What documents are needed for a Schengen visa?

"To cut through a window to Europe ..." - the well-known winged phrase of Alexander Pushkin, telling about the desire of Tsar Peter I to see foreign countries and to get to know life abroad, is actual to this day. The Russian state has long sought closer ties with Europe, and the Old World has been slow to accept Russia into its ranks. It was, is, and who knows, maybe, it will continue for the same amount of time. But if in the times of Peter I some households had a hospitable reception, others - more cool, then in our time, from the side of the "old lady of Europe" there is only one reception of guests - the Schengen visa.

As the saying goes, "where does it come from" this Schengen visa? In 1985, near the village of Shengen, an agreement was signed to abolish passport and customs control between a number of European countries. Every year the number of countries entering into this agreement is increasing. To date, the Schengen zone is being extended to 26 countries in Europe. Unfortunately, Russia, Ukraine and Belarus are not included in their composition. When will they enter? ... But do not be discouraged. Because it is not in our power to change the existing order, but in our power to change its color, and then everything can be transformed into other, not so gloomy colors. Therefore, the idea of traveling "beyond the sea" does not need to be postponed, but it is necessary to implement it, and we need to start from a list called "documents for a Schengen visa."

In January 2013, the Russian Foreign Ministry published a single list, introduced by the countries of the European Union, which included all documents for the Schengen visa. Previously, each consulate made its demands on the list of documents. And if you, for example, went to Spain, then you had to look at the official website of the consulate of this country and open the link "documents for the Schengen visa for Spain." Very often these requirements radically differed from each other, and this led only to chaos and various kinds of manipulation.

So, if you are an adult tourist, dreaming to cut through your "window to Europe" and get to know the culture, customs and traditions of other countries, then you need to take care of the availability of the following documents: visa fee; Application for a visa, the form of which is the same for all EU countries; A passport valid for at least three months after the expected date of departure from the Schengen area; Clear photos of 80% of the face; Medical insurance for an amount of at least 30 thousand euros; Copies of pages of the passport of the citizen of the Russian Federation with biographical data, notes on issued passports, marital status and registration; Documents confirming the residence and the route during the trip; Documents on the financial stability of a tourist.

When completing the documents for the Schengen visa, pay attention to each item in this list. If at least one paper is drawn up incorrectly or it does not appear in the package of documents sent to the consulate, then your journey will be postponed indefinitely. It should be noted that among the documents confirming your itinerary, there may be a hotel reservation with indication of its full address and the number of days of your stay therein or a written invitation from your friends also with their exact address and passport data, round-trip tickets, an approximate plan for your itinerary , If you travel independently, or print out your tour, if you go on a trip with a tour operator.

Do not leave without proper attention the documents for the Schengen visa, which reflect your financial situation and guarantee your return to the Motherland. The embassy pays special attention to this. As such documents you can provide a certificate from the place of work indicating your salary for the last 6 months on a letterhead with a wet seal. In this reference, there must necessarily be a phrase that your workplace is reserved for you for the duration of your journey. If you are an entrepreneur, then you need to provide a certificate of registration of your company and a certificate of income from the tax inspection. If you are a pensioner, you need a photocopy of your pension certificate. Also, you can take a certificate from the bank about the availability of your credit card or bank account with a statement of motion for the last three months.

Do not be afraid of you medical insurance in the amount of 30,000 euros. This does not mean that you have to pay such a sum. You pay a single fee, depending on the number of days and the amount covered by the insurance policy. In this matter, do not be greedy: it is better to take an insurance policy and a larger amount than indicated, because this is your life and health. Another country, other laws, prices for medicines and medical care - all this should be taken into account when planning a trip.

If the entire package of documents is collected, it is still necessary to consult a travel agency, which embassy is better to apply for a visa. Let the documents for the Spanish visa, for the Czech, French and so on and correspond to the single requirements from now on, but the embassies themselves treat tourists as before in different ways. Some people greet you with "bread and salt", others have a colder reception. But the Schengen visa opens the door to any EU country, and it does not matter in which country's embassy you got it. The professionals of the tourism business know all these details better and will give you the right advice, and then the "window to Europe" will indeed prove to be wide with beautiful views ...