Information for tourists: how to apply for a Schengen visa yourself

In order to leave Russia, it is enough to take with you to the border a valid foreign passport. But in order to enter most of the European countries, you need to obtain permission in the consulate or embassy. In 1985, in the city of Luxembourg in the castle of Schengen, an agreement was signed to abolish the control of the border services of European countries. At first they were the Benelux countries, Germany and France. Now the Schengen Union includes 26 European countries. Therefore, to visit at least once all these countries must have a single permit. How to apply for a Schengen visa yourself?

In reality, it is not as difficult as it may seem. To apply for a visa for some countries requires a personal presence, therefore, in these cases to get a Schengen visa is easiest to do it yourself. Personal filing is required for countries: USA, UK, Portugal; Submission by mail - Belgium; The submission is through the Visa Centers - all other states.

Myths about the Schengen visa

1. The first myth created by residents of St. Petersburg, which have a semi-annual Finnish visa - it is necessary to open a visa of the country where it is planned to enter. And all because many strive to immediately fly to Spain or Germany, receiving a Finnish visa for a simplified system. But it's not even the first entry, but in the number of nights spent in the country where the visa is opened. You can fly through Amsterdam, where you will put Dutch stamps at the entrance to Spain, where you spend most of your vacation, so you should make a visa for the Spanish. Therefore, it is necessary to obtain a visa of the country where you will spend more nights.

2. The second misconception is that you can not enter other countries if the visa is open for only one. Since there is no border between the countries of the "Schengen Union", this is also just a myth. On intra-European flights there is no control, which allows Russians to travel throughout Europe, receiving a Spanish visa. But it should be remembered that the final decision is still made by the employee of the border guard service, so he must be convinced that it is Spain that is the main destination of the trip.

3. The third myth usually sounds like this: "How to apply for a Schengen visa yourself, if it is so difficult ?!" In fact, this is a false statement. If all the documents are in order, then problems should arise.

4 steps to visa

So, how to apply for a Schengen visa yourself? To do this, you need to complete 4 simple steps.

1. Choose a country and find out where her embassy is.
2. Find out in the embassy (not from acquaintances, not on the Internet, not from the tour operator), which documents must be submitted for obtaining a visa. And try to ask all the questions of interest and receive reliable answers only from the embassy.
3. Prepare all necessary documents. Usually it is: confirmation of the hotel, income statement, tickets, insurance, questionnaire, photos, proof of the necessary amount to ensure stay in the country. You can check the full list at the embassy of the country you are planning to visit.
4. To pass the interview in the embassy at a pre-designated time.

Are you still thinking about how to apply for a Schengen visa? Independently - longer, with the help of intermediaries - more expensive ... All right, but if time allows and the trip is not very urgent, it is better to do everything on their own. Especially in the embassy you will always be prompted how to open a Schengen visa as quickly as possible and will help.