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.
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.
Artists and members of audio-visual productions, produced in all or partly in Greece, need to also submit:
– Contract of employment clearly stating the applicant’s travel dates and purpose of the trip.
Invitation letter – A letter issued by the inviting company in Greece.
If the accommodation is booked by the inviting company, this has to be clearly stated in the invitation letter, mentioning full address and contact details of the hotel and duration of stay.
Other documents that show the existence of trade relations or relations for work purposes, or entry tickets/ registration for fairs and congresses.
Photo Specification
Please ensure that you include a recent color photograph of yourself, taken within the last six months, adhering to the following specifications:
- Background: The photograph should be taken against a plain light background, preferably white or off-white. This will ensure that your features are clearly distinguishable and stand out against the background.
- Clarity: The photograph must be of high quality, with your face in sharp focus. This will enable us to accurately verify your identity.
- Facial expression: Please maintain a non-smiling expression in the photograph. Additionally, avoid wearing sunglasses, hats, caps, or any head covering, unless it is worn due to religious beliefs or ethnic background.
- Printing: The photograph should be printed on regular photographic paper, as obtained from a camera print. This will ensure that the image is clear and of suitable quality.
- Attachment: Please securely attach (glue) the photograph to the Visa Application Form.
In the event that the submitted photographs fail to meet these requirements, the visa application will be considered incomplete. In such cases, the applicant will be requested to obtain new photographs from the photo booth available at the visa application center.
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
In order to begin your visa application process, we respectfully request that you complete the enclosed sample form (available in either PDF or Word format) in its entirety. If at any point you are unsure about any of the information required, please leave it blank. Once the form is complete, please submit it to us, along with a copy of your passport and BRP card/UK residency documentation, as well as any past Schengen visas that you may have previously obtained.
Please send the required documents via email to sales@globalvisaagent.co.uk.
Upon receipt of these documents, we will arrange a free consultation call to further discuss your application and take the necessary next steps. For any additional inquiries, please do not hesitate to contact us directly at +442035001580.
We place utmost importance on data privacy and protection, ensuring that all your personal information is handled, stored, and deleted in strict accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) policy. You can have complete peace of mind knowing that your data is safeguarded with the highest level of security measures.
