Couple of questions about this.

Can anyone recommend an agent in Oz to help out with visa process and obtaining a letter of invitation.

I have read that if you've never applied for a Russian visa then you cannot apply for a Multi entry visa only single or double entry visa.???

Ideally I'd like to hear from those that have obtained a 12 month business visa and are based in Australia.

Appreciate any help/advice offered
Cheers
Barney

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The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.

I'm not exactly in your position but my own experience might help. On the problem of not issuing a multi-entry business visa unless you've had a previous Russian visa, the advice on the Russian visa website says "may not", it doesn't say "will not". I've never heard of anybody, unless the application has been done very incompetently, being denied a visa on this ground.

I have a NZ passport. I was living in Germany, applied through an agent in the UK, having never been to Russia before, and there was no problem apart from the cost. The reason for applying via the UK was that every agent in Germany said it was impossible because I hadn't had a previous visa. Typical German reading of regulations.

Generally, the Russians just want the money and have absolutely no interest in previous visas. However, if you do the application on your own, make sure everything is filled in absolutely correctly. In any case, you'll have to use an agent to get the LOI.

I have no idea about agents in Oz but I'm sure somebody will be along shortly with some info. You could try one of the UK agents just for the LOI. I used Real Russia and, in spite of some negative comments on here, they were completely professional and helpful and kept me informed at every stage of the process.

Hope this is of some assistance.

I sort of suspected as much with regards to the previous visa thing. Thanks for the info. I'll look in that agent too.

__________________
The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.

Barney, did you find a way to get the business visa in Oz? My girlfriend and I are interested in getting one.

I used www.reho.travel. Got a business visa valid for 6 months with 90days within Russia multi entry. Victoria Steiner was the agent that organised everything

__________________
The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.

Sorry, but what do mean by Oz? Uzbekistan?

Oz = Australia

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The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.

It is going back a bit now but in 2010 we got a multiple entry business visa to Russia, good for a year and entered 3 times. We used David from Stan tours, he did have an agent based in Melbourne who handled the paper work. He also organised our Tajikistan visas once we were on the road and we picked them up in Almaty.

Thanks,
RR.