The opening of borders of Greece, Italy, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic was lobbied by local business, experts believe
Moscow visa centers of at least four EU member states – Greece, Italy, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic – are issuing visas for Russians living in Crimea despite the ban. This was reported by travel companies and confirmed by visa centers of three of the four countries.
– De jure, the Schengen zone countries [includes 26 European states] do not agree to issue visas to citizens living in Crimea, but de facto there are a number of countries that issue these visas, says an employee of one Crimean travel agency. – It's not just about loyalty; the payment of the consular fee by the applicant and the economic situation in the host country play a big role. According to our data, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic are willing to compromise.
This information was confirmed to Izvestia by the Russian visa centers of the listed countries, which are managed by VFS Global, the world's largest visa service provider, cooperating with most countries of the world. According to representatives of the Italian and Dutch branches, applications from Russian citizens registered in Crimea for a Schengen visa are processed and granted in the general order and within the established timeframes (from 3 days to 2 weeks). The Czech visa center also did not rule out accepting applications from Crimeans, but noted that their consideration requires the consent of the consular department of the Czech Embassy – a special directive regarding Crimea was recently issued to them.
– If a person has a Ukrainian passport, they should primarily apply in Kiev, since citizenship is determined by the foreign passport. If the applicant has a Russian foreign passport, they should contact the consular department of the Embassy of the Czech Republic for clarification; if it gives the go-ahead, then the Crimean can submit documents in Russia as an ordinary resident of the Russian Federation, a visa center employee told an Izvestia correspondent.
No response was received from the Greek visa center; the Greek embassy redirected requests for comments to the EU representation in Moscow. The embassies of the Czech Republic and Italy declined to comment, and the official position of the Embassy of the Netherlands is contradictory. According to embassy press service employee Nadia Verwaal, although residents of Crimea must, according to an EU regulation, apply for a visa only at the Dutch consulate in Kiev with a Ukrainian passport, they can also do so with a Russian foreign passport.
– The European Union does not recognize Russia's annexation of Crimea. However, the Russian passport is a universally recognized travel document and can be used to apply for a Schengen visa, Verwaal explained and advised going with a Russian passport to the Dutch Embassy in Kiev. – All residents of Ukrainian territories who wish to obtain a Schengen visa, including those living in Crimea with a Russian passport, must apply for a visa only at the embassy in Ukraine or its representative offices.
In visa centers of other countries, it is simpler: documents are accepted only in Kiev. The most categorical on the issue of issuing visas to Crimeans is Germany, which receives the majority of requests from Crimeans for visa opening, says Ksenia Yarygina, head of the visa department of the Simferopol company Center Exchange UA (a company specializing in visa processing).
– In principle, if a visa has already been issued and is still valid on a Ukrainian passport, many Schengen zone countries give visas to Crimeans, the interlocutor notes. – But Germany does not recognize this option.
The German Embassy in Moscow did not respond, but the VFS Global visa center confirmed the EU position and said that they do not even accept application packages from Russian-Crimeans.
– Applicants from Crimea must submit documents to the German Embassy in Kiev, the company explained. A similar position is voiced by visa centers of Great Britain and France.
Finally, after obtaining a Schengen visa, a Crimean can enter the EU only through the country that issued the visa (there are exceptions). If it is a multi-visa (multiple entry, valid for a certain period), the first entry must also usually be to the country that issued the visa. This is the so-called first entry rule.
As for another rule – "about the main country of stay," according to Ksenia Yarygina, it is advisable to spend most of the trip in the country that issued the visa, otherwise you can spoil your visa history (or even fail to get a Schengen visa without providing proof of stay). According to the expert, Greece or the Czech Republic are less picky about visa history than other European countries, which pay attention to where and how you closed previous visas.
At the Crimean travel agency Ria-Trans, they also noted that much depends not only on the country of entry, but also, for example, on the place where the foreign passport was obtained.
– You need to look specifically at the documents. For example, if a person's registration was issued after obtaining a residence permit in Crimea, or if they got their foreign passport not in Crimea but in one of the Russian cities [the foreign passport has a mark about the "issuing authority" and its location], this gives them a chance to obtain a Schengen visa. In addition, some consulates do not always require them to provide information about registration, and even if they do, there is an option to re-register in another Russian city. Such documents usually go through without problems, the travel agency adds.
At the same time, it is now easier for Ukrainians to get a Schengen visa than for Russians. If the standard package for applying for a visa to any Schengen country for Russians includes an application, a certificate from work, hotel booking confirmation, round-trip air tickets, insurance, internal and foreign passports, photos, and a copy of Russian registration, then for a resident with a Ukrainian passport only a foreign passport with photos is required. In addition, a number of countries provide visa preferences for Ukrainian citizens.
– For example, from April 27, new US visa rules for Ukraine came into effect, under which a Ukrainian can get a US visa for 10 years, previously it was only for five. For Russians, the US issues tourist visas for an average of up to 3 years, – Yarygina explained.
The Russian Union of Travel Industry believes that the loyalty of some countries is primarily related to the large revenues of local budgets from Russian tourists. According to Alexander Osaulenko, Vice President of the RST, the visa policy of these countries, especially Greece and the Czech Republic, was influenced by local business interests.
– In these countries, tourism is one of the main sources of income for state and regional budgets; on average, a Russian spends about $1,000 on a two-week vacation there, which allows us to be among the top three most desirable guests in them, – Osaulenko explains. – In addition, the significantly decreased tourist flow to these countries from Russia over the past summer also had an impact.
The problem of non-issuance is not so serious due to the fact that most Crimeans kept a second, Ukrainian passport, a source in the FMS noted, although statistics on renunciation of Ukrainian passports are not kept by the FMS. As of the latest data from April this year, only 3.5 thousand residents of the peninsula refused to receive a Russian passport and a foreign passport. In total, 1.8 million Russian passports have been issued to residents of the peninsula. The FMS could not promptly provide data on how many Crimeans have managed to obtain foreign passports.
Arseniy POGOSYAN.
Izvestia