Interview for Greece Visa - May Trip

Good luck! MOst of us contributors are NOT experts on any visa doings ... you might try posting as well on Trip Advisor Greece Forum. This is just guesswork by me, but I would not be surprised if the current crisis in the EU about the immigrant/refugee situation may have prompted an additional screening requirement. But who knows?

Namaste, and welcome to Lonely Planet and Thorn Tree forums.
There is a section at the beginning of the Western Europe forum about Schengen issues. It is a compilation of all
the information, questions and answers about travelling in the Schengen area both under the visa waiver program
as well as the individual visa application process.
The post was organized by a young traveller from India (still in school!) who still monitors it and gives advice
when no one else on the forum has the insight or experience.

While the thread has grown, it contains many examples of people from India asking about visas
and you may find it helpful to read them.
Yes, there is more attention paid to people applying for visas but the basics still remain the same.
Have you seen the questions on the visa application?
My understanding is that the questions would have to do with:
Your background. That you are working and that you expect to return to your work after your trip.
That you have established lodging, either your own or with family.
Your finances. Proof of medical insurance might be required.
Travel insurance which covers medical might meet the requirements.
Proof of ready funds for your travel (not just credit cards) and bank account or other financial records
showing yourselves to be responsible, reliable people.
You might ask an employer or older person of repute for a personal reference. It would not hurt and
could perhaps help. (again, to demonstrate your stability).
Have bookings for places to stay (hotels). You can change your plans later but they need to know
where you will be when you arrive.
You will have to have a round trip ticket .
Greece needs visitors and with their recent financial problems, they will not put unnatural barriers in
the way of honest tourists.
I hope these thoughts give you confidence and please read that section I mentioned. It will help you
to know many others ask the same questions.
I also hope that your upcoming marriage brings happiness to you and your families and that their
blessings travel with you to Greece.
Best of luck to both of you.

Thank you SF Girl for such a comprehensive, helpful and thoughtful answer!! I have bookmarked it for future reference and use. I am sure that Mkt is heartened by such useful information.

Travelerjan(TJ - Hope you dn mind :)) and SFGirl !
Thanks a lot for your kind attention and replies.
TJ - As you said, Greece economy is driven by tourism, It actually gave us the required confidence to go for the interview which btw went super cool.
SFG - Thanks for the "all in one post" and lovely wishes.
Our Visa interview was 1 minute affair with officer behaving fabulously All He asked was where we are going, which islands in Greece, who would be paying for it, and who will be accompanying me. He also advised my 'to be' wife to not spend a single penny during the trip and to shop as much as she could on my money.

Thank you so much for sharing the good news with us. I'm very happy that the interview went well and took so little
time. It's also nice to know the officer had a good sense of humor!
Hope your visit goes very well.

Welcome to being a "first world" citizen in a "third world" country. I'm in the same boat.

Whilst we can understand the need for a screening process, it does add a lot of money, frustration, admin and humiliation to the equation. I often wonder how much citizens from countries such as Aussie, USA, Europe and Scandinavia know what others have to endure just to hop aboard that same Boeing to holiday nirvana.

I think I'm more affluent and educated than most post matric Shanes and Sheilas I've encountered in hostels over the world. But, because I'm from a third world country, you are treated at admin level and at the airport as the next migrant wanting to jump the fence and bum a ride to the first job site. And never come back.

From application time where you have to state your grandfather's nickname and why he was given that, to the moment you board the Boeing, when you exit the Boeing, and when you stand in the line at customs, the default notion is you want to enter my country illegally.

It's politics. It's economics. It's hurtful.

Nokka,
I don't quite understand your comment on this particular thread since the OP stated that their interview was brief and easy.
Yes, he did have to have available the information and documents I mentioned but it did not sound as if he were examined in detail.
The basics of Schengen may seem discriminatory but I believe they're based on previous alliances which are honored still.
The assistance rendered to the nations in Western Europe during WWII led to mutual arrangements for travel for citizens of those countries. If people from Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the US benefit from the VW program, then that's an outgrowth of treaties dated in the late 1940s. I know of these because I have done some research on one particular program (between US and France) which is in theory, still applicable (but so little known it would be difficult to implement in France).
I also know that statistics are kept on the overstays from various countries and the larger the number (percentage per total number of visitors) the more likelihood that subsequent visitors will be screened more.
I provided this information on another thread so this is not the place for that discussion.
This thread is about a forum member who wanted advice on getting a visa for Greece. That, to the best of our ability, was provided. He had a successful interview and can continue with his plans.
If you have questions about visas for Schengen area countries I suggest you read the section on Schengen Inquiries at the first page of the Western Europe forum. There are the facts, the rules and regulations, questions asked and answered and it is quite comprehensive. Schengen does not have a policy of discrimination on the basis or race, religion, national origin or such. The guidelines are based on practicality. Likewise, we volunteers on Thorn Tree will try to help anyone when we either have the experience or access to knowledge which might be useful. Anyone, as long as they abide by the community guidelines.
Thank you for listening.

What a strange, patronising response. Who are you to dictate who on the forum can say what and where? - "I provided this information on another thread so this is not the place for that discussion." and "Thank you for listening."

Are you the content manager of Lonely Planet? The school headmaster? This is Thorn Tree, it's a forum. A chatgroup. It's a bunch of travelers looking for informal advice on any question. If you want formal, correct advice on the rules and regulations of a visa, you ask the relevant embassy. On Thorn Tree you ask for tips. It's like complaining to the neighbour about a headache, and he says "Take an aspirin".

You are a bit naive re countries' use of visa regulations as well. It can change - stricter or lessened.

My response was directed at the Indian guy's exasperation re the whole Schengen experience. As in "hang in there, buddy, I've know how it feels, been there and done that myself". That is why I stated right in the first sentence, though we understand the reasoning behind the use of visas, this type of one rule for all citizens of a country does make the more "first world" citizens of those countries feel frustrated. Like the OP did.

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