Hooray! According to the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR), the number of free slots for submitting documents has increased in visa centers and the time for their consideration has been reduced.
The situation has improved due to a decrease in demand for travel. The visa centers of France, Italy, Spain, Hungary and Greece in Moscow offer more available slots, and the processing time has decreased. In December, you can make an appointment to submit documents to almost all of these countries, as well as to Portugal. In addition, slots for the UK are available.
The processing time varies: for Italy — up to 20 days, for France and Hungary — about three weeks, for Spain — 2-3 weeks. The share of multiple-entry visas has not increased, as each application is considered individually.
Consulates of Italy, Spain and France issue visas for different periods: Italy — up to two years, Spain — up to six months, France — up to one year. Greece and Hungary continue to issue single-entry visas.
Applications for Schengen visas are expected to increase in March-April 2025, so it is recommended to apply for them in advance.
In 2023, Russians submitted 520,000 applications for Schengen visas with a rejection rate of 10.6%, which is close to the level of 2022. The share of multiple-entry visas was 49% compared to 72% last year.
Well, while you are waiting for a visa, we have already collected domestic destinations where you can go with the whole family.
Cover photo: Yuriy Golub/Shutterstock.com
