russian visas
 

i'm planning a motorcycle trip from the UK to South East Asia...

i'm hoping to deal with visas/ vehicle insurance en route, but am aware that russia is notoriously difficult to pass through.

any tips on getting a transit visa (entering through the ukraine and leaving into kazakhstan)? do you have to apply for it in your country of residence, and if so do they ask for an exact date of arrival? how long in advance should i apply?

any info gratefully received :-) i'm well confused

sarah

First it depends on your 'home' citizenship/passport. Different nationalities have different procedures.

Assuming you have a UK passport -

- Business or Tourist Visas can only be applied for in your 'home' country - although some Far East RUS embassies might vary this, but there is no rule.
- Transit visas are usually obtainable at the Embassy of a neighbouring country or a flight origination country, invariably in the Capital city.

Here is the WebSite of the only UK people who handle Visas applications for the RUS embassy. Russia Visa Information - UK - Home Page
Most of your questions can be answered here but if anything is unclear ask here again.

Transit Visas are really intended for changing airports while flying elsewhere or train journeys starting and finishing outside RUS but entering RUS territory. I have heard of them being obtained by road travellers but only for very short periods that are based on a daily distance between your stated entry and exit border. I think it is worked out as something like 500km/daily.

The best/easiest is a Business Visa as it cuts down on paperwork required such as confirmed accomodation.

Ensure you have sufficient time on your Visa as they cannot be extended within Russia and overstaying, for any reason, can cause problems, delay, penalty and costs.

Medical Insurance is not required by UK Passport holders as emergency treatment is covered by recriprocal arrangements with UK.

Road insurance can be bought at borders and it is permitted to drive/ride to nearby towns to obtain it (cheaper!). It is only minimum level insurance to comply with the Law.

Note that Russian has now Green Card agreement, so all European countries part of that do not require any extra insurance for vehicles.

1. The opening poster said she was hoping to "deal with insurance en-route".
2. A Green Card for non EU states is not automatically included under UK Insurance policies - although they have to include minimum insurance within all EU states.
3. To get a Green Card from a UK insurer usually there is a supplementary cost and possibly further conditions.
4. Although Green Cards (suitably endorsed to include Russian Federation) are legal here, news of this has still not reached all ДПС officers yet - particularly far away from Moscow or StPeter where there are fewer EU motorists. I prefer to produce a Russian Insurance Certificate for my UK registered vehicle - it saves time by producing a document they can read and understand, does not cost much and they cannot try to extract bribes with threats of not having valid insurance. But they will!
5. The above points are why I used the words 'can be bought' instead of 'must'.

I'm glad you told me that... my insurance company promotes themselves by offering 'free 90 day EU coverage'. i didn't realise they HAD to include it!

They also won't supply me with a green card- the advisor on the phone said the GC has been 'abolished'.

I've tried a few different websites including the one you recommended. I get the idea that as long as you get a letter of invitation whilst you are still in your own country, you can apply for the visa in the embassy of Kazakhstan or Poland or wherever you happen to be...

How far in advance should you apply for the visa? we are hoping to leave the UK January next year but wont be entering Russia until around June/July as we pass through the Caucasus/central asia etc.

G

For this reason I have usually taken multientry visa which is valid for one year. Makes life much easier.

Applications can be made for Visas for dates up to 3 months in advance.

Make sure Invitations are for the dates you require - not from the present date. A Visa will only be issued, and valid, for dates on the Invitation.

A Green Card is two things - an extention of your full policy terms beyond the territories included in the original policy, and - an Internationally accepted proof of Insurance within the countries endorsed thereupon.

Your comments raise 2 different matters here -

1. A Green Card is not required by Law within the EU as every Member State is controlled by the First Directive on Motor Insurance which dictates that every motor policy MUST include legal minimum legal cover in every other Member State of the EU.
(For practical useage, Insurers usually include non-EU Switzerland and Norway and also the non-EU 'little bits' like Andorra, Lichenstein, Monaco, etc.)
This is automatic and must apply for the entire validity of your 'home' policy - not just the 90 days. But it is only the MINIMUM level required by Law in each member state.
Ones 'home' Certificate of Insurance is also the proof required by other EU Police. Often there is a Statement to this effect in several languages on the reverse.

2. What your insurers are probably offering is automatic, free, FULL policy cover within other Member states of the EU for 90 days during the year.
What they are not saying, but must include, is that the MINIMUM legal cover throughout the EU applies for the rest of the year, once the 90 days expires.

Following implementation of the First Directive most UK insurers decided, or took it as reason, not to get involved with Green Cards any more. Probably because the numbers of UK policyholders going outside the EU are so small it is easier to just say 'no' than maintain the administrative capacity.
However some insurers still issue Green Cards for use in certain non-EU countries - your problem then would be whether the Green Card is accepted within those countries (eg. as ilpo stated above, Russia only recently started accepting them as proof of legal minimum insurance - prior to that one HAD to purchase it locally. I still do!).

Sorry - beyond my knowledge and something I certainly have not heard of before.

The website I mentioned is not a commercial agency - they are just the obligatory handling agent of the RUS Embassy you MUST apply through. They do nothing other than handle applications that you, or commercial agencies, prepare and present. They will tell you the rules but will not arrange Invitations or deal with paperwork for you, other than check what you present.

Thanks Tony,

I had another read around and I found 45 days on 'realrussia' :(

I think Im going to need a 6 month business visa posted out to us on the road!

Also I notice you can only stay for 90 days out of 180.

Do you guys manage ok with this? I think we will be ok. 2 weeks across the Altai then out of Mongolia to Baikal and around for 2 months with 2 weeks to allow for shipping.

How do you explore so much in Siberia with only 90 days in country?

G

I'll look up where I got 3 months from.

Not my problem any more :) I now live here permanently and have a Residency Permit. No Visas, no Work Permits, no time limits (other than be here for a minimum of 183 days per year)!

The 90/180 day was introduced in 2009 to clamp down on the people living here full time apart from an annual 'visa-run'. Border officials were meant to check dates/days manually from the 'passive' list that came up on the computor when they scan/swipe your passport. But they never bothered to count/check if they saw you were 'coming and going' fairly regularly. This won't work any longer as the computor now has an 'active' list that flags up overstay.

The alternative that some ex-pats here do now is get a 90 day visa, and pop across to Riga, Vilnius or Helsinki for a new one every 3 months. But for most UK citizens they must go back to UK to apply (result of a diplomatic tit-for-tat game a while back).

Anyway 90 days is about the limit of reasonable weather conditions in siberia and further east!

You should be OK but take note of dates/days as your trip progresses. This works on actual days here. If you go into Kaz or Mongolia the clock stops counting until you re-enter RUS - until you have a total of 90 days here.
You cannot renew or extend visas within RUS and overstaying a visa is fairly serious, particularly if you want to come back - and you will!!

Thanks Tony, Just confirmed everything I thought. We will make do then.

Not sure where we will be 45 to 90 days from Russia. TJK prehaps? that could be a nightmare with couriers etc.

G

Just take the multi entry visa, it is valid for a year and you don't have to worry about couriers... If you just get it.

We were looking at the multi entry, but only 6 months.

Taking the 12 month would require us to enter Russia earlier than planned to just 'activate' our Visa.

What would be the easiest way to do this?

and IIRC I cannot enter Russia from the Caucasus? we were going to take the ferry from Azer to Turkmenistan and into central asia.

my apologies to the OP, I dont mean to Hijack the thread! :oops2:

G

'activate' visa? What is that? It is valid for period that it is issue to, there is no activation on it. During that period you can enter country as you wish, taken into account how many days you can stay in there.

Here's an example how the visa looks like and how the validity period is there: https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/phot...eat=directlink

Sorry I dont know what my mind was thinking when I was going through that scenario.

Wont the russians mind if my visa starts in January but I dont get an entry stamp until July?

Its only £30 more than the 6 month so that is the way to go :thumbup1:

Thanks all for your help! bier

G

You can enter for the first time on the very last day of a year long visa for all they care. But you must be out by the end of that day.

Yes - £30 (plus VFSGlobal's possible increased fee) is nothing in the scheme of your trip yet allows so much more possibility, flexibility and peace of mind.

It amazes me how some people, potentially prepared to spend a life's savings on their 'trip', constantly ponce about trying to save the equivalent of a quarter tank of fuel and end up with a visa that does not allow for time error or delay.

Remember - this is Russia we are talking about. The only predictable thing is unpredictability !

Griff:

At least 20 working days in advance.

I recently had to ferry an aircraft through Russia (part of a trip from Canada to Singapore), and I encountered great delays getting a Russian visa. If you are not part of an organized tour, the visa application has to be approved by the Federal Office for Migration (FOM) in Russia.

Go to the website of the Russian embassy or consulate in your country, you should be able to find instructions and download the application form there. Be sure to fill in the application exactly as instructed... my first application was rejected because I used a normal blue ballpoint pen, rather than a black pen (as specified) to fill it in.

There's a little bit more information about the troubles I encountered getting the visa at a post I made about the ferry flight at a Canadian Aviation website - to view it, click here.

Michael

Sorry for a mini hi-jack, but I've been looking at getting my Russian Visa this morning too, and have been following such threads with interest.

The stumbling point on the multiple entry business visa I've reached is this;
That is from the Visa processing site. I do not have a single or double entry visa in the last year, but was planning to go in to Russia, out to Kaz, back in to Rus, out to Mongolia, back in, and then out again into the Ukraine. Meaning by my maths I would need a multi entry. How do you get round this problem?

Thanks

Birdy

Birdy.
That is a rule introduced since I got my first Visa, which was a 1 year ME Business one. My first one was in 2005 and from then I had the same type continuously 'back to back' until I got a full time Residency Permit.

An answer could be for you to get a single entry, short period, Visa, come and have a Beer or two with Motoreiter and I, then go back and apply for a Year ME Visa.

Birdy...

In 2010, when I applied for my first Russian Business visa, I was also concerned about the requirement to have had a (used) Russian visitors visa in the previous year. I had never been to Russia, but I applied for the ME Business visa anyway. I received it without any issues. :sweatdrop:

As it turned out, I wound up going elsewhere and never entered Russia that year. I'm now in the process of applying for a second ME Business visa for this year. The invitation has been issued... crossing my fingers again that there are no issues with the visa application.

Actually, I don't see that requirement (for a previous visa) anywhere on the Russian Embassy site (Canada) or on the VisaToRussia site that I used for the LOI anymore. Have they dropped that "requirement"? Maybe the key word in your quote is "should" vs "shall" or "must".

Just curious, so no help I'M afraid. I am planning long trip, but am hitting walls as regards linking a departure date with climate, no-go countries, and visas, not to mention carnets. I also want to minimise freight time and cost. What's your plan to get to SE Asia? My school atlas is getting very dog eared and coffee stained; in a real circuitous decision process.

Hm that makes a little hope, i could need a multiple entry visa as well, but on all german websites they write a previously used visa is necessary since 2010. Should be the same for other EU states.
I just wrote to some visa agencies, will keep you posted what they say.
The bad thing is the other visas are only valid for 30 days :/

Tourist Visas can be valid for up to 30 days - never longer.
First Business Visas can be valid for up to 90 days - subsequent ones for up to a year, but with a 90/180 day restriction.

The rules are slightly different for different countrues - usually as a result of diplomatic arguments between them making things more difficult and the other responding similarly.

But always check with the Consular section of Russia Embassy Website in the country where you reside and THEIR own handling agency.

I checked the with VF Services UK Limited (the people you apply through for your visa) regarding the claim that is floating about that "you can only apply for the multiple-entry visa if you obtained a Russian visa before."

Vitaly, on the Information Service Desk has said that:

From their website:

In conclusion, it seems, at least to me, that this applies to the visa applications with support letters of the 'tax number' variety, NOT the official (traditional LOI) travel agency ones. Therefore. a previous visa is not required, at least for the likes of us.

Stephen,

I am not saying you are wrong - or right. But I see you are quoting from their Processing Times page, not Visa requirement pages.
But look at the comeplete, final, sentence in your quote with the word "also". Looks conclusively the opposite to what you continue with. On immediate looks I could disagree with you, but...

Unlike where you are, it is getting late here and the draught Emmer Пиво from the shop downstairs is taking it's toll on my thinking ability at interpreting the negative and double negative meanings - or are they positives and double positives, in which case I do not know the gramatical rules.

Tomorrow.....
Hic

Yeah it's from the 'processing time' section. It's the only reference on their website that refers to the 'tax letter' that Vitaly, from VF Services, referred to in his email to me.

In other words, it seems that there are two types of 'letters' to support your Russian visa application:

1. The usual LOI from a tourist agency.
2. A 'tax letter'.

It seems that if you're using the 'tax letter' method to support your application then you must have previously been issued a Russian visa.

However, if you're using the regular LOI to support your visa application, from a tourist agency, then you don't need to have previously been issued with a Russian visa.

I hope that's clearer? That's my understanding of the problem. Enjoy your beer my good man.

bier

No. There is only one type of Invitation for Business Visas,which is the topic earlier. I am unsure about tourist visas never having had one because of their limitations, like 30 days, proof of accommodation, etc.

But the inviting organisation may or may not have an INN number (a unique tax reference number) on its Application to invite you.

In checking the Invitation Application, the Ministry will (or should) look into the credentials of the Applicant organisation.
If the INN number is supplied they can quickly access that information with the number through their links to the tax computor. If there is no INN number on the Application it takes them longer to check if the organisation is genuine and up to date with its responsibilities. Hence a longer Processing time.

Even my befuddled state wishes you well too!

Applying from Canada - small snag encountered
 

I hit a small snag in applying in Canada for my visa. Might be a sign of things to come elsewhere though as Russia prepares for an onslaught of visa applications in association with the Olympics. :confused1:

I received my business invitation through VisaToRussia this week and just as I was about to courier my completed application to Ottawa, I see on their website, that the Canadian Embassy/Consulate no longer accepts any visa applications by mail. When did that change? Anyway, they now accept applications only in person or through a visa service. Any sent by mail will be returned. I guess they just don't want to be bothered with dealing with the ins and outs of mailing anymore. Cutbacks likely.

Scanning the visa services in Canada, it looks like it should add another $100-$200, plus add several days to the process. :rolleyes2:

Errr.. The Olympics later this year are in London, UK. Although it is referred to as Londonistan by the crooks who fled there from RUS and made it a base for building legitimacy.
The next Winter Olympics are in Sochi but that is 2 years away. There will probably be a Visa Free concession for visitors in posession of Tickets. They did that with a football match between UK teams held in Moscow a few years ago.

Do you mean 'a' visa service or 'the' visa service?
In London, they have their own appointed Visa Handling Agents who are compulsory for all except Diplomatic and similar Visas. The Handling Agent accepts applications in person, by post and from commercial visa agents and they return Visas, or rejects, by the same route.
The Commercial Visa Agents do it all for you - invitations, applications, submitting it all to the 'official' Visa Handling Agents, collecting from them and getting it back to you. For a fee of course!

Pity the poor Russians who want a visa to visit the UK. The British Consular service insists all applicants must attend in person. Recognising Russia is a bit bigger than UK they thoughtfully provided a handfull of centres other than just Moscow and StPeter.
That was a mighty relief to anyone in Vladivostock who wants to take his family to visit Britain. Every member of his family now only has to travel a 7,200 mile round trip, a quarter the way round the globe, just to get their visas. The actual trip comes later - if they have the time, energy and money remaining.

Yeah... I assumed everyone knew I was talking about the Sochi Olympics... but one should never assume. Never heard of a visa-free concession. That's cool.

The system here sounds similar to the UK but not sure by what route things filter into the Consulate. VisaToRussia forwarded me a name of a service in Vancouver that they knew International Russian Visa Service Corporation - Your Russian Connection - Travel Visas and forms to Russia for all nationalities. Pretty competitive rates, only $85 for the application service, and so I will send the completed application off to them tomorrow.

Yeah, things could have been worse. The Russian government has several offices... all in Ontario and Quebec. We'll see if I get called for an interview. We're the Vladivostok of Canada.

just got my 1 year russian business visa :)

haven't had any previous visa as they normally require.

payed around 230Euro.

cool!

Well done.

Two questions if you don't mind. Assuming you applied in Germany -

1. Your Passsport citizenship?

2. If not German/Schengen did you have to produce proof of your Residency in Germany?

Enjoy whatever you come for :)

yes i should have mentioned this, i'm german and i applied with a german tour agency. not sure how this works for other citizenships, but i guess it's worth asking a few agencies if there is a way even everywhere on the net is written that you need a previously issued Russian visa.

cheers
Moritz

Thanks for that.
It clarifies matters and stops some people getting carried away with the wrong idea and shows the importance of individual detail !

Different Citizenships are treated in different ways. Russia may treat all Schengen passport holders the same way but Britain is not a member of Schengen although it is of the EU.

British passport holders can only apply for Russia Visas in Britain or in other countries where they can demonstrate Residency.
This is proof of actual, 90+ day residency specific to them, not just the general right of some EU members to go to live in other EU states and not just be there as a tourist in passing.

The local Russian Embassy should/will require to see the local 90day+ permission required in that country in support of Visa applications made there - Carte de Sejour in France - Meldebescheinigung / Anmeldebestätigung in Germany - Certificadoado de Registro in Spain - Zameldowanie in Poland - and so on.

Moving on -
Until very recently there was a requirement that British citizens could only apply for a One Year Multi Entry Business Visa (different from a Work Visa) if they had held a 90 day or one year Business Visa within the preceeding year. I also know a German citizen who two years ago could not obtain a one year MEBV for this reason.
This requirement appears to have been recently removed from the UK Russian Embassy Visa Handling Agent's website and someone from HUBB is seeking clarification from them.

The only thing certain about dealing with Russia is uncertainty !

Hi,

I would like to know more about the entry and exit date on the visa application form. How flexible is the entry date for instance?
If you are not sure jet what kind of range is acceptable?

cheers

Wolsly

I am not sure what you mean, but -

You can only enter and exit RUS within the date range on the Visa - you don't have to come on the first day or leave on the last - you are free to do it any time within the validity period (subject to the 90/180 rule for year visas).

The date range on the visa comes from the Invitation (Business visa) or Travel details on the application (Tourist visa).

Tourist Visas are only valid for a maximum of 30 days. Business visas for 90 days - or if year with a 90/180 day restriction.

A visa cannot be applied for/issued more than 45 days (I think it is) in advance of the vaildity period.

They will not let you in before the date on the visa and you will have real difficulties if you remain in RUS and try to exit after the last day on the visa.
These difficulties can include - delay, penalties, denial of future visas etc.

If I havn't answered your query please be more specific.

Griffdawg got confirmation from the Russian Embassy Visa Handing people in UK that British citizens do not need a previous visa before applying for a first time 1 year MEBV.

Another problem out of the way and one less - until the next political row!

Visa
 

You need to get the visa in your home country. A 30 day visa will cover you easily between Ukraine and Kaz' can't remember the cost. Forget the green card for russia they won't recognize it. I bought insurance on the Rus/Ukraine border, 30 days for about $20. This was checked at every road block in Rus ( that's a lot of road blocks)
To return to Rus from Kaz i had to DHL my passport to a visa agency in London as the Rus embassy in Bishkek ( Kyrgistan) would not issue a visa even though I had an excellent letter of recomendation etc.
This process took about 3 weeks and cost me in excess of $300. This was for a double entry business visa. You will not be issued a business visa unless your passport already contains a 30 day Russian visa!
Nightmare.

For the first, for British Citizens, this is not quite so, but nearly!
See my Post 35 above.
Some other citizens are treated differently and can apply anywhere without Residency requirement in the Country where the application is being made.

If you are stuck in (say) KAZ and need to cross RUS to get to western Europe it is possible to get a Transit Visa there.
RUS Transit Visas allow 3 days or longer worked out on a daily distance allowance between stated entry/exit points - I think it is about 500Km/day.


For the second, wrong now.
If your home insurer will issue them, Green Cards have been accepted in RUS for over a year. You can still buy RUS insurance at or near borders (as I do - its cheaper and more recognisable to ДПС).

For the third, for British Citizens, also wrong now.
See my Post 38 above.

Green Card issue
 

Green Card issue

I can confirm: the green card issued by European insurance companies are valid in RU.
I crossed Russia this summer with a green card issued by a company (cant remember the name) from Romania. No problems at all.

Safe rides,
Adrian