Greece: Better to Apply For Visa In Advance

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    On May 2nd BANKO Information Service received an anonymous e-mail informing about the Greek Consulate having failed to issue around 100 visas. A BANKO correspondent contacted Moscow tour operators to confirm the information.
    Thus, Anatoly Garkushin, General Director of Pantheon, commented on the situation as follows: ‘we had a married couple who had to spent May holidays in Russia because only one of them received a passport with visa’. Besides, according to Alexander Skopintsev, the Head of Greece Department, several tourists of ICS Travel Group did not receive visas despite the reasonable application. Meanwhile, Mouzenidis Travel withheld comments, although some of their tourists also had a spoiled holiday.
    Furthermore, travel companies point out the Greek Embassy issued visas on April 28th and April 29th. The Embassy commented briefly on the situation: ‘we accepted and processed all the documents, which were applied in within reasonable period. These visas were issued’.
   The majority of tour operators interviewed by a BANKO correspondent confirmed this. Thus, Konstantin Kistanov, Senior Manager of Euro Tourne, stated: ‘the situation is predictable as bfore May holidays Embassies (including the Greek Embassy) have to process an enormous number of applications. Therefore, those who applied for visa in advance did not face problems’.