Japan to Vladivostock and then Trans-siberian railway to Europe
 

Hi - has anyone experience of going from Japan on the DBS Ferry then onto the Trans-siberian for a drop-off in Moscow. Visa's, general problems or things I should know.

Thx very much in advance
Paul

You might want to contact Yuri Melnikov in Vladivostok regarding customs in Vladivostok and shipping to Moscow. (search the HUBB for his contact info)
Russian visas you usually need to get in your home country, you you will need your Russian visa before going to Japan unless you live there.

+1 to Chris's comment about getting the Russian visa in your home country.

It is an expensive, time-consuming, and complex process to get a Russian visa - you need to start the process about 6 weeks before your planned departure.

I have had several Russian visas in the past 5 years, the fastest I ever got one (in Canada, my home country) was 29 days, the slowest took 37 days. That was from the time I sent in the very first piece of paperwork until the time I got my passport back with the visa in it.

You don't have to surrender your passport for that entire period of time, but be aware that there is no way - for love or money - to speed the process up.

Michael

Not true in all countries. I've received a Russian business visa on a "next business day" basis in Washington, DC, for an extra charge, although that was some time ago.

All of my experience has been recent, from 2011 to 2014 inclusive. I'm pretty sure that the rules have tightened up, because in my case, my employer was paying all the fees, and delays getting Russian visas for fellow employees were costing us tens of thousands of dollars in additional expenses due to the length of time needed to process the visa requests. If we could have paid (for example) $10K to get a visa tomorrow, that would have been done without a second thought.

Not to mention that we had a well-connected Russian industrial partner at the other end trying to do their best for us.

Hence my comment "you can't speed the process up for love or money".

Michael

But what is your citizenship? It certainly varies across countries.

Also, look at the web page for the Russian embassy in DC:
http://www.russianembassy.org/page/visa-processing-fees

It specifically lists fees for getting a visa in three business days, but "strictly in an emergency", which I think would be liberally interpreted if you have a good agent/connections.

I also know people that got Russian visas in the last year or so in the Baltics on an overnight basis, but you have to use the right visa agent for that.

In any event, my last Russian visa was issued in Milan in 2014 and took exactly two weeks from start to finish, and that was the longest I ever had to wait.

Canadian.

The timelines published in the website you referred to are certainly encouraging. Perhaps the Russians have changed their visa issuing processes in the last 18 months in order to achieve the speed promised at that website. Or, more likely, a new bilateral treaty has been established between Russia and the USA for the benefit of citizens of those two countries only (see the first paragraph of this web page, at the same site you referred to: Agreement between the Russian Federation and the United States of America).

Having said that, I still reiterate the warning to others (who may be planning to get a Russian visa from a consulate other than the one in Washington): It's not a fast process, getting the Russian visa should be the very first task you initiate, because my experience has been that the visa itself is the "long pole in the tent" so far as the planning timeline for visiting Russia is concerned.

Michael

Of course visa procedures are country-specific, and while the treaty that you referred to introduced three year multi-entry business visas for Americans (along with similar visas for Russians AFAIK), its text does not refer to timing for issuing visas. Moreover, it came into effect in 2012.

The treaty also contains a very useful provision (for Americans and Russians):
"Nationals of each Party may...apply for a visa at diplomatic missions or consular posts of the other Party that are located in the territory of third states."

The russian embassy in the visa appliers home country - or if Russia dont have an embassy/consulate - in the nearest country will have information about how long time the visa application process will take.
In my case as a norwegian the russian embassy in Norway inform on their netsite that a normal visa application will take 4-10 working days and an express process will take 1-3 days (for a bit higher fee)
When I applied for a russian visa in 2014 I thought about getting an express process as I needed to make other visas as well and 10 working days seemed a little long - but the staff at the embassy - who spoke perfect norwegian by the way said I needent do that as my visa would be ready for pick in 4 days. And it was....
If you dont have the correct paperwork etc - it will of course take longet time.

Hi, regarding the transiberian train: take lots of books as it is very boring!


Also, get a 1st class ticket if you can. It is not "1st class" as we know it! That will be a cabin with 4 bunk beds. 2 down, 2 up.


I would advise you to get a lower bunk bed. Like that, you can sit at lower ground, else you will need to climb up to the upper bunk bed to sit, not great. Russians don't sit on someone else bunk bed, even during the day, even if you are on the upper level!


Also it means that you can use the side table by the window.


Pot noodles seems to be the staple diet on the train. You can buy it easily on shops, when the train stops and there is constant boiling water for free in the coaches. Bring your cup!

The train's schedule is in the corridor, get familiar with Cyrillic to understand it as it tells where and how long it will stop! I advise you to bring stuff like tins of pate or sardines, bread or stuff like that as well.

Make friends with the restaurant staff and the ladies there will let you recharge your electronics behind the counter, else it is hard to find an available electric plug (only few per coach so always busy!).


Russian don't seem to use the restaurant coach (too expensive fro them?) so it's a good place to spend part of the boring day....

See details of our journey and shipping bikes on the transiberian from Irkutsk to Moscow and how to get the bikes out of the station in Moscow here:
The franglais-riders motorcycle adventures around the world....: Into Siberia!


Cheers.