What has changed in the Greek Consulate for Russians

Generous not so long ago for multiple visas, Greece now prefers to issue visas to Russians for specific travel dates.

This does not mean that it is impossible to obtain a Schengen visa at the Greek embassy, ​​however, it is much more difficult to do this when applying on your own – there are more refusals. Anatoly Garkushin, head of the Pantheon tour operator, says:

“Getting multiple-entry visas is now difficult – they look at tickets, look at hotel reservations and travel history. If before that the Greek visas were well served, then you can count on a long-term multiple entry visa. We often receive annual in such cases. If you visited not only Greece, then the period can be reduced to six months or 3 months. If the situation is really bad, then they will give you a trip – there are practically no refusals in the composition of the tours. If you apply through visa companies or on your own, there are more refusals.”

Vitaly Stamatov, director of Ambotis, agrees with his colleague. He recommends that residents of the capital apply for a visa 15 working days before departure – this is the most comfortable period. However, in the regions it is better to do this 20-25 days before departure. He reassures potential travelers:

“Currently, we have no problems with obtaining Schengen visas. The time for consideration of applications has not increased, it corresponds to the standard. The validity of visas, as before, depends on the successful visa history of the tourist. If the previous Schengens were used correctly, then we can count on a longer period.”

He is supplemented by the head of TEZ TOUR Greece Dimitris Charitidis:

“Most visas are issued according to travel dates. There is no big problem in this regard, since there is no huge demand. In Greece, those who have valid multiple visas are actively resting – people use it.”

Last year, due to difficult logistics, there were few Russians in Greece. However, experts suggest that this year the situation will improve. Anatoly Garkushin predicts:

“We expect a 20 percent increase compared to the last summer season. People are used to indirect flights, and there will be more of them from third countries, which means that connections will also improve. Well-known destinations will be popular – all the same Rhodes, Crete, Halkidiki. But to the previous level, when there were direct flights, of course, far away.”

TourDom.ru previously stated that Greece, according to politicians, literally sacrificed Russian tourists last year to support the sanctions. Therefore, accordingly, the tourist flow was low. Although those Russian tourists who rested in Greece in 2022 are satisfied and did not feel any negative attitude towards themselves, writes GreekReporter.

Source link