Schengen visa
 

Hi, has anyone had any personal experience with this? My niece, an India citizen & US resident, has airline tickets travelling to Turkey and Greece but there is no interview date available at the Greek consulate in SF before her travel date in June. She called the LA consulate but they tell her she can only apply/interview in SF, it is not under their jurisdiction. If she gets a schengen visa from another country's consulate, will she be able to enter Greece especially if she will not be travelling to that other country? She can always make hotel bookings etc for the purpose of the visa, if that is the only issue. Anyone been in a similar situation? She is desperate, any input would be appreciated!

Yes she can enter! Have fun!

I would be careful about any information you get on travel forums.

I know from past dealings with embassies and consulates of other countries they are very territorial about their services, and am not surprised the LA consulate won't want to embarrass their colleagues in SF.

I believe she is supposed to apply for the visa in the first Schengen country she enters, and may have to provide specific addresses and dates of hotels where she will be staying. Don't take my word for it though, ask an official source, not anonymous posters on Fodor's.

Ok thx, was just wondering if anyone had actually had a similar experience?
She went in person to the Greek Consulate in SF and pleaded her case so they have put her on the waitlist. She said they seemed sympathetic so is hopeful! Her travel agent also said she could get a visa from another country but she obviously would be more comfortable having it from Greece.

I hope she gets her visa in time, and I send my best wishes!

Never mind what the travel agent says, it's best to play it by the book. A visa is no guarantee of entry — the immigration official at the border has the final say, and they are good at spotting irregularities.

I have had a similar experience. It was for a different reason but once you have the visa (of course you will need different documents if you are going to a different embassy like French hotel reservations instead of Greek ones if you go to the French embassy) it is valid for the whole schengen area. Idk about Croatia, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania though so I would not get a visa from any of those four countries