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

Greece is a popular holiday destination among the Schengen countries and hundreds of people make the journey there every year. On the mainland, you’ll find historical cities such as Athens and Heraklion. There are around 6,000 islands, only 227 of which are inhabited, with hundreds of beach resorts to choose from, all with a variety of attractions and things to do. If you’re into culture, partying, or exploring, you won’t have far to go to find it! In this article learn more about how to apply for Greece Visa at the Greek consulate in Los Angeles, Greece visa appointment booking, Processing time at the Greek visa application center, flight itinerary for Greece visa, hotel bookings for Greece visa, Schengen travel insurance for Greek visa applications,  and Greece Visa Application Process at the Los Angeles consulate.

Schengen Visa

In 2017, there were 1,029,564 Greece Schengen visa applications received and just under 40,000 were rejected for different reasons. The Greek consulate in Los Angeles received 511 applications and rejected just 2.

Applying for Schengen Visa from the United States

Depending on your nationality, you may need a visa to travel to Greece. Generally, if you are not a US citizen by birth, but you are living in the US on a permanent basis, you DO need to apply for a visa if you are planning to go to Greece for any reason.

You can do this easily from the United States, you just have to find your nearest Greek Embassy or Consulate General that has jurisdiction over the area in which you live.

You have to make sure you apply at the right Greek embassy and consulate. If you live in the areas of California (Zip codes 90001 – 92999), Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, New Mexico, or South Nevada you can apply for your Greek visa at the Consulate General of Greece in Los Angeles. If you live in any other area, you can check their website for information about the other visa offices.

Types of Schengen Visas Offered at the Consulate General of Greece in Los Angeles

Depending on how long you are planning to go to Greece, it will determine the type of visa you apply for:

1. Schengen visa – up to 90 days
2. National visa – over 90 days

Whether it’s a Schengen or a National visa, you need to specify the purpose of your stay:

1. Schengen visas are issued for the purposes of tourism, business, visiting family/friends, cultural, sports, official visit, medical reasons, study, transit, airport transit
2. National visas are issued for the purposes of family reunion, employment purposes, studies, research, practical, training or vocational training, company staff, independent financial activity/investment or accreditation

It’s advisable to check the website of the consulate in Los Angeles before you start to apply for your visa. It’s really important to apply for the correct type of visa. If you don’t, the consulate will reject your application.

Visas are usually issued as:

1. Single entry – 1 entry during 90 days
2. Double entry – 2 entries during the 90 days
3. Multiple entry – No limit to entries during the 90 days

Schengen Visa Application Process at the Greek Consulate in Los Angeles 

You can apply for your Greek Schengen visa any time from 15 days up to 90 days before your trip. The consulate in Los Angeles has a current turnaround time of 15 days from when they receive your application. However, the time it takes to process applications could be extended to 30 days and sometimes up to 60 days, depending on the circumstances of your application. When the consulate receives your application, they will inform you of the decision date.

To help you apply for your Greek Schengen visa, here are a series of steps for you to follow.

Step 1: Make an appointment online

The Greece consulate in Los Angeles recommends you book your appointment 30-45 days prior to your intended departure date. This will allow plenty of time for your application to be processed. All you need to do is contact them by email or phone in order to book your appointment. You can find their contact details by going to their website and clicking on: “About us” then “Consulate General in Los Angeles” and “Contact”:

You’ll find the contact details on this page:

You can use the contact form to send an email or if you prefer, you can use their email address if you wish to send an email from your personal email account.

1. Email address: grgencon.la@mfa.gr
2. Telephone number: (310)826.5555 ext. 102 (visa department) or ext. 100 (secretariat), Monday to Friday, 9.30 am – 1.30 pm

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!

Step 2: Preparing your documents

The next step is to prepare your documents to support your visa application, but before you do, have a look at the consulate’s website for the full list of documents required. It is very important to submit everything that is required, otherwise, your application could be refused

1. Schengen visa application form or download the application here
2. National visa application form
3. Passport with at least 2 free pages, issued in the last 10 years, and valid for at least 3 months beyond your trip
4. A recent photograph meeting ICAO standards
5. A valid Alien Resident Card or a visa to the US  (except B1/B2)
6. Proof of financial sufficiency – Bank and credit statements covering the last 3 months, letter of sponsorship
7. W-2 tax forms for the last 2 years
8. Employed: reference letter from employer stating position and salary
9. Self-employed: bank letter stating that your company is in good standing
10. Students: valid I-20 and reference letter stating you are in good standing. Plus, your major and expected date of graduation
11. Hotel booking and/or proof of group travel
12. Notarized invitation letter from family/friends or company
13. Schengen Travel insurance valid for the entire trip with a minimum cover of €30,000 for hospitalization, repatriation, and emergency medical care
14. Criminal record certificate issued by relevant authorities
15. Medical certificate
16. Proof of return flight or travel reservations and full itinerary
17. Consent of parents and/or financial support form with parent’s passport (s) (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: Attend your appointment

On the day of your appointment, there are a few things to remember:

1. Arrive early – if you are late, you will probably have to reschedule your appointment
2. Take ALL of your documents – if you forget anything, your application cannot be processed, so check everything prior to getting to the consulate
3. Dress smartly – this may not seem important, but it helps to make a good impression in front of the visa official

Your application and supporting documents will be examined by the visa staff. If they need further information, they may ask you additional interview questions like:

1. Is this your first time traveling to Greece and the Schengen area?
2. Are you married?
3. How long have you been working at your company?
4. What are you planning on doing in Greece?

If you get asked any questions like these, stay calm, answer confidently, and don’t ask why you are being asked for more information when you have provided everything that is required. The consulate is simply trying to get full information about your case in order to make a decision about your visa.

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 may have to provide biometric data which is a scan of your fingerprints and a digital photograph. If you have done this within the last 5 years and your data can be retrieved from the Visa Information System (VIS), it can be re-used.

In addition, you’ll have to pay the relevant visa fee:

Schengen Visa Fee

*For some categories of nationals of these third countries the visa fee is waived. Please check the provisions of the relevant VFA.

** The visa fee for nationals of Cape Verde is 69.00 USD, but there are exemptions for some categories.

Step 4: Receive your visa

When the Greek consulate in Los Angeles has made a decision about your visa application, your passport will be returned to you by mail. When you receive it, you must check for any errors. For example, your passport number should be the same on the visa, your name should be spelled correctly, and the dates you applied for should be correct. If you think anything is wrong, you should contact the consulate immediately. If you go to Greece with incorrect details on your visa, you will be denied entry.

If your visa is not attached inside your passport, it could have been rejected. Typical visa rejection reasons include:

1. Invalid passport
2. Missing documents
3. Lack of funds
4. Purpose of your trip is not clear
5. You have a valid Schengen visa

If you have been to a Schengen country before, check that you don’t already have a valid visa for Greece. You may not even have to apply! If your passport is invalid in any way, i.e., does not have 3 months remaining, then you must apply for a new one before you start your visa application. You must be able to afford your trip, so be prepared to prove this to the consulate. Likewise, you must prove why you want to go to Greece in the first place. If you submit an application with missing documents, the consulate cannot make a decision about your visa, so that’s why it’s a good idea to check their website before you start.

Contact details for the Consulate General of Greece in Los Angeles

Address: 12424 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 1170, Los Angeles, CA 90025

Email: grgencon.la@mfa.gr

 Phone: +1310 8265555 ext 102

Fax: +1310 8268670

Hours: Monday to Friday, 9.30 am – 1.30 pm

You can also use their contact form

Conclusion

All you need to do when you apply for your Greek visa is follow these 4 simple steps:

1. Make your appointment online
2. Prepare your documents
3. Attend your appointment
4. Receive your visa

Then, your only task is to get ready 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

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