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An acquaintance of the author a couple of years ago received an invitation to participate in an international scientific conference in Berlin. His joy knew no bounds, and it seemed nothing could overshadow it. Rather, it could not until the acquaintance visited the visa department of the embassy of capitalist Germany and felt all the delights of a 'socialist' queue.<\/p>
Yes, various troubles associated with obtaining a visa – and especially hours-long, sometimes days-long standing in queues can greatly spoil the impressions of the trip even before boarding a bus or plane.<\/p>
Embassies of Schengen group countries are especially famous for their queues, and the undisputed 'record holder' in this regard is the embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany mentioned above. On any weekday, especially in the first half of the day, the area in front of the embassy's visa department building most resembles a subway station during rush hour. Even if you come early in the morning and sign up, it is unlikely you will get an appointment that same day – the queue usually comes the next day. Perhaps that is why many of our compatriots prefer to apply for a visa to Germany in Kharkiv<\/a> and other cities where intermediary firms operate.<\/p>
Actually, there are several queues to the consular department – depending on the type of visa. For instance, there is always a 'service' or 'guest' queue. Approximately every two hours, an embassy worker approaches those eager to get a visa and takes 30-40 people at once. By evening, the citizens are registered and they go home, only to be back here the next morning.<\/p>
A sharp contrast with Germany is presented by the embassy of Foggy Albion. There are not so many people wanting to visit Great Britain, the most expensive country in Europe. Mostly these are exchange students or wealthy tourists. There is no trace of any queue registration here – you just have to wait until you are received.<\/p>
A similar situation is observed at the embassies of Belgium and the Netherlands, where people are not particularly eager to go either. A small and civilized queue can be found near the Austrian embassy. As a rule, there are 10-12 people, and you can get an appointment fairly quickly.<\/p>
The queue at the French embassy is usually also small. Appointments here are held in the first half of the day, so after lunch you won't see a soul. Everything is very cultured and disciplined: you need to wait an hour or two until an embassy employee comes out, who will listen to you and set a date for an appointment. Moreover, the waiting time for this appointment rarely exceeds ten days.<\/p>
But the further south a country is located in Europe, the longer the queue at its embassy. Many of our compatriots go to Greece, Spain, Portugal, and other warm countries for seasonal work or vacation. Accordingly, the number of visitors at the embassies of these countries increases significantly closer to summer. But even now, those wanting to get a visa must be patient. For example, to get an appointment at the Greek embassy, you need to spend a whole day. By the way, appointments are only on Tuesdays and Thursdays.<\/p>
Finally, a few words about etiquette. It is hard to expect exquisite politeness from embassy employees, especially at the end of the workday. They are understandable. Therefore, you should not bother them with extra questions, especially since the maximum of useful information can usually be found on the boards in front of embassies.<\/p>
If you are ready to bravely overcome all obstacles before crossing the border, arm yourself with patience and remember – every queue eventually ends.<\/p>
\u2022 When planning a trip abroad, you should pay attention to the validity period of your foreign passport. In the visa departments of some consulates, they will not accept an application for a visa if your passport's validity expires less than 6 months after the end of the trip. Therefore, it is important to arrange for the issuance of foreign passports in time so as not to disrupt your plans for your trip to foreign countries.<\/p>
