If you are applying for a tourist visa to Greece, you need to know the Greece Schengen visa requirements. Even if you will be applying for a general Schengen visa, there are still some subtle differences in the requirements for each individual Schengen country.
Greece Schengen Visa Requirements – Can I Get Visa On Arrival?
First on your agenda should be to check if you even have to apply for a Schengen visa, or whether you are eligible for Visa On Arrival (VOA). The Schengen area is often confused with the E.U., and these are two different things. The Schengen visa gives the traveler free entry to the following countries (Schengen member states):
- Austria
- Belgium
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
In addition to this, most of the Schengen member countries have agreements in place with other countries, making their nationals eligible for visa on arrival, meaning they don’t have to apply for a Greece Schengen visa in advance. A pre-obtained Schengen visa is not a Greece Schengen visa requirements for nationals of the following countries:
- Andorra
- Argentina
- Australia
- Brazil
- Brunei
- Canada
- Chile
- Costa Rica
- Croatia
- El Salvador
- Guatemala
- Honduras
- Israel
- Japan
- Malaysia
- Mexico
- Monaco
- New Zealand
- Vatican
- Nicaragua
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Saint Marino
- Singapore
- South Korea
- USA
- Uruguay
- Venezuela
Check if your country is on any of these lists. If it is, you are eligible for Visa On Arrival, and don’t have to worry about the Greece Schengen visa requirements because you don’t have to apply for a Schengen visa in advance.
If you don’t see your country, there is no need to panic. All you have to do is check all the Greece Schengen visa requirements we have listed in this article, and collect all the necessary documentation. The sooner you start, the less stressful your visa application process will be. We have all the tips and tricks you need to get your visa as fast as possible, as cheap as possible and as flexible as you want. There are many rigid visa requirements, but we will tell you all the short cuts and workarounds.
Greece Schengen Visa Requirements -Which Visa Is Right For Me?
If you have found out that you are not eligible for a Visa On Arrival, and have to pre-apply for a Greece Schengen Visa, the next step is to find out which Schengen visa type to apply for.
Many travelers are unaware that there are three different types of Schengen visas to chose from:
Single-entry Schengen visa
Double-entry Schengen visa
Multiple-entry Schengen visa
To know which one to apply for you need to have a rough idea of how you plan to travel in the Schengen area. That doesn’t mean you need to plan your trip down to the smallest detail, but you should ask yourself a few questions before moving on to the Greece Schengen visa requirements:
Am I visiting only one country in the Schengen area, or several?
If I am visiting only one Schengen country, do I want to be able to leave that country, and enter it again a second time?
If you plan on entering ONE Schengen country ONCE, the single-entry Schengen visa is right for you.
If you want to enter ONE Schengen country TWICE, the double-entry Schengen visa is what you need.
If you want to visit several Schengen countries, on the other hand, you need the multiple-entry Schengen visa. IF you are still not sure which Schengen visa is right for you, you can check our in-depth article on Schengen visa types.
Greece Schengen Visa Requirements Checklist:
Once you have decided which Schengen visa is right for you, the next step is to familiarize yourself with the requirements for your Greece Schengen visa application. The list is a little extensive, but we will take you through each requirement in detail:
- Passport
- Passport copy
- 2 passport photos
- Application form
- Personal Covering Letter for Schengen Visa
- Visa fee
- Schengen travel insurance
- Proof of sufficient funds
- Valid flight reservation(s)
- Valid hotel booking(s)
- Optional No Objection Letter
Passport:
A very important part of the Greece Schengen visa requirements! You can’t go anywhere without a valid passport. The requirements for the passport are:
Newer than 10 years old
It must be in good condition
Expiration date must be after 3 months after your return date to your home country
Passport Copy:
(including both sides of the passport, and copies of previous visas). The passport must be valid for your entire stay, and at least 3 months after your intended date of departure (Schengen visa flight reservartion recommends at least 6 months validity after your intended departure date)
2 Passport Compliant Photos:
The photos must meet the official requirements:
Not older than 6 months
Light background with the whole face visible
Size varies from country to country, but the standard is usually 51mm x 51 mm or 45 mm x 35 mm
Application form – The form can be found here, and needs to be filled out either in capital letters or electronically. Hand written corrections are not allowed, if you make a mistake, print another one and fill it out again.
Personal Covering Letter – The personal covering letter is a crucial part of your Greece Schengen visa requirements. Make sure you do not rush it when you write this letter. You can read our extensive guide on writing your personal covering letter.
Visa Fee:
A simple one. Usually the Schengen visa fee is around €60. What you need to note is that many embassies require a prepayment via bank transfer (you bring a print out of the bank transfer as proof of payment when you submit your application. Call your embassy to check how they prefer you to pay!
Valid Schengen Travel Insurance:
It’s important here to not just choose any travel insurance. For a travel insurance policy to be valid for your Greece Schengen Visa Requirements, it needs to meet these requirements:
- The insurance must be valid for your entire stay in the Schengen area, and sometimes for an additional 15 days (this applies to for example Indian nationals)
- The insurance must have a minimum coverage of €30,000
- The insurance must cover all medical emergencies as well as repatriation to your home country
You can get your affordable Schengen visa compliant travel insurance at Schengen Travel. Fast customer service, affordable plans, and full Schengen coverage are the reasons we recommend this company.
Proof of Sufficient Funds:
As this sum depends on the living costs of each individual country, the requirements vary from country to country. At the time of writing this article, the official Greece Schengen Visa Requirements in regards to sufficient funds is “€50 per day; minimum total amount of €300 for a stay of up to 5 days reduced by 50% for minors”. You are usually asked to present the proof in the form of bank account statements, credit card statements, salaries, or the likes. If you have a host in Greece, the requirement might be a lot lower.
Valid Flight Reservation and Hotel Bookings:
We will lump these requirements together, as these are the ones that can be hard to understand.
If you read our article on writing your Personal Covering Letter, you already know that you will need to give a detailed explanation of your Euro trip travel plans. In addition, the visa officer wants to see that you have authentic hotel bookings (the only exemption here is if you have an official invitation from a host in the country you will visit).
The Greece Schengen Visa Requirements also ask for a valid flight reservation out of the country.
So how do you meet these two requirements without 1) locking yourself to a rigid travel schedule and 2) having to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on a flight you might have to discard in the case of a visa rejection?
The embassies themselves even recommend not purchasing the flights until your application is approved.
That’s where Schengen visa flight reservartion comes in. Our quick and easy solutions for flight and hotel bookings let you stay flexible and spontaneous, while still complying with the Greece Schengen visa requirements. We act as a travel agency, and book and hold the ticket for you. Then we cancel it, at absolutely no risk to you. You pay safely through PayPal, and your verifiable bookings are delivered straight to your inbox in hours. Read testimonials from our happy customers, or contact us on WhatsApp for a FREE visa consultation 24/7.
Optional No Objection Letter:
Want to raise your chances of getting your Greece Schengen Visa quickly? Read how to do it here.
Now you know all the Greece Schengen visa requirements, and you are set to go
Happy Travels from the Schengen visa flight reservartion team
