completed pages to the visa center. If you had an old passport with Schengen visas, it is recommended to make copies of them, this increases your chances.
Step 5. Go to the "Insurance" page and buy insurance. We have already mentioned that it is better to insure for a year, rather than for a few days. This is significantly more expensive, but has the desired effect on the embassy staff involved in issuing five-year visas.
Regarding confirmation financial condition, then it is recommended to have three documents:
Practical advice. The more cash flow, the better. If the salary is ≥70 thousand rubles, then the probability of success increases.
Experience shows that the presence of such financial documents significantly increases the chances of obtaining a five-year Schengen visa.
One of the advantages of Greek visa centers is that they take into account hotels and tickets not paid for, but booked on a special website. There is no need to pay anything in advance; this does not affect the increase in the chances of obtaining a visa. No prepayment is required, the reservation is canceled without material loss. Reservation confirmation will be sent by email, but it does not indicate your first and last name. To confirm your identity, you need to take a screenshot of the page and print it. Use the same algorithm to book a plane ticket. It's easy, and no advance payment is required. Existing instructions should be carefully studied.
The last step is to prepare standard photographs.
That's all. Check all the documents on the list again to make sure they are formatted correctly. If in doubt, take spare application forms; the data can be corrected directly at the visa center.
What you need to have with you:
- A completed form indicating multiple entries, hotel reservation with contact details, reservation of entry/exit tickets. All dates must match, take screenshots of the pages.
- Originals of civil and foreign passports and copies of all their pages containing entries or notes.
- One-year insurance, three confirmations of financial solvency.
- Voucher for visiting the visa center.
The visit ticket is presented to the security guard or administrator at the entrance; instead, they give a ticket with the queue number. While waiting for a call, it is recommended to take a digital photo, this will avoid troubles with the pictures brought in that do not match. In addition, a digital photo is required to obtain a five-year Schengen visa according to the current regulatory documents in the Schengen area countries.
When communicating with the manager, you should say that you need a five-year visa and ask him to put the correct dates on the application. The manager gives a receipt for payment of fees, money can be transferred directly to the visa center. The payment receipt is returned to the manager. He gives an envelope with documents and directs them to the hall to take fingerprints and a biometric photo.
On the payment cavitation there is a special registration number. It must be entered along with the date of birth on the main page of the visa center website and periodically monitor the progress of the case. Greece gives permission on average within five days. If you take the submission of documents responsibly and complete everything preconditions, then there will be no refusal. Remember that refusal to obtain a visa at the embassy of one country automatically creates very great difficulties in all others.
Video - How to get a Schengen multiple visa yourself
For those who love to travel or often make business trips abroad, it is important to have a long-term visa. Convenient, which will be valid for the next 5 years. Russian citizens are not automatically issued visas; they need to prove their financial independence and the seriousness of their intentions. Embassy officials want to make sure that when visiting the country as a tourist, a person does not pursue other goals. He will not get a job and live there illegally. Submitting a complete package of documents will increase confidence that the issue will be resolved positively.
A Schengen visa means that a person has the right to enter states that have signed the agreement of the same name. This sticker in your passport gives you the opportunity to freely visit 26 European countries. There are several types of such visas, the most common is category “C”. Depending on the validity period, it is also divided into several subtypes.
Who can apply for a multiple visa valid for five years?
When you need a Schengen visa for 5 years, people who often travel to Europe should not worry about how to obtain this document. Having a positive visa history will help the decision-making officer to ensure that the applicant is serious about the application. If a person has already been to Spain or France several times over the course of 2-3 years and complied with the laws, then in the subsequent period the regulatory authorities will allow entry.
The visa center often asks what to do when a Schengen visa for 5 years is required, and how parents with a child can get it. Children are also eligible for a permit, even if they are under five years of age. To visit the country, a Schengen visa is stamped in the parents’ passport. At the same time, you can submit your application for consideration even at your place of residence with temporary registration.
Attention Availability is required permanent registration in another region.
Can they be refused in a certain country?
Many people ask if entry into the Eurozone was issued for 1 year, is it possible to obtain a Schengen visa for 5 years on their own, without the help of agencies. There is a good chance that the answer will be yes. It doesn’t matter which country a person visited recently or a few years ago. However, some countries, for example, Austria and Germany, issue documents for tourists only for the duration of the trip.
Types of long-term Schengen
Variety C3 is valid for one year. If you need a Schengen visa, which is valid for a maximum of 5 years, then it will have a subcategory C4. Like other category “C” documents, it allows you to stay in the territory of the selected state for no more than 90 days during each six months. Depending on the decision of the regulatory authorities, the validity period of C4 is from one to five years.
If a Schengen multiple visa is given for 5 years or even one year, then it is multiple entry. That is, the right to travel abroad more than twice during the entire period of validity of the issued permit is given. Do not confuse categories C and D. The second is issued to businessmen or students of foreign universities for several years. This visa is not a Schengen visa and is valid only in one country.
Advantages of a multiple entry visa
To enter the desired state, a Schengen visa can be obtained from the embassy of another country, which is more likely to approve a visa for 5 years. For example, it is believed that in France it is 3-5 years easier to obtain approval than in Greece. You just need to present documents proving that the tourist is wealthy and has a goal for several years in advance.
Checks and bank statements will help in obtaining the treasured document, because a Schengen visa allows you to shop throughout Europe, and it is profitable to obtain it for 5 years. But it is better to spend maximum time in the state that issued the coveted paper. Then, after a few years, when renewing, officials will not have any suspicions.
Countries willing to issue Schengen visas to Russians for 5 years
Nobody likes to face disappointments and failures. Therefore, if you are aiming for a Schengen visa for five years, you need to understand that such a visa will be given only to people who are trustworthy in the eyes of the consulate. According to reviews, the following countries are relevant to Russian travelers:
- Finland;
- Slovakia;
- Spain;
- Greece;
- France;
- Italy.
France
If you first get a visa for one year, then for 5 years the Schengen visa will most likely be easily approved. To travel freely for 3-5 years, you will need the same documents as in most cases - hotel reservations, copies of tickets and proof of income.
Finland
If European countries are being considered for travel, it is important to know what their requirements are and where it is easier to obtain Schengen for 5 years. This category includes, it is especially beneficial for residents of the North-West. Residents of this region do not need to confirm income or bring proof of permanent employment to obtain the treasured paper. .
Italy
Many people ask where they can easily issue a visa for one year, and which countries give Schengen for 5 years. It’s easy to fill out paperwork even for your first trip. If a tourist has visited this state twice over the past two and a half years, he can count on receiving a five-year visa.
Among the former socialist states, it is not difficult to find out which countries issue Schengen for 5 years. An exemplary traveler who follows the rules may well receive a permit for 3-5 years instead of a one-year visa upon his next application. Registration takes 10 working days without delays.
Slovakia
There are small states that give positive solutions, but often people ask which countries give Schengen for 5 years and look at Germany or Switzerland. And in Slovakia, the conditions for obtaining documents are very convenient, but officials will count the number of days spent on its territory within six months. Entry for 1 or 2 years is easy to obtain, but visas for 3-5 years are issued less frequently.
Greece
If a traveler with a previously issued one-year visa is interested in the topic, it is not difficult for him to determine which countries issue Schengen for 5 years. gives positive answers to tourists who regularly visit their region and leave their money there. The more trips a person has taken, the higher the likelihood of approval.
Spain
When you don’t know which visa is best to get, it is not necessary to look at all the countries that provide Schengen for 5 years. You can choose a favorite among Russian tourists. For many years it has attracted low prices, resorts and excellent visa policy.
Attention: Recently, many applicants have been approved for multiple-entry visas on the first try.
What documents are required
If you need a Schengen visa for five years, you will need the following package of papers:
- Russian passport and its photocopy.
- for a visa.
- , the validity period of which expires no earlier than 90 days after the end of the required document.
- A certificate from work indicating the salary and that the position will remain with the person during travel.
- . This is a consular fee, the amount of which does not depend on the period for which the permit is given. The application procedure is simpler when applying to a visa center, but in this case you also need to pay a consular fee - 21 euros.
The total will be 56 euros or about 4,000 rubles. To this you can add insurance, the registration of which is mandatory. Its cost depends on the duration of the trip and the age of the person.
For a five-year visa, it is enough to purchase travel insurance, the cost starts from 300 rubles.
How to apply for Schengen for five years
You can independently obtain Schengen for 5 years without turning to intermediary offices. In this case, there are two ways - contact the consulate or visa center directly. At the visa center, specialists can help if you have any questions, make a photocopy or point out missing documents. You need to come to the consulate if everything is ready and the forms are filled out correctly.
The easiest way is to turn to intermediaries, who will go through the authorities themselves, but the service will be paid. It usually takes 5-10 days for a visa sticker to be produced. If a Schengen visa is issued in Moscow for 5 years, then at the height of the season it will be possible to receive it in an average of two weeks. It's possible, but you'll have to pay extra for it.
How to increase your chances of getting a visa
There are small tricks that will help you get a multiple Schengen visa for a period of 5 years. For example, if a husband and wife have received approval for a given period, when submitting documents for a child or grandmother, they can attach their documents. To increase the likelihood of a positive response, it is recommended to attach receipts from trips abroad.
When submitting an application, it is a good idea to show a hotel reservation not only for the immediate period, but also in half a year. This will prove that regular trips are planned. You can often see advice on the Internet on how to get a Schengen visa on your own the first time, without turning to intermediaries.
It is possible that a refusal will be issued due to some nonsense. In this case, you need to figure out what the reason is, and not leave the problem unresolved for the next few years.
They may be refused due to the fact that the person did not provide all the documents or could not prove that he has no intention of immigrating. The inspector may simply not like the applicant if he is in a bad mood. Often the reason is unpaid fines Traffic police, if you pay them off, you can get approval when you re-submit. You need to reapply as soon as possible, in this case the likelihood of receiving a positive response is higher.
| VISA RATE | DEADLINE | (Euro) |
| up to 1 year, at the discretion of the Consulate | 3-5 working days | 4500 rub. |
| up to 1 year, application for accreditation | 4-5 working days | 195 |
| 1 year, with a clean passport | 4-5 working days | 450 HIT!!! |
| 1/2 year, EXTRA TIME | 24 HOURS | 800 |
| 1 year, EXTRA URGENT | 24 HOURS | 1000 |
| 1 year, EXTRA URGENT | 8 OCLOC'K | 1350 |
| up to 5 years, URGENT | 2 working days | 400 HIT!!! |
| 2 years, WARRANTY | 5-6 working days | 700 |
| 3 years, WARRANTY | 5-6 working days | 1000 |
| 5 years, WARRANTY | 5-6 working days | 1300 |
| 1/2 year, Crimea | 7-8 working days | 650 |
| 1 year, Crimea | 7-8 working days | 950 |
| 1/2 year, Belarus | 7-8 working days | 400 |
| 1 year, Belarus | 7-8 working days | 650 |
| 1/2 year, Ukraine | 7-8 working days | 500 |
| 1 year, Ukraine | 7-8 working days | 750 |
including consular and service fees
Applying for a visa in Moscow is a procedure that thousands of citizens who want to travel outside the Russian Federation need every day. Of course, there are states where visiting does not require a visa. In general, all countries can be divided into two categories - those with a visa regime and those with a visa-free regime. For example, the Schengen zone has been declared in Europe, within which it operates without visa regime for countries that are subject to the agreement on a common visa regime. Today, 26 countries are signatories of this document.
When applying for a visa in Moscow to any Schengen country, the applicant automatically gets the opportunity to visit all 26 states that have entered into a visa-free agreement.
Types of Schengen visas
When applying for a visa in Moscow, you should have a clear understanding of the procedure for obtaining entry permission. Currently, the Schengen visa is represented by four types: A, B, C, D. Each of the listed types has its own characteristics:
A - airport transit visa, which is required for citizens flying with a transfer in Schengen countries. Thanks to this visa, the transit passenger has the opportunity to freely travel to transit zone- for example, when flying to the USA via Paris (France is a member of the Schengen zone).
B - another variety transit visa, which gives the passenger the right to leave the transit flight zone for certain period(1-5 days). This type of visa is good for cases when a transit passenger has to wait a day or more for departure.
C - you may need a visa in Moscow for a short stay in the state. If you are going to stay there for up to 90 days, you need a visa type C. Moreover, there are several subtypes of this visa, differing in length of stay: option C 1 - up to 30 days; C2 - up to 90 days (validity time 180 days); C3 - up to 90 days for 6 months (validity period 1 year); C4 - up to 90 days (validity period 1-5 years).
D - local national visa, which implies being in only one Schengen country. Having such a visa, you can stay in other Schengen states for 90 days, no more. By ordering such a visa in Moscow, you get an important advantage - when the visa expires, the applicant has the opportunity to submit documents to obtain permission to stay for a year. During action of this type visas, in addition, you can apply for a residence permit.
Is it possible to simplify obtaining a Schengen visa?
The easiest option for obtaining a visa in Moscow in order to visit the Schengen countries is to obtain a C1 class visa. If an applicant wishes to apply for a C2 visa for six months, almost any country will require him to have at least one entry permit on a C1 visa. However, this rule also has exceptions. For example, in Spain, most often, applicants receive a visa for six months. And in a number of European countries, even if you have a C1, a C2 visa will be issued only if you are doing business or for business negotiations.
When starting to apply for a visa in Moscow, please note that document C4 - an annual multiple visa - will be issued only after the applicant submits a business invitation from the Schengen country. But there are exceptions here too. For example, it is quite possible to obtain a one-year visa to Hungary if you contact experienced specialists. Moreover, you do not even need proof of visiting this country in the past, or another country party to the Schengen agreement. To obtain the necessary documents, the applicant must provide two photographs and a foreign passport.
When applying for a visa in Moscow, you need to take into account the purpose of visiting the country; the following options are distinguished:
. Work Visa
. Tourist (C1, C2)
. Guest room (C1, C2)
. Transit
. Student
. For family reunion
Applying for a visa in Moscow provides for the following types of business visas to member states of the Schengen Agreement:
. to participate in sports events;
. for getting medical services;
. participation in cultural and scientific events;
. for business negotiations and various kinds official visits.
To obtain a long-stay, visitor, work or student visa, the applicant must have an appropriate invitation. Invitations from the organizers are also required to participate in exhibitions, conferences and other cultural events held in the Schengen countries. Are you planning to apply for a visa and don’t know how to deal with this intractable matter? Our company will turn this confusing and complex procedure into a simple and completely effortless process.
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Traveling is one of the greatest pleasures in life. Russian writer Ivan Bunin, knowing a lot about this, wrote: “Three things make a person happy: love, interesting job and the opportunity to travel."
Spain is perhaps the most loyal state to Russian citizens when it comes to issuing visas. If your passport already has at least one short-term Schengen visa, the Spaniards will give you a six-month or annual visa. And if you have a Spanish visa, then you can safely count on a multi-year visa - this happens quite often.
The author of the post received the first Schengen visa in his life when he said in his application form that he would take Spanish lessons at a language school in Barcelona (any language school for foreigners has both serious courses and light lessons for tourists - only an hour and a half per day). In addition, for the desire to understand the culture of Spain, the embassy charges almost half the usual price for a visa.
Italy
Two years ago, Italy announced that if a Russian already has one short-term Schengen visa in his passport (not necessarily Italian), it is ready to issue an annual visa, and if two or more, then a two-year visa. Since then, the Italian consulate has not changed its word.
A huge plus is that Italy issues visas based on ticket reservations. Therefore, tourists can cheat and get Schengen without even intending to visit the land of pizza and pasta.
- Visa application center in Moscow (available in many other Russian cities)
Greece
Greece is one of those states that almost always issues visas to Russians. In the summer, the country's Ministry of Tourism announced that it would now distribute three-year Schengen visas to tourists from our country, and if a person has never violated the visa regime, then five-year ones.
Tourists in Lately The Greek consulate is praised for its excellent work: they review documents quickly and in an organized manner and make a decision within two days after the application. In addition, 2016 has been declared the Year of Russia in Greece, and Russians are welcomed here with open arms, juicy moussaka and cold ouzo.
Slovakia
In 2012, Slovakia promised to issue five-year visas to Russians who already have one Schengen visa. In fact, visa officers turned out to be not so generous: on the first application, they usually issue six-month or annual visas, and on the second application, two-year visas. Nevertheless, this is a good option, since Russians are refused extremely rarely.
Finland
Finland is also generous with multiple Schengen visas for Russians. St. Petersburg visa centers are especially loyal: they easily issue monthly visas to residents of the North-West region on the first application and annual visas on the second. In Moscow you can also get it the first time long-term visas, but a little less often.
There is a Finnish consulate in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Murmansk and Petrozavodsk, and visa centers operate in Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, Rostov-on-Don and other cities of Russia.
How much do you have to pay for Schengen?
Visa fee for regular tourist visa category C, regardless of country, is 35 euros, and if you need to get it urgently, then 70 euros. But if you apply not directly to the consulate, but to a visa center (the most likely option for those who do not live in the capital), then you will also have to pay a service fee. Its size changes periodically, as it depends on currency exchange rate fluctuations. Information about the fee can always be found on the websites of visa centers.
Service fees for popular countries (data as of October 2016):
- Spain- 1433 rubles
- Italy- 2100 rubles
- Czech- 25 euros in ruble equivalent
- Poland- 19.5 euros in ruble equivalent
- Germany- 20.35 euros in ruble equivalent
- Greece- 1440 rubles
- Sweden- 21 euros in ruble equivalent
- Finland- 26.75 euros in ruble equivalent ( Visa fees in this country higher than others - 60 euros)
- France- 29.5 euros in ruble equivalent
The chances of getting a long-term visa will increase:
- several visits to this country
- impressive bank statement
- indicate in the application form that you want a long-term visa
- an explanation of the reason why you will often travel to the country (for example, you have relatives living there or you are going to take part in scientific conferences).
Documents for children:
- International passport of the child or parent where the child is registered
- birth certificate or internal passport (upon your 14th birthday), as well as copies thereof (some countries require a notarized copy)
- certificate from the child’s place of study
- 2 color photographs measuring 3.5x4.5 cm
- insurance
- notarized power of attorney for the removal of a child from a parent not accompanying him
- A completed application form