No, cause I have never gotten one ... all i know is they are not particularly flexible and from memory you need to be "guided" thru the country to make sure you dont go where you shouldnt go.

There will be others here who are far better qualified to advise on Turkmen visas.

I do know the place to get the invitations for them is Stantours.

Hi,

Looking for some advice about our Russian visa application. We're getting an LOI from Stantours and the visa through Travcour. We're going for a 3 month double entry business visa. We will be entering from Kazakhstan, going into Mongolia, then back into Russia and on to Vlad.

I would be very grateful for answers to the following. I've seen different answers everywhere I look so I'm hoping for up to date info, sorry if this is going over old ground for some of you.

1) Is it definitely OK to get into Russia on a bike with a business visa?

2) Does the business visa application require a letter from your employer stating the trip is on business purposes?

3) Does it matter what destination cities are listed on the LOI / visa application? (Our LOI will be issued from Moscow and we have to list the 5 main cities on our route including Mosocow)

Good grief I'm fed up with visa applications....... :( Just want to be riding!! :mchappy:

Cheers.

1.) No problem at all. I have done it 3 times.

2.) I think so. I do a letter on my firm's old letterhead confirming my employment and that the Company will be responsible for me. (In fact we liquidated the Company several years ago, but they still take the letter at face value each year and issue a new Visa each year!!).

3.) It seems to matter not. The Visa only mentions the inviting organisation. On your Migration Card, on entry, you name your Sponsor organisation and their city. Beyond that no one seems to worry. I just put Moscow and StPeter on my applications. Once, on my bike, I was stopped and examined at a Police (proper ones, not Roads Police) spot check near Astrakhan, where they put my Passport and Visa details into the computor - all was OK!

Basically, each stage in the buraucratic process assumes that as you got through the previous stage it is OK and not looked into. They only look at their little bit and ticks their boxes - and want rid of you!

Thanks, that is very reassuring.

I'm fearing a cock-up at any moment!

1) Yes, no problem

2) No, you do not need a letter from employer. No-one ever asked us anything re what business we intend to do when entering Russia (entering on 3 different occassions).

3) I don't think it matters on the LOI. On our first entry to Russia (Zarubino, east russia), the lady did prepare sme paperwork and asked where we intended to go. We listed most main cities on our route, ie Vladi, Yakutsk, magadan etc etc. Not sure if this little piece of documents ever went onto any system. I never got a copy of this, I think it was for the files...

Enjoy:funmeteryes:

On entry you (she?) prepare a Migration Card in dupliate. Actually 2 serially numbered white paper forms, smaller than a passport page. They stamp both, keep one and you get the other.
This should be kept with you/your Passport. At the border exit they check it hasn't expired, stamp it again and retain it.
This form has a section to fill "Name of host person or company, and locality." This means the locality of the Host/Sponsor/Inviting Company - not necessarily where you are going.

loi
 

Make a copy of your LOI before submitting it to the embassy.
You might need it (we did when entering by ship from Japan) and it can't hurt to have one even if you never need it. The LOI (in 2003) did list the cities we planned to visit. If entering from Kaz and leaving at Vlad, I would at least list Novosibirsk and Vladivostok.

Things change all the time. There has been two changes already this year!

In Uk look through Visa pages at Russian Consulate but presumably the same applies elsewhere.

Since more than a year ago, Invitations are issued in the form of an official Certificate directly by the Foreign Ministry. This is following a request by the host person/organisation directly to the Ministry.The Applicant hands in only the Certificate, not a LOI.

An Employers Letter is still required for Business Visas.

Applications are not now made at the Embassy/Consulates but through an appointed agency, just as the British Embassy in Moscow require for UK Visa applications.

CIS country re-entry stuff..
 

I may well be wrong, but I think there are restrictions on how you can use a double entry visa.

I am sure that I read somewhere on here, that you cannot re-enter Russia from a NON-CIS country using a double entry visa.

Therefore, you cannot travel for example from Mongolia back into Russia the second time.
Does this make any sense, does anyone have up-to-date info on this?

BB

Never heard of this before.
Doesn't sound right to me, or 'her indoors' who is Russian.

I don't use Double Entry Visas, but Multi Entry Yearly Visas (5th consecutive one in application) and have regularly entered and re-entered Russia from both Non-CIS and CIS countries.

If in doubt (which I would not be), your best advice would invariably be on the current Russian Embassy website (link on my previous post) sooner than recollections of previous travellers who recount their experiences, often not recent, as they recall them - from a time when the rules may well have been different.

I haven't heard of that restriction Baron. I'm pretty sure it's not correct though.

Garry from Oz.

Russian Visa
 

G'Day Baron,

We did a similar route to you last summer.Finland, Russia, Kazhkstan, Russia, Mongolia and Russia. We all have Aussie passports ans had the same LOI and itinery, My mates applied in Aus and it took nearly three weeks, I applied in London and it took only 4 hours. A lot depends how you treat them. None of us had been there before. I would not like to be stuck in UB for weeks trying to get another visa.

try Peace travel Russian visa online , Accomodation , Transportation , Tickets and more ... - Peace Travel Services, Russia
Know people who have used them many times re Adoptions etc
they are up to date, never heard of any restriction re cis and non cis entery pojnts etc you nwill be dead out of luck getting a Visa extnesion inside or outside russia, I know as there is a site in moscow for ex pats which I look at
and they cannot beat the system and they live there and speak good russian and have contacts!!
as was said 6 month bussiness leave after 90 days re enter, year , you must leave and re enter

Thanks for all the info and encouragement folks.

Countdown it ticking for my departure now (in terms of the trip, not the morbid interpretation so much).

I'm told the visa should be with me in a couple of weeks.

My intention is to travel through the following countries;

Turkey/Georgia/Azerbaijan/Turkmenistan/Uzbekistan/Kazakhstan/Russia/Mongolia/Russia/Korea.

I'll just get the Russian visa before I go, and organise the LOI for Uzbek.
Then stop on the road for a week or two in Istanbul, to get remaining Visas when I've got a better idea of timing.

The plan is to try and get a 5 day transit visa for Turkmenistan, we'll see how this goes in due course.

Anyhoo, thanks again people

Hassle!
 

Hi, I applied for a bussiness visa at a cost of approx £355. (no previous visa in passsport) I was told it was a bit risky but then decided to go for it anyway. I then recieved a mail asking me for another £115 on top in order that my visa app' could be changed from business to cultural(?). I decided that this was well out of order and have now opted for a 30 day, single entry visa. I plan on obtaining the multi entry visa in Almaty, presumably this will be easier/cheaper as I will then have a previous Russian visa (used). I,m using RealRussia aswell.:(