Greek Consulate Houston – 4 Easy Steps to Apply for Greece Schengen Visa

When you think about Greece – blue seas and white sands probably spring to mind – and you’d be right. There are many beaches which surround the Greek Islands that meet this description. Corfu, Crete, and Kefalonia are popular destinations with plenty to keep you amused as well as miles of coastline – just perfect for unwinding and enjoying lazy days with cool beers and delicious food in this beautiful Schengen country. In this article learn more about how to apply for Greece visa at the Greek consulate in Houston, Texas, Greece visa appointment booking, Processing time at the Greece visa application center, flight itinerary for Greece visa, hotel bookings for Greece visa, Schengen travel insurance for Greece visa application, and Greece Visa Application Process at the Houston consulate.

Greece Schengen Visa

In 2017, 1,029,564 applications for Greek Schengen visas were received worldwide. 39,969 of them were rejected. The Consulate of Greece in Houston dealt with 423 applications and issued 422 of them, making the rejection rate just 0.2%.

Applying for Greece Schengen Visa from the United States

If you are a US citizen, you do NOT need a visa if you wish to visit Greece. However, if you are not a US citizen, you DO need a visa to go to Greece.

In order to apply for your visa from the United States, you need to find the correct visa office to submit your application.  You have to make sure you apply at the right Greek embassy and consulate. There are 9 visa missions in different locations in the US, and the one you need to apply to will be the one that is located in or around the area you live in.

Check the Embassy of Greece’s website for the locations. Click on: “About us” and you’ll see the 9 visa offices. Choose the one in your area:

If you live in Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Puerto Rico, or the US Virgin Islands, you can apply through the Consulate of Greece in Houston.

Types of Schengen Visas Offered at the Consulate of Greece in Houston

There are 2 types of visa you can apply for:

1. Short-term Schengen visa – up to 90 days
2. Long-stay National visa – over 90 days

If you wish to go to Greece for tourism, business, visiting family/friends, cultural, sports, medical reasons, study, or transit purposes for up to 90 days, you need to apply for a Schengen visa.

If you wish to go to Greece for family reunion, employment, studies, research, practical and vocational training, financial investment or another any purpose for over 90 days, you need to apply for a National visa.

You need to apply for the correct type of visa and you need to choose the correct category on the application form. If you don’t, it could result in your application being rejected. It’s a good idea to check the consulate’s website before you start.

Visas are usually issued as single entry (one-time entry), double entry (2 entries), or multiple entry (unlimited entries).

Schengen Visa Application Process at the Consulate of Greece in Houston

Visa applications take around 15 days to be processed by the Greek consulate in Houston. In some cases, the processing time could be as many as 30 days or 60 in exceptional circumstances. You can apply up to 3 months ahead of your departure date, so apply well in advance. The consulate will not bear any responsibility if your visa is not processed in time.

When you submit your application, the consulate will inform you of the date when a decision will be reached.

To assist you in applying for your Greek visa, follow these 4 simple steps:

Step 1: Make an appointment

The Greek consulate in Houston requires you to book an appointment in order to submit your application. All you need to do is contact them by phone or email:

1. Tel: +1 713 840 7522 – ext. 1
2. Email: grcon.hou@mfa.gr

Step 2: Prepare your documents

Before you start to get your documents ready, have a look at the consulate’s website and familiarize yourself with the requirements. If you submit an application that has any documents missing, your application could be refused.

In addition, you need to prepare and provide originals AND photocopies.

The list of documents can include:

1. Application form – fully completed and signed in the relevant places. You can find both the application form for a short-stay Schengen application form and long-stay National visa application form on the consulate’s website
2. Passport – must have 2 blank pages, issued within the last 10 years,  and valid for at least 3 months after your trip
   
3. A recent photograph – must comply with ICAO standards
4. A valid Green Card or US visa (not B1/B2 visa)
5. 2 years W-2 tax forms (most recent)
   
6. Reference letter from employer including position and salary OR bank letter stating the company is in good standing (if self-employed) OR valid I-20; university/school letter confirming student is of good standing, major, and date of graduation (students)
   
7. Proof of accommodation – hotel reservation OR rental agreement OR proof if you are traveling in a group
   
8. Invitation letter from a private individual or company (notarized in Greece) with your host’s ID
   
9. Schengen Travel insurance for at least €30,000 to cover hospitalization, emergency medical care, and repatriation
10. Criminal record certificate/Police check
    
11. Medical certificate
12. Return flight booking with a full itinerary for the entire trip
    
13. Most recent bank and credit card statements (3 months) as evidence that you have the financial means for your trip
    
14. Evidence of family ties and/or details of a German address
    
15. Marriage/birth certificate
16. Evidence of enrollment and/or evidence of sponsorship in course etc.
17. Parent’s permission for minor to travel and/or financial responsibility agreement with parent’s ID (minors)

If you’re planning to obtain your flight reservation for visa without paying for the ticket, all you have to do is follow the 3 simple steps below:

1. Visit the Visa Reservation website to choose the right package
2. Submit the travel details and make the payment online
3. Receive flight itinerary in email

Step 3: Submit your file

When the day arrives for you to go to the consulate in order to submit your file, don’t dress too casually. It may not seem important, but dressing smartly helps to make a good impression and this, in turn, helps you to obtain your visa.

Other things to note:

1. Remember to take ALL the relevant documents for your visa application – the consulate will not accept your application and you will have to return home without your application being processed
2. Don’t be late – arriving early will allow you to gather your thoughts and make sure you have everything before you hand it all over

The consulate may ask you for more information so they are able to make a decision about your visa application. Although, you may be thinking, that they can obtain this information from the documents you have provided, don’t say anything, just answer any questions calmly, politely, and honestly.

Typical questions include:

1. Are you traveling with someone else?
2. Will you be working in Greece?
3. Can you show me your credit card statement?
4. Are you single?
5. Do you have family members living in the Schengen area?

Don’t jeopardize your Schengen visa interview at the last minute. Use this comprehensive and thorough visa interview guide to crack the visa interview!

Greece Schengen Visa Fee

You may also have to provide biometric data which involves a scan of your fingerprints and a photo. If you have provided this information in the past, your data can be reused as long as it is within 5 years.

Step 4: Receive your visa

You can collect your passport on or after the date the consulate gave you when you submitted your application. The decision will be either:

1. Approved – you will find your visa attached inside your passport. You must check that the details of the visa are correct. If not, you must notify the consulate immediately, so they can sort it for you
2. Rejected – if your visa application has bee rejected, you can appeal the decision. You will be notified in writing as to why it was rejected

Common rejection reasons are:

1. Correct documents not supplied – it is important that you supply the correct documents for your type of visa. Different visas require different documents, so you should look at the consulate’s website first
2. Applying for the wrong type of visa – you need to apply for the correct visa. If you are planning on going to Greece for sightseeing etc., you should apply for a tourist visa (short-stay Schengen)
3. Travel insurance is not adequate – the travel insurance should be for the correct amount of cover and to cover specific things, i.e. hospitalization, repatriation etc.
4. Lack of funds – you must be able to afford your trip and your documents, i.e bank, and credit card statements should reflect this
5. Invalid letter of reference – any letters of reference you need to provide should include your job role and salary etc.

Contact details for the Greek Consulate in Houston

Address: 2401 Fountain View Drive, Suite 850, Houston, Texas, TX  77057

Email: grcon.hou@mfa.gr

Phone: +1 713 840 7522 – ext. 1

Fax: +1713 8400614

Hours: Monday to Friday, from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

Conclusion

Remember to follow these 4 easy steps when you come to apply for your Greek Schengen visa:

1. Make your appointment
2. Get your paperwork ready
3. Submit your file
4. Receive your visa

That’s all you have to do! The next part is the beginning of your fabulous Greek odyssey!

At Visa Reservation, we strive to simplify the visa process by providing free visa consultations, cover letter templates and no objection letter templates for our clients from US, UK, Canada, Philippines, India, China, UAE, Europe, Nigeria and globally. We also offer flight itinerary for visa, travel medical insurance, hotel reservations for visa , Book Visa Appointment, Travel Guides, Visa Interview Guides and many more. To learn more about how we can help you with our visa services, please feel free to contact us today.

See Also

How To Apply for Greece Schengen Visa at Greek Consulate in Tampa, Florida
How To Apply for Greece Schengen Visa at Greek Consulate in Boston, Massachusetts
How To Apply for Greece Schengen Visa at Greek Consulate in Chicago, Illinois
How To Apply for Greece Schengen Visa at Greek Consulate in Los Angeles, California
How To Apply for Greece Schengen Visa at Greek Consulate in Washington, DC
How To Apply for Greece Schengen Visa at Greek Consulate in NYC, New York

Worldwide Visa Requirements