Correct use of the Schengen multiple entry visa

Schengen visa refers to permitting documents. A person receives the right to enter and leave a foreign country, to stay on its territory for a certain period of time, including as part of a transit flight. The Schengen visa deserves special attention - it is valid in the territory of a large number of countries that have signed the agreement of the same name. If a Russian citizen wants to visit Europe, he will have to obtain a tourist permit.

Answers to the main questions about the Schengen visa

If you have never been to Europe or have never crossed the borders of other countries, you should know the following:

The rule of first entry into Schengen does not apply - it simply does not exist. Read more in our article “Rule of first entry into Schengen 2021“, but for now let’s clarify briefly: if you plan to travel to several European countries, then obtain a visa at the consulate of the state of your main destination. Determine it by the number of days of stay or the purpose of the trip. The country of entry does not matter. For example, if you have a tour of France (3 days), Spain (7 days) and Portugal (4 days), then you need to contact the Spanish consuls. This is because you will spend the most time in Spain (e.g. Madrid). If you want to stay in two countries for the same period of time, choose either one. For example, when visiting Belgium and Germany for 8 days (4 days each), you can contact either the Belgians or the Germans. It is better to cooperate with the consulate where it is easier and faster to obtain the document you need.
Contrary to popular belief, border guards, not customs officers, are responsible for checking documents. Although there are exceptions to the rule: in some countries, it is customs officers who can request both a passport and a visa. We are talking about Slovaks, Swedes, Norwegians and Finns. This is also practiced in Hamburg, Bavaria and Bremen. In most cases, customs officials check exported and imported goods and look for unauthorized weapons and drugs. A lot of cash can attract the attention of employees. As for passports, they are checked exclusively by border guards and no one else.
The Schengen Agreement covers 26 countries. Data is current as of January 2021. When answering the question of why a Schengen visa is needed, pay attention to the scale of opportunities that you get when you apply for the document: a person receives the right to freely move around more than two dozen countries. The easiest ways to apply for a Schengen visa are to six countries; you can find out about them in our article.

Although initially there were only 7 countries among the Schengen states. They signed an agreement that came into force in 1995. The first were the French, Spanish, Germans, Belgians, Portuguese, Dutch and Luxembourgers. A couple of years later the Italians and Austrians joined them. In 2000, Greece joined the Schengen countries. A year later, the list increased by another 5 states. Later, part of the Baltic states and a number of other states were included in the list. The result was 26 members. It is worth paying special attention to the countries shown on the map of Europe: Ireland, Croatia, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Great Britain and Romania - they are not part of Schengen. Again, this information is current as of January 2021.

Types of Schengen visas

There are 6 categories of visa documents:

A. A person receives the right to stay in the transit zone, which is located on the territory of a Schengen country. Typically, this type of visa is issued to citizens of Iraq and some CIS countries. Russian residents need such a document in exceptional cases, for example, when flying from Georgia or Turkey. Some routes pass through French airports.
Q. Currently there is no such visa. Previously, it provided the right to regular transit for no more than 5 days. In addition to the possibilities mentioned in the first option, a person freely left the airport to the arriving city, and then boarded the flight again and continued the trip to the destination. If you want to get these rights now, you will have to apply for a regular visa.
C. The most common document. People apply for it for tourist, guest, business and transit trips. Citizens with this type of visa do not receive the right to work.
D. Long-term national visa (more than 90 days in Schengen territory within six months). Since April 2010, the document’s capabilities have been reduced and are equal to option C (in particular, the total period of stay is 6 months).
LTV (in Spain – VTL). A person receives the right to stay, transit or enter only certain Schengen countries. This visa is rarely issued, in exceptional cases.
FTD or FRTD . A transit document issued in a simplified manner. Its action is strictly limited. A person receives the right to transit along the route Kaliningrad region - another part of Russia and back. Transit traffic by land through Lithuania. If we are talking about railway transport, a citizen of the Russian Federation does not have the right to leave the railway station.

Thus:
In 99% of cases, when applying for a Schengen visa, you will receive a type C document.

Annual visa. Basic package of documents for obtaining an annual visa

When applying for an annual visa, you need to provide:

A foreign passport, the validity of which expires no earlier than six months from the date of completion of the trip;
2 color photos of the established standard - on matte paper, where the face occupies about 80% of the photo. It is important that the photographs were taken no earlier than three months before they are submitted;
Copies of completed pages of a civil passport;
Certificate from work;

It is advisable that, before you start collecting documents for obtaining a multiple visa, you once again clarify the list of required documents - the consulates of some countries require the submission of additional papers confirming the personal or professional data of each applicant, as well as their level of well-being.

An annual visa to the Schengen countries is issued subject to payment of a consular fee, the amount of which, as of today, is 35 euros. If you need to urgently issue a multiple visa, a double consular fee will be charged.

What other countries can you visit if you are a Schengen visa holder?

It’s strange, but lucky holders of a Schengen visa can visit not only the twenty-six Schengen countries. Here's where else you can go with this visa:

Albania. You need a visa category C (multiple entry) or D. You can replace it with a residence permit.
Bulgaria. The conditions are the same as when visiting Albanians. The 90 day rule also applies. You can stay in the country for six months, but not more than this period. Every 6 months the count starts from zero.
Gibraltar. A C visa is required, which allows multiple entries. You cannot stay in Gibraltar for more than 21 days. If the visa document expires before 21 days have expired, the period of stay is calculated using the formula: 1 week is subtracted from the remaining days of the visa validity.
Cyprus. Category C. If double or multiple trips are allowed, you must first enter the Schengen territory and then Cyprus. If you have a one-time right to visit the country, enter the island from Schengen states. There are no separate time limits, as there are when traveling to Gibraltar.
Costa Rica. Here, on the contrary, there are no requirements for the type of visa document. But the period must be less than 3 months, starting from arrival in Costa Rica.
Panama. You must have a visa from a country that is a member of the EU. Visiting the state is permitted with a double or multiple entry visa. First you must visit the country whose consulate issued the document.
Reunion . Look at the visa sticker. If it says “also valid for Reunion”, you can visit the French region.
Romania . You can come to the country with a visa (category C) with double/multiple entry to Schengen or a residence permit. You can stay in Romania for as long as indicated in the permit document. The general rule of 6 months applies.
French Guiana . This overseas region is open to tourists as long as they have the entry “also valid for French Guiana” on their visa sticker.
Croatia . To be in the republic, you need to get a visa C, D. A residence permit is also suitable. To determine how long you can stay in the country, refer to the time limits in the Schengen document. But every 180 days you are allowed to stay in the countries of the agreement for no more than 90 days.

The figure shows countries that can only be visited with a Schengen visa. They are highlighted in blue. There are quite a lot of them. The consulates of these states are engaged in issuing permits. Citizens of the Russian Federation can visit some visa countries if they have a Schengen visa. But this issue requires more careful consideration.

Green color corresponds to countries where people with Russian citizenship can travel freely. In some countries, it is enough to present an internal passport, for example, when traveling to Belarus. In others, you will be required to provide a foreign passport.

The rest of the territory that does not fit into the above groups is highlighted in grey.

Please also pay attention to such concepts as the EU, euro area, Schengen. These are different concepts that have significant differences. If a country is a member of the European Union, it is not necessarily included in the list of Schengen states and vice versa. Combinations can be very different.

And one more thing: Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway are not part of the customs union. If you cross the border with them, moving from Germany for example, be prepared for customs control. You will be asked to declare and, if necessary, present the cargo being transported. It is interesting that the above countries are part of the Schengen zone, you can enter there with a visa of the same name - there is simply additional control.

Schengen: questions

Are there any other territories that are not a Schengen area or have a special status? These countries include Andorra (formally, a visa is not required, but you can only get here through France or Spain, which means you can’t do without a double or multiple visa); Vatican (the status of the state is unclear; checks are not carried out at the borders); Liechtenstein (since the end of 2011, part of Schengen, entry rules are the same as in Switzerland); Monaco (when crossing the French border, a joint agreement between these two states applies); San Marino (to enter here, follow the rules for visiting Italy).
Is a Schengen visa valid when visiting the UK? The document is not valid because the British Kingdom pursues an independent policy on immigration issues. The rule also applies in the opposite direction. If you have received permission to enter Ireland, it is not valid in the Schengen countries.
Is it possible to get to Bulgaria and Romania with a Schengen visa? It is forbidden. On the territory of these states, different rules apply.
What is the maximum validity period for a Schengen visa? According to current regulations, it is 5 years. You get the right to stay abroad for 90 days every 6 months. Multiple trips are allowed.
Is a single package of documents approved when applying to the consulate? There are various rumors, but officially there is no such list. Each consulate establishes its own procedures and requirements. Even representatives of the same state in different cities may adhere to different rules. There are also differences when applying to a visa center or consulate. When applying for a visa, you will be required to provide a passport, photographs, health insurance and an application form. Each document has a specific format.
How are Schengen countries different? Requirements for candidates for obtaining a visa, the procedure for processing documents for entry into the country, their validity period, duration of stay on the territory of the state, rules on the issue of airport transport visas.

How to get a multiple Schengen visa?

If you have planned a trip to the Schengen countries of Europe and want to get a multiple visa, you must contact the consular office of one of these countries. In this case, you need to contact the consulate of the country where you plan to stay the longest. This is one of the visa requirements.

When planning to stay in two or more countries for equal periods of time, the application should be submitted to the consulate of any of these countries. In addition, specialized visa centers operate in different cities of our country. They significantly save time for applicants from the regions, since now they do not need to contact the consular offices of the countries directly.

However, it is important to remember one rule. The Schengen multiple visa requires that the first entry through it must be made through the country that issued the permit. This requirement is mandatory for all Schengen countries. But you are allowed to return to your homeland through any country.

How to get a Schengen visa?

Obtaining a Schengen visa involves collecting documents. If you are planning a tourist visit, check the website of the desired consulate to find out exactly what you will need. Requirements at Consulates of different countries may vary. But they will definitely require your valid foreign passport. He must “work” for another 3 months after the visa expires (although in urgent situations, if there are sufficient grounds, this point is not taken into account). To enter information about visiting foreign countries into your passport, you will need 2 blank pages (they do not have to be facing pages). And one more thing that doesn’t apply much to Russians, but concerns others, is that they have received a passport within the last 10 years. In the Russian Federation this is the maximum period, so the requirement is always observed.

In addition to the international passport, the candidate for a visa fills out an application form. In some cases this can be done online. The consulate requests photographs that must meet the requirements for them. It is mandatory to have health insurance. Its validity period must cover the period of travel, and the validity area must cover all Schengen states. Minimum insurance coverage is 30 thousand euros. It is better to check with the consulate in advance what the insurance policy should be.

What is the price of Schengen in 2021?

About the cost of a Schengen visa in 2021:

GeekTrips editors are divided on this issue. Some of us obtain visas through intermediaries in Moscow:

The real price of a Schengen card for a year (to France) was 10,210 rubles . This is an experience that really happened and which we can confirm. The intermediary's fee was 5,000 rubles, courier delivery of the passport and documents was 1,500 rubles, the rest was spent on official documents - consular fees, photographs, etc.

The other part of the editorial staff, living in the regions, applies for Schengen on their own .

In this case, the price of a Schengen visa for Russians in 2021 will be only 4,000 rubles . This is an actually issued (and received!) visa to Spain for a year. Of this amount, 200 rubles were spent on photographs, 2,654 rubles were spent on consular fees, and 1,172 rubles were spent on sending documents from the provinces to Moscow. Printing out the application form, preparing all documents (ticket reservations, hotels and bank accounts), as well as travel are not taken into account here.

Now regarding the moment of “opening” the visa document. This phrase is completely incorrect. The visa is not opened : first you receive it at the consulate, then the validity period of the document begins (not necessarily on the day of issue). Next, you present a visa to enter the Schengen country. After a certain period of time or number of trips made, it stops working.

When applying for a Schengen visa on your own, in order to receive a positive response, it is important to confirm your accommodation reservation. You can rent an apartment, a hotel room or a hostel room. Consulate representatives are also concerned about your financial condition. Bring a certificate from work about your earnings or provide other evidence, for example, letters of sponsorship. And, of course, do not forget to present purchased or reserved tickets to enter and exit the country.

To convince specialists of your stable financial situation, present a bank account statement - it should contain a substantial amount. You may be required to provide an internal passport. If you apply through visa centers that operate on the territory of the Russian Federation, sign an agreement for the processing of personal data. If you contact the consulate in person, this is not required. By the way, don’t forget to make a travel plan if you want to visit several countries at once.

There are a lot of documents, but the main ones are health insurance and accommodation reservation. It is not difficult to insure your life and health. But booking accommodation is dubious evidence that a person will not stay in the country. It is not clear what the consulates are guided by when they make such a requirement. This issue regarding the Schengen visa still remains open. Specialists request confirmation of a reservation in a variety of ways: by email, by fax, in the form of full or partial payment for the stay.

But let's leave this question unanswered. This concludes our article. We hope you found it useful, and if so, please share the link with your friends. We wish you to receive a 5-year Schengen visa and go on many pleasant trips!

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Visa application procedure

To obtain a multiple Schengen visa, you must first register to submit documents. An appointment is usually available by calling a call center or through the website of the consular department of a particular country.

It is impossible to submit documents without prior registration at the consulate. Reception is carried out at strictly designated hours. Documents can only be accepted after receiving an official response from the Embassy. Visa application centers can accept visa documents without an appointment.

After the documents are accepted by the consular officer of the embassy or visa center, the applicant is issued a check. It will indicate the amount of the consular fee. Payment of fees must be made at the ticket office on site. A document confirming the acceptance of documents is also issued.

On a pre-agreed day, the applicant must make a second visit to the visa center or consulate. On this day he receives his passport with a visa.