Thread: anyone who is familure with the russian visa process...help!

i've been a lurker on this forum for quite a while.... and while im sure this isnt the best 'hi im new' post..... i could really really really do with some emergency advice!!!

Im going from london to kaliningrad on the 14th of september (supposed to be staying untill the 18th)

however....some friends from moscow have just invited me to 'come see them for a day' .... which would require me to fly from kaliningrad to moscow on the 16th and then return on the 17th....

now... to make matters more complicated... i have an american passport!
ARG!!! this means there are a million and one questions to fill out!

I have my invitation for kaliningrad.... but does it matter if im 'popping to moscow for a day' ???? and seeing as kaliningrad is detached from mainland russia... does this change the visa situation any?? would i still be ok with a single entry visa???

ARGGGGGGHHHH!

the embassy phone line is absolutely useless unfortunately.... :/ so im really hopeing someone here can give me a bit of advice!!!

thanks in advance for your time!!!!!

<3 Haley

Go to one of those Rusian dating sites that have a forum and ask there. Those guys are constantly going on trips to Russia and know the latest.

Originally Posted by tendu

i've been a lurker on this forum for quite a while.... and while im sure this isnt the best 'hi im new' post..... i could really really really do with some emergency advice!!!

Im going from london to kaliningrad on the 14th of september (supposed to be staying untill the 18th)

however....some friends from moscow have just invited me to 'come see them for a day' .... which would require me to fly from kaliningrad to moscow on the 16th and then return on the 17th....

now... to make matters more complicated... i have an american passport!
ARG!!! this means there are a million and one questions to fill out!

I have my invitation for kaliningrad.... but does it matter if im 'popping to moscow for a day' ???? and seeing as kaliningrad is detached from mainland russia... does this change the visa situation any?? would i still be ok with a single entry visa???

ARGGGGGGHHHH!

the embassy phone line is absolutely useless unfortunately.... :/ so im really hopeing someone here can give me a bit of advice!!!

thanks in advance for your time!!!!!

<3 Haley

I've never been to Kaliningrad myself... but are you flying?... or by train... because if you go by train, then I imagine you'd have to deal with Belarus borders, which can be tricky.

The fact you're traveling on an American passport. That's a kink.

Helsinki always a back-up option (Russian Embassy, quick visa) but hopefully you shouldn't need it.

If you're entering Kaliningrad on a valid visa, then direct flying to Moscow, then I think you'd be fine... our Russian board-people I'm sure will chime in. Honestly, I'm not sure of the current political/government situation, and whether some sort of transit visa is required.

My main thought would be in Moscow, at Customs Control... I could vision some rather unpleasant officer questioning you for awhile... again... I'll let our resident Muscovites advise you on this. I can hear a customs agent questioning you maybe on "multiple entry-exit" at both points.

Sorry, I just don't know about Kaliningrad.

Also, be careful on the "dates" and registration situation. Your friends or agent in Kaliningrad will still need to register you, if you're going to stay for a few days... and again, you might encounter Customs Control on both ends questioning you, if the registrations are not prepared and in order.

Are you flying on Aeroflot? They should be able to guide and advise you, as much as Aeroflot can and will. Otherwise... are you using a travel agent? Travel agents familiar with Russian travel should be able to advise you and help you get the visa and registration worked out.

But you are running out of time. I've never used the Russian Embassy in London, but again... time is a definite factor.

Use a visa company. It'll cost you an extra

[quote=scotcher]Use a visa company. It'll cost you an extra

haha... they certainly dont like to make these things easy do they!!!

i would be flying... so i would ASSUME it would be treated as an internal flight... i know if you drive to the mainland... or take a train you are required to have special visas for crossing the borders...

a multiple entry visa isnt really that much more expensive... and i dont mind paying...

the chaos of this is the fact that the idea of going to the mainland was recently sprung on me by my friend... up untill now the process has been quite straight forward sorting it on my own... friend in kaliningrad got the invitation for me... was meant to be headed to the embassy tomorrow morning to pay for the actual visa.... = /

hrmmmm....

tricky...

Hi tendu, welcome

Can't help you with single- or multi-entry visa info I'm afraid (but as you say, you might as well get a multi-entry while you're at it?!?????? Surely they won't have a problem with you having "too good" a visa?! )

As for registration: you ARE spending a night in Moscow, so they could be about you being registered in Kaliningrad...... Here's what I would do: spend the money it costs to stay at a hotel in Moscow that one night, and get an invitation from them too. That way, at least your registration in Moscow will be OK.
You would have to check whether you need two invitations from Kaliningrad though, as the days before your Moscow visit may be regarded as a separate visit from the days after.....

Resident Russians! Help!

No, they don't make it easy... but it's well worth it, I think

I was always under the impression that you had 72 hours to register in a city to which you are travelling. When I went to Saratov last summer, I stayed in Moscow (And St. Pete) for about a week as well. Have you already applied for your Visa? If not, in the itinerary section simply write both cities. Even if you already have your Visa, it shouldn't be a problem for you to stay in Moscow for a day (or two). Just make sure to have your travel tickets with you, so that you have proof of when you arrived and when you plan to leave.

tdk

You probably need a transit visa to get into Russia. You can't even get on a plane to Russia without a visa and even if you could you would spend all of your vacation time fighting with passport control at the Moscow airport. go to visalink.ru to get a proper visa.

ahah... конечно! im fully aware i need a visa!!!

was never in a million years considering just rolling up to the border without one!!

alas... i still much rather sort it myself...

and on that note.... decided to go ahead and get a second invite ..... my friend in moscow is sorting it for me....

aaaaannnnd im going to go ahead and pay the extra ?30 for a multiple entry.... better safe than sorry!

rest assured i will report back with how it goes.... just incase anyone else here is ever faced with this problem in the future...

Yep, tendu, please report back. It sounds like you're an experienced traveler to Russia, so no concerns there... but you raised an interesting question... and we all know how "fluid" and changing, the Russian regulations can be... even from one Oblast to the next.

I'm most surprised that the London Consul was of no help. Strange.

I always go thru the Washington, DC, Russian Consul... and they've always been very helpful and efficient, even having my visas processed faster than normal. And there are always Consulate officers available for questions. I'm surprised you had difficulty in London...but!...a tip...don't use the phone. If you have this kind of serious visa question, go to the Consul in person, and talk to one of their officers. Much faster (ironically ), more efficient, and you'll get better service.

Safe journey.

I travel to Belarus at least once a year (my wife is Belarussian). If I was going to cross the border into Russia I would need at least a transit visa for Russia, they tend to be valid for at least 48hrs. I would definately need at least a double entry visa for Belarus. As I would have to enter the country twice.
I think you have made a good decision to do both, my guess is if you only had a single entry visa you would not be able to go back (in either direction) leaving you begging to go to the American Embassy.

right... here it is...

to travel...

to Kaliningrad... then from Kaliningrad to Mainland Russia... and then back to Kaliningrad....

you need a double entry visa...

(apparently... Kaliningrad ---> mainland doesnt count as an exit or entry... BUT mainland ----> Kaliningad does.... dont ask me why... the best answer we got from the agent / embassy was 'because its russia... and there are a lot of strange rules' - haha)

OH! and also... whatever you do... dont get 2 invitations from each city... just make sure the invitation of your first stop says 'double entry'

(we were refused first time round because of this.... thankfully there was an agent across the street from the embassy that could sort out new invitations in 5 minutes...in fact.... to ANYONE wanting a visa from the London Embassy..... I would strongly recomend using them for the entire process! - quick... easy... and you dont have to que up in front of the gates from 7 -9am brilliant!)

but yeah... just thought id share that bit of info for anyone else who gets stuck in the same situation....

roll on september 14th!! - Kaliningrad, Moscow, Nizhniy Novgorod here i come!!!

Originally Posted by tendu

right... here it is...

to travel...

to Kaliningrad... then from Kaliningrad to Mainland Russia... and then back to Kaliningrad....

you need a double entry visa...

(apparently... Kaliningrad ---> mainland doesnt count as an exit or entry... BUT mainland ----> Kaliningad does.... dont ask me why... the best answer we got from the agent / embassy was 'because its russia... and there are a lot of strange rules' - haha)

OH! and also... whatever you do... dont get 2 invitations from each city... just make sure the invitation of your first stop says 'double entry'

(we were refused first time round because of this.... thankfully there was an agent across the street from the embassy that could sort out new invitations in 5 minutes...in fact.... to ANYONE wanting a visa from the London Embassy..... I would strongly recomend using them for the entire process! - quick... easy... and you dont have to que up in front of the gates from 7 -9am brilliant!)

but yeah... just thought id share that bit of info for anyone else who gets stuck in the same situation....

roll on september 14th!! - Kaliningrad, Moscow, Nizhniy Novgorod here i come!!!

Большое спасибо, Tendu!

Good information to know. Have a great time, and safe journey.

Kaliningrad is a shit hole by all accounts, why are you going there?

because for some strange reason... the russians like the music that i make...

im playing at the Vagonka Club