The question of how to get a Schengen visa for 5 years worries many people. In particular, those who want to travel a lot without restrictions. Of course, a long-term visa provides such opportunities. But how to do it?

What do you need to know?

Before talking about how to get a Schengen visa for 5 years, it is worth giving a general definition of this document. It's pretty simple. Firstly, a stamp in a foreign passport, which gives a person the opportunity to repeatedly visit any European country, is also called a multiple visa. She is very comfortable. Judge for yourself: with such a seal abroad, a person has the opportunity to visit foreign countries at any time.

They are usually issued for a period of 6 months to five years. And as soon as a person enters Schengen territory, he has the opportunity to cross the borders of European states without any obstacles. But still, the period of stay in a particular state should not exceed 90 days in a six-month period. These are the rules.

Important nuances

Many people are interested in how to get a Schengen visa for 5 years and whether it is realistic in principle. Doubts are understandable, since this process is truly not easy. Firstly, a lot of documents are required in order for the application to be confirmed. Secondly, there must be a compelling reason why a person wants to get a multiple-entry visa. That is, you need to justify your desire to frequently visit foreign countries.

But getting a multiple visa in an “empty” passport is almost impossible. This happens once in a thousand cases. The “abroad” must have a stamp of at least a single-entry Schengen visa. In other cases, the embassies of certain countries will not even consider the application.

Why is it necessary to have at least one “Schengen” in your passport? The embassy considers this a kind of guarantee that the person requesting a multiple visa is a reliable tourist. That is, he, having gone abroad the last time, returned back to his homeland, did not try to stay and did not do anything illegal outside his state (this is also all noted in the documents and entered into the general computer database).

It is worth noting another important nuance regarding how to obtain a Schengen visa for 5 years. There are some countries that are more or less loyal to this issue. That is, by applying with an “empty” passport to the embassy of Spain, France, Finland, Italy or Greece, a person can receive approval.

Entry rules

If a person managed to solve the question “how to get a Schengen visa for 5 years” on his own, that’s great! But! He should know about some other important points.

Firstly, most of the period during which you plan to stay abroad in Europe must be spent in the country that issued the visa. You can give an example. Let’s say a person has been issued a multiple visa. This means that out of 90 days, he must spend at least 50 on its territory. And the first entry must also be made into the state that issued this document. Therefore, the travel route must be planned in advance. Otherwise, questions may arise at the border.

Documentation

Talking about how to get a Schengen visa for 5 years on your own in Samara and other Russian cities, you need to note another important point. This is a list of what a person will need to present at the consulate when applying for a multiple visa.

So, the first thing is a foreign passport. It will still have to remain valid for three months after the person returns from the country where he plans to travel. You also need to make photocopies of the pages of your civil passport. Those that contain information about registration, marital status and general data. Even if page 14 is empty (that is, the potential tourist does not have a spouse), you still need to copy it.

It is important to provide information about previously obtained visas. It will not be superfluous to present your old passport or its copies. You will also need three photographs for the visa.

What else needs to be prepared?

In addition to the above, you must present a certificate from your place of employment. Without it, a Schengen visa for 5 years will not be issued. How to obtain this certificate? Contact the HR department. It should contain as much information as possible about the person’s position and the company in which he works. The salary must also be indicated.

You also need to present the original work record book and a photocopy of it. As well as a certificate of solvency. Usually a bank account statement (for the last few months) is enough. Moreover, there must be a certain amount on it. Usually the calculation is that a tourist needs 60 euros per day. That is, if a person plans to go abroad for the required 90 days, he must have at least 5,400 euros in his account. Taking into account the current exchange rate, this is about 380,000 rubles.

And, of course, the most important thing is guarantees that the person will return to Russia. Any documents will do. Confirmation of family ties, for example, or the presence of real estate, own business, etc. In general, the consulate must understand: the person does not intend to stay in their state.

You will also need health insurance. It is opened for the period during which the potential tourist plans to be abroad. And, of course, you will need to present round-trip air tickets and a document confirming that the person has a place to live abroad. This could be a hotel reservation or a rental agreement.

You also need an application form. Here we need to talk about it in more detail.

How to fill out an application

The questionnaire consists of four sheets containing 37 items. From the first to the twentieth - questions relating to the identity of the applicant. His full name, date and place of birth, citizenship, information about his foreign passport and place of work or study.

From the 21st to the 30th, questions regarding the planned trip are outlined. The purpose for which a person wants to go there, the number of entries (in this case it is necessary to indicate MULT - “multiple times”), the country of main stay and the state of entry. You must also indicate the number of days during which the Russian citizen plans to stay there. And information about previously issued visas should also be noted. The same block contains an item dedicated to fingerprints (dactyloscopy).

Price

Talking about how to get a Schengen visa for 5 years on your own in Moscow and other Russian cities, one cannot help but touch upon the topic of the cost of this procedure. In general, for citizens of our country it is 35 euros. But this is if you contact the embassy and deal with the whole process alone. Many people decide to simplify their lives. And they go to visa centers. Everything costs much more there. So, for example, if a person needs a multiple visa to Germany or Italy, he will have to pay approximately 750 euros (the amount varies depending on the center and its services). And this is about 53,000 rubles! Against two and a half thousand (that’s how much it costs 35 euros now). Of course, the visa center will provide significant assistance, but whether it is worth the money is something that everyone decides on an individual basis.

Deadlines

Much has been said about how to get a 5 year Schengen visa. This can also be done in St. Petersburg, and the algorithm of actions will be identical. Finally, it is worth noting the issue regarding the timing of production of this document.

The rule is this: the longer the period for which the trip is planned, the longer the application will be considered. And if it is recommended to submit documents for a regular, one-time visa at least 2-3 weeks in advance, then in this case you would have to worry about a month and a half. Why? Because the documents will be checked with special care. Still, there is a difference: issue a visa for 3 months or 5 years.