Description
If you’re thinking about applying for a Visa, it’s important to take the time to carefully review all the information provided. This website is here to help you prepare your documents thoroughly, using the comprehensive list of supporting documents required for short stay Schengen visas in the U.K. By following these guidelines, you can greatly reduce the chances of submitting an incomplete application or facing processing delays. If you’re a non-EU citizen and unsure whether you need a Schengen visa for travel to the Schengen area, just click on “Do I need a visa?” to get all the necessary information.
If you’re planning to visit Greece and stay in the Schengen area for up to 90 days within a 6-month period, then the short stay type C Schengen Visa is what you need. To figure out how many days you can travel with your visa, check out the Travel Days Calculator on this page. This visa is suitable for various purposes such as tourism, business, visiting family or friends, cultural and educational activities, sports, medical reasons, studies, airport transit, seafarers, and more.
Now, here’s an important detail: you can apply for this visa up to 6 months in advance, but make sure to submit your application no later than 15 calendar days before your planned visit. This gives you plenty of time to prepare and ensures a smooth process.
All applicants, regardless of age, must personally submit their Schengen visa application on their scheduled appointment date.
Please note that in order to submit an application, you must have a valid permanent or temporary residency permit that will remain valid for at least 1 month after your intended return date to the U.K. If you do not meet this requirement, the Greek Consular Authorities will be unable to process your application.
You can submit your visa applications at the Visa Application Centres for Greece located in London, Edinburgh, and Manchester.
The Embassy of Greece – Consular Office – Visa Section will assess all applications. To make things even more convenient, the Visa Application Centres offer a courier service to deliver your documents right to your doorstep. However, keep in mind that you might have to appear before a Visa Officer for a personal or Skype interview at the Consular Office of the Greek Embassy in London. This step could potentially cause delays in the visa process, but don’t worry, it’s all part of the deal and applicants are responsible for any resulting hold-ups.
Documents Required
The following list of documents is not exhaustive, and the Mission may request additional information or documents from the customer if necessary.
Both the standard and supporting documentation must be recent, no older than 1 month, and must be provided for every Schengen visa application.
Customers are required to bring and present their original documents, but they only need to submit photocopies unless specified otherwise.
Before gathering the required documents listed below, applicants are advised to review the requirements in the Overview section to ensure they are eligible to apply for the chosen visa category.
For Minors, please refer to the provided checklist in the downloads section.
- STANDARD DOCUMENTATION FOR SCHENGEN VISA APPLICATION
Visa application form (original)
ID Photo
– Recent (not older than six months from the date of application) passport-size colour photo in white or off-white background.
Original Passport and Photocopy
Signed, valid passport for a period of at least 3 months beyond the applicant’s last day of stay in the Schengen Area. At least two adjacent blank pages to affix the visa are required. It must be issued within the last 10 years on the day of leaving the Schengen Area. Extended passport may still be valid, but when older than 10 years the passport is no longer accepted; in that case, the applicant first needs to apply for a new passport.
Copy of the passport
– Photocopy of the bio-page; If signature is not on the bio-page, a photocopy of the signature page is also required.
– Copies of previous Schengen visas issued in the last three years with the stamps
- UK Residence permit and Photocopy
Original, endorsed in the passport or issued as a Biometric card; It must be valid for at least 30 days beyond the applicant’s intended departure from the Schengen Area.
- C type visitor visa cannot be accepted.
Proof of sufficient funds for duration of stay
Applicant’s U.K. personal current account bank statement of the last three months (showing not less than 90 days of transactions)
Closing balance must not be older than 30 days from the date of application. Balance needs to be in GBP and have a minimum amount of GBP 40.00/day of stay in the Schengen Area. • Credit card statements, or business/saving accounts
If the applicant is sponsored (please note that only immediate family members can sponsor each other):
Sponsor’s passport (original to be seen and copy)
Proof of relationship such as Marriage/ Birth certificate
Sponsorship letter signed by the sponsor clearly stating the exact travel dates
Sponsor’s U.K. current account bank statement of the last three months (showing not less than 90 days of transactions)
Sponsor’s proof of current occupation: Employment letter (not older than 90 days from the date of application) original signed from their employer, AND also the pay slips of the last three months. If the sponsor is self-employed: The last tax return form or a Self-employment letter.
- a) Sponsor’s accountant, when the accountancy of the sponsor’s company is done by an external/ independent accountant; the accountant’s registration number must be mentioned.
- b) Solicitor, when sponsor’s company has been registered by a solicitor
- c) Bank Manager, when sponsor’s company is registered with a business bank account
- d) Companies House, Certificate of Incorporation received upon registering business: if sponsor’s name is not mentioned on the certificate, then additional proof demonstrating connection between the sponsor and the company must be provided.
Confirmed round trip travel-ticket – Full Itinerary for the entire stay (to explain the whole trip, with destinations and dates). If applicant is also travelling to other Schengen States, proof of travel in each of the Member States, as follows bellow: – Fully paid return travel tickets with travel dates and booking reference/ e-ticket number specifying entry and exit from the Schengen Area, clearly stating the applicant’s name.
If the applicant is travelling by car: – Driving license; photocopy of both sides is required. If the applicant is not the driver, driver’s cover letter (signed and dated) confirming joint travel with applicant and travel dates need to be provided too. – Car registration (original to be seen and copy). – Car insurance photocopy. – Fully paid return travel tickets (ferry or Eurotunnel) mentioning the applicant’s name and the registration number of the car.
If the applicant is travelling with a yacht: – Full itinerary (to explain the whole trip, with destinations and dates) stating the applicant’s details (it must be dated and signed by the skipper). – Skipper’s passport photocopy. – Skipper’s license photocopy. – Yacht registration. – Mooring documentation for the yacht from the entry ports in Greece need to be provided.
Proof of accommodation – Hotel/ holiday home confirmed reservation: Applicant’s name and surname, arrival and departure date, address of the hotel and contact details should be clearly stated.
Travel Insurance – Copy of travel insurance policy clearly showing the applicant’s full name. – It must be valid for all Schengen States/ countries and covering the entire period of the intended stay in the Schengen Area. – The minimum coverage of EUR 30.000 for any expenses for repatriation
Proof of current occupation
For employees: Employment letter not older than 90 days + Pay slips of the last three months.
If self-employed: The last year’s proof of tax return. Self-employment letter (not older than 90 days from the date of the application) and obtained from (if applicable):
- a) Applicant’s accountant, when the accountancy of the applicant’s company is done by an external/ independent accountant; the accountant’s registration number must be mentioned.
- b) Solicitor, when applicant’s company has been registered by a solicitor or c) Bank Manager, when applicant’s company is registered with a business bank account
- d) Companies House. Certificate of Incorporation received upon registering business: if applicant’s name is not mentioned on the certificate, then additional proof demonstrating connection between the applicant and the company must be provided.
For students/ pupils: Recent (not older than 30 days from the date of application) ) original letter from school/ college/ university addressed to the Mission with original signature confirming attendance.
Photo Specification
Please submit one current color portrait of yourself that is no older than six months that satisfies the conditions listed below:
- Captured on a light background (white or off-white) to make features stand out and contrast with the background.
- Face-focused and of high clarity
- Full face: not grinning, no sunglasses, no hats or other head coverings, unless the applicant is wearing them due to his or her ethnicity or religion.
- Printed from a camera print on standard photographic paper.
- The photo that is adhered to the visa application form
The visa application will be deemed incomplete if the submitted photos don’t fulfill these specifications (see examples here), and the applicant will be asked to take fresh pictures in the photo booth at the visa application center.
Processing Time
Important Note to Applicants Regarding Processing Time:
We would like to inform all applicants that the standard processing time for visa applications, as per the Schengen Code, is fifteen (15) calendar days from the date of application submission. However, for certain nationalities (please refer to the list provided), the minimum processing time is three weeks due to the need for consultation with other Schengen countries. In some cases, applications may require further processing, which could extend the processing time to up to 45 days.
Applicants who submit their visa applications at the VACs for Greece in Manchester or Edinburgh should consider an additional five days to the minimum processing time mentioned above. This is because visa applications will first be sent to the London VAC and then forwarded to the Embassy of Greece – Consular Office in London the following day.
It is important to note that we are currently experiencing a high demand for travel to Greece, which may result in longer processing times at the Consulate. Therefore, we strongly advise applicants to submit their applications well in advance of their planned travel to Greece, allowing for a longer processing period than the standard 15 calendar days.
As a result, applications submitted strictly within the 15 calendar days prior to the scheduled departure for Greece run the risk of not being processed in a timely manner, potentially resulting in a visa not being issued in time for the intended visit. For any inquiries, we recommend contacting GVCW or the Consular Office.
For more information regarding the processing time, please click here.
Free Consultation
To proceed with your visa application, please fill out the attached sample form (PDF, Word) completely. If you are unsure about any information, leave it blank. Once you have completed the form, please return it to us along with your passport, BRP card/UK residency, and copies of any previous Schengen visas that you have held.
Please forward the documents through email: [email protected]
A consultation call will be scheduled after we have received this information to further discuss the application.
OR
After sending the documents you can call us at +442035001580.
We strictly follow the GDPR Policy, your documents will be handled/saved & deleted accordingly.