Visa to Russia questions

Hi,

I am going to Russia very soon to visit some friends, and I am not going to
stay in a hotel. However, the official procedure for this can be quite
long, so I just wanted to apply for a normal tourist visa - which requires a
hotel reservation unfortunately!

I have three question now:

- I found out that www.visatorussia.com can fax me an invitation for getting
the visa, and I need to go to the Russian embassy with this paper. Do I
need to show an hotel reservation in the Embassy before they give the visa?
Or does www.visatorussia.com send this as well?!

- Who can register my visa, once I'm in Russia? (the normal way is that the
hotel is doing this; going to the OVIR personally can be a really long time
I've read)

- How long does it take the embassy to get the visa, once you have the
invitation from www.visatorussia.com ?

PS. it's not very clear to my why I would need www.visatorussia.com; because
I can also go the embassy without their help to get a visa. Can someone
please explain this?

Sorry for rookie questions, but I just need some help :-)
Thank you VERY much in advance for your answers!

Ed (Belgian nationality)

I have three question now:

On their FAQ http://www.visatorussia.com/russianvisa.nsf/faq.html, the
question "Can I travel on a private trip and individually with a tourist
visa?" is asked, but not answered unfortunately.

In that same FAQ they write "When traveling on a tourist visa, you can stay
at your friends' place as well as at a hotel. In case of your staying with
your friends you should register your visa at our Moscow office or St.
Petersburg office within 3 business days upon your arrival to Russia. So
this answers one of your questions concerning registration.

However, on the page
http://www.visatorussia.com/russianv...uirements.html they
write "If Individual Travel: Confirmation of hotel arrangements from
authorized Russian travel company, or directly from the Russian hotel,
showing reference number and confirmation number for the visa."

So first they write "you don't need hotel arrangement", and later on they
write "you do need need hotel arrangement" .........

Anyone?

I think visatorussia offers to send you an official invitation.
that means you will not be obliged to buy a voucher
from a hotel for as many days as yr visit lasts.-
on the other hand, you will be obliged to go to the local OVIR and register.
If you stay in a hotel, the hotel will do that for you.
an invitation can be for a long period of time.. without obligations.
a tourist visa without invitation implies that you have to buy as many
hotel nights as you are going to spend in russia.
as hotels are rather expensive in russia, most people find it more
convenient to buy an invitation.
visatorussia will help you in both cases.
that means. If you an invitation, they will make it.
if you need hotel vouchers. they will reserve them for you.
you can go yrself to the local russian consulate when you have either the
official invitation or the hotel vouchers.
"Ed" ha scritto nel messaggio
...
Hi,

I am going to Russia very soon to visit some friends, and I am not going
to
stay in a hotel. However, the official procedure for this can be quite
long, so I just wanted to apply for a normal tourist visa - which requires
a
hotel reservation unfortunately!

I have three question now:

- I found out that www.visatorussia.com can fax me an invitation for
getting
the visa, and I need to go to the Russian embassy with this paper. Do I
need to show an hotel reservation in the Embassy before they give the
visa?
Or does www.visatorussia.com send this as well?!

- Who can register my visa, once I'm in Russia? (the normal way is that
the
hotel is doing this; going to the OVIR personally can be a really long
time
I've read)

- How long does it take the embassy to get the visa, once you have the
invitation from www.visatorussia.com ?

PS. it's not very clear to my why I would need www.visatorussia.com;
because
I can also go the embassy without their help to get a visa. Can someone
please explain this?

Sorry for rookie questions, but I just need some help :-)
Thank you VERY much in advance for your answers!

Ed (Belgian nationality)

A lot of the regulations are a function of your nationality. The way
it works in USA, or OZ is not necessarily the way it works for a
Belgian. You have to look at the Russian Embassy in Brussels web
site.


On Sat, 31 Jan 2004 23:24:50 +0100, "Ed"
wrote:

Hi,

I am going to Russia very soon to visit some friends, and I am not going to
stay in a hotel. However, the official procedure for this can be quite
long, so I just wanted to apply for a normal tourist visa - which requires a
hotel reservation unfortunately!

I have three question now:

- I found out that www.visatorussia.com can fax me an invitation for getting
the visa, and I need to go to the Russian embassy with this paper. Do I
need to show an hotel reservation in the Embassy before they give the visa?
Or does www.visatorussia.com send this as well?!

- Who can register my visa, once I'm in Russia? (the normal way is that the
hotel is doing this; going to the OVIR personally can be a really long time
I've read)

- How long does it take the embassy to get the visa, once you have the
invitation from www.visatorussia.com ?

PS. it's not very clear to my why I would need www.visatorussia.com; because
I can also go the embassy without their help to get a visa. Can someone
please explain this?

Sorry for rookie questions, but I just need some help :-)
Thank you VERY much in advance for your answers!

Ed (Belgian nationality)

"Ed" wrote in message ...
Hi,

I am going to Russia very soon to visit some friends, and I am not going to
stay in a hotel. However, the official procedure for this can be quite
long, so I just wanted to apply for a normal tourist visa - which requires a
hotel reservation unfortunately!

There are 2 different types of visa relevant for you purpose.
'Preivate' visa and business visa. Because you will not stay on a
hotel you can not use a tourist visa.

Your host family wil have to go to thier local office of OVIR and fill
out an invitation form. An approval can take several weeks, and your
host have to send it to you. It can take a couple of weeks to send the
appoval by mail as well. When you have the invitation, the procedure
is as for a tourist visa. Be prapared to pay extra if you want to pick
up your visa at the consulte/embassy on a shorter notice than say 2
weeks. Be aware of that where you are going to stay is printed in your
visa, meaning you can not stay anywhere else.

To get a business visa you need an initation from a Russian company or
organization that will give you a proper inivitation for a fee. You
don't have to be in Russia on business in order to get a business
visa. With a business visa you don't have to book accomondation in
advace as you have to eith a private visa or tourist visa.

Lonely Planet for Russia and Belarus covers theese issues in detail.

Do not even think of registering the visa on your own if you don't
speak Russian. Even if you do, it is definately worth it to pay a
small amout in order to get someone to do it for you.

best regards,

Jan






I have three question now:

- I found out that www.visatorussia.com can fax me an invitation for getting
the visa, and I need to go to the Russian embassy with this paper. Do I
need to show an hotel reservation in the Embassy before they give the visa?
Or does www.visatorussia.com send this as well?!

- Who can register my visa, once I'm in Russia? (the normal way is that the
hotel is doing this; going to the OVIR personally can be a really long time
I've read)

- How long does it take the embassy to get the visa, once you have the
invitation from www.visatorussia.com ?

"Ed" wrote

Ed (Belgian nationality)


I know it`s of no direct use to you Ed, but in the UK I used to get mine
through East West Travel in Kensington. I have never tried to get one
directly but I have read no end of horror stories from those who have.
Unless you have unlimited amounts of time and patience I would suggest you
use an agent.


--
Regards,
Vince

Truck Driving In Russia- www.coventon.co.uk