The Hungarian consul wanted to personally find out how the Russian woman used his Schengen visa

An interesting innovation was demonstrated this week by the Hungarian consulate in Russia, previously one of the most loyal to Russians of all the visa centers of the ex-socialist camp. Having learned the details, we discussed them with domestic visa experts.

A Russian woman, who was invited for an interview with the consul after the trip, spoke about the “revolutionary” practice started by the Hungarian visa services in a thematic chat.

– In September, when returning my passport with a Hungarian Schengen stamp, I was warned that after the trip I had to appear again for a personal interview with the consul. During which to confirm that I really was in Hungary,” the Russian woman shares.

The problem is that, like many domestic tourists under sanctions, the girl was going to another country through Hungary, but did not receive a Schengen card from her. And, having heard a lot about the loyalty and lack of queues at their visa services, I turned to them, where I succeeded. True, she first had to exchange, at a loss for herself, the already purchased round-trip air tickets with complex logistics for others, via Budapest, and book a hotel there.

The trip with a Hungarian Schengen visa to another country was successful, but what about the interview now?! The traveler doesn’t want to spoil her relationship with the consulate, which kindly gave her the coveted Schengen stamp.

We are interested in an innovation from a specialist who helps compatriots obtain a visa to the Schengen zone.

“Yes, unfortunately, this exists today,” admits Alexey, a visa intermediary from Moscow. – European consulates in Russia “from above” require reporting that the visas they issued were used “for their intended purpose” – that is, a tourist who received a Schengen visa spent his money in Hungary. The girl will already go where she needs to go, and then she will simply come and say thank you to the Hungarians again.

– She doesn’t know whether to go to the meeting promised to the consul? Nobody calls her, but is it necessary to remind her about herself?

– This meeting may be scheduled simply as a matter of form and may not take place at all. But if the tourist is prepared, she can remind herself of herself. Come in and say thank you.

– How did you prepare?

– Well, for example, while in Hungary, no matter how long she was there, she stocked up on photos of the main attractions of the capital, saved a couple of receipts from Hungarian restaurants and shops and purely symbolically brought the consul a souvenir from her homeland. Since they are meeting you halfway, you must show at least a minimum of respect and not pass through the country that issued the Schengen visa in a “draft.” At least on the “day of arrival-day of departure”, do not sit still, but show interest in the country.

Meanwhile, another Russian woman found herself in a similar situation: she was also “taken at her word” that she was going to Hungary, but along with being presented with a passport with a Schengen stamp, she was offered to return and tell about the trip upon her return. This traveler also turned specifically to the Hungarians, having heard about their “kindness,” but in fact she is going to another EU country. The trip is already upon her, expensive air tickets from Budapest to another European capital have already been purchased, there is no turning back.

– Or could it be that the Hungarian diplomats themselves will not be active, but if they don’t show up, they will mark it down and deny Schengen next time? – we ask the visa intermediary.

– Now there are a lot of individual features in this issue; each visa service has its own “start-ups” in this sense. It is important to understand their general position. If a country is, by and large, interested in Russian tourists, and simply wants to comply with all sorts of formalities and “respect” the common policy of the EU countries towards the Russian Federation, then an invitation to a report is rather a formality. It is calculated precisely on the fact that tourists will spread this requirement by word of mouth – they say that Hungary gives it for a reason, turning a blind eye to the fact that it is used as transit, and the consul personally demands a report on everyone who has been issued a Hungarian Schengen visa. Now all consulates have been reduced to the limit, there are only a few people left, and they are loaded to capacity. I’m afraid that they themselves are not interested in your reports. The Spaniards don’t even have anywhere to store the docks they received from the Russians; they build pyramids out of them on the floors of their offices.

In confirmation, there is a story from a Russian tourist who was denied Schengen by the Finns – precisely because he used all the previous stamps they had affixed “without a drop of respect” – that is, flying through Finland in a drafty car, without even bothering to spend the night on Finnish territory or although I should give credit to Finnish cuisine.