Greece visa requirements for Russian citizens
Russian citizens need a visa for Greece and must apply for it before the trip at a consulate or embassy.
- Consular fee
- €90
- Minimum passport validity
- 3 months after departure
How to apply for this visa: the step-by-step process →
How long it takes and how far ahead to book →
If it's refused: grounds and how to appeal →
Last verified: 18 September 2026
How this visa is processed
Global Visa Center World (GVCW) centres, the exclusive external service provider of the Greek consular authorities in Russia, spread across the Moscow, St Petersburg and Novorossiysk jurisdictions
The Greek visa in Russia goes through neither VFS nor TLScontact: the exclusive external service provider of the Greek consular authorities is Global Visa Center World. Its centres are spread across three consular jurisdictions. Moscow's, which besides the capital takes in Yekaterinburg, Irkutsk, Kaliningrad, Kazan, Khabarovsk, Krasnoyarsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Novosibirsk, Omsk, Perm, Samara, Saratov, Ufa, Vladivostok and Voronezh. St Petersburg's, with Arkhangelsk, Murmansk, Petrozavodsk and Pskov. And Novorossiysk's, with Krasnodar and Rostov-on-Don. The file is decided at the consular post of its jurisdiction, and the centre flags a detail people forget when counting dates: filing in a city other than Moscow, St Petersburg or Novorossiysk adds up to 10 working days of logistics to a timeframe that already runs 30 to 45 days. The fee shows the corridor's other particularity. A Russian citizen pays a EUR 90 visa fee, while applicants from Armenia, Azerbaijan and Belarus pay EUR 35, the reduced rate of the facilitation agreements. On top comes the centre's service fee, RUB 3,180 including VAT, and the duty to attend in person: since 14 September 2015 you must give ten fingerprints and a digital photograph, except for children under 12, physical impossibility and the official cases.
Official application site →Application details verified on 18 September 2026. Sources: ru-gr.gvcworld.eu, Global Visa Center World, presented as the exclusive external service provider of the Greek consular authorities for Russia (its official visa information and appointment pages: the list of cities by consular jurisdiction of Moscow, St Petersburg and Novorossiysk; a visa fee of EUR 90 / RUB 8,730 in the general case and EUR 35 / RUB 3,395 for Armenia, Azerbaijan and Belarus; a service fee of RUB 3,180 including VAT; mandatory biometrics since 14 September 2015 with its exemptions; a 30 to 45 day timeframe and up to 10 additional working days for centres outside the three consular cities). Checked 18 September 2026.
How many visas are refused in Russia
In 2025, the consulates of Greece in Russia received 67,579 short-stay Schengen visa applications and refused 7,480, 11.2 % of those decided. That is a rate lower than the average of all Schengen States worldwide, which was 14.6 %.
- Applications
- 67,579
- Refused
- 7,480
- Refusal rate
- 11.2 %
- Schengen average
- 14.6 %
This is European Commission data by consulate. It counts applications lodged in Russia, of any nationality.
Source: European Commission, short-stay visa statistics 2025. If it's refused: grounds and how to appeal →
Verified practical details
You'll need to apply for a visa at a consulate or embassy before travelling. Here are the practical details we've verified:
Fee
€90
The €90 is the short-stay Schengen visa fee, set by Article 16 of the Visa Code (Regulation (EC) 810/2009) as amended by Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/1415, in force since 11 June 2024. It is not a fee set by Greece: the same amount is paid at any Schengen consulate. Children from the age of 6 and under 12 pay €45, and children under 6 are exempt. Travellers entering without a visa pay no fee at all.
Processing time
Where the trip requires a Schengen visa, the consulate must decide within 15 calendar days of an admissible application being lodged. That period may be extended to a maximum of 45 calendar days in individual cases, particularly where the application needs closer examination; in justified urgent individual cases the decision is taken immediately (Regulation (EC) 810/2009, Art. 23). An application may not be lodged more than six months before the intended trip and, as a rule, no later than 15 calendar days before it; where the consulate requires an appointment, it is normally given within two weeks of being requested (Art. 9).
Required documents
- A valid passport or travel document, issued within the previous ten years and valid for at least three months beyond the date you plan to leave the Schengen area (Regulation (EU) 2016/399, Art. 6(1)(a))
- Documents backing up the purpose and conditions of your stay: an accommodation booking, an invitation from your host, or your travel itinerary (Regulation (EU) 2016/399, Art. 6(1)(c) and Annex I)
- A return ticket, or evidence that you can pay for the journey home
How much money you need to show
€50 per person per day, with a minimum of €300 for stays of up to 5 days
Minors show half. The figure is set by Joint Ministerial Decision No 3021/22/10-f of 24 December 2007.
What each Schengen country asks for →Source: European Commission, Annex 25 to the Practical Handbook for Border Guards (reference amounts notified by each State), version of 8 June 2026. Checked on 1 November 2026.
Health insurance
Mandatory to apply for the Schengen visa: minimum coverage of €30,000, valid across the whole Schengen area and for the entire length of the stay (Regulation (EC) 810/2009, Art. 15).
Which policies meet the €30,000 requirement →
When travel insurance is mandatory → Travel insurance policies ↓How long you can stay
Schengen rule: a maximum stay of 90 days within any 180-day period across the whole Schengen area.
Calculate your available Schengen days →More Greece rules
They don't depend on your passport, so they are on the Greece page:
Official portal: https://migration.gov.gr/en/. Destination data verified on 25 August 2026. Sources: migration.gov.gr/en (Ministry of Migration and Asylum); mitos.gov.gr (Greek State's National Registry of Administrative Procedures: €600/€1,200 overstay fine, legal basis Law 3386/2005 Art. 73(5), Joint Ministerial Decision 4000/2/14-ith of 2012, and Law 5038/2023); travel-europe.europa.eu/etias (ETIAS "not operational" status) (checked 25 August 2026). europa.eu/youreurope, the European Commission's page on alcohol, tobacco and excise duties (alcohol and tobacco allowances for travellers arriving from outside the EU, minimum age of 17, and Greece among the countries applying the reduced tobacco limit to land and sea travellers); europa.eu/youreurope, the European Commission's page on taking cash into and out of the EU (€10,000 declaration threshold) (checked 29 September 2026).
Insurance for the Schengen visa
The consulate asks for a policy with at least €30,000 of medical cover, valid across the whole Schengen area and for the entire stay. Check those terms in the policy before you pay.
See IATI's international site →IATI sells its policies according to the country you live in. Where do you live?
If your country isn't listed, try IATI's international site.
This is an affiliate link: if you buy through it, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Things to see and do in Greece
Tours, skip-the-line tickets and day trips, most with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Seeing the featured activities here needs advertising cookies. In the meantime, you can open them directly:
Browse activities on GetYourGuide →This is an affiliate link: if you buy through it, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
This pair in context
In the other direction, citizens of Greece need an electronic visa to enter Russia. See the Greece → Russia page.
Of the 10 passports from Eastern Europe that VisaRadar tracks, for travel to Greece 8 enter visa-free and 2 need a visa. Same result as Russia: Belarus.
With a passport from Russia, in the rest of Southern Europe you can enter Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia visa-free; you need a prior authorisation or a visa on arrival for Albania; you need a visa for Andorra, Croatia, Italy, Kosovo, Malta, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Portugal, San Marino, Slovenia, Spain and Vatican.
A passport from Russia ranks 81 of 199 in the VisaRadar passport ranking and reaches 110 of 198 destinations without applying for a visa in advance.
Counts from the same requirements matrix behind this page's verdict, using the UN M49 subregions.
Frequently asked questions
Do Russian citizens need a visa for Greece?
Yes. You must apply for the visa in advance at the relevant consulate or embassy.
How long does it take to get the entry permit?
Where the trip requires a Schengen visa, the consulate must decide within 15 calendar days of an admissible application being lodged. That period may be extended to a maximum of 45 calendar days in individual cases, particularly where the application needs closer examination; in justified urgent individual cases the decision is taken immediately (Regulation (EC) 810/2009, Art. 23). An application may not be lodged more than six months before the intended trip and, as a rule, no later than 15 calendar days before it; where the consulate requires an appointment, it is normally given within two weeks of being requested (Art. 9).
What minimum passport validity is required?
At least 3 months of validity beyond the date you plan to leave the Schengen area, and issued within the previous ten years (Regulation (EU) 2016/399, Art. 6(1)(a)).
Do I need travel insurance to apply for the Schengen visa?
Yes, to apply for the visa: travel medical insurance with a minimum coverage of €30,000, valid across the whole Schengen area and for the entire length of the stay, is mandatory (Regulation (EC) 810/2009, Art. 15).
Who collects Greek visa applications in Russia?
Global Visa Center World (GVCW), the exclusive external service provider of the Greek consular authorities. It is not VFS.
What does it cost for a Russian passport?
A EUR 90 visa fee, around RUB 8,730, plus an RUB 3,180 service fee including VAT. Applicants from Armenia, Azerbaijan and Belarus pay the reduced EUR 35 fee.
I live far from Moscow. Does the timeframe change?
Yes. The general timeframe is 30 to 45 days, and filing in a city other than Moscow, St Petersburg or Novorossiysk adds up to 10 working days for moving the file.
Do I have to attend in person?
Yes. Since 14 September 2015 you must give ten fingerprints and a digital photograph at the centre. Children under 12 and cases of physical impossibility are exempt, alongside the official cases.
How much money do Russian passport holders need to enter Greece?
The reference amount is €50 per person per day, with a minimum of €300 for stays of up to 5 days. Minors show half. The figure is set by Joint Ministerial Decision No 3021/22/10-f of 24 December 2007.
How many Schengen visas do the consulates of Greece refuse in Russia?
In 2025, the consulates of Greece in Russia received 67,579 short-stay Schengen visa applications and refused 7,480, 11.2 % of those decided. That is a rate lower than the average of all Schengen States worldwide, which was 14.6 %.
What do Russian passport holders need for the countries near Greece?
With a passport from Russia, in the rest of Southern Europe you can enter Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia visa-free; you need a prior authorisation or a visa on arrival for Albania; you need a visa for Andorra, Croatia, Italy, Kosovo, Malta, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Portugal, San Marino, Slovenia, Spain and Vatican.
Related pages
See Greece requirements for other passports →
Informational only. Always verify requirements with the official embassy or consulate before you travel.