The visa question has spoiled character not one employee of a travel company. The latent bureaucratic mechanisms and regular diplomatic scandals have revealed the whole direction of actively developing business - registration of visas. For one it is a way to sell the tourist product, for others - a good source of the income. So, if cost of official registration of the visa can vary within the limits of $100 in case of informal the prices are excited up to several hundreds dollars, and sometimes and thousand.

The democratic changes occuring in our country, are not displayed at all on one of nabolee thorny questions of reception of the foreign visa. That from it loses for the Ukrainian business, domestic tour agencies and usual citizens, apparently, especially nobody excites. Officials win in this situation, as always. In this case - foreign.

About with what difficulties our citizens in consular departments of diplomatic embassies collide, we spoke already, and not time. Today we shall try hardly to encourage our readers and to show on several real examples as it is possible to resolve the most typical problems within the limits of one embassy.

Many heads of tour agencies interrogated by us consider, by the way, that the majority of the disputable moments have subjective character. At the correct organization of work of consular departments and at desire something it is possible to improve always to find a way out.

For the critical review of a situation we have chosen the cores, in our opinion, problems with which the person or the firm, submitting documents on reception of the visa collides.

TURN
One of the most complex obstacles in a way to the visa. In many cases to enter the name it is necessary for one and a half month. Though there are embassies where anything similar it is not required. In our opinion, work in consulates of those countries where there is an opportunity of submission of documents on the first-come, first-served basis within one day is reasonably organized. Such mechanism works in visa departments of the Great Britain, Switzerland, Sweden, Austria, Finland, Norway, Chyprus and the republic of South Africa. Despite of sufficient loading of all chain involved in registration, work here have adjusted in such a manner that necessity for preliminary record by phone or under embassy has disappeared by itself. The main thing - to come to reception time with the prepared documents.

CONSULAR GATHERING
Intricate process of payment of services of a consular department is quite often fraught with loss of turn, time and a fair share of nerves. The love of employees of visa services to cleanliness and novelty of denominations is worthy admiration (see previous numbers UT). Besides quite often payment is made at all in currency of that country where the application on the visa moves. For example, such embassies of the Eurozone as the Netherlands, Spain, Italy accept payment in dollars, and is far not the European Iran - in euro. It is thought, it would be logical to pull together consular gathering in grivna, at the rate NBU, and it is direct in a consular department at submission of documents.
Perhaps, only the representation of the Great Britain corresponds to all these requirements. There are, certainly, departments which though accept the Ukrainian currency, but at such draconian rate, that is better it would be not not done. So, the embassy of Germany through the authorized branch of bank takes depending on a rate 220 - 240 grn. For 35 euros.

Other problem consists that many consulates have established the order of payment of visa services only through the certain banks. But it is usual these "cash departments" and a consular department are carried on city. To pay gathering for registration of the visa to a trip to the USA ($100 in grivna at the rate NBU) it is possible only in three branches " »Ó«¬ÓÑñ¿Ôíᡬá " in Kiev which nearest branch is in poluchase drivings from the consulate.
The convenient scheme operates in the Canadian representation. There payment is accepted on a place both in grivna, and in dollars, but the second variant is more favourable nevertheless.

The size of consular gathering is one more "punktik". The visa can be absolutely free-of-charge (to Poland, for example) or enough dear ($250 to Nigeria). In this respect the convenient principle of payment exists in the countries of the Schengen agreement: the price for any type of the visa - about 35 euros, and without dependence from its validity and the resolved quantity of entrances.

In consular questions the rule of parity usually operates. For example, if the visa to the nigerian to Ukraine costs $85 also to us for a trip to their country it should manage pribli-zitel'no in the same sum, instead of in $250 as now.

SET OF DOCUMENTS
Following criterion of an estimation of an overall performance of consular departments can become a set of documents for submission on opening of the visa. Except for a standard minimum (the passport, the photos, the filled questionnaire and the invitation) each country thinks out the additional list.

One of the most confused requirements as many experts of the tourist market speak, is presentation of trevel-checks for the certain sum (depends on terms of stay in the country). This obligatory condition for reception of the visa to Italy, for example. During the certain moment here demanded even a credit card - confirming to a financial solvency for a trip. But after this plastic "makeweight" began to sell for 50 grn. Directly under consulate, have decided to pass to trevel-checks. Now ukraincy are compelled to pay twice to banks: first for purchase of checks to show them in embassy at submission of documents, and then (after reception of the visa) handing over them back. In fact not so it would be desirable to take then in Italy to itself for a ride a question where checks to translate in cash monetary weight.

Of absence of similar confused conditions the few can brag, unfortunately. To cite as an example Poland it is not meaningful, despite of humane as a whole procedure of reception of the visa moreover if to consider, that more recently this country in general was visa-free for ukraincev.

To note clearness of work of consulate of Germany do not give strange requirements to the invitation which original should contain a number of digital symbols in the form of paragraphs. If it is a question about business-visa besides it will demand a copy of the first page of the passport of the person who has signed the invitation. And absolutely finally to test for durability your nerves - also an extract from the trading register of the inviting firm, received or updated no more half a year back and with the instruction, that this person has the right of the signature of similar documents. Today this condition seems to us anachronistical. And considering, that each updating of an extract of their trading register costs to the inviting party of time and money, it is possible to tell one: excessive suspiciousness of consulate of Germany only complicates and without that uneasy procedure of reception of the visa. In fact to come on a site much easier and to check up registration of the company, and then by phone to recheck with its representatives the data specified in the invitation. So do in embassies of the Netherlands, the USA and the Great Britain.

And here in a rating of the most stunning requirements the victory would get, probably, to consulate of Nigeria. At submission of documents on registration of the visa in this African country the person should show the information confirming, that it does not have AIDS... Without comments.

The majority of domestic tour operators consider, that visas
It is possible to carry to such global enemies of tourism safely
As SARS, typhoons and the international terrorism.

OPERATING MODE of EMBASSY
Schitannye embassies do not suit to themselves days off on weekdays. Canada, the USA, Italy, Belgium, Lithuania and Chyprus do not work on Friday. Latvia and Serbia have a rest on Wednesday. Greece, China and India in general leave on visa dialogue only two times a week. Besides the overwhelming majority of consular departments accepts documents the limited time, as a rule, till a dinner. On this background the embassy of the Great Britain looks simply the workaholic: from Monday till Thursday it accepts all wishing to receive the visa, and on Friday - those who managed to make it earlier and who within the last five years has visited to the Great Britain, the USA, New Zealand, Australia or Canada.

Causes envy and the schedule of the working day of consular services. Reception of documents seldom when reaches lunch hours. Are positively allocated unless Spain and Germany accepting documents from 8-00 till, the truth, at presence corresponding koreshka, confirming time appointed to you. And the honourable consulate of Ecuador, by the way, worked even after a dinner while visas for ukraincev have not cancelled.

In this material we have captured far do not weigh the list of criteria on which it is possible to estimate work of consular departments of diplomatic representatives. So in following number we shall continue our review. All interested we invite to take part in discussion of this question. Send the letters on the electronic address of publishing house or come on our forum on the Internet.

S. When number was imposed, the message that the consular department of embassy of China has increased quantity of official days of reception up to three in a week has come. If earlier documents could be brought on Tuesdays and Thursdays, now on Mondays, environments and Fridays. There is an information, that the given change has occured because of a plenty of complaints from the Ukrainian citizens and tour agencies. Probably, operates?

THE FACTS
In the end of November in Greece the former head of the Greek consulate in Kiev Mr. Konstantinos Bibiko, and also its compatriot worked in protection of consulate has been detained. Them accuse of participation in trade in counterfeit visas to the Ukrainian citizens. By estimations of the authorized bodies, participants of this "manufacture" have given out nearby 2,5 thousand illegal sanctions, having received on visa frauds more than 2,7 million euro.