Greece General Information

By | February 9, 2022

Who was not fond of myths and legends about the Olympic gods in childhood? Now you have the opportunity to return to your childhood for a week or two and choose tours to Greece as a vacation option. Rich history, mild climate, sea, golden sand… In this country, you are captivated by emotions and impressions that stir your consciousness. According to itypejob.com, Athens is the capital of Greece.

Holidays in Greece are your chance to visit the excavations of ancient sanctuaries, walk along the slopes, where centaurs may have lived thousands of years ago.

You can visit the islands of Greece, each of which will tell you its amazing story. Crete, Kos, Rhodes – here you are best aware of the real age of ancient buildings and the unprecedented genius of people who created real masterpieces of architecture. Holidays on the islands of Greece is your ticket to the past, from the witnesses of which only impressive ruins remain.

Tours to Greece is an introduction to ancient culture. At the same time, you will enjoy the striking contrast of architectural monuments with modern luxury hotels. Excursions to the Acropolis, the Parthenon, the fortified city of Mycenae, the temple of Apollo in Delphi – much that you have only read about, now you can see with your own eyes!

Vouchers to Greece are also the sophistication of national cuisine. Bugatsa, metaxa, ouzo, hortopita… You may not even have heard of such dishes. And now you can even try them.

Holidays in mysterious Greece are also bright, incendiary discos and nightclubs that lure you into a whirlpool of incomparable fun until the morning. You will simply have no time to be bored in this unique country!

Sounds tempting? There is nothing easier than making these dreams come true. All you need is for the treasured trip to Greece to be in your hands! And for this you just call our agency. Our managers will do everything to make your holiday in Greece memorable for you forever.

DESCRIPTION OF GREECE

Geographic location, nature.
Greece(Hellas), the official name is the Hellenic Republic. It is located in the southern part of the Balkan Peninsula and on the islands adjacent to it and the coast of Asia Minor. The total area is 131,994 km2. The landscape relief of Greece is characterized by rocky terrain, valleys, beautiful beaches, grottoes. Mountain ranges make up almost a quarter of the territory of Greece. Such conditions perfectly match the possibilities of seaside recreation and also mountain tourism. Plains are concentrated in the eastern half of the country. Greece owns about two thousand islands, which is approximately 20% of the country’s territory. There are relatively few rivers in Greece. There are more than 20 lakes. Deep and large lakes are of tectonic origin. There are many Karst lakes. Geographically, Greece borders on Albania, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Turkey. It is washed by the waters of three seas. In the west Ionian,

Capital, major cities.
The capital of Greece is Athens with a population of 750 thousand people. Large cities: Thessaloniki (370 thousand), Piraeus (170 thousand) Patras (160 thousand) – here is the largest port – Peloponnese, Heraklion (120 thousand), Larissa (115 thousand). Athens and Thessaloniki are the centers of the cultural, political and economic life of the country. Greece is a unitary state. It is divided into 13 administrative regions. In the regions, councils are in charge, which are elected by the population in elections. Greece is a parliamentary republic with a democratic regime.

Climate.
Greece is characterized by warm and dry winters with a January temperature of +10 C and a humidity of about 75% and a hot summer with an average temperature of +32 C and a humidity of 55%. According to the types of climate, the climate in Greece is divided into three types: Mediterranean, temperate and alpine. The Mediterranean climate is characterized by dry, hot summers and mild, wet winters. From mid-May to late October is the beach season. At this time, the water temperature is + 17-19C in May and in summer + 20 -25 C, +21 – 24 in September. April, May is the brightest time, as everything blooms at this time. The hottest months are July and August. The so-called velvet season in September, October.

Population.
The population of Greece is about 10.7 million people, of which 1.5 million are residents of the islands. 90% of the population are Greeks. The proportion of the urban population is approximately 74%.

language.
The official language of the country is Greek. English is widely used to communicate with tourists.

Religion.
The population of Greece professes Orthodoxy. Approximately 97% of the population. According to the constitution, Orthodoxy is the state religion.

Holidays.
We present a list of the main holidays in Greece: January 1 – New Year, January 6 Epiphany, March 25 – Annunciation, coinciding with the Greek Revolution of 1821, Easter always coincides with Orthodox Easter in our country. May 1 is Labor Day, August 15 is the Assumption of the Virgin, October 28 is Ohi Day. Greeks celebrate Christmas on December 25th. In each province and separately in cities it is customary to celebrate their local holidays.

Electricity.
The mains voltage is 220 V, 50 Hz. Most hotels have European sockets.

Time.
Time in Greece coincides with Belarusian time.

Required phones.
Ambulance – 166 (Athens), – 150 (Thessaloniki), 25-555 (Rhodes), 23 – 7502 (Heraklion), Fire Department – 199, Police – 100, Tourist Police – 171, Technical assistance on the roads – 104, Help for pharmacies – 107. You will not have problems with telephone communications. You can easily purchase a SIM card from Greek telecom operators. For long-distance calls, you can use pay phones that work with cards. You can find cards in tobacco and newsstands, supermarkets. You can call from your hotel room, but it’s quite expensive. Calls after 22.00 to 8.00, as well as on weekends and holidays are 50% cheaper. All major cities have Internet cafes, and some hotels provide Internet services themselves.

Customs control.
Imported duty-free: personal items, food and drinks weighing up to 10 kg, cigarettes – 300 pieces or the corresponding amount of tobacco, spirits – 1.5 liters of spirits, 2 liters of dessert wines. Amounts up to $1000. You cannot import more than two decks of cards. Greece has a state monopoly on playing cards and matches. Duty-free import of cameras, camcorders, binoculars, small musical instruments, bicycles, sports equipment. Prohibited import: drugs, medicines (except prescribed by a doctor), antiques, explosives, weapons. You can not export items and things that have historical or artistic value. this requires special permission. Restrictions exist for the import and export of animals, plants, firecrackers, art products.

Visa.
To obtain a visa, you need to: pay a consular fee, approximately 60 euros, fill out application forms, a photo for a visa, a passport of a citizen of the Republic of Belarus, a photocopy of the last three pages of the passport with personal information, a certificate from the place of work indicating the position and monthly income, an invitation and a certificate from the tax office inviting person. Students provide a certificate from the university and a certificate from the place of work of their parents and their statement as sponsors. Embassy of Greece in Belarus: Minsk, st. Engels 13-515. Tel.: 227-27-60 (226-08-05).

Money.
The official currency is EURO. Currency exchange is available in banks, exchange offices, tourist offices, hotels. Cashless payments are made by Visa, American Express, Diners Club, Master Card. ATMs operate around the clock. Traveler’s checks are accepted for payment. Banks are open: from 8.00 to 14.00 from Monday to Thursday, on Fridays until 13.00. When exchanging currencies, you need to have a passport with you. Banks are closed on weekends and holidays. When exchanging currency, a commission fee of 1-2% of the amount is charged. When doing a reverse currency exchange, keep in mind that foreigners from countries outside the EEC are not given more than $100 in their hands. Currency exchange machines operate around the clock in all tourist centers

Security.
This country has one of the lowest crime rates among developed countries. We recommend that you observe natural security measures when staying in crowded recreation areas. in crowded places, pickpocketing takes place. Be as careful as possible on the roads of Greece. The traffic there is very intense, and the roads are not in good condition, so be vigilant. Pharmacies correspond to the image of a red or green cross on a white background. On weekends and holidays, only duty pharmacies work (they are round the clock). Coming to the beach, pay attention to the flags: red – swimming is prohibited, yellow – excitement at sea, green or white – swimming is allowed.

Transport.
Buses, trams and taxis are used to move around the cities. For travel between cities and islands – trains, buses, domestic flights, ferries. The bus fare is 0.6 euros. There is a metro in Athens. Subway tickets are sold at the ticket office at the entrance to the subway or in a vending machine. The fare in the ground metro is 0.6 euros, in the underground – 0.73 euros. Taxi : You can easily get a taxi. Within the city, payment for services is made by meter. If you intend to leave the city, then you should first agree on payment with the driver. At night, namely from 22.00 to 7.00, the tariffs increase. Car rental conditions: age from 21 years old, driving experience of at least a year, driving license of international standard. You can rent a car, as well as a motorcycle or a moped at the car rental office “Rent a car”. The cost of car rental is from 30 euros.

Purchases.
Shop opening hours: Monday, Wednesday, Saturday from 8.30 to 14.30, Tuesday, Thursday – 8.30 to 14.30, from 17.00 (17.30) to 20.30 (21.00) Supermarkets, large stores are usually open from 8.00 to 20.00, and in summer until 21.00 without breaks. Saturday until 18.00. In the period from 15.00 to 18.00 in Greece, the afternoon break, shops and most institutions are closed. Greece has a TAX FREE systemGreece, like any other country, offers its own special souvenirs. Let us draw your attention to jewelry and various products made of silver, gold, fur products, leather products. Here you can buy relatively cheap fur products. We also recommend numerous vases, crockery, figurines made of marble, alabaster, ceramics. Small souvenirs for friends will cost you 3-5 dollars per piece.

Kitchen.
Fresh vegetables, fruits, meat, fish, feta cheese, olives – all this is characteristic of Greek cuisine. Everything is seasoned with olive oil, rigani, lemon juice and many other spices. For gourmets, Greece is a paradise. It is filled with a variety of restaurants, taverns, snack bars, coffee shops. On average, for a dinner with wine in a restaurant for two, you will pay 45 euros. It is customary to tip 5-10% of the bill. Inexpensive and tasty you can eat in the tavern. There you will find excellent dishes of meat and vegetables. You will also find fish taverns that will delight you with excellent fish cooked on charcoal. Lunch for two people will cost you 30-50 euros. Of the drinks, the Greeks prefer wine. In addition to wine, Ouzo (anise-flavored vodka), Raki, and Metaxa cognac are common.

DOCUMENTS FOR TRAVEL TO GREECE, VISA TO GREECE

Greece Visa Application Center in Minsk

Address: Minsk, st. Bobruiskaya, 6, shopping center “Galileo”, 6th floor.

ATTENTION! Personal submission.

Due to the change in the policy of the Greece Visa Application Center, the service of courier delivery of passports is MANDATORY at a cost of 12-14 rubles.

  1. Two photographs(actual color photo on a white background), no older than 6 months, size 3.5 * 4.5 cm);
  2. Passport / international passport for citizens of the Russian Federation, valid for 3 months from the date of the intended departure from the territory of the Schengen Agreement member states. Must have been issued within the last 10 years. The passport must have at least 2 free pages with the inscription “Visa”.
  3. Copy of passport:
  • photocopies of pages containing personal information;
  • for citizens of the Russian Federation also a copy of the residence permit and the original.
  1. International health insurance, valid on the territory of the Schengen member states, for the entire planned period of stay. The minimum amount of insurance coverage is 30,000 euros.
  2. Proof of employment/economic solvency:

5.1. For employees: a certificate on the letterhead of the employer, which indicates the date of employment, qualifications, wages (a breakdown of wages for the last 3 months is given); the minimum wage per month is 450-500 bel. rub. With wages below 450-500 bel. rub. it is necessary to provide an extract from the bank account on the availability of funds (in any currency, in the equivalent of 45 euros per day of stay) or documents of the sponsoring person (sponsor letter in any form, a copy of the sponsor’s passport, a copy of documents confirming kinship, as well as a certificate from the place of work or an extract from the sponsor’s bank account).

5.2. For individual entrepreneurs: certificate of state registration and recent tax payments, as well as a certificate that there are no debts for the last 3 months and a bank statement.

  1. Non-working:

6.1. Students:

  • a certificate from the dean’s office confirming the current place of study (in case of requesting a visa during the study period, permission from the dean’s office for absence from classes is required);
  • copy of student card;
  • copies of the record book, agreement with the university and hostel for foreign students;
  • confirmation of the availability of sufficient funds (bank statement / certificate of employment or sponsor’s documents: sponsorship letter written in any form; copy of the sponsor’s passport; documents confirming kinship; certificate of employment / statement from the bank account of the sponsor).

6.2. Students:

  • certificate from the place of study (in case of requesting a visa during the study period, permission to be absent from classes is required);
  • sponsor’s documents: free-form sponsorship letter; a copy of the sponsor’s passport; documents confirming relationship; certificate of employment/extract from the bank account of the sponsor).

6.3. Pensioners:

  • a copy of the pension certificate;
  • certificate of received pension (decryption of payment for the last 3 months); with a pension level below 350 Bel. rub. you must provide an extract from the bank account on the availability of funds (in any currency, equivalent to 45 euros per day of stay) or documents of the sponsoring person (sponsor letter in any form, a copy of the sponsor’s passport, a copy of documents confirming kinship, as well as a certificate from the place of work /extract from the bank account of the sponsor).

6.4. Other non-working citizens:

  • photocopies of work book pages containing personal data and indicating places of work for the last 3 years, or a copy of a diploma (if the applicant graduated from an educational institution no more than 6 months ago);
  • Sponsor’s bank account statement or documents (free-form sponsorship letter; copy of sponsor’s passport; proof of kinship; certificate of employment/statement from the sponsor’s bank account).
  • documents confirming the ownership of real estate or other sources of income (copies)
  1. For minors:
  • birth certificate (copy and original);
  • if the child is traveling with one of the parents ─ a notarized permission from the other parent. If the child is traveling accompanied by a third person, the parents shall notarize the consent to the departure of the child in favor of this person
  • copies of passports of BOTH parents (pp. 30-32);
  • the presence of one of the parents when applying for a child is required

Consular fee – 35 euros, citizens of the Russian Federation – 35 euros. The obligatory service fee of the visa application center is 28 euros. Payment is made ONLY in Belarusian rubles.

For children under 12 years old – a visa is free of charge, a service fee of 28 euros (in Belarusian rubles).

A visa is issued within 10 working days, but the embassy reserves the right to extend the time for consideration of documents.

It is important to remember that the listed list includes the minimum list of documents that must be provided when applying for a visa. The Embassy reserves the right to request additional documentation at its discretion.

GREECE country symbol