Greece Visa via GVCW 2026: Your Questions, Answered

Correct — Greece does not use VFS Global in India. Greek visa applications go through GVCW, the Global Visa Centre World, a separate operator. You fill the Schengen form, book on greece.gvcworld.eu, and submit the physical file in person at a GVCW centre. Everyone whose file goes through GVCW is then assessed by the same authority: the Embassy of Greece, New Delhi.

The underlying visa is an ordinary Schengen Type C — identical rights, identical 90-days-in-180 rule, valid across all 29 Schengen countries. Only the counter operator, the centres and the submission mechanics differ from a VFS country. So a checklist copied from a VFS-country blog gets the visa right and the logistics wrong. Our full Greece tourist visa guide is written to the GVCW process specifically.

GVCW runs eleven centres in India: New Delhi (the HQ), Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Pune, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Cochin and Jalandhar. You submit at the one nearest you — Punjab readers, that's Chandigarh or Jalandhar.

The city matters for one practical reason: transit time. GVCW New Delhi forwards files directly to the Embassy. Every other GVCW centre first ships your file to GVCW Delhi, which then hands it to the Embassy the following day — adding roughly 5 extra calendar days to your timeline. It changes nothing about the decision; it only lengthens the wait. If you happen to be in Delhi and time is tight, submitting there saves you those days.

True, and it catches people out. Greece wants 3.5 × 4 cm (35 × 40 mm) — colour, white background, facing forward, to ICAO specs. That's a hair different from the typical Schengen photo of 35 × 45 mm.

A studio that reflexively prints "Schengen size" may hand you a 35 × 45 mm photo, and a mismatched photo is a real, listed reason files come back. Ask specifically for the Greek 35 × 40 mm spec, and carry a couple of spares. Our note on Schengen visa photos explains the ICAO rules that apply on top of the size — neutral expression, no filters, under six months old.

Only if that policy is from a Greek-Embassy-approved Indian insurer. Since 1 October 2013, Greece has accepted travel medical insurance solely from insurers on its approved list — and this is the single most common reason Greek files are refused at submission.

The policy must also meet the ordinary Schengen bar: minimum €30,000 cover, valid across the Schengen area, covering repatriation, emergency hospitalisation and medical attention for your whole stay. A policy can clear the €30,000 threshold and still be rejected because the insurer isn't on Greece's list. Check the GVCW approved-insurers list before you buy, not after.

The Schengen visa fee is €90 for an adult, collected in rupees at the Greek Embassy's exchange rate — currently around ₹9,760 — and €45 (about ₹4,880) for children aged 6 to 12. On top sits the GVCW service fee, which varies by category and centre and is confirmed at submission, plus any value-added services like insurance or courier that you buy there.

All fees are payable in INR only and non-refundable if the application is refused. Diplomatic-passport holders are exempt from the visa fee and submit directly at the Embassy, not through GVCW. For a full family estimate, the Greece visa cost calculator totals it up.

Budget up to 15 working days at the Embassy of Greece's Consular Section in New Delhi — extendable to 45 working days if your case needs further scrutiny or consultation with another Schengen state. Then remember the transit rule from Q2: submitting at a non-Delhi GVCW centre adds about 5 calendar days on top.

Apply at least 15 working days before travel, and no earlier than 6 months out (9 months for seafarers). Our steady advice is to file with the whole pack ready 3–4 weeks ahead — early enough to survive a scrutiny extension, not so early your bookings expire. The Embassy may also call you for a personal interview at its discretion, so keep originals handy.

The standard Schengen tourist pack, assembled to Greek spec:

• Completed, signed Schengen application form and a valid passport — issued in the last 10 years, at least 2 blank pages, valid 3 months beyond the visa's end date.
• The Greek-spec 35 × 40 mm photograph and a cover letter explaining your visit.
• Proof of transport (a return flight reservation — not a bought ticket) and proof of lodging for the whole stay; if you're island-hopping plus mainland, separate accommodation proof for each leg strengthens the file.
• Original bank statement for the last 3 months, duly stamped and signed by the bank, plus ITR for the last 2 assessment years. Photocopied or unstamped statements are a listed refusal ground.
• Approved-insurer €30,000 insurance — and Greece being your genuine main destination, the country with the most nights.

Married and travelling together? If the spouse's name isn't endorsed in both passports, an MEA-apostilled marriage certificate becomes mandatory. Minors need notarised consent from the non-travelling parent(s).