Greek visa in Bulgaria. List of documents, questionnaire

Having a residence permit card opens up to our compatriots a “truly unique opportunity” to obtain a visa to other countries, without having to return to their homeland. The most actively practiced is obtaining visas to the Schengen zone. The required documents and conditions for submission/receipt are different for all countries. The most difficult thing is to get a visa to Germany. The easiest way is to Greece. The Greek destination is especially popular among those living in southern Bulgaria. In particular, the travel time to the Mediterranean coast from the resort town of Bansko takes only a few hours (about three times closer than to the Black Sea).

Features

Visa documents are accepted in Sofia. Registration is made by telephone. Embassy staff speak Greek, Bulgarian and English. If you have difficulties with languages, then the standard phrase “Hello, I would like to book an appointment” will help you. In response, they will tell you the next available date and time for your visit, and you will dictate your last name. Bookings are usually made 2-3 weeks in advance. Next, you will need to collect a list of required papers and fill out a form.

The duration of the visa is limited by the validity of the residence permit card. As a rule, only property owners in Greece can obtain an annual visa. Everyone else is issued multiple visas for 30-45 days within 3-6 months. Neither the presence of previous long-term Schengen visas, nor a large bank account, nor a long-term reservation, unfortunately, does not affect the situation in any way.

Unlike the Germans, the staff of the Greek embassy behave with visitors quite politely, but strictly. Sometimes employees check the received documents page by page in your presence, sometimes, without looking at them, they take them away in a pile. As a rule, the visa is ready the next day, with rare exceptions on the same day, a few hours later. An embassy employee calls the phone number you specified (in the form) and invites you to pick up your passport. The document can only be picked up in person or delivered through EKONT.

Address of the Greek Embassy
in Sofia: st. "San Stefano" 33. Phone for appointment +359 2843 3085

Greek Embassy in Sofia

Official listMemoQuestionnaire 2019

List of documents

1. Copy of international passport (+ copies of visa pages)
2. Copy of Bulgarian residence permit card
3. Photograph 6x4 cm (+/- 1 cm, size is not critical)
4. Bank statement
5. Insurance
6. Hotel booking for the first trip (possible with cancellation)
7. Questionnaire (download)

for representatives

8. Certificate confirming that you are working
   (a copy of the contract with the employer, or a certificate drawn up in any form, but certified by the company’s seal and the director’s signature.
9. Income certificate
   (a document drawn up in any form, certified by a seal and signed by the director)

for traveling by car

10. Copy of driver's license
11. Copy of car insurance (regular Bulgarian insurance includes Greece)
12. Copy of documents for the car (PTS, also known as “small coupon” in Bulgarian)

Sample of filling out the form

Additional information

It would not be superfluous to note that the presence of a Bulgarian visa D in a foreign passport can significantly affect the receipt of visas to the Schengen zone when submitting documents on the territory of the Russian Federation. Employees of the Greek visa center in Moscow warned that residence permit holders may be denied a visa. To travel from Bulgaria to Greece in a car with blue license plates, no additional documents are required.