The consulates revealed the nuances of the new rules for obtaining Schengen visas: advice to travelers

On September 12, the decision of the EU Council of September 9 on “suspension of the visa facilitation agreement between the European Union and Russia” came into force. True, the European Commission left the use of the developed points to restrict the access of Russian citizens to Europe to the discretion of each country: they are free to either apply all the methods voiced to reduce the tourist flow from the Russian Federation, or not to apply them at all.

We asked what changed on Monday, which became “black” for Russians who love Europe.

“There is no ban, only the simplified regime is frozen,” they answer at the Finnish Consulate, where tourist applications are now accepted only on Mondays from 9.00 to 13.00. – So submit documents, if you have a clear description of your tour program within Finland, you will get everything. Just please do not call, we are all online and all the necessary information is on the site.

– The consular fee has grown, and we ourselves do not know anything else yet, stay tuned for updates on the website, – they answer in the Greek consulate.

On the websites of European consulates in the territory of the Russian Federation, six methods developed by the European Commission are cited to reduce the flow of tourists from the Russian Federation: an increase in the visa fee; extension of the consideration period; lowering the priority of tourism; tightening work with documents – requesting additional ones, a thorough check of the provided and visa history; the right to review (cancel) already issued visas, including by other countries; in the tourism segment, the rejection of multiple-entry visas in favor of short-term visas to one country for a specific period. Curiously, someone has already started these measures and how exactly?

I try to look into the Danish embassy in Moscow – just from the street, without a call. And then from sources on the Internet it is not at all clear what is happening with the Danish Schengen for Russians ?! According to some, Denmark is in the ranks of those who will not use the points of the veiled expulsion of Russians, as they joined those who preferred not to waste time on trifles and stop issuing visas to Russians at all (today they are Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia) . But according to another version, Denmark refrained from expressing its own position, waiting for a general decision of the EU. Now there is a solution, the Danish diplomatic mission in Moscow is working, but they are not allowed inside without an appointment. But an elderly compatriot comes out of the consular department, ready to talk.

– Do they accept applications from Russians? – I’m interested in leaving.

– As it was appointed, they took me to the minute, – the woman answers. – They gave me a visa, but don’t look at me, I’m not a tourist, I have children and grandchildren in Copenhagen. You need to go to the website of the Danish Ministry of Internal Affairs, it lists the purposes of the trip, for which citizens of the Russian Federation will be given a visa, but only a short-term one. The purpose of the trip should be very clear, and the program should be scheduled almost to the minute. I told them where I would take my grandchildren, and then they didn’t give me a multiple-entry ticket, as before. Although my daughter married a Dane 12 years ago and since then I have been constantly going back and forth several times a year, I did not go only in the midst of a pandemic.

In the meantime (obviously, in the wake of my calls to the European consulates), an intermediary calls me with an offer of assistance in obtaining a Schengen visa.

– And they say that from today it is almost impossible!

– Well, why, just more expensive. Where do you want?

– To Italy closer to winter. To the ski resort.

– It’s not a problem at all. Now the Italians have the nearest “window” just at the end of November, you will have time for the ski season. In the meantime, we will help you collect the documents. At the first meeting, it is enough to have a passport and a foreign passport with you. If there are two of you or a company, one person can bring all the documents.

– To meet with the Italians?

– No, to a meeting with our manager. He will explain the specific scheme to you only at a personal meeting. We will help you with the collection of documents, as well as with innovations – with a detailed description of the purpose and content of the trip and booking tickets and accommodation. All this is now carefully studied and checked at the consulates, everything must be real and everywhere they must answer test calls.

– How much do your services cost?

– 7800 per person. And if through a premium hall, that is, without a queue, then 30 thousand per person. But don’t worry. Europe has not been canceled for us! Well, except for the Baltics, but there is no need to go there, right?

– Are they trying to fool the people, while no one really understood anything? I ask about the visa support activists who called me from a visa broker I know. He is just leaving the visa center of France.

– My all, who applied on September 5, received a visa today. Including the five year old. With France, Spain, Italy and Greece, everything is fine so far. The consular fee has risen in price by almost 3 thousand, now it is 4800 rubles. Plus 2120 service fee and 5 thousand rubles for the premium – for a total of 12850 rubles within 7-10 days you can get visas for these countries.

– For those who applied before today’s Black Euro Monday?

– That’s for sure, and what’s next, the employees of the visa center themselves do not know. Personally, today I submitted both electronic applications and documents for my clients in the usual way. And what will happen there with the processing of applications and issuance according to the new rules, only October will show, when some new statistics are collected. Popular tourist destinations do not want to extend the consideration to 45 days, it is not profitable for them. And refuse tourists a visa, too. From the decision of the Council of the EU, everyone, without exception, liked only the point about the rise in the cost of the consular fee.

That is, everyone can still try the Schengen happiness, if there were money – and, preferably, extra ones. After all, the consular fee in all European consulates has increased from 35 to 80 euros, and there is also a service fee (for processing services and registration – about 2000 rubles, depending on the country). This is not to mention additional payments for premium service (without a queue) and commissions of visa intermediaries. And all these amounts are not returned to the unsuccessful applicant in case of refusal of a visa, because everyone worked as best they could. And in the light of the current times, there are no guarantees of success.