Greece · Visa guide
Greece · Visa guideGreece Family & Friends Visit Visa
A short-stay Schengen visa to visit family or friends living in Greece — up to 90 days.
- ProcessingUsually about 15 calendar days from submission
- Visa categoryFamily & Friends Visit Visa
- Your guideOne consultant
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Greece Family & Friends Visit Visa — overview
A Greek family-and-friends visit visa is a short-stay Schengen visa (Type C): up to 90 days in any 180-day period, decided by the Embassy of Greece in New Delhi.
Greece asks for little that is specific to a family visit — a certificate proving the relationship, and a marriage certificate if your passport does not show that you are married. The weight falls instead on sponsorship: if your host is paying, they complete Greece's official form and attach their full financial documents as a separate set to each person's application.
A short family section — and a long sponsorship one
Open Greece's checklist at "visiting family/friends" and it is two lines: a marriage certificate if your passport does not show you are married, and a certificate proving the family relationship if you are visiting relatives. That is all the purpose-specific paperwork there is.
What takes the work is sponsorship. If your host is covering the trip, Greece requires proof of sponsorship and/or private accommodation on its official form, and then adds a sentence that is easy to miss:
the sponsor must also attach all financial documents as a separate set of supporting documents to each individual application.
Two parents travelling together are two applications. Your son's bank statements, payslips and tax papers go into both files, complete, twice — not one set shared between them. We prepare the duplicates at the start so the second file is not sent back.
Husband and wife: look at your passports first
Greece checks the marriage on the passport itself. If the spouse's name is endorsed in both passports, nothing more is needed. If not, the checklist asks for the original marriage certificate apostilled by the MEA; an affidavit is accepted only where neither is available. If your passports were issued without the endorsement, find out early, because an apostille is not a same-week job.
Grandchildren and consent
The rules for minors are tighter than most:
- a notarised consent letter from any parent who is not travelling;
- still required even if that parent already holds a valid visa;
- required from both parents if either is unavailable on the day of application, or if the parents are travelling on separate dates;
- a valid school ID card if the child is a student.
Insurance and tax papers
Two Greek particulars apply to every applicant: insurance only from the specific Indian insurers Greece recognises (since 1 October 2013), and income-tax acknowledgements for two years that are attested.
Source: Embassy of Greece, New Delhi, Consular Section — Schengen visa checklist (visiting family or friends), as held in our knowledge base. Requirements change; confirm against the current checklist before you submit.
12 items
Documents you need
Application form
Fully filled in and signed by the applicant.
Two photographs
Recent, passport-size, colour, white background, to ICAO specifications.
Passport
Valid three months beyond the end of the visa, at least two blank pages, issued within the previous ten years. Add a clear photocopy of the first and last pages and of all visas and stamps, and any previous passport.
Travel medical insurance — approved Indian insurers only
All Member States, the whole stay, minimum EUR 30,000. For applications lodged in India, accepted only if issued by specific Indian insurance companies.
Cover letter
Explaining the details of the visit.
Certificate of family relationship
A certificate proving the family relationship, if you are visiting relatives.
Marriage certificate, where needed
If you are married and your passport does not show it; a copy of the ration card where applicable.
Proof of lodging
If you are staying with family or a friend: proof of sponsorship and/or private accommodation from the host. Otherwise hotel or rental reservations.
If you are sponsored
Proof of sponsorship and/or private accommodation on the official form required by Greece. The sponsor must attach all financial documents as a separate set of supporting documents to each individual application.
Proof of transport
Return or round-trip flight reservation.
Proof of financial means
Original personal bank statement for three months, stamped and signed by the bank; attested income-tax return acknowledgements for two assessment years; payslips, contract and leave approval if employed; pension statements for three months if retired.
For minors
Notarised consent of any parent not travelling — required even if that parent holds a valid visa, and from both parents if either is unavailable on the application date or they travel on separate dates. A valid school ID card if the child is a student.
5 steps
How the process works
Typical processing: Usually about 15 calendar days from submission — may extend up to 45 calendar days. Apply at least 2-3 weeks before travel.
Step 1
Free eligibility review
We assess your profile and build a document checklist matched to the embassy's requirements.
Step 2
Build the file & cover letter
Every document — finances, bookings, insurance and the cover letter — is prepared and verified.
Step 3
Book the VFS Global appointment
Applications in India are submitted through VFS Global — we schedule your slot.
Step 4
Submit & give biometrics
You attend the VFS centre to submit the file and provide fingerprints and a photograph.
Step 5
Decision & passport return
The embassy decides the application and your passport is returned through VFS.
Transparent
Costs & fees
Item
Amount
Schengen visa fee (adult)
EUR 45 for children aged 6 to 11; under 6 exempt. Payable in INR.
EUR 90
VFS Global service charge
Plus optional add-ons such as courier.
Confirmed at booking
Government and third-party fees change often — we confirm the exact current amounts for your case before you pay anything.
5 answers
Frequently asked questions
A certificate proving the family relationship, if you are visiting relatives, and a marriage certificate if you are married and your passport does not show your marital status. The rest of the file is the common list.
Proof of sponsorship and/or private accommodation on Greece's official form, plus all of his financial documents. The embassy says the sponsor must attach those as a separate set to each individual application — so two parents means two complete sets.
Only if your names are not endorsed in each other's passports. Greece asks for the spouse's name in both passports; otherwise the original marriage certificate with an MEA apostille, and an affidavit only where neither is available.
Yes. Greece's checklist says that even if one parent holds a valid visa, a consent letter certified by a public notary is still required from that parent.
For applications lodged in India, only policies issued by specific Indian insurance companies are accepted, with minimum cover of EUR 30,000 across all Member States for the entire stay.
Why it matters
Going it alone vs filing with us
On your own
- Guessing the document list — one missing or wrongly formatted paper triggers a refusal.
- Generic cover letters copied from the internet that officers recognise and flag.
- No read on peak rejection windows or what this visa post is strict about.
- Government and VFS fees are non-refundable — money lost if you are refused.
- A refusal stamp follows you and weakens every future visa application.
With Lifeset Overseas
- An honest case assessment before you spend a rupee on government fees.
- A file built to the embassy's exact checklist and in the exact order.
- Weak finances, ties or purpose identified and fixed before submission.
- Previously refused? We can rescue and rebuild the file.
- Every case handled by one consultant, end to end.
Refused before?
A refusal isn't the end
A refusal is not a permanent bar — but it only improves if the actual reason is found and answered, and nobody can tell you a second application will succeed. If a Greece visa has been refused, we:
- Read the actual refusal letter and pinpoint the real gaps.
- Advise whether to pull the officer's notes (CAIPS / GCMS) for the true reason.
- Identify which part was weak — funds, employment, purpose or ties.
- Tell you honestly whether to reapply now or strengthen the file first.
- Refused? Your fee back, or a rebuilt application free — your choice.
Other Greece visas
Greece Tourist Visa
A short-stay Schengen visa for tourism and holidays in Greece — up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
Greece Business Visa
A short-stay Schengen visa for business meetings, conferences and training in Greece.
Greece Study & Research Visa
A visa for study, research or an internship in Greece — short stays use a Schengen visa; longer study needs a residence permit.
Greece Cultural, Sports & Religious Visa
A short-stay Schengen visa for cultural, sporting and religious events and film crews in Greece.
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Greece visitor visa: get a straight answer before you pay the fee.
- Honest assessment
- Fixed all-in fees
- No handovers between staff
- Licensed in Patiala
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