VISA TO GREECE & THE SCHENGEN AREA

GENERAL INFORMATION

1. Greece follows the Schengen Agreement provisions and the subsequent acquits concerning short term VISA issues. Countries applying the Schengen acquits in full (EU countries: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, plus associated countries: Iceland and Norway) follow a common visa policy for short-term stays of up to three (3) months in the Schengen area. The citizens of these countries are not subjected to border controls within the common area. Airlines or other carriers require identification - I.D. card or passport or any other piece of identification issued by a public authority.

2. For more information regarding citizens who need a visa to enter Greece please visit:  www.mfa.gr

THE SCHENGEN AGREEMENT, THE SCHEN6EN INFORMATION SYSTEM, THE SIR6NE BUREAUX AND THE NATIONAL RECORD OF UNDESIRABLE FOREIGNERS

On 14 June 1985 the Schengen Agreement was signed between five members (France, Germany, Belgium, Luxemburg and the Netherlands) and aimed at the removal of all internal border controls. The Convention implementing the Schengen Agreement (Schengen Convention) was signed on 19 June 1990 and was put into effect on 1995. According to the Schengen Convention all internal border controls are removed but effective controls at the external borders of the EU Schengen area are put in place. The Convention also introduces a common visa policy. Full Schengen members are the 22 out of the 27 member states of the EU (except Ireland and the United Kingdom - Cyprus, Bulgaria and Romania do not yet fully participate in Schengen).

According to article 92 of the Schengen Convention a common information system, the Schengen Information System (SIS), was set up in order to facilitate the exchange of information between the member states. SIS is the largest shared database on maintaining public security and judicial co-operation and managing external border control. Participating states provide entries, called "alerts", on wanted and missing persons, lost and stolen property and entry bans.

According to article 108 of the Schengen Convention SIRENE Bureaux were established in all Schengen States in order to facilitate the exchange of additional or supplementary information on alerts between the states. SIRENE stands for "Supplementary Information Request at the National Entry" and outlines the main tasks of the SIRENE Bureaux. Their principal tasks are processing the "alerts" in the Schengen Information System and enforcing them. They are a single point of contact for all national law enforcement authorities involved in SIS and also police co-operation in Schengen area and are on duty around the clock (for more information please visit the following links: SIRENE-Schengen Information System, National SIRENE Presentations).

Article 82 of law 3386/2005, about "Entry, residence and social integration of third-country nationals in the Hellenic Territory" provides that the Ministry of Citizen Protection holds a record of undesirable foreigners. The criteria for registration in and deletion of foreigners from this record are determined upon a decision of the Ministers of Interior Decentralization and e-Government, Foreign Affairs, National Defense, Justice Transparency and Human Rights and Public Order.

COMPETENCES OF THE DATA PROTECTION AUTHORITY REGARDING THE SIS AND THE NATIONAL RECORD OF UNDESIRABLE FOREIGNERS

According to article 19 par. 1 \e of the data protection law (Law 2472/1997) and article 114 of the Schengen Convention the Hellenic Data Protection Authority (DPA) carries out independent supervision of the data file of the national section of the Schengen Information System. Therefore, the DPA is competent, inter alia, to examine the conformity of the "alerts" (inserted by the Greek authorities) with the Convention's Provisions. If the alert is entered in SIS by another country, the HDPA forwards the data subject's request to the supervisory authority of this country in order to examine the specific case (for contact details of the national data protection authorities please visit the following link http://ec.europa.eu/justice_home/fsj/privacy/nationalcomm/index_en.htm. According to article 19 par. 1 c' and h' of Law 2472/1997 the Hellenic Data Protection Authority is competent to review the legality of all data files including registration to the record of undesirable foreigners.

RIGHTS OF DATA SUBJECTS

The data subjects have the right of access (article 12 of Law 2472/1997) to personal data relating to them and the right to object (article 13 of Law 2472/1997) to the processing of their personal data. Both rights are exercised in writing directly to the data controller (Ministry of Citizen Protection). The contact details of the Ministry are the following:

In both cases (right of access / right to object) if the data controller does not respond in writing within 15 days, the data subject has the right to appeal before the DPA. The contact details of the Hellenic DPA are the following:

HELLENIC DATA PROTECTION AUTHORITY

Kifisias 1-3,1st floor

GR-11523 Athens

Tel: ++30 210 6475600

 Fax: ++ 30 210 6475628

E-mail: contact@dpa.gr

INDICATIVE LIST OF REQUIRED DOCUMENTS FOR THE ISSUING OF SCHENGEN VISAS

WHEN SUBMITTING THE APPLICATION:

1. Application Form (available at the reception desk of the Consular Office or press the underlined word now. You shall be asked to fill it our and sign before the Consular Officer).

2. Valid Passport or travel document acknowledged by Greece. (The validity date of the passport shall exceed the visa’s validity for at least three (3) months).

3. Two recent coloured passport-size photos.

4. Residence Permit in Cyprus / Pink Slip (The validity date of the residence permit shall exceed the visa’s validity for at least three (3) months. The Alien Registration Card (Alien’s Book) may also be required.

5. Return Ticket Reservation.

6. Employment Contract and Recent Statement/Letter by the Employer. If the applicant runs his/her own business, a certificate of business registration issued by the “Department of Registrar of Companies and Official Receiver” shall be presented.

7. Hotel Voucher or Letter from the host in Greece. (If the invitation letter is issued by a company, then it must state the tax registration number of that company. Signatures of individuals must be legally certified).

8. Bank Certificate/Letter/Statement proving the financial status of the applicant and sufficient financial means to cover his/her living expenses during his/her stay in the Schengen area.

9. Travel Health Insurance (minimum coverage 30.000 euros , valid for all Schengen countries, during the whole stay in Schengen area plus one day and covering hospitalization, medical and pharmaceutical care plus repatriation)

WHEN COLLECTING THE VISA:

1. Return Ticket

2. Hotel (or Cruise) Voucher (if there is no invitation)

Useful Information

a. Originals and a full set of photocopies of all the above required documents should be submitted, including the first pages of the passports and previous Schengen visas.

b. All applicants must visit the Consular Office of the Embassy during working hours in order to submit a VISA application in person.

c. It is highly recommended to submit your visa application well in advance of your scheduled visit to Greece (at least 15 days before travelling).

d. Visa fee: 60 euros.                                                                                                                                         Citizens of Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, FYROM, Albania, Russia, Ukraine, Moldavia: 35 euros. The visa fee must be submitted with the application and is not refundable.

e. The Consular Office may ask for additional required documents. Submission of all required documents does not constitute a guarantee for the final issuing of a visa.

SPOUSES OF EU CITIZENS

Spouses of EU citizens applying for a visa need to visit the Consular Office accompanied by their husband/wife, presenting their Marriage Certificate, the husband/wife’s Passport and their valid Residence Permits in Cyprus (originals and copies). In that case, they are exempted from submitting documents no. 6, 7, 8, 9, 11 (Employment Contract and Recent Statement/Letter by the Employer, Hotel Voucher or Letter from the host in Greece, Bank Certificate, Travel Health Insurance, Hotel Voucher) as well as from submitting the visa fee. Marriage Certificates issued in third countries (except Greece) should be legally certified (APOSTILLE or by the Greek Embassy/Consulate of the country where it has been issued). It is underlined that spouses of EU citizens do not need a visa to Greece, when they travel with their husband/wife and they are holders of a yellow slip  (Law of 2007, Annex IV, Article 12 [2]).

HOUSEMAIDS

Housemaids entitled to apply for a visa to Greece: only those who have been residing in Cyprus for at least one year before the date of the application and have a residence permit (pink slip) the validity date of which exceeds the visa’s validity for at least six (6) months (or for one (1) year if the residence permit is FINAL-NOT RENEWABLE). Housemaids can travel to Greece only accompanying their employer.

In addition to the above mentioned documents, housemaids also have to submit: Passport and Ticket of the employer, Tickets of all members of the family, Alien’s  Book, Letter from the employer stating that he has sufficient financial means to cover his/her housemaid’s living expenses during his/her stay in the Schengen area (instead of Bank Certificate), as well as the reason he/she needs to be accompanied by his/her housemaid during his/her stay in the Schengen area (e.g. accompanying children under 12, elderly people, health reasons etc)

UNDERAGE CHILDREN

Both parents of underage children have to fill out and sign the application form before the Consular Officer. In case one of the parents cannot visit the Consular Office, his written consent has to be submitted, legally certified (APOSTILLE or by the Greek Embassy/Consulate of the country the parent currently resides). Also required: Marriage Certificate of the parents (or recognition of the child by the father if the parents are not married to each other), Birth Certificate of the child and valid Residence Permits in Cyprus (for the child and the parents).

NATIONAL VISAS (for reasons that include the notion of immigration)

Please contact the website of the Greek Ministry for Foreign Affairs (www.mfa.gr/www.mfa.gr/el-GR/Services/VISAs/LONG+STAY+VISAS)

Working hours: Monday to Friday 09.00-13.00

For collecting passports you are kindly requested to visit the Consular Office Monday to Friday 12.00-13.00

For more information, please contact us ( 22445050 ext. 1)