Despite the fact that in 2015 outbound tourism in Russia showed record low rates (a drop of 33.8%), consulates around the world can still boast of queues for obtaining a visa. In 2015, Italy took 5th place among the countries most visited by Russians and Spaniards. The gap between the two states was minimal. Last year, the country was visited by 234 million Russian citizens.
In the current difficult economic conditions, you can afford a tour to the island of Sicily for 2 weeks for two for at least 100 thousand rubles. In addition, you need to pay the cost of applying for a visa. The total amount is decent. Another thing is to apply for permission to enter the country yourself by visiting the Italian Consulate in Moscow.
How to draw up documents yourself?
Having booked a hotel and plane tickets, having a visa in hand, you can significantly save on holidays in Italy.
For citizens of Russia, you must obtain permission to visit this country. In order to visit the Italian Visa Consulate in Moscow effectively, you need to know what certificates and papers will be required in the process of obtaining a positive entry decision. If necessary, the visa center may request additional documents.
Documents liver
Visa to Italy (consulate in Moscow and other cities of the country makes the same demands) suggests the presence of:
- Passport and a copy certified by the owner of the passport. It is important that after the trip it is valid for another 3.5 months.
- Copies of the passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation (all pages).
- Photos of the established format and sample - 1 pc.
- Application forms for opening a Schengen visa. The form of this document and the sample is provided by the Italian Consulate in Moscow. You can go to the official website and download it from there.
- Inquiries from the place of work. It should contain all the information about you (position, date of employment). The sample can also be viewed on the official website of the consulate.
- Confirmation of financial independence. It can be checks or a bank account at the rate of 50 euros for 1 day trip.
- For private entrepreneurs - a certificate of registration, for the unemployed - letters of sponsorship.
- Old passports. If any, including those canceled, they must also be provided.
- Confirmation of hotel reservation, plane tickets in both directions.
- Health insurance.
All these documents must be submitted to the Consulate General of Italy in Moscow. It is better to prepare them in advance so that subsequently there are no questions.
Visa Location
For self-registration of an entry permit, the applicant must be present in person. First you need to find out how the Italian Consulate in Moscow works (address: 6 Tolmachevsky per., Building 1). After that, you need to sign up for the submission of documents. Standard reception hours for citizens of the Russian Federation are from 09:00 to 16:00.
Very important: since September 2015, to obtain permits, you must go through the procedure for scanning fingerprints. To apply for biometric data each applicant must come in person. The visa center in Moscow has its own photographer for the convenience of citizens.
Consular fee: amount payable
To date, the Italian Visa Application Center in Moscow requires payment of a fee of 35 euros at the exchange rate on the day of payment. If registration is required urgently, payment increases to 70 euros. In addition to the consular, you will need to pay a service fee. Who is exempt from payment?
There is a certain category of citizens that may not pay the above amount:
- Children under the age of 6 years.
- The closest relatives of European Union citizens who legally reside in European countries.
- Participants in cultural and scientific events.
- Participants in exchange programs.
- Athletes traveling to international competitions.
The process of submitting documents to the consulate
If you are applying for a visa yourself, you need to submit certificates and other papers 5 days before the interview. If you are refused a document, the fee will not be refunded. The Italian Consulate in Moscow will not call you in person, you must come for a clearly defined time. You may be disturbed in case of missing or additional papers.
The standard time required to apply for a visa is about 4 business days. However, this term is not always respected. In high season, you may find that issuing an entry permit may take several weeks.
It is not known exactly whether a visa will be issued to you on time. But the hottest months are July and August. At this time, most tourists are eager for a beach holiday. It might be worth considering moving the vacation to another period.
Obtaining a visa to Italy is not so difficult if you know all the nuances and provide the necessary package of documents, and the process of obtaining it will not be difficult.
The best resorts in Italy
When choosing a beach holiday, preference should be given to the resorts of Sardinia. Vacation prices here are very different, so you can find both a budget vacation option and luxury luxury hotels.
Going to Italy in order to get acquainted with its culture, choose small cities that will give you a complete picture of this country. Preference should be given to the southern part of the state.
From thermal spas you can choose something in the Tuscany region. The hallmark of the region are the grottoes. Be sure to check out Gardaland Park. Tourists with children and large youth companies will especially like here.
