russian bureaucracy!!!!!

[Kinvig]

russian visa issues are beginning to pi$$ me off!

The visa agencies say that the best type of visa i should get is the 6 month business visa which will allow me to be in russia for 90 days over 6 months & I can enter/exit as many times as I like.

I agree that that's best.

I aplied on line - filled in all my details (included a jpeg of my passport and gave them a friend's credit card details - believe it or not I have finance issues). They responded saying that

1. I didn't give them credit card info (funny becuase I DID!)
2. That they didn't receive the passport info (I definitely sent it),
3. They could only process it upto 45 days before I leave
4. They can't process it without an old tourist visa for when I was last in the country (I'VE NEVER BEEN TO RUSSIA)

The only solution I see is a 30 day tourist visa that will enable me to cross russia to get to Kazakshtan, THEN applying in Kaz for a 3 month russia multi-visa. If I don't get it i'm royally buggered as I won't be able to leave Kaz - so if my Kaz visa expires (which it will if I can't leave the country) I'm straight to prison as a spy or similar.


That's it, I'm spending 6 momth's at butlins in Blackpool.

[Pedro68]

That's it, I'm spending 6 momth's at butlins in Blackpool.
Presumably to acclimatise yourself for Kazahkstany prisons? :D

[DanAbnormal]

Presumably to acclimatise yourself for Kazahkstany prisons? :D

PMSL!!

[Jester666]

Get in touch with Boorman & Macgregor. They did it! :lol: *With a teensy weensy bit of help!!* :smt046

[tinpants]

Jester!! You cynic!!!

[Jester666]

Me? Never!! I believe that they really did do the whole trip on the bikes!! I've seen the DVD and everything! :lol:

[Ceri JC]

Presumably to acclimatise yourself for Kazahkstany prisons? :D

Genuine 'LOLZ' :D

[DoubleD]

Presumably to acclimatise yourself for Kazahkstany prisons? :D

ROFLMAO :notworthy:

[Luckypants]

russian visa issues are beginning to pi$$ me off!

The visa agencies say that the best type of visa i should get is the 6 month business visa which will allow me to be in russia for 90 days over 6 months & I can enter/exit as many times as I like.

I agree that that's best.

I aplied on line - filled in all my details (included a jpeg of my passport and gave them a friend's credit card details - believe it or not I have finance issues). They responded saying that

1. I didn't give them credit card info (funny becuase I DID!)
2. That they didn't receive the passport info (I definitely sent it),
3. They could only process it upto 45 days before I leave
4. They can't process it without an old tourist visa for when I was last in the country (I'VE NEVER BEEN TO RUSSIA)

The only solution I see is a 30 day tourist visa that will enable me to cross russia to get to Kazakshtan, THEN applying in Kaz for a 3 month russia multi-visa. If I don't get it i'm royally buggered as I won't be able to leave Kaz - so if my Kaz visa expires (which it will if I can't leave the country) I'm straight to prison as a spy or similar.


That's it, I'm spending 6 momth's at butlins in Blackpool.

My daughter had a similar problem with visas for Russia and Khazackstan (sp?) last year for their kayak expedition (http://www.fourbordersexpedition.com/). I can ask her how they resolved the visa issue if you like?

[Kinvig]

My daughter had a similar problem with visas for Russia and Khazackstan (sp?) last year for their kayak expedition (http://www.fourbordersexpedition.com/). I can ask her how they resolved the visa issue if you like?

Yes, please!

all info gratefully received!!!!

[chazzyb]

I aplied on line - filled in all my details (included a jpeg of my passport and gave them a friend's credit card details - believe it or not I have finance issues).

Credit card? When my daugther applied for a Russian visa, the embassy in Edinburgh would only accept cash! She was going for 4 months but could only get a visa for three, so she had to renew it while she was out there.

[Kinvig]

Credit card? When my daugther applied for a Russian visa, the embassy in Edinburgh would only accept cash! She was going for 4 months but could only get a visa for three, so she had to renew it while she was out there.

This is for the Letter of Invite - after I finally been able to get that I will then apply for the fabled visa! Loads of hoops to jump thru' for what is basically an entry tax.


It's almost like they don't want visitors.

[Luckypants]

Hi, Mike's daughter Lowri here, he asked if I could help you with this.

I went to Russia last summer for 10 weeks in total, though I went overland into Mongolia, back into Russia, then to Kazakhstan and back into Russia.

We had to get a multientry business visa. Lucky for us, we applied just before they changed the rules and now you have to have been to Russia on a tourist visa to apply for a business one. If you do need the business one (much less hassle once you are there as you dont have to constantly tell them where you are) then I would suggest booking a cheapo ryan air type flight to moscow and going for a weekend on a standard tourist visa. Once you are back you can begin to apply for business one:

Letter of invitation: not really that hard - we got our truck hire company to sort it and include it in the price of our trucks. Obviously you wont have this, but there are tons of campanies that can do this for you for a fee. Look on the net and in Lonely Planet.

VISA: You will also need to prove that either you have a lot of money (which apparently you do not!) or get a British business to write a letter to say that they are sending you to Russia. Don't worry, they don't care what this letter actually says too much, so perhaps a nice person with a business on here could do that for you?

Be prepared for Russian Beurocracy every step of the way (especially once you are there!). Remember, many doors open with a few dollars wofted their direction.

Kazakh visa is simple and easy to obtain and you only need to register when you arrive. By a slight ****-up / misunderstanding, I was never stamped out of Kazakhstan so according to my passport never left. I hope this doesn't cause me issues with future travels!!

If you have any specific questions, PM my Dad and he can give you my email address... though I think you'd better googling, speaking to the russian embasy and using lonely planet's website.

[Kinvig]

Hi, Mike's daughter Lowri here, he asked if I could help you with this.

I went to Russia last summer for 10 weeks in total, though I went overland into Mongolia, back into Russia, then to Kazakhstan and back into Russia.

We had to get a multientry business visa. Lucky for us, we applied just before they changed the rules and now you have to have been to Russia on a tourist visa to apply for a business one. If you do need the business one (much less hassle once you are there as you dont have to constantly tell them where you are) then I would suggest booking a cheapo ryan air type flight to moscow and going for a weekend on a standard tourist visa. Once you are back you can begin to apply for business one:

Letter of invitation: not really that hard - we got our truck hire company to sort it and include it in the price of our trucks. Obviously you wont have this, but there are tons of campanies that can do this for you for a fee. Look on the net and in Lonely Planet.

VISA: You will also need to prove that either you have a lot of money (which apparently you do not!) or get a British business to write a letter to say that they are sending you to Russia. Don't worry, they don't care what this letter actually says too much, so perhaps a nice person with a business on here could do that for you?

Be prepared for Russian Beurocracy every step of the way (especially once you are there!). Remember, many doors open with a few dollars wofted their direction.

Kazakh visa is simple and easy to obtain and you only need to register when you arrive. By a slight ****-up / misunderstanding, I was never stamped out of Kazakhstan so according to my passport never left. I hope this doesn't cause me issues with future travels!!

If you have any specific questions, PM my Dad and he can give you my email address... though I think you'd better googling, speaking to the russian embasy and using lonely planet's website.

cheers for the info - I'd done a few inter-web searches yesterday (at work without my boss knowing, hooray!) but I hadn't considered a quick weekend trip to Moscow - they're dead cheap too!

Thanks, I'll look into it!