In dependence with the country in which the festival is held there is need for issuance of Visa for entrance at the country during the border control.

 

About the travel of citizens of the countries in the European Union and the countries from the Schengen Agreement in the co-operation area there is no need Visa to be issued.

 

For citizens of the European Union who want to visit festivals outside the agreement area, they need to know about the entry requirements of the country.

 

For citizens outside of the European Union and the Schengen area, who will be visiting a festival, a Visa is required.

 

Representatives of countries for which visas are required to be issued are admitted only if the organizing teams have capabilities to issue the relevant Visa issuing documents.

 

The organizing teams of the festivals provide an “Official Invitation” – a document signed by the Mayor of the respective city, the State Culture Minister or an Authorized Institution. “Official invitation” is needed for issuance of Cultural Exchange Visas. For the procedure, the Application must be submitted at least 3 months before the start of the festival. The “Official Invitation” requires a list of travelers’ passports, as well as a paid reservation at the place of accommodation and boarding. It is necessary to have international insurance and reservation of air tickets or the type of transport to be used.

The maximum period for issuing Visas is 30 days. If, until 2 months before the start of the festival, Visa documents are not entered into the respective Embassy, then the application for the participation of the group is canceled.

 

If there is a refusal to issue a Visa at this time, the losses of both sides – the group and the organizers will be minimal.

 

Cultural exchange visas are issued on the basis of a signed agreement between all States under the United Nations Convention on the Safeguarding of the Cultural Heritage and Human Rights.

 

Submission of an application in the MIOFF system does not exempt from the laws of the respective country. All procedures regarding the issuance of Visas are state policy of the respective country and the intervention by the MIOFF administration or by the organizing teams of the relevant festival is inappropriate and incorrect.