Greece is a heaven for tourists. Its attractions and wonders never end for a foreign visitor; Acropolis, its museum, Santorini, Delphi, beaches and so many other options. You might need a Greece tourist visa to enjoy this treasure.
Visa Library explains who needs a visa and who doesn’t, what are the requirements, and the application process.
Yes, Greece is part of the EU and Schengen Area and it is visa-free for the members of the two mentioned unions.
Besides the EU countries, a few non-EU countries are also exempt from the Greece short-stay visa. They can visit the country with their passport and stay for 90 days:
Brunei Darussalam | Hong Kong | Malaysia |
Georgia | Israel | Singapore |
The United Arab Emirates | Japan | South Korea |
Antigua And Barbuda | Grenada |
Bahamas | Guatemala |
Barbados | Honduras |
Canada | Mexico |
Costa Rica | Nicaragua |
Dominica | Panama |
El Salvador | United States Of America |
Argentina | Paraguay |
Brazil | Peru |
Chile | Uruguay |
Colombia | Venezuela |
Australia | Palau |
Kiribati | Samoa |
Marshall Islands | Solomon Islands |
Micronesia | Tuvalu |
New Zealand | Vanuatu |
Albania | Monaco |
Andorra | Montenegro |
Bosnia And Herzegovina | San Marino |
EEA countries | Serbia |
North Macedonia | Ukraine |
Vatican City State | United Kingdom |
Moldova | EU |
Angola | Ghana |
Cameroon | Guinea |
Congo | Nigeria |
Eritrea | Sierra Leone |
Ethiopia | Somalia |
Mauritius | Seychelles |
If your nationality is not among the above list of countries, you will need a Greece tourist visa. You have to receive a visa to visit the country and the duration of your stay does not matter.
You can learn about other countries’ visas by going through the top menu.
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Video description
You can see the pdf file related to the youtube video here:
https://visalibrary.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Greece-tourist-visa.pdf
The list of requirements is as follows;
Application form
You can download the Schengen visa standard application form from here. Complete it with your personal information then print, date, and sign it.
You also have the option to get the form from the Greek embassy in your home country.
Passport
It must be valid over the duration of your stay in Greece.
Photos
Applicants need two recent photos on a passport-sized according to the Schengen visa instructions.
Insurance
Purchase insurance that is valid in Greece and the entire EU and covers your expenses for 30.000 EUR. The new point is that the insurance needs to cover Covdi-19 expenses as well.
Proof of accommodation
Make it clear where will you stay in Greece during your stay. You can submit the receipt of a booked hotel. In case a friend will host you, ask them to write you an invitation letter.
Financial independence
Submit the documents that indicate you have enough money to cover your expenses in Greece. You need €123 ($130) per day to visit Greece:
Medical check certificate
The Greek embassy has authorized a few medical centers in your home country where you can take a medical test there. The test indicates that you have no health problems that are a threat to the public. Submit this document besides the rest of your documents.
The followings are required by your employment status;
Employed
Self-employed
Retired
Student
Invitation letter
You will need an invitation letter from a friend or relative living in Greece. The letter indicates ta he/she supports your costs and provides accommodation.
Other requirements
You might have to submit further documents depending on the purpose of your visa. You would better visit the Greek embassy’s website or ask them in person about the requirements.
You can visit Greece without a visa if you are among the EU and Schengen Area members and visa waived countries list.
Applicants can find the list in the above section. Are you among them or not? If yes, visit the country with your passport and enjoy staying for three months. But if not, you have to apply for a visa.
The way applicants need to apply for a Greece tourist visa is almost the same for everyone. However, it could change a bit by the country you live in and your particular case.
A general way applicants have to follow comes as below;
The article explained that a few countries are exempt from Greece’s short-stay visas. You can find the list of them in the above section.
In case you are a national of these countries or have their passport, you do not need a visa. You can visit Greece and the entire Schengen Area with your passport and stay for up to 90 days.
If you are not, you have to receive a visa before moving to Greece.
Look at the above section and see what are the requirements for a Greece tourist visa. You have to collect all of them and submit them to the Greek embassy.
Be careful with the requirements as they prove you are honest with your application and have a genuine purpose for your visit.
Also, the Greek embassy could ask for further supporting documents and it can make the application process longer. If you are in a hurry, apply a bit earlier to save time.
Now you need to find the nearest Greek embassy or consulate in your home country. If there is no one available, find out where the processing takes place; a visa center or a Greek embassy in a neighboring country.
Schedule a meeting with them and visit them on the scheduled date. Bear in mind to bring with you all the collected documents. If you need copies, prepare them in advance as there will be no copy service with the embassy.
You submit the documents to the officials and pay the fee for visa processing. If you have not visited the Schengen Area in the last five years, you have to take your fingerprints and photo.
There is also a fee for visa processing which you have to pay. It’s up to the country you live in and the provided services by the embassy.
The officials will guide you on what next steps to take.
It takes time for the embassy to work on the application and decide whether to issue you a visa or not. The processing time for a Schengen visa is different and you might have to wait for up to a month.
When the embassy decides, they will notify you. If the answer is no, they send you a letter and explain the reason for visa rejection. You can find out what was wrong with your application and apply again.
When the answer is yes, the embassy guides you to pick up your visa or send your passport to stick the visa on it.
Your tourist visa is valid for 90 days in six months. The times you can enter Greece or Schengen Area depend on the embassy’s decision.
The application process for a Greece tourist visa got explained in the above section. You need to find the nearest Greek embassy in your home country and apply to them for a visa.
Indian nationals are not among the visa waived countries for a Schengen visa and also a Greece tourist visa.
They have to collect the mentioned requirements on this page and schedule a visa meeting with the Greem embassy in new Delhi at this address;
No.3, Kleanthous Street, Athina 106 74, Greece
The embassy will guide them on further requirements and informs them when to get the visa.
You might need a Greece tourist visa to visit this amazingly beautiful country.
Visa Library explained who needs a visa and who doesn’t the list of requirements, and the application process.
If you have any questions, write them in the comment section.