Visa Russia - some questions

As I understand it, to get a visa I need to pre-book a hotel and get a
letter from the hotel as evidence. Is this correct?
If so, is it possible to book hotels on-line and use confirmation
e-mails as evidence that I have accommodation?

Bruce

Björn Olsson wrote in message ...

I'm not experienced with travelling through Russia but I trevelled
through Ukraine twice, so I know about the problems and complications
that can happen on journeys through such regions. Naturally, Ukraine
and Russia are not the same, especially concerning visa matters.

Hmmm.. I thought they were more or less the same. What differs?

There are lots of differences; especially for EU-citizens getting
Ukraine visa is very easy. The thing is that you can get a private
visa without an invitation. You only have to write an adress in the
Ukraine on the visa form. This is the guy who "invites" you. Nobody
will ever check out if this is true or false.
The second thing is that the registration thing is "dead law" in
Ukraine. Formally you have to register, but nobody does and nobody
cares.
So, Ukraine is much easier than Russia!

bruce phipps wrote:

As I understand it, to get a visa I need to pre-book a hotel and get a
letter from the hotel as evidence. Is this correct?
If so, is it possible to book hotels on-line and use confirmation
e-mails as evidence that I have accommodation?

I used St Petersberg YH for this. I had to pay a fee and a night's
accomodation, so it wasn't cheap, but worth it. They understood I
wasn't staying there, but provided me with the invitation and
registration when I arrived.

There were hotels that would take a booking and not charge you and send
you an invitation, but I got the impression that whoever invited you had
to register you, so that could be a mistake.

joan
--
Joan McGalliard, UK http://www.mcgalliard.org

(bruce phipps) wrote in message . com...
As I understand it, to get a visa I need to pre-book a hotel and get a
letter from the hotel as evidence. Is this correct?

Yep.

If so, is it possible to book hotels on-line and use confirmation
e-mails as evidence that I have accommodation?

I don't think so, but the hotel will know exactly what you need and
send that to you.

Bjorn

(Joan McGalliard) wrote in message ...
bruce phipps wrote:

As I understand it, to get a visa I need to pre-book a hotel and get a
letter from the hotel as evidence. Is this correct?
If so, is it possible to book hotels on-line and use confirmation
e-mails as evidence that I have accommodation?

I used St Petersberg YH for this. I had to pay a fee and a night's
accomodation, so it wasn't cheap, but worth it. They understood I
wasn't staying there, but provided me with the invitation and
registration when I arrived.

There were hotels that would take a booking and not charge you and send
you an invitation, but I got the impression that whoever invited you had
to register you, so that could be a mistake.

I have once (about a year ago) done this, and it worked just fine. My
invitation letter for a private visa arrived too late, so the travel
agent helped me out by booking a hotel for a night without a charge,
and I later registered by myself at the local immigrations office.
Self-registration like that is not recommended if you don't speak
russian, but whatever hotel you actually stay at can do the
registration for you (i.e. they can bring your passport to the
immigrations office for registration for you).

Bjorn

And if you move around get each hotel to register you withing 72 hours of
your arrival. Show your card complete with all the stamps to customs on
leaving the country and you should be fine. The problems start when you
haven't been stamped (i.e there is a gap where your wherabouts were
'unaccounted' for). There are still some unscrupulous officers who will try
to fine you (rip you off).

"Bjorn Olsson" wrote in message
om...
(bruce phipps) wrote in message
. com...
As I understand it, to get a visa I need to pre-book a hotel and get a
letter from the hotel as evidence. Is this correct?

Yep.

If so, is it possible to book hotels on-line and use confirmation
e-mails as evidence that I have accommodation?

I don't think so, but the hotel will know exactly what you need and
send that to you.

Bjorn

Björn Olsson wrote in message ...
tom wrote:

If somehow possible i don't want to book accomodation in advance
because I don't really know how long I will stay in different places.
So, a business visa should be the right thing.

But it requires an invitation letter from a company or organisation, so
you'd need to know someone working there who could make up some excuse
for inviting you.

As far as I know this is only a matter of paying the proper price for
this invitation. There is no need what so ever, to be on business in
order to get a business visa.

Alternatively, in case you know someone living in
Russia, he/she could make a private invitation for you. That type of
visa is as flexible as the business visa (no accomodation bookings
required). Takes a couple of months to arrange, though.

A privat visa / ordinar visa is as far as I know more or less just
like a tourist visa exept from that you stay with friends in a
priveate home, and therefore don't need any hotel bookings. If I have
got it right such a visa also tells where you are supposted to stay.

Jan

?ystein wrote:

Björn Olsson wrote in message ...

tom wrote:


If somehow possible i don't want to book accomodation in advance
because I don't really know how long I will stay in different places.
So, a business visa should be the right thing.

But it requires an invitation letter from a company or organisation, so
you'd need to know someone working there who could make up some excuse
for inviting you.


As far as I know this is only a matter of paying the proper price for
this invitation.

Sure, but there must be someone to pay this price to.

There is no need what so ever, to be on business in
order to get a business visa.

AFAIK the invitation must "explain the nature of the business to be
performed". One can of course make something up, but you'd still need a
company or organisation to write it for you. I've done this through a
university once, with help of personal contacts, but I don't really see
how the average tourist could arrange the same.

Alternatively, in case you know someone living in
Russia, he/she could make a private invitation for you. That type of
visa is as flexible as the business visa (no accomodation bookings
required). Takes a couple of months to arrange, though.


A privat visa / ordinar visa is as far as I know more or less just
like a tourist visa exept from that you stay with friends in a
priveate home, and therefore don't need any hotel bookings. If I have
got it right such a visa also tells where you are supposted to stay.

Maybe. I haven't really paid attention to it. They ask about itinieray
on the application form, but they don't seem to care much what you write
or where you stay. I once spent a week in St Petersburg before arriving
at my supposed destination, and there were no problems whatsoever. I've
done numerous other unplanned deviations from the planned itineary, and
never has even an eyebrow been raised.

Bjorn

Björn Olsson wrote in message ...
?ystein wrote:

Björn Olsson wrote in message ...

tom wrote:


If somehow possible i don't want to book accomodation in advance
because I don't really know how long I will stay in different places.
So, a business visa should be the right thing.

But it requires an invitation letter from a company or organisation, so
you'd need to know someone working there who could make up some excuse
for inviting you.


As far as I know this is only a matter of paying the proper price for
this invitation.

Sure, but there must be someone to pay this price to.

In 2000 Lonely Planet reccommends 3 reliable organizations (st
Petersburg, Moscow and Helsinki), that issue business visas for 2-4
weeks for 35-90$. Proceeding time is 1 to 3 weeks. I think the price
exsamples are for US citizens. If true all other nationalities pay
less.

There is no need what so ever, to be on business in
order to get a business visa.

AFAIK the invitation must "explain the nature of the business to be
performed". One can of course make something up, but you'd still need a
company or organisation to write it for you. I've done this through a
university once, with help of personal contacts, but I don't really see
how the average tourist could arrange the same.

According to Loenely Planet the formal point of the invitation is that
the inviting organization guarantee to support you during your stay.
They don't mention any need for documantation on that you visit Russia
on Business

Another interesting alternative is a student visa. To get one you have
to enroll on a Russian university or other kind of school. A summer
school in Russian for a couple of weeks fulfill this need. In adition
to be more flexible than tourist visas, you get reduced prices on
domestic flights and other places that have a reduced price for
student. I am not sure if a student visa gives you the right to
reduced prices on museums with a higher price for foreigners.

Alternatively, in case you know someone living in
Russia, he/she could make a private invitation for you. That type of
visa is as flexible as the business visa (no accomodation bookings
required). Takes a couple of months to arrange, though.

A privat visa / ordinar visa is as far as I know more or less just
like a tourist visa exept from that you stay with friends in a
priveate home, and therefore don't need any hotel bookings. If I have
got it right such a visa also tells where you are supposted to stay.

Maybe. I haven't really paid attention to it. They ask about itinieray
on the application form, but they don't seem to care much what you write
or where you stay. I once spent a week in St Petersburg before arriving
at my supposed destination, and there were no problems whatsoever. I've
done numerous other unplanned deviations from the planned itineary, and
never has even an eyebrow been raised.

In according to Lonely Planet this usually works out fine in the big
cities, but ccan be a problem in rural areas.

Jan

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