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"Schengen" for Belarusians: possible options, the price of the issue and life stories
25.04.2024
The summer tourist season is approaching. Those planning to travel to Schengen countries need to think about a visa. Myfin.by decided to look at possible options for obtaining a "Schengen" visa and information on some embassies. We found out the cost of intermediary services (which, by the way, can vary significantly depending on the range of services and type of visa). We also looked at prices for inexpensive bus tours with visa support. And we asked Belarusians how they obtained visas.
How to apply for a visa? Choosing an option
Schengen visas are most often issued for the purpose of visiting friends and relatives or for tourism. If you don't have relatives or acquaintances abroad, then tourism is the choice. And here it's important to correctly decide which embassy to submit documents to, where the chances of success are higher.
In fact, now there are three main options for obtaining a Schengen visa for travel.
1. Apply for documents at the visa center or embassy yourself. It's inexpensive, but difficult. For relatively simple options, you had to think about everything last summer. When applying on your own, you will need to study the information on the websites of embassies and visa centers, read chat rooms, and analyze the experience of other people. The process of obtaining information can be simplified, saving time and nerves, if you consult with a knowledgeable specialist, a "visa expert", of which there are many now.
2. A tourist trip with visa support from a travel agency. In this case, you will have to pay not for the services of an intermediary, but for the trip itself (which is sometimes comparable to the price of intermediaries). We don't take into account personal expenses in addition to the cost of the tour and the long and not very comfortable first trip by bus. The option is quite simple, but you won't be able to have an independent trip along your own tourist route and schedule.
3. Seek help from intermediaries. It's expensive, and the result is not guaranteed. We will talk about the prices later.
How much does it cost and who issues it?
It is believed that the embassies of Germany and Italy lead in the number of multiple-entry visas issued. They rarely refuse. The French embassy consistently issues visas: also with a low refusal rate and good terms. The Greek embassy has a high refusal rate outside the tourist season. During the season, the attitude towards trips becomes much more lenient, but the terms for which the visa is issued are usually very modest. The Hungarian embassy grants visas for tours of accredited travel agencies very well, but it will be impossible to refuse the tourist trip — the visa will be annulled.
When obtaining a visa independently through the embassy, the costs are minimal — a consular fee of 35 euros. But for some countries it is significantly more: Norway and Denmark — 80 euros.
When applying through a visa center, you must additionally pay a service fee of at least 11 euros (it depends on the country for which you are applying for a visa), plus there is an option to buy additional necessary services (filling out the application, courier delivery of the passport, etc.).
Using the services of intermediaries, you will have to pay an additional 250 rubles to 600 dollars. This also depends on the country of application and the request for additional services (filling out the application, collecting documents, booking tickets, accommodation, etc.).
Which countries issue Schengen visas to Belarusians? Consulates and visa centers of Spain, Greece, Germany, Hungary, Croatia, Italy, Slovakia, and France, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Denmark, Norway issue tourist and guest visas for Belarusians.
Italy
This country is the most predictable and generous in terms of guest and tourist visas. You can submit documents through the Italian VC in Minsk. From time to time, available dates appear on the website, but they are quickly taken. Therefore, some people use such an opportunity as a live queue: residents of Minsk need to come to the address Niamiha Street, 40 and sign up in a notebook with the "administrator". Then wait for their turn on the porch of the VC with the prepared documents and a "fresh" personal account (the application is active for 10 days). Residents of other cities instead send a registered letter to the VC address, which contains a copy of the passport pages with personal data and registration (other confirmation of residence outside Minsk is also possible), email address and phone number.
It is also possible to submit documents through the embassy by appointment. But appointments are currently scarce – there are too many applicants.
If you have a close relative with a residence permit/permanent residence/citizenship, it is very easy to apply for a visitor visa with an invitation: you need to send a request to an email address for a date to submit documents for a visitor visa, attaching an invitation and documents confirming the relationship between the applicant and the inviting person. The relatives must be quite close. For example, a third cousin's invitation did not result in a visit date being provided.
Good tourist and visitor visas with favorable terms are sometimes issued even for a clean passport. And if you have already visited Italy and can prove it (tickets, receipts, transactions, accommodation bookings), your chances of getting a visa for 1 year increase significantly.
The cost of an appointment through intermediaries: from 400 rubles.
The price of an inexpensive tour: depending on the tour (some offer 7-10 days of sea отдых) 400–700 euros.
France
It is extremely difficult to catch a date, and recently it has been almost impossible. But if you succeed, you will be given a visa not for a single entry, but for at least 3 months to 3 years. The visa period here depends on the visa history (an additional plus is if you have already had French visas) and luck. The French are considered the most lenient in terms of visa issuance periods and the minimum number of refusals.
It is ideal if you have relatives or friends in France – you can apply for document submission through the consular department's mail, attaching an invitation and a form filled out on a special portal.
Services of intermediaries: visitor visa – from 500 rubles, tourist visa (currently many intermediaries are temporarily not issuing it) – up to 600 dollars.
The price of an inexpensive tour: about 500-600 dollars. You can count on tours starting from autumn. It's too late for the beginning of summer, and during the Olympics it's practically unrealistic.
Germany
This is one of the few countries where it's easy to make an appointment for a tourist or visitor visa on your own: you fill out a form on the website and send a request, and the consulate will set the appointment date and send you an email.
But if you make an appointment now, you'll get the visa around next summer. Currently, it takes about 10 months from the date of the first request on the website to the time of submitting documents. You won't be able to choose a convenient date and time for you: if you refuse the proposed date, you'll need to make a new request and wait several more months for the appointment date.
It's better to apply for a visitor visa here — in this case, they give longer periods, and you can get a visa even for 5 years (but it's better to count on 1 year). You can apply for it not only with an invitation from any relatives but also from friends. The invitation can be either official, issued by a German government agency, or unofficial — written by the inviting person "on the knee". As a rule, they issue visas for a longer period with an official invitation.
For tourism purposes, the period of issued visas is significantly shorter: there's a high chance of getting a single-entry visa.
When applying, they may ask which visas you had before and how you used them. They may also call after the application and ask you to bring documents confirming that the previous visa was used for its intended purpose: you traveled to the country that issued it at least once, and you have personalized documents confirming this (for example, a bank statement with transactions in that country, rental of housing, personalized tickets, etc.).
The German embassy in Minsk also represents Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Slovenia. Documents for opening visas to these countries can be submitted in a similar way.
Services of an intermediary: from 250 rubles.
Price of an inexpensive tour: from 250 euros.
Hungary
The country accepts applications through the Visa Center and is known for its multiple-entry tourist visas. But such visas are issued only for tours, not for independent travel. The main option that offers the possibility of a multiple-entry visa for a long period is a tour purchased from an accredited company. According to statistics from messages in chats, with this option and some luck, you can get a visa for up to 3 years. But you will actually have to go on a trip. You cannot get a visa and then refuse to travel to Hungary in favor of another country — the visa will be canceled because the travel agency is obliged to report the refusal.
As for the terms of visas for independent tourist trips, they are usually much shorter, and you can get a regular single-entry visa.
It is quite possible to catch a date on your own. When visiting close relatives, registration is done through the consular department of the embassy with an attached invitation, a copy of the applicant's passport, and a contact phone number.
Hungary also accepts documents for opening visas to Switzerland. Here, too, preference is given to tourist trips to this country organized by travel agencies — they issue visas for up to 2 years. And based on invitations from Swiss citizens, visas are often issued for only 3 months.
Services of an intermediary: from 350 rubles for a guest visa, from 350 to 800 rubles for tourism.
Price of an inexpensive tour: to Hungary — about 400 euros, to Switzerland — about 600 euros.
Spain
Since June 2023, the Spanish visa center has reopened in Minsk. Before that, it was necessary to submit documents in person only in Moscow. On the visa center's website, you can try to make an appointment on your own, but as the season approaches, it becomes more difficult to catch a date.
The application form will have to be filled out very carefully; you will have to pay extra to the visa center for any mistake in personal data.
Here you need to be prepared for a single-entry or short-term visa. According to messages in chats, now visas for more than 3 months are rarely issued.
Recording through intermediaries: from 390 rubles when applying in Moscow (personal application, which will add to the costs and time), from 500 rubles – when applying at the service center in Minsk.
The price of a bus tour: from 650 euros, but at the same time, recording for submission in some companies is also not free – 300 rubles.
Greece
To register, you need to register on the website of the Greek service center. According to reviews in thematic chats, the country regularly «throws out» dates for recording and it is quite possible to make an appointment yourself. But as the season approaches, it becomes more and more difficult to «catch» the date.
Outside the tourist season, visas were often refused or a single-entry visa was given. Now everything is more lenient and there are fewer refusals.
The price of recording through intermediaries: from 350 rubles.
The cost of an inexpensive tour: from 700 euros.
Poland
Everything is very complicated here. You can only apply for a visitor visa with an invitation from a Polish citizen or with permanent residence (residence permit will not help). Recently, they started issuing visas for tourism, but it was impossible to make an appointment yourself. And recording through intermediaries did not guarantee anything – there were a large number of refusals for tourist visas.
Now, to cut off intermediaries, a new registration system is being introduced through the website – with photo verification. Now applicants, after verification in the MSA, must pass another confirmation with a passport using a selfie photo. Judging by the cases of those who tried to register independently after the нововведения – it is better to wait until this system works properly, so as not to waste time and nerves.
Services of an intermediary: from 400 rubles.
Some other countries
Croatia (Visa Center) began issuing Schengen visas in 2023. For the "early birds," passports were not returned for months, and mostly single-entry visas were issued. Now there are no issues with passport issuance, but most visas are still single-entry, only valid for the travel dates.
Denmark (Visa Center) and Norway (Visa Center). If you apply through these visa centers, documents are sent to London, so you have to wait a long time for a decision and your passport. Don't expect a long-term, multiple-entry visa. These countries also have a consular fee of 80 euros, not 35 euros, as they have not signed the agreement on simplifying the visa regime between the EU and Belarus. There are also significant service and logistics fees.
Slovakia (also accepts documents for a visa to Portugal) — documents are accepted not only through the Visa Center but also at the Slovak embassy in Minsk.
In 2024, Belarusians have two more options for applying for a "Schengen": Bulgaria (embassy in Minsk and Visa Center) and Romania (embassy in Minsk), which initially announced that they would start issuing tourist visas to Belarusians on April 1. Bulgaria then postponed this deadline to April 15 at the Minsk visa center, and to May 1 at the Visa Centers in other cities. You can already start looking for dates to submit documents, but no one knows yet how these countries will issue "Schengen" and what factors will influence the result. It can be assumed that at first, the process and result will be similar to Croatia's (but you won't have to wait weeks or months for your passport from Moscow).
Stories of Belarusians who received a visa
Irina:
— Our daughter's Schengen visa expired before the rest of the family's because at the age of 14, she needed to change her passport. We love traveling to Europe, going about 4 times a year, not counting the covid times. So we immediately got worried and started applying for a visa for the child in a new passport. Only the third (!) embassy issued the visa. We registered with all three using intermediaries.
The first attempt was a tourist visa to Poland. We spent about 700 rubles together with the intermediary's services (400 rubles) and got a refusal. We were just in shock: how, with the parents' current Polish visas, the daughter's previous Polish visas, and her numerous trips to Poland for the weekend, could we have such a result?
The second attempt was a tourist visa to Greece. We spent 400 rubles on the services of an intermediary company that scheduled our appointment, booked tickets and accommodation. The result was a refusal. We couldn't believe our eyes again, because we had been resting in Greece on Rhodes just in the summer of 2023, and we attached all the supporting documents about the flight, accommodation, and even photos. We discussed the situation with my husband and assumed that it was the fault of the intermediary company, perhaps the plane and hotel bookings for the "planned" trip were cancelled before the decision on visas was made.
The third attempt was Italy, a tourist visa. It cost almost 1800 rubles. I overpaid the intermediaries for the fast registration service (1250 rubles instead of 800 rubles) and bought a premium submission to the Italian Visa Center. We attached a pack of documents and photos about several trips to Italy in 2019 to the package of documents. And so at last we received the long-awaited visa for the child for 1 year.
If you calculate all the expenses for the desired visa, then it definitely "cost us a pretty penny".
Kirill:
– I didn't find any relatives or friends in France, so I couldn't sign up by email for a visitor visa. I had to pay intermediaries to apply for a tourist visa. The appointment is expensive – I paid 1500 rubles to the intermediary. But I had several French visas before, and this gave hope that the visa would be issued for a long time. And so it happened – "Schengen" for 3 years.
Marina:
– I was able to quickly sign up for a tourist visa at the Italian Visa Center on my own. I attached a copy of the Lithuanian visa for a period of 1 year, which I received in 2018, and documents about the trip to Italy with this visa to the rest of the documents. They gave me a 6-month visa, although I was really counting on a year.
Egor:
– We used to think that visas were very accessible before, especially Polish ones. Now (in October 2023), in order to sign up for a tourist visa at the Polish Visa Center, we had to pay 400 rubles to an intermediary, since it's absolutely impossible to catch a date on your own. The result was disappointing – refusal of the visa.
When I saw the news about the new registration system for the Polish VTs, I was very happy – finally, I would be able to register myself and save money. But so far, things are not going so well: on the first day, seeing the window, I quickly filled in all the necessary data, the camera tab opened, and that was it. Sometimes photo verification doesn't work, sometimes the MSI code doesn't go through. The site constantly gives errors, sometimes it doesn't open at all. The VTs doesn't respond to emails. Calling the information line – they can't help in any way. But among my acquaintances, there is one lucky person who was able to register himself and his wife.
Elena:
– Our whole family applied to the German embassy for a visitor visa with an official invitation from my sister. Fortunately, we managed to do it when the period from registration to the date of submitting documents was only 3 months. My daughter and I were given visas for 1 year, my husband and son – for 6 months. It was a bit disappointing, as acquaintances with similar «starting conditions» were given visitor visas for 5 years for the whole family. After receiving the passports, we immediately signed up for the next submission. Given the current deadlines, our current visas will expire just in time for the new date.
Oleg:
– My 11-year-old son and I submitted documents to the German embassy with an unofficial invitation from a family friend. From the moment we sent the letter to the embassy until the submission date, we waited about six months. We requested visas for 2 years. The result, although not bad, is a bit strange: I was given a visa for 1 year, and my child – for 3 months.
Source: www.virtualbrest.ru
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