Thread: What's the point of the Russian Tourist Invitation ?

Originally Posted by Barmaley

Originally Posted by net surfer

Yeah, Belgium visas cost less, just 35 euros.

http://www.diplomatie.be/moscowru/de...p?id=35&mnu=35

Yes, but if you consider the cost based on area, then it's horribly expensive!
Russia: 17,000,000 km2, 90 Euros
Belgium: 30,000 km2, 30 Euros

Russia gives you better bang for the buck!

Yeah, if your idea of bang is Siberian wastelands as opposed to beer and chocolate .

Originally Posted by Seventh-Monkey

Yeah, if your idea of bang is Siberian wastelands as opposed to beer and chocolate .

MMmmmmmm....Tundra! My favorite form of tasty sod!

Originally Posted by Barmaley

Originally Posted by Seventh-Monkey

Yeah, if your idea of bang is Siberian wastelands as opposed to beer and chocolate .

MMmmmmmm....Tundra! My favorite form of tasty sod!

Tasty sod?

Sod is short for Sodomite.

Может быть, это он и хотел сказать...

Originally Posted by Barmaley

Originally Posted by net surfer

Yeah, Belgium visas cost less, just 35 euros.

http://www.diplomatie.be/moscowru/de...p?id=35&mnu=35

Yes, but if you consider the cost based on area, then it's horribly expensive!
Russia: 17,000,000 km2, 90 Euros
Belgium: 30,000 km2, 30 Euros

Russia gives you better bang for the buck!

Originally Posted by TATY

Originally Posted by Barmaley

Originally Posted by Seventh-Monkey

Yeah, if your idea of bang is Siberian wastelands as opposed to beer and chocolate .

MMmmmmmm....Tundra! My favorite form of tasty sod!

Tasty sod?

Sod is short for Sodomite.

"sod" means "sward"
Tundra is the very place where you can find limitless fields of very tasty sod!

Originally Posted by TATY

Originally Posted by Barmaley

Originally Posted by Seventh-Monkey

Yeah, if your idea of bang is Siberian wastelands as opposed to beer and chocolate .

MMmmmmmm....Tundra! My favorite form of tasty sod!

Tasty sod?

Sod is short for Sodomite.

Er. No. No. No. Sod = dirt/soil. Maybe it's not a word common in British English.

Originally Posted by Barmaley

Originally Posted by TATY

Originally Posted by Barmaley

Originally Posted by Seventh-Monkey

Yeah, if your idea of bang is Siberian wastelands as opposed to beer and chocolate .

MMmmmmmm....Tundra! My favorite form of tasty sod!

Tasty sod?

Sod is short for Sodomite.

Er. No. No. No. Sod = dirt/soil. Maybe it's not a word common in British English.

Sod in British English is common, and is short for Sodomite. It's a mild insult, maybe very mild.

You sod!
Sod off!
The poor sod - this last one is sympathetic.

As in, "bugger off, you bloody sod!"?

Originally Posted by Barmaley

As in, "Sod off, you bloody bugger!"?

Originally Posted by TATY

Well its a remnent of the Soviet days, when they didn't just let anyone in the country.

To visit any EU country Russian citizen needs so called Shentgen visa (sorry if I misspelled it). To get it Russian citizen has to apply for it to Consulate of country of entry. Among other documents Russian citizen has to present either valid invitation or hotel reservation, two way air, train, or bus tickets (which usually are not refundable if visa is not granted), travel insurance (which usually is not refundable as well), and proof of possessing ~50 euros per day of remaining in EU.

Is it a remnent of the Soviet days as well?

It's called a "Schengen" visa -- just for future reference.

I'm not sure if your question about it being a remnant of the Soviet days is genuine or facetious. If you mean the former, then it depends, I would say -- some of those member countries I would presume had those restrictions some time ago, while some of the others were more lax. It's all part of EU membership -- everyone has to agree to the same visa/immigration regulations, since it's effectively "one" common area as far as movement is concerned. That is, once you get into, say, France, you go into Belgium whenever you feel like it. Obviously, this is a two-way street; it's great for tourists and students to be able to move around without headaches, but it also helps terrorists, criminals, and refugees as well. All this means is that they are very wary of allowing just anyone in -- frankly, they want to make sure you're going to leave when it's time to.

Originally Posted by Vesh

Originally Posted by TATY

Well its a remnent of the Soviet days, when they didn't just let anyone in the country.

To visit any EU country Russian citizen needs so called Shentgen visa (sorry if I misspelled it). To get it Russian citizen has to apply for it to Consulate of country of entry. Among other documents Russian citizen has to present either valid invitation or hotel reservation, two way air, train, or bus tickets (which usually are not refundable if visa is not granted), travel insurance (which usually is not refundable as well), and proof of possessing ~50 euros per day of remaining in EU.

Is it a remnent of the Soviet days as well?

Only 15 European countries are part of the Schegen visa program. The UK is not one of them.

The EU does not have the same immigration laws for all countries. As an EU citizen, I have free movement. But certain countries have certain specifics. Like I imagine Estonia now has some agreement with Russia. Also Poland and Lithuania have some agreement with the Kaliningrad enclave.

Originally Posted by Barmaley

It's called a "Schengen" visa -- just for future reference.

I'm not sure if your question about it being a remnant of the Soviet days is genuine or facetious. If you mean the former, then it depends, I would say -- some of those member countries I would presume had those restrictions some time ago, while some of the others were more lax. It's all part of EU membership -- everyone has to agree to the same visa/immigration regulations, since it's effectively "one" common area as far as movement is concerned. That is, once you get into, say, France, you go into Belgium whenever you feel like it. Obviously, this is a two-way street; it's great for tourists and students to be able to move around without headaches, but it also helps terrorists, criminals, and refugees as well. All this means is that they are very wary of allowing just anyone in -- frankly, they want to make sure you're going to leave when it's time to.

I'm a US citizen already, so I don't need it.

Russia, unlike some other former USSR countries, has always pursuit a symmetrical visa policy. Like, "we require your citizens whatever you require ours." There is some logic in it, isn't there? So, I can't share Morgan's or TATY's outrage about Russia's visa policy.

Nope, it ain't logical. If the whole world would play after the "eye for an eye" rule, the whole world would be blind.

Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie

Nope, it ain't logical. If the whole world would play after the "eye for an eye" rule, the whole world would be blind.

Are you often nice to peple who are not nice to you?

If "we" shouldn't play after the "eye for an eye" rule, why did "you" take "our" eye first? In this case it's really easy for "you" to give "us" "our" eye back. Why don't "you" do that?

I try to be nice to all... although it is difficult to some people who are never nice. That is not the point. Why make visa rules difficult for foreigners entering the Russia when it hurts your own country the most? If the only reason is because it is so hard for Russian to get visa's it is just plain silliness!

Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie

I try to be nice to all... although it is difficult to some people who are never nice. That is not the point.

See... Countries are kinda the same. They are nice or not nice to each other too.

Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie

Why make visa rules difficult for foreigners entering the Russia when it hurts your own country the most?

It actually doesn't. Tourism has never been and probably will never be a sizable part of Russian economy. For business peole extra $100-200 to get a visa is not a problem whatsoever.

It's still way easier to get Russian visa for American than American visa for Russian.

Originally Posted by Vesh

It actually doesn't. Tourism has never been and probably will never be a sizable part of Russian economy.

LOL! Do you ever wonder why? Having stood in the visa lines myself, I can tell you how many people just gave up and left the embassy, because they couldn't travel there on their own, they had to have hotel rooms booked or travel agency arrange it for themselves.

If Russia had no visa restrictions, the tourism will flower like dandy-lions in spring and Russia could make a lot of money on it. AND everyone would hold hands and sing happy songs!

Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie

Originally Posted by Vesh

It actually doesn't. Tourism has never been and probably will never be a sizable part of Russian economy.

LOL! Do you ever wonder why?

Maybe because it has a lot of other natural resources to sell? And its industry is finally becoming to revive also?

Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie

Having stood in the visa lines myself, I can tell you how many people just gave up and left the embassy, because they couldn't travel there on their own, they had to have hotel rooms booked or travel agency arrange it for themselves.

And how much travel agency services cost? $100-150. Poor tourist - bad tourist.