Russian Visa... what I now know....

It was 2005 when we got ours here in the UK. We used a visa service because it was going to be the most difficult to get, but in reality no probs :thumb

We got a second visa for Russia while in Mongolia when we were arrested in China and 'returned' to Mongolia :eek:

Again we used a visa service to expedite matters.

:beerjug:
 
It was 2005 when we got ours here in the UK. We used a visa service because it was going to be the most difficult to get, but in reality no probs :thumb

We got a second visa for Russia while in Mongolia when we were arrested in China and 'returned' to Mongolia :eek:

Again we used a visa service to expedite matters.

:beerjug:
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How on earth did you get arrested in China?
Not some thing I would like to try.

Story ?:beerjug:

Vette
 
Russian visa

I am in the process of applying for a 30 day auto-tourism visa but I cannot find this option on the VFS global site, can anyone point me in the right direction, also, I have my LOI from stantours with hotels listed but no addresses which is mandatory information for the visa application form, has anyone else come across this.
 
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Quote Originally Posted by Timolgra
It needs to be made quite clear that a British Citizen cannot obtain a Russian visa outside of UK,
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Is this still the case in Jan 2013?

vette

Nope, I've only got a British passport and have been working in Russia for the last 18 months on the Sochi olympics, now on my 3rd business visa, as they only allow a total of 90 days in Russia. I've arranged all 3 of them through the Russian embassy in Marseille, and whilst it's nearly 10 times the price of a visa had I been a French citizen (350EUR in lieu of 35EUR) it's actually easier, as French colleagues have to have proof of medical insurance etc, whereas us non-schengen Brits don't.

Rob
 
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How on earth did you get arrested in China?
Not some thing I would like to try.

Story ?:beerjug:

Vette

Ha, long story. We had the paperwork ... the bike's didn't. So we errrr mmm aaaah errrr smuggled them in :eek:

We got caught and were eventually returned to Mongolia. The Chinese police/border officials could have thrown the book at us, we were caught 'red handed' after all, but they were really most helpful :thumb

We had one entry/exit visa for Mongolia and went in and out three times, courtesy of the Chinese :D

:beerjug:
 
Nope, I've only got a British passport and have been working in Russia for the last 18 months on the Sochi olympics, now on my 3rd business visa, as they only allow a total of 90 days in Russia. I've arranged all 3 of them through the Russian embassy in Marseille, and whilst it's nearly 10 times the price of a visa had I been a French citizen (350EUR in lieu of 35EUR) it's actually easier, as French colleagues have to have proof of medical insurance etc, whereas us non-schengen Brits don't.

Rob

The rule is that you have to have proof of residency or right of residency in the country you apply for the visa in ..... unless you have some high level political support in Moscow...
It was actually the Russians that ended up with me 'going legal' in Romania - my first two business visa's last year were negotiated at very high level in Moscow but the third was for a Republican government (Komi) and it was going to be too onerous so I registered here in Romania!
The high fees and enhanced bureaucracy Brits go through is actually a result of the hoops and high fees we impose on Russians coming here - reciprocal arrangements!!

gavin
 
Oh dear, planning to vist Moscow and St Petersburg next Feb, flight and hotel booked, next step is applying for the tourist visa for Russia.

Just found out that since the 10th of this month we need to visit either London or Edinburgh to provide biometric data- meaning having our fingerprints taken as part of the visa application process. Apparently this is a purely reciprocal arrangement, see:
http://www.rusemb.org.uk/consnews/29

.... The fingerprinting procedure should not be considered as a tightening of Russia’s visa policy, but rather an essential element of its modernization. The use of additional biometrics in visa procedures for Russian citizens has been practiced for several years by the consular services of the US and the UK. The European Union countries are planning to introduce this procedure for Russian citizens in April 2015. The main objective of the new procedure is to improve the security of the visas issued in the context of preventing illegal migration, terrorism and other illegal activities.​

It's a pain for us living in North Wales, London's 250 miles each way and then accommodation for a few nights (well, having gone all that way, we might as well, I suppose...) so that will add a few hundred extra pounds. Anyway, the two return flights to Moscow are non-refundable but were only £110 total, so not the end of the world, and the hotel in Moscow is cancelable free of charge, mercifully.

So I'll be phoning the Consular Section in the Russian Embassy tomorrow just in case I've got it wrong. Fingers and everything else duly crossed.
 
If you want to go John then do the neccessary and go ...

Russia is a lovely place, great people ... put yersen out and go :thumb

Do it ...

:beerjug:
 
Cheers Micky, I think I'd agree with you if it was up to me but my wife isn't keen on all the added bother, myself I'd probably hop on the bike and do the necessary, but it does rather rankle that Putin and the West are playing silly buggers and tit-for-tatting in spite of what it says in the bit I quoted. F'rinstance the fingerprinting thing was brought in with only seven days' notice earlier this month, it said at the time that you had to just join the queue with no appointment and if there was a mistake with your application then you would have to go away to correct it and then go to the back of the queue once again.

Having said all that, my daughter was there a few months ago and enjoyed Moscow hugely. I'll let you know how it went after I speak to the Consulate tomorrow, but from what I've read since my post I don't think we'll be going any time soon. The Quebec Winter Carnival beckons, who knows...
 
Just called the embassy and they did indeed confirm that we would have to actually visit London or Edinburgh, so have cancelled everything. As said, hotel booking refundable, but a good thing that we hadn't booked the Sapsan train to St. Petersburg and the hotel there, might not have been so lucky with refunds from them. Some day we might decide to go for another break in London and have our fingerprints taken before trying again because we really do want to visit Russia.
 
I got my visa through real Russia a bit more expensive but no aggravation, they give you a form at the border it was a f#####g nightmare to fill out in russian I'm sure there is someone on here that's photocopied the form in English that would make it a lot easier all you would have to do is copy it!!!, In my case 7 hrs later they gave me a form in English as for Russia I enjoyed it the police were ok got stopped a few times but no fines unlike the Ukraine.
 
I got my visa through real Russia a bit more expensive but no aggravation, they give you a form at the border it was a f#####g nightmare to fill out in russian ...
When did you get the visa? The new requirements apply from 10th of this month (Dec '14)

"I'm sure there is someone on here that's photocopied the form in English that would make it a lot easier all you would have to do is copy it!!!, In my case 7 hrs later they gave me a form in English as for Russia I enjoyed it the police were ok got stopped a few times but no fines unlike the Ukraine.

We do have a visa application form to copy, our daughter visited a few months ago. She loved it, by the way. :)
:beerjug:
 
When did you get the visa? The new requirements apply from 10th of this month (Dec '14)



We do have a visa application form to copy, our daughter visited a few months ago. She loved it, by the way. :)
:beerjug:

Aha sorry didn't read all the post it's changed since I was there in 2009 , they gave me a form to fill in at the border but all in russian the customs guys wasn't the greatest help, in the end after countless fuckups with the form they finally came up with one in English . Have fun over there I'm sure you will :thumb
 
Bloody nightmare, trying to fill the form in but the stamps in my passport are unreadable (and I have no idea of all the countries I have visited in the last 10 years). Then the previous employment sections, one company went out of business and one was bought out and moved. Do they want anybody to visit?
 
I flew to Moscow last year. I went online for information then sent off for the forms. It was difficult for me to, I took my passport to my local airport (where I work) and got immigration to read the stamps and dates for me. Then I filled in the rest as best I could and even guessed some of it. I booked a hotel (the cheapest) with no cancellation fee and entered it on the form. I had no intention of staying there.

Next thing was to take it and my £96 to the Russian consulate in London because I had to have finger prints taken, they delete them after the trip so if you apply for the same type of visa again, you have to go through the same process. I set off on the hottest day of last year from Devon and almost melted on the way there and back. God, it was hot.

At the consulate I was told I had not answered one of the questions and had to pay another £5 to use there computer to enter it. It all seemed like a lot of hassle at the time but really, it wasn't. Once I received the visa I cancelled the hotel and out I went. My holiday was for 17 days and the best holiday ever. Moscow and it's surrounding area is a great, friendly and very safe place. I would strongly recommend anybody to visit. The propaganda we are fed about Russia is NOT TRUE! I could not have been made more welcome.

Our Mrs May has just had a meeting with Mr Putin and both have a desire to improve relations so things may get easier some time in the future too. My girlfriend is Russian and lives in Moscow. She and her Father are going to help me get a business visa so I can jump on a plane and visit whenever I like. :). If you ever visit Moscow be sure to visit Sparrow hill as that is where all the bikers meet up, a very friendly place and if you ask, they will direct you to a nice restaurant where you will be given a discount if you show a full motorbike licence.

Everything about my visit was more perfect than I could have imagined. My intention next time is to borrow my girlfriends Dad's car (he said I must when I suggested I would hire one) and we are going to visit Moscow's Golden Ring. A circle of towns renowned for there beauty. One is even twinned with Exeter where I live so that will be nice. :)
 
Mad Rider, thank you for the pictures. I saw most but not all of those places by day and by night. Beautiful. You are a lucky man. Excuse me for asking but, "Are you Russian?"

Oh! I like what you have done with your bike. :thumb2

I have just asked my Russian girlfriend what it says on the side of your bike. "Fa Pogumy" she tells me it says "Abracadabra", Magic. Very fitting considering what you have done to it. :thumb
 
Yes, I'm Russian :)
Your girfriend have fooled you, be careful :cool:
I made this sticker before the Victory Day, when I visited my granda, who took part in the battles of WWII. And I was liking such decoration of the bike.

a1.1470944258.jpg
 
MadRider, that's a cool plane :cool: I would rather ride your BM though. :thumb2 My girlfriends English is very good. She sometimes surprises me by using English words in conversation that I don't know and have to look in my dictionary. I don't believe propaganda about your country (or any other country) I like to go and see for myself. Reading this forum, you must think most English men are MAD! :eek: :D :thumb

BOL'SHOYe SPASIBO is the only thing I can say in Russian, I say that a lot. :D
 


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