Over £100 each for a Russian visa

[A1980]

I posted this in chat by accident. Silly cow that I am: so here it is again.

This is nothing but a rant, sorry!

Anyone going to Russia....?

I booked a trip to Moscow and have been really looking forward to it.

We got a good deal with the flight and hotel. Visa prices seemed to be about £40-£50, a little steep but we wanted to go.

Now we find out after we've booked it that Russian bureaucracy is nightmarish and there are all these extra charges you don't find out about until after you've booked.

You can't just apply for a visa using a form, you need to be "invited" into the country first. Just ask the hotel we were told. We contacted the hotel who sent us our invitation documents at this time they tell us there is a charge of 700 roubles (£15) for this service. Funny how no one tells you this until after you book. Paid £6 each for passport photos too for the application.

Now as we go to apply for the visa, we find out it's £50 but the embassy charges a "service charge" of £26.40. There's also a charge to register the visa when you get there and christ knows how much that is.

So all together we're going to have to pay for two visas:

2 invitation document charges: £30
Two visa charges: £100
Two service charges: £52.80
Two sets of passport photos:£12
Registration charges: fuck knows....!

So far that's £194.80 for two visa's without the registration charges and I don't know how much that will be.

If I'd known I would have though twice about going. £200 is a ridiculous charge just to enter a country. I would have preffered to put that £200 towards a more expensive city break. I didn't know anyone who had been to Russia before so nobody warned me about it. Most of the travel guides mentioned needing invitations, etc. But they were pretty silent on the additional charges.

Damn! Rant over!

Make sure you are applying direct and there isn't an agency slapping on extra commission to "process" it.

Are you applying direct or using an agency?.

The information below is fromm the Foreign Office's travel website:-

Entry Requirements - Visas
Visas are required to enter Russia. During periods of high demand, you should apply for your visa well in advance. If you live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland you should apply to the Russian Federation's visa processing centre VF Services, 15-27 Gee Street, London, EC1V 3RD. Tel: 020 7499 1029; fax: 020 7229 3215; website: www.rusemb.org.uk. You should apply to the Russian visa application centre for Edinburgh and London: ru.vfsglobal.co.uk/allaboutyourvisas.html.

VF Services can normally process visas in five working days. The forms must be completed online, and can either be submitted by post or in person. If you want to get a visa more quickly it is possible to pay extra for a next-day service. You must have a current up to date visa to leave Russia. Before you travel to Russia ensure that you are aware of the terms and conditions attached to your visa, for both entry and exit, and check that the dates and details which have been entered on your visa are correct. Presenting documentation which contains incorrect information to immigration officials can lead to severe inconvenience and in some cases could result in refusal of entry.

Entry Requirements - Visas - For stays of more than three days

You must register your stay within three working days of arrival in Russia with the local branch of the Federal Migration Service. Most major hotels will do this automatically. If you are staying in private accommodation the owner of the property must do this for you. You need not register a visa if your visit is for less than three days.

Entry Requirements - Passport validity

If your passport has less than six months to run, you may be refused entry to Russia. You should get a replacement passport before travelling.

I am applying directly and arranging it myself.....!

If you apply directly, it's about £92 each, if you use an agency it's just over £100.

If you look at the website quoted above: ru.vfsglobal.co.uk/allaboutyourvisas.html. you will see on that the cost of visas which is £50 each and a £26.40 service charge each. There is no other way to do it.

DAMN!

Book it a LOOOOOOOONG time before you need it. My brother lives in Russia and the standard way of doing things seems to be to get your visa to you about 10 minutes after you needed to be on the flight. They are complicated things to arrange. My brother thinks I am being unreasonable in not going to visit him with the kids in tow, but I don't think he stops to think about cost and effort etc.

Don't even consider not getting a visa and seeing if you can get one when you get there. I work on flights to Moscow and they even accompany us on the aircraft walk round in case we attempt to defect into the country!

Having said all that, people say it is a fascinating country. I'm sure you'll have a good time when you get there. (It is expensive though when you get there too.)