Schengen visa for pensioners: self-application in 2021

How to go on a trip abroad

Traveling abroad is not a pipe dream, as many people believe. Making it a reality is quite simple, despite the presence of sanctions imposed by some Western countries.

The basic list of documents for obtaining a Schengen visa remains unchanged:

International passport and its copy.
A copy of the national passport - a double page and a page indicating registration.
Applicant's application form (filled out in Latin letters).
Color photographs size 35*45 mm.
Health insurance with a minimum coverage amount of 30,000 euros.
Hotel and ticket reservations.
Confirmation of financial solvency.

And if with confirmation of finances everything is simple for working people - you only need a certificate from work, then pensioners applying for Schengen will have to provide other documents. First of all, this is a pension certificate. A pensioner can pay for the trip on his own, but then he will have to provide a certificate from the bank and an extract on the amount of the pension he receives.

It is also possible to provide a sponsorship letter - it means that a relative is ready to vouch for the tourist and provide the necessary funds for the trip. In addition to the letter from the sponsor, you will need a copy of his passport and a certificate of employment.

Also, pensioners whose children live in Europe and have the status of a citizen or permanent resident of the country have the opportunity to obtain a visa by invitation. In this case, the inviting party prepares all the necessary documents, and the guest only needs to come to the embassy with an official letter, photographs and a passport. The inviting party can provide accommodation, pay expenses and take out medical insurance.

But if one of these three documents is not provided to the invitees, then the guest must submit them on his own to the embassy along with the main documents. It is worth noting that embassies accept invitations only in the original version.

If a person plans to travel in his own car, then he needs to obtain a Green Card for the car in advance. The rules for issuing a Green Card also need to be clarified in advance.

A list of current certificates can be obtained from the consulate of the country to which the trip is planned. If there is a need, then you need to enlist the help of a qualified lawyer in advance. A specialist will help you avoid pitfalls and significantly save time.

If a person does not have a bank account, then diplomatic employees. Institutions can submit documents confirming the availability of:

Apartments or houses.
Car.
Other property (this could be a dacha or a plot of land).

Documents for a Schengen visa for pensioners

In order to obtain an exit permit, you must provide a complete list of documents:

Three photographs of the established format, taken according to all the rules.
Photocopy of pension certificate
Certificate of employment (if the citizen is still working and has official employment)
Foreign and Russian passport (also copies).
Bank account statements or documents confirming the financial ability to pay for your stay abroad.
Copies of tickets or travel vouchers.
Confirmation of connections in Russia. These could be relatives, family, friends or business.
Providing insurance (medical policy)
Completed application form and application for a Schengen visa.
A copy of the passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation.

If all the conditions are met and the pensioner provides a complete list of necessary documents, then the likelihood of obtaining a Schengen visa increases significantly.

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Schengen visa concept

A Schengen visa allows you to travel throughout Europe (26 countries) without obtaining additional permits. The period of stay in the Schengen zone is up to 90 days per six months. You can apply for a permit with multiple, single or double entry. The easiest way is to get a single-entry visa for an already purchased tourist tour. It is more difficult to obtain a multiple visa for a long period (up to 5 years).

How to open a Schengen visa:

make a certificate of income or account statement;
buy insurance and take photos;
pay the visa fee and submit a package of documents to the consulate or visa center.

Pensioners need to submit a copy of their pension certificate and a certificate of pension amount. If these funds are not enough, then you will also need to take care of finding a sponsor, or if you are applying for a visitor visa, ask the inviting party to mention in the invitation that she will bear the costs of the trip. There is a fee for applying for Schengen. The procedure will cost at least 35 euros if you are not in a hurry, and 70 euros if you need to get a stamp in your passport in 3-4 days.

A Schengen visa for a working pensioner is easier to obtain than for a non-working pensioner. Like any other applicant, an able-bodied person can present a certificate of income to the consulate and may not even need additional proof of solvency. Free Schengen for pensioners is not yet offered. However, many consulates can provide similar benefits to disabled people or WWII veterans. What specific situation is at your embassy that you have chosen to contact, you need to find out directly on the spot or by calling.

Features of a Schengen visa for a pensioner

A Schengen visa gives you the right to visit most European countries. Currently, 26 states have joined the agreement. After Schengen registration, you can visit all of them without requesting additional permits. At the same time, you can stay on the territory of the participating countries for up to 90 days in six months.

In fact, a regular Schengen visa and a similar permit issued to a pensioner have no differences. They give equal rights. The main feature is the registration procedure and methods of confirming financial solvency.

Pensioners, like other categories of Russians, can receive 3 types of Schengen visas:

one-time;
double;
multiple entry (multivisa).

The validity periods of permits can also vary greatly. Sometimes they can reach 5 years.

Reference! Working pensioners can apply for Schengen in the general manner. This is usually somewhat simpler and faster due to fewer documents required.

Obtaining Schengen does not guarantee unhindered entry into the territory of the countries participating in the agreement. The final decision is made by border and migration services employees directly on the spot. But situations where a person with a valid permit is turned away at the border are extremely rare.

Procedure for obtaining a Schengen visa for pensioners

First of all, you need to decide on the country of travel. The union with a Schengen visa includes 26 states. If a tourist plans to travel around several countries in one tour, then a visa should be issued in the place where he will stay the longest. If a pensioner does not know exactly how much time he will spend in each country, then he is allowed to apply for Schengen in the country that is first on the visit list.

In order to obtain Schengen, a pensioner must meet a number of conditions, namely:

Receive an invitation from a close relative or friends from the country you plan to visit.

Please note that this is only necessary if the purpose of the visit is to stay as a guest. If the trip is of a business or work nature, or perhaps the main purpose is shopping, then this item should be skipped.

It is mandatory for a pensioner to confirm his or her worth. To do this, you can provide information about your existing bank accounts. If there are none, then you can provide extracts confirming the presence of:

real estate;
motor vehicle;
land plot or country house.

The pensioner must convince the organization issuing the visa that after a holiday in another country he will certainly return to Russia.

It will be mandatory to take out medical insurance. This will be an additional guarantee of the safety of funds, since if an insured event occurs, all expenses will be borne by the insurance company.

If all conditions are met, the pensioner has a better chance of getting a Schengen visa and going on vacation to the European Union.

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Where to contact

Applying for a visa at the embassy begins with the preparation of documents. The success of the entire procedure depends on how responsibly you approach this process. The application form can be downloaded from the embassy website and filled out on a computer to make it easier for visa clerks to process it. In the columns you need to indicate your contact information, address, travel route, and also mention who bears the costs of paying for the flight, accommodation, and meals.

If you don’t know who issues visas, the consulate or embassy, then there is nothing to worry about. All information about the procedure for obtaining visas is usually contained on the official website of the embassy. But you will need to obtain a visa at the consulate. Assistance in obtaining entry permits, including for pensioners, is also provided by visa centers that cooperate with them and have official accreditation.

General design rules

Applying for a visa to Schengen countries is carried out in several stages:

collection and preparation of documents established by the requirements;
submission of the complete package to a consular office of a European state or an official visa center;
passing the fingerprinting procedure (if they have not previously been submitted and are not contained in the database);
obtaining a foreign passport with a visa attached (if refused, the corresponding mark is also affixed to the passport).

List of documents

So, to obtain an entry permit, the following documents are required:

Questionnaire of the established form . It can be downloaded from the official website of the consulate or from the official visa center of the country of entry. It is not recommended to use third-party resources, because... Failure to comply with the form of the document may serve as grounds for refusal to grant an entry permit. The application form can also be obtained free of charge upon a personal visit to the specified institutions. The document is small in size - only 3-4 pages (depending on the country); it can be filled out either manually or on a computer. Printing of the questionnaire is allowed either using double-sided printing or each page on a separate sheet. Filling out must be done in capital letters of the Latin alphabet.
Photo size 35 by 45 mm. , made in color. There should be no ovals or corners on it, the background should be light and monotonous. It must be fresh (done no later than six months before the date of submission of documents). The photo must be pasted into the application form (there is a special field for this on the first page of the document).
A valid passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation , proving his identity abroad (in other words, a foreign passport). It is also necessary to attach a photocopy of the passport page with the citizen’s personal data. The certificate must be valid for at least another 3 months after the expiration of the requested visa. It must also have at least 2 blank (blank) pages to insert the permit and affix entry and exit stamps. Do not forget about the mandatory presence of photographs of children in such a passport, if they are included in it.
Medical insurance that does not imply a deductible (i.e., the necessary assistance should be provided to a Russian without additional financial costs, as happens if it is available). In this case, the amount of insurance coverage must be at least 30,000 euros, and it must apply to all member states of the Schengen agreement. If the applicant requests permission to visit the country twice, then the insurance must also apply to the second visit within the validity of the visa. If the visa is multiple-entry, the Russian must ensure that he is provided with insurance for the period of each stay in a foreign country.
A copy of the Russian’s internal passport (only double-page spreads are required where the photograph and a valid registration stamp on the territory of the Russian Federation are located).
Documents confirming the purpose of the visit (they vary depending on the purpose of the trip).
Confirmation of sufficient income of the visa applicant to financially support his trip and stay on the territory of a foreign state (there are various options used depending on the category of the person, as well as the specific state that imposes its requirements in this regard).
Round-trip tickets for any type of transport traveling to the country of destination or a driver’s license and registration certificate for a car if you plan to travel independently using your own transport.
Confirmation of payment of the visa fee.

The specific list of required documents and requirements for them must be clarified on official sources (websites on the Internet of the country’s consulates or authorized visa center) of the specific country of entry.

Sponsor and sponsorship letter for Schengen for a pensioner

An additional condition for a pensioner to travel abroad is the presence of a sponsorship letter. This is a document (statement) from a third party, which states that it pays for all financial expenses of the trip. Some countries do not issue Schengen visas to pensioners without a letter of sponsorship, although Italy, Greece, and Austria are more lenient in this matter.

Important: a sponsorship letter is not required, but it is necessary for a non-working pensioner or if he does not have the required amount in the bank to enter the Schengen country (each country has a set minimum amount for each day of stay).

The purpose of the sponsorship letter is to prove that the pensioner will not need to be on the territory of a foreign state during his rendezvous. It can be issued by relatives (children, brother/sister, grandchildren). This is one of the best options, because in this case it is enough to present only a document about family ties.

It is also allowed that friends and acquaintances can become sponsors. In this case, the risk of refusal increases, but the presence of such a document is still better than its absence.

Important: no matter who writes the sponsorship letter, this person must be officially employed.

Submission of documents and fingerprinting

All Russian citizens over the age of 12 must be personally present when submitting documents. This requirement is due to the need to submit fingerprints.

But in the case where fingerprinting was completed earlier, documents can be submitted through a representative or close relative. In this case, a Schengen visa must be presented with a note indicating that the owner’s fingerprints have been entered into the database.

Visa by invitation

The rules for obtaining permission to visit the country on this basis have a number of features. So, for this you need an officially issued invitation according to the rules of the country whose citizen or resident it is drawn up.

In addition, in this case the guest does not need separate confirmation of the availability of accommodation, since it is guaranteed by the inviting party. In addition, in this case, the inviting person can also guarantee financial support for the trip and stay in the country.

Tourist visa

It is the most common type of visa among our fellow citizens. The procedure for obtaining it is generally general, with the exception of some necessary documents. Thus, to confirm the tourist purpose of entry, in addition to travel tickets, a Russian must provide confirmation of a hotel reservation.

A rental agreement for residential premises for the period of a person’s stay in the country can serve in a similar way. This can be done using any online accommodation booking service online.

Features of income confirmation for pensioners

For a foreign state, the category of a Russian citizen does not matter, whether he is a minor, an entrepreneur, an employee or a pensioner. All that is important is confirmation of the financial ability to ensure your trip, as well as your stay in the country. Since the only official income of a non-working pensioner is his pension, it must be confirmed with a copy of the pension certificate.

Reference! Recently, the Pension Fund of the Russian Federation issues a certificate only for an additional fee, and as a general rule issues a corresponding certificate. It will also be sufficient confirmation of the pensioner’s status at the consulate of a European country that is a member of Schengen.

However, one certificate is not enough. Moreover, given the level of income of Russian pensioners, which consular workers are well aware of. Additional financial guarantees are required.

Features of obtaining health insurance

A foreigner who wants to obtain Schengen and visit member countries of the agreement must have valid medical insurance for the duration of the trip. Its coverage must be at least 30 thousand euros.

While it is not difficult for young people to obtain insurance, pensioners will need to take into account several important points:

Typically, for older people, insurance costs 1.5-2 times more than for young people. The risks of needing urgent medical care for this category of people are higher, and insurers want to compensate for them.
Not all insurers are ready to issue insurance to a pensioner. Finding an insurer is especially difficult for people over 70 years of age.
The insurance company must be accredited by the states where the trip is planned. There are no problems with large insurers, but for small organizations you should always check the information.
You must carefully study the terms and conditions of insurance. There is always a chance that you will have to use insurance, and it is better to know how to act correctly in this situation.

Reference! Holders of premium bank cards often have access to free insurance policies. They are usually suitable for Schengen and other visas without any problems.

List of documents

We list what documents a pensioner needs for a Schengen visa.

Application form (the form is downloaded from the resource of the consulate of the state chosen for the trip).
Two photo cards measuring 35*45 mm.
International passport, copies of internal pages.
Photocopy of a pension certificate (for workers - a certificate of employment confirming income).
Invitation from the receiving party (with notarized signatures).
Confirmation of availability of funds for the trip. If a foreigner or foreign relative is willing to cover the costs, written proof of this is required.
Copies of birth, marriage/divorce certificate (if available).
Medical insurance valid for the period of stay abroad.
A document confirming the intention to return to the Russian Federation (paper proving ownership of real estate, children's birth certificates with Russian citizenship).
Tickets to both ends of the country, hotel room reservation.
Certificate of paid customs duty.

The visa application form for a pensioner must be filled out carefully and avoid mistakes. Almost every document for people of this age is drawn up at the invitation of relatives from abroad. Also, the pensioner must fill out the visa application form in English. If you follow all the rules, there will be no problems. Find out how to book a ticket for a visa here.

Applying for health insurance

It is impossible to obtain a visa without obtaining a medical certificate. It guarantees that in the event of force majeure, the pensioner will receive qualified medical care. Insurance must meet the following conditions.

Cover expenses of at least 30,000 euros.
The medical policy is valid in every Schengen country.
The insurance period must exceed the duration of the trip.
When applying for a multiple visa for 1 year or more, the pensioner presents a medical policy valid for the duration of the very first Schengen visit. Next, they will be asked to sign a document stating that the applicant is familiar with the visa requirements and undertakes to have valid insurance while in the Schengen countries.
When visiting Latvia, you must have health insurance filled out on a computer and not by hand.

When purchasing a policy, you need to pay attention to all risks. In particular, in the event of the death of a pensioner abroad, the company providing the service had to be ready to transport the body of the deceased to his homeland.

Confirmation of solvency

Terms and cost of Schengen registration for pensioners

The standard Schengen processing time is about 10 days. For pensioners, as for everyone else, the fee for reviewing documents will be 35 euros . The additional service fee is set by the visa application center and is usually around 20 euros .

Urgent processing of documents is possible only when they are submitted to Consulates, Embassies or certain visa centers. In this case, a decision is usually made within 3 days, and the fee is increased to 70 euros.

Important! If refused, the fee will not be refunded. At the discretion of consular officers, the deadlines may be extended.

Is it possible to get Schengen for free?

Pensioners are not issued a free Schengen visa. Registration on preferential terms is possible. Visa fee benefits apply only to people with disabilities, as well as an accompanying person with a disability (one person), family members of citizens and/or residents of EU countries, and children under 6 years of age.

Main features of Schengen for pensioners

In general, the procedure for issuing visas for pensioners is the same as for other categories of citizens.

The only peculiarity for a traveler of this category: they may have no reason to stay in Russia and it is more difficult for them to provide such evidence, and there are also nuances in obtaining medical insurance.

The process of obtaining a Schengen visa for retirees will consist of the following steps:

Consultation at a visa center, travel agency or with an international law lawyer about the necessary certificates for traveling abroad for pensioners.
Collection and preparation of documents
Submission of documents to the consulate (in case of a trip without intermediaries), or to a travel agency.

Everyone going on the tour must undergo a fingerprinting procedure. In order to obtain a new Schengen visa, you must submit your fingerprints and undergo a retinal scan. This procedure is carried out at the visa center.

There is a benefit for citizens of retirement age - they do not pay a fee, the amount of which is about 35 euros. Therefore, citizens on a well-deserved vacation can save some money on Schengen.

To apply for a Schengen visa, a pensioner can contact:

to the country's embassy;
to the visa processing center;
to a travel agency;
to a specialized organization.

Please note that when applying through an embassy or visa center, all paperwork falls on the shoulders of the pensioner. Travel agencies and highly specialized firms will do everything themselves, but for this the client will have to pay a considerable amount.

Waiting for the result

The deadlines for reviewing documents of pensioners at consulates are the same as for everyone else. The accelerated procedure will take an average of 3-4 days, and the regular procedure – from 5 to 10 days. Long-term D visas can take at least a month to prepare. When deciding how a pensioner can get a visa, pay attention to the services of intermediaries that will save an elderly person from standing in queues.

It is also worth actively using online services that help you fill out and send questionnaires, order mobile biometrics at home and sign up for an interview (if required).

How to check your visa readiness:

on websites by receipt number (portal of the Unified Document Center, embassy websites);
on the visa center website using the contract number (the number is entered with dots), the applicant’s date of birth;
in person by coming to the consulate on time.

Many sites (for example, Italy, Finland) have services to help job seekers. There is also the possibility of SMS notifications about the readiness of the stamp, which is provided for a fee (approximately 50 rubles).

If you are applying for a visitor visa, it is better to do it in advance and buy tickets and book them. But for a pensioner to participate in a tourist tour, no problems will arise if he has already paid for everything and the level of his pension is quite high to cover minor expenses during the trip.

Schengen validity period for pensioners

The duration of a visa depends on its type, which, in turn, is determined by the purposes of foreigners visiting the Schengen state. The most common is a 30-day permit. However, it is possible to receive it for six months.

It should be taken into account that it is better to submit the first application for Schengen for a minimum duration with one entry. After recommending your identity as a bona fide tourist (by following uncontrolled rules), almost any country participating in the Agreement will issue a long-term multi-entry visa.

Can a pensioner be refused?

No foreign state, like Russia, is obliged to explain the reasons for refusing to issue an entry permit. It has the right to do this to any foreign citizen. When an applicant receives a passport with a visa refusal stamp, he is unaware of the reasons for it.

However, we can highlight the most common reasons for visa refusal, in particular for pensioners:

the applicant has not submitted a complete package of documents required in accordance with the visa legislation of the countries participating in the Schengen Agreement;
there were errors in the submitted documents or incorrect forms of documents were used;
the Russian provided false information, which became known to consular employees as a result of checking the application form and attached documents;
the pensioner has not provided sufficient evidence of his financial solvency, or information about his or his sponsor’s income is not true;
the applicant has previously violated the laws of countries within the Schengen area, and this violation prevents him from entering the country.

It is important to note that if consular officers have any doubts, the visa may be refused, and a second application is unlikely to help. But in most cases, the refusal is due to a violation of procedural issues (there are not enough documents, a mistake was made, etc.). In this case, after eliminating the shortcomings, you can safely apply again and, if there are other grounds, entry permission will be obtained

Thus, a short-term Schengen visa is issued by a pensioner according to the general rules. Specificity is available only if his financial guarantees for payment for the trip with the time spent in the Schengen zone are confirmed. But even in this case, a Russian person is not deprived of the opportunity to travel to Europe; to do this, he must provide an account statement or a letter from a sponsor.

Reasons for refusal to obtain a Schengen visa for a pensioner

It is quite difficult to obtain a visa for people of retirement age. The main reason for refusal is the low pension amount and the lack of a sponsorship letter. The reason for refusal may also be the low income of the sponsor (below 30,000 rubles), if the pensioner intends to travel in Europe for a long time.

A visa refusal is also possible if the package of documents is incorrectly formed, as well as when the purpose of the visit is not clarified.

If a visa is refused, a pensioner can appeal the decision and file an appeal. The application can be submitted in the first months. It makes sense to appeal when the refusal was made on illegal grounds.

In all other cases, you need to correct the errors and resubmit the package of documents for the visa. This should be done no earlier than 3-4 months after refusal.

After retirement, many people decide to travel. Proper organization of the process of obtaining a visa and a complete package of documents drawn up according to the requirements of the consulates will allow retirees to spend time in the European countries of the Schengen zone and return home with unforgettable impressions.

Reasons why a pensioner may be denied a visa

Obtaining a Schengen visa for a pensioner is a rather complicated process. Refusals to issue things happen quite often. They are usually associated with a low pension and the lack of other papers to confirm solvency. But also a negative decision on the issue of Schengen issue can be made for the following reasons:

there is no clear purpose of the visit;
problems with the law (criminal record);
false or incorrect information in the application form;
lack of necessary documents in the package.

It is quite possible to obtain a Schengen visa for a pensioner on your own. The process is in many ways similar to obtaining permission for other categories of Russians, but you need to take a responsible approach to preparing all the necessary papers. This will avoid most questions and other difficulties.