The demand for Romanian and Bulgarian Schengen Russians will be low
March 31, Bulgaria and Romania joined the Schengen area. Diplomatic missions of these countries have the opportunity to issue a Schengen visa, which allows to cross the border freely between European countries.However, for both countries joining the Schengen area will be incomplete. Passport control between Schengen countries, Romania and Bulgaria border crossing by air and by sea will be cancelled, however, on the land border checkpoints will remain because of fears that Bulgaria and Romania will not be able to deal with illegal immigrants. The initiator of the restrictions made by Austria. The discussion of the abolition of passport control when crossing the land border will continue in 2024.For Russian tourists this means that to visit Romania and Bulgaria now need to apply for a Schengen visa. First, it will require more paperwork and time than national visa, and still have to give my biometrics. Second, stay in these countries will be counted as days spent in the Schengen area.Recall that multiple entry visas entitling them to multiple visits to the Schengen area, you can stay in the countries of the agreement 90 days within 6 months or 180 days. Thus, the tourist can enter the Schengen zone or leave it unlimited number of times. But the total spend in it only three months in six months.It is expected that the consular services of Bulgaria and Romania will start accepting documents for a Schengen visa in Russia since April 2, 2024. so far, However, official information about how this process is organised in the territory of the Russian Federation, on the websites of the embassies of these countries no. Therefore, it is not known when and in what cities will be applying for a Schengen visa to Bulgaria and Romania.Acceptance of documents for such visas will start from 02 April. To obtain the citizens of Russia have to pass biometrics. Days spent in Bulgaria will now be counted as days spent in the Schengen area.According to information TASS, with the filing of applications for Schengen visas will work consular service of the Embassy of Bulgaria in Moscow and Consulate General in St. Petersburg. The Embassy also said that the waiting time in the queue for submission of documents “to be like other countries of the Schengen area”.Russians will be able to use issued before March 31, 2024 short-term national visa Bulgaria (type C) for a period of stay in the country up to 90 days – only to the entry into Bulgaria, Romania and Cyprus. Issued before that date, a long-term visa type D and residence permit with permission to stay in the territory of the Republic for more than 90 days will be valid for travel to other countries of the Schengen area prior to the expirations of their term.The General rule of staying abroad for a Schengen visa not exceeding 90 days in every six months. About the so-called “rule of first entry to the Schengen area”, that is a visa in the country that this visa is issued forget: there is no such rule. There is a requirement to be held in the state issuing the visa greatest number of days of the time of stay on the territory of the Schengen agreement. There are some nuances, of course. For example, do not try to enter with a non-Schengen to Germany, if the visa is not issued by the Germany. Recent restrictions – do not try to enter from Russia and third countries with tourist Schengen visas in Poland, the Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Finland. As indicated on the website of the Romanian Embassy in Moscow, to obtain Romanian visa for Russian citizens need to use the web portal evisa.mae.ro. After filling in and sending the form to the applicant will receive a notice from the consular Department of the Embassy of Romania in Moscow on appointment for a personal submission of documents.Visa centers of Romania in Russia; there are only two of the Consulate in Moscow and St. Petersburg. First acted Consulate in Rostov-on-don, but the agreement of its opening at the end of December 2023 was denounced by the government of the Russian Federation. At the Embassy of Romania said that tourists can take advantage of the issued prior to March 31, 2024 Romanian national visas for the entire period of their validity only for entry to Romania, also in Bulgaria and Cyprus.According to experts, in the absence of direct flights to Bulgaria and Romania, the demand for tourism in these countries is low. Trip to Bulgaria will be in demand primarily from property owners. The demand for tours to Romania was low even before the pandemic.As suggested by the tour operators this year, Bulgaria and Romania would give the Russians a single-entry Schengen visas mainly under date of travel. But officially it can be to remain only in Bulgaria and Romania. Officially moving to other EU countries for Bulgarian and Romanian only on Schengen Schengen multivisa, but count on multishengen from these countries members of the Schengen zone of the Russian tourists are not worth it, experts say.
