Loco

Applying for a Russian visa is best described I think, as a hoohah (for those of you not familiar with the term, Webster’s dictionary defines it as “a disturbance: a disorderly outburst or tumult e.g. ”they were amazed by the furious disturbance it had caused, what a hoohah”). And amazed I was because Russia would like to see you jump through hoops, while juggling fire, and possibly riding a unicycle. So unlikely as it may sound, that is exactly what I did.

And as if all these circus antics weren’t enough I threw in the added excitement of doing it all from Australia. Below you’ll find a pretty general description of the steps you need to go through to be granted a visa. But if you’re in any doubt of my dedication to the cause, rest assured that I spent hours on hold to the Russian embassy in Sydney, sent in excess of twenty emails back and forth to the UK and eventually posted my passport to New Zealand where it was processed by the slightly more amiable embassy there.

Sort it out

First you need to work out an itinerary, Russia isn’t interested in going with the flow, they want to know what you’re up to, every minute of everyday, so get a map and guide book, and make a plan. The people at www.realrussia.co.uk are mighty helpful and very capable when it comes to answering queries about train times and all that jazz. They also have the benefit of offices in Moscow and St. Petersburg so they really do have their ears to the frosty Siberian ground, and can give you some accurate estimates of travel time and price. Once the visa has been issued you have a little more freedom but the consulate doesn’t reward laziness so just make a plan; places to visit and stay, things to do, trains to catch and don’t forget to factor in insanely long train rides in between destinations.

Then you have to score yourself an invite. The Ruskies don’t want any old riff raff gallivanting around their fair state, after all you might well be a 007-esque, exploding watch type spy of some description. So play the game and take your self to www.myrussianvisa.com or www.visatorussia.com and apply for an official invite. These can only be issued by registered travel agents each of whom has a unique tour operator code which will appear on your invite. This part is relatively painless and will only set you back around £20 for a standard issue 30 day tourist visa, which is normally emailed to you within a couple of days. You can ask to have a hard copy posted to you for an extra 45 quid but my advice is to simply print the document straight from the PDF. It should print out on one page so make sure it comes out as it appears on screen because the consulate won’t look kindly on any dodgy comic sands font or borders falling off the page!

So now you’ve got an invite you can bask in the joy of reading your name in cool Cyrillic letters, and gather your strength to apply for the visa itself. Some of the online agents can apply for the visa on your behalf and although this is tempting, it is usually twice the price of applying directly to the consulate. Do not be afraid, anyone can do it so long as you read the document carefully and maybe complete it in with a pencil first.

* Fill in all the fields and check the instructions which will come with the application as many forms ask that you ‘N/A’ any questions with do not apply to your circumstance e.g. please list any relatives you have in the Russian Federation.

* You will also be asked fill in your invite number and travel insurance policy number (remember to take hard copy of these with you to the border as they may be asked for).

So that’s it, now all you have to do is wait anxiously for 3 weeks while someone has your adventure, and your passport in their hands. Depending on your nearest consulate you might drop the application off in person, or send it along with a prepaid return envelope (I would recommend registered post, a little more expensive but it will save you a fortune on manicures after all that nervous nail biting).

Despite the aforementioned fire juggling my application was fairly painless. Just get organised, be patient and you’ll be laughing all the way to the Kremlin.

Image courtesy of Kate

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2 responses to “Applying for a Russian visa”

1. Andy Wright says:
   July 15th, 2009 at 2:06 pm

   If you think getting one going from the UK is hard, just try getting one to come back….

2. ABetterStay.com says:
   February 3rd, 2010 at 1:06 am

   The Bahamas are awesome. Great post!