Greek Consulate London – 5 Easy Steps to Apply for Greece Schengen Visa

Greece is an idyllic Schengen country made up of many islands which are perfect in every way. White sandy beaches fringed with lush green forests where the azure-blue waters gently soothe all your cares away. There are a lot of things to do – historic monuments and archaeological attractions to explore, plenty of restaurants and bars to sample the excellent cuisine and a buzzing nightlife where you can dance until the early hours of the morning! In this article learn more about how to apply for Greece visa at the Greek consulate in London, UK, 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 London embassy.

Greece Schengen Visas

In 2017, there were 1,029,564 Greece Schengen visas received by Greek embassies and consulates across the world. 39,969 (3.88%) were rejected. The Embassy of Greece in London received 6,960 applications and rejected 87 (1.3%).

Applying for a Greece Schengen Visa from London

If you are from any of the following countries you do NOT need to apply for a Greece Schengen visa. You are permitted to enter and stay in Greece for up to 90 days:

If you are a citizen of any other country, you DO need to apply for a Greece Schengen visa. If you currently reside in the United Kingdom, you can easily apply for the visa as long as you can prove you have a legal right to reside in the country.

You have to make sure you apply at the right Greek embassy and consulate. The Embassy of Greece in London has outsourced visa applications to Global Visa Center World, so you will submit your visa application to their office in London. Please note, it is the embassy in London who will process your application and make the final decision about your visa.

In addition, in order to apply from London, you must be in possession of a permanent or temporary residence permit valid for 3 months after your intended return to the UK. If you are not, the embassy is unable to process your application.

Types of Schengen Visas Offered at the Embassy of Greece in London

The visa you apply for will depend on the following things:

1. The duration of your trip
2. Your reason for traveling to Greece

There are 2 visas that you may apply for:

1. Short-stay Schengen visa – this visa is for stays of up to 90 days for the purposes of tourism, business, visiting family or friends, cultural and educational, sports, medical reasons, studies, transit, airport transit and other
2. National visa – this visa is for stays of over 90 days for the purposes of employment, study, family reasons, etc. If you wish to apply for this type of visa, you will also to apply for a residence permit. Further information can be found on the embassy’s website

Visas are usually issued as:

1. Single entry – Maximum of 1 entry during 90 day period
2. Double entry – Maximum of 2 entries during the 90 day period
3. Multiple entry – Unlimited entries during the 90 day period

Schengen Visa Application Process at Global Visa Center World/the Embassy of Greece in London

You may apply for your visa up to 3 months ahead of your intended travel date. Applications are processed within 2 weeks, however, for some nationalities, applications are subject to prior consultation with other Member States which means the processing time will take around 3 weeks.

You should also bear in mind that certain times of the year will increase the processing time, especially around Easter, summer holidays (July and August) and Christmas. During these times, appointments are booked very quickly because the embassy only processes a fixed amount of visa applications every day. Furthermore, you need to consider when the visa application center and embassy are closed due to Greek and UK public holidays as this may also increase the processing times.

To avoid delays, it’s advisable to apply for your visa well in advance of your departure date.

Here are a few steps to help you apply for your Greece visa:

Step 1: Book an appointment               

Making appointments with the embassy or visa application center is generally free and can be done yourself. However, If you are running short of time or not sure which consulate to apply to or have no idea on how to get this done yourself then not to worry, we will make the appointment for you for a small service fee!

Booking a visa appointment using our services is pretty simple! All you have to do is follow the 3 simple steps below:

1. Visit the link to schedule the visa appointment
2. Submit the appointment details, visa you are applying for, consulate you need the appointment for, the country you need the appointment IN and make the payment
3. Receive appointment confirmation in email

You can also make an appointment on your own by following the steps below.

The first thing you need to do is to book an appointment in order to submit your visa application.

1. Go to Global Visa Center World’s website and click on: “Online services” then “Book your appointment”
2. You will need to create a new account
3. You will receive a verification email. Click on the link to access the online services and set up a new password
4. Log in, and you will be able to make a convenient appointment. Remember to choose the correct visa application center where you will submit your visa application

Once you have completed an appointment online, remember to print out the confirmation because you need to take it with you to the visa application center

Step 2: Complete your application form

To complete your application form, go to Global Visa Center World’s website again and click on: “Online services” then “Apply for your visa”:

You will need to log into your account:

Then, you will be able to complete your application form online. Once you have completed it, you will be able to submit it electronically. However, you still need to print it because you need to take it with you to Global Visa Center World when you attend your appointment. Also, make a note of the ID number.

If you are applying for a National visa, you can find the application form here.

If you are a family member of an EU citizen, you are eligible to apply directly at the visa office of the embassy every Tuesday and Thursday from 12.00pm – 2.30 pm. You do NOT need to schedule an appointment.

Step 3: Prepare your documents

Before you begin this step, it’s advisable to take a look at Global Visa Center World’s website for a list of required documents. You can download and print the checklist so you can refer to it easily while you proceed through this step.

The documents you provide should not be older than 1 month from the date of your application. In addition, you must present original documents as well as photocopies, so don’t forget to do this.

Documents include:

1. Visa application form. If the applicant is a minor, the application form has to be completed and signed by both parents
2. Passport with at least 2 adjacent blank pages, must be valid for at least 90 days beyond the return date of the trip to the Schengen area and has to be issued within the last 10 years. (Extended passport may still be valid, but when older than 10 years the passport is no longer acceptable)
3. Photocopies of previous Schengen visas issued in the last 3 years (if applicable)
4. UK residence permit endorsed in your passport or issued as a biometrics card, must be valid for at least 90 days beyond the return date of the trip to the Schengen area
5. Passport-sized photograph – see here for photo requirements
6. Proof of current occupation – employer letter with an original stamp and signature from the HR department of your company, specifying the date of recruitment and position in the company or the last 3 pay slips OR student letter from your university/college/school with original signature confirming attendance and addressed to the Mission OR if self-employed, the last tax return form or a self-employment letter confirming your self-employment, signed, addressed to the Mission and obtained from the relevant official OR proof of pension income
7. Proof of funds – bank statement for the last 3 months to show that you have a minimum amount of £40.00 per day in Greece. Travelers’ checks can also be provided, but NOT as a substitute for bank statements.
8. Details of sponsorship with a copy of your sponsor’s passport, proof of relationship, such as marriage/birth certificate (translated to English or Greek and certified by an official translator in the UK, if applicable), sponsor’s bank statement for the last 3 months and proof of sponsor’s occupation
9. Proof of travel (airplane, boat, coach, hired car etc) – fully paid return travel tickets and/or driving license, car registration, car insurance and return travel tickets (ferry or Eurotunnel). Note that Embassies in UK may require actual fully paid tickets for the visa application and not the flight reservation based on the jurisdiction you live in. So double check the embassy requirements within your jurisdiction before submitting the documents for visa application.
10. Proof of accommodation – hotel/holiday home confirmed reservation including dates of travel, address of hotel etc
11. Full itinerary for each day in the Schengen area
12. Host’s cover letter (signed & dated) – confirming travel period, address and contact details of host together with the host’s passport/residence permit in Greece
13. Invitation letter from an individual, company, or an educational facility stating the reason for the trip, the duration etc
14. Schengen Travel insurance – valid throughout the complete territory of the Schengen area and must cover the entire trip. The insurance must cover medical emergency and repatriation for at least €30,000

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 4: Attend your appointment

On the day of your appointment, remember the following things:

1. Arrive early – if you are late, you may have to reschedule your appointment which means you will not be able to submit your documents for processing
2. Remember ALL your prepared documents – if you forget anything, the visa center will not accept your application, so check before you attend your appointment that you have everything with you
3. Dress smartly – don’t turn up to your appointment dressed in shorts and a t-shirt. Your aim should be to make a good impression

The visa officer will examine your application and supporting documents and if he/she needs to clarify any of the information you have stated, you may have to answer more questions. If this is the case, don’t panic, just answer the questions calmly and be honest.

Typical questions include:

1. Have you ever been to Greece or the EU before?
2. What are your plans when you get to Greece?
3. Are you married?
4. How much do you earn?
5. Do you plan to meet anyone 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!

You will also pay the fee for your visa. You can pay in cash, credit/debit card or postal order payable to Greece Visa Application Centre. Please note, Global Visa Center World also charge a service fee of £18.92. These fees will not be refunded to you, even if your application gets rejected.

You will also provide a scan of your fingerprints and a photo. This biometric data will be uploaded on the Visa Information System (VIS) and will be used by the immigration authorities.

Step 5: Receive your visa

Once you have submitted your application, you can track its progress. Go to Global Visa Center World’s website and click on: “Online services” and “Track your application”:

Then, input your application ID and date of birth. You will then be able to find out what stage your application is at:

When a decision about your visa application has been made, you can collect your passport from Global Visa Center World or you can arrange for it to be returned to you by Special Delivery for an additional fee of £14.95.

Remember to take your receipt which would have been stapled to the extra photocopy of your passport’s bio data page.

The decision will be either:

1. Approved – you will find your Greece visa inside your passport
2. Rejected – your visa application has been rejected for a reason

Common rejection reasons

1. Sponsorship letter/details missing – if you are being sponsored by a person or company in Greece, you must provide a sponsorship letter stating the purpose of travel, dates, address etc
2. Insufficient bank statements submitted – you must provide bank statements for the last 3 months
3. Some documents are 6 months old – when you prepare your documents for submission, they must have been issued within the last 30 days
4. You applied for the wrong visa – you must apply for the correct visa based on the duration of your trip and your reason for traveling to Greece (see above information)

Contact details for Global Visa Center World

Address: 66 Wilson Street, London, EC2A 2BT

Phone: +0871 376 0023

Email: info.ukgr@gvc24assist.eu

Hours: Monday to Friday, 8.30 am – 2.00 pm (Submissions); 4.00 pm – 5.30 pm (Passport collections)

Contact details for the Embassy of Greece in London

Address: 1a Holland Park, London, W11 3TP

Phone: + 44 207 313 5601 & 5617

Email: visas.lon@mfa.gr

Conclusion

There are just 5 easy steps to follow when you apply for your Greece Schengen visa:

1. Book an appointment
2. Complete your application form
3. Prepare your documents
4. Attend your appointment
5. Receive your visa

With your visa in your hand, you can start the next phase – packing for your Greek adventure!

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

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Apply Greece Visa From UK

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Apply Italy Visa From London

Apply Germany Visa From London