Most of the Western European and part of the Eastern European states have signed the Schengen Agreement, which greatly simplifies travel in Europe. Therefore, a Russian visiting one of the member states of the agreement must obtain a Schengen visa, which will give him access to many other European countries.
Instructions
Step 1
Get your passport if you haven't done so before. To do this, make an appointment at the nearest branch of the Federal Migration Service or come there during reception hours in a live queue. Pre-download from the FMS website a questionnaire for obtaining a passport and certify it in the personnel department at the place of work or in the dean's office, if you are studying at a university. Unemployed people will have to present a copy of their employment record. To submit your documents, please bring your internal passport, passport photos and a completed application form. After visiting the FMS, pay the state fee for obtaining a passport. Registration of the document will take a month if you submitted documents at the place of registration, and up to 3 months if the documents are drawn up in a different city where you are registered.
Step 2
Think over your tourist route. You must obtain a Schengen visa at the consulate of the country where you plan to stay longer. For example, if you are traveling to Spain for a week and Portugal for 3 days, you will need to obtain a Schengen visa at the Spanish consulate. Also note that you can stay in Europe on a tourist visa for no more than 3 months in half a year, so the duration of your trip cannot exceed 90 days.
Step 3
Prepare documents for obtaining a visa. Purchase travel insurance for your entire stay in Europe. Buy or reserve round trip tickets. Take care of the issue of accommodation - book a hotel room, rent an apartment during your stay in the country, or receive an officially certified invitation from a local resident with an obligation to provide you with accommodation. Also get a salary certificate at work or prepare a bank statement proving that you have travel funds. If you don't have an account, you can prepare a sponsorship letter from a family member committing to pay for your trip. Also take a picture for a visa. If you bought a tour package, remove a copy from it and add it to your papers.
Step 4
Make an appointment with the consulate you need. If your city does not have a visa issuing center for the country you need, find out on the embassy's website if this organization accepts documents by mail. In the absence of such a service, you can apply for a visa through a travel agency, but this will cost more than the standard visa fee.
