the link i gave above has a forum Viewing a thread - Business Visa Scrutiny

try looking in there if not ask the question in there , i know i got a multi entry business visa last year and that was my first visa for Russia .

The other way round is get a cheap flight into Russia stay a night on a tourist visa and back , don't forget Kaliningrad so maybe a real cheap flight into Poland or Lithuania then into Kaliningrad, just an idea !!

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I emailed the RUS embassy here in the UK straight after posting. They were no help when I asked about getting my UK trailer into Russia though so not holding out much hope!

Kaliningrad I looked at, might be an option. we will see what the embassy comes back with. A short break may be good to test out the russian we have been learning

G

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Sorry for opening this can of worms, there seems to be a little ambiguity. But it's a problem that needs clarifying earlier on in ones planning stages. But you guys are the experts and I will take heed of your words.

This is the reply I got:

Dear Gareth,

This rule is only for EU national passport holders who are applying with simplified invitation containing Tax Number of inviting organization.

With official invitation issued by Ministry of Foreign Affairs you may apply for multiple entry without previous visas.



All relevant information regarding visa application process can be found on our website Russia Visa Information - UK - Home Page

Any help to anyone? not sure which route us folk go down, probably the former.

any info on how to proceed appreciated!

G

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Although we dont know the exact question they read, this is a typically Russian response. No direct answer, introduce a further point and not get a lot further forward!

An ИНН Tax Number is required by any Russian Company, Partnership or Self Employed persons and individuals here on Residency Permits (me!).
Not initially, but eventually.

I can't remember if HUBB or another Site, but the topic of having one or not arose recently in reference to Visa Invitations, as it takes longer for the Foreign Ministry to process Invitation aplications where the inviting organisation does not have an ИНН.

All Applications for Invitations are submitted by the Inviting Organisation to the Ministry. The Ministry issue an official Invitation Certificate which eventually gets to you and is what you submit (original document or telex reference number) with your Visa Application. Ministry processing times vary depending on if the Inviting Organisation has a registered ИНН tax number. Presumably because the 'bona fides' of the inviting organisation can be quickly accessed via their computors through the tex records.

If you go through a Visa (Obtaining) Agent they worry about all that detail for a fee.

I suggest talking with the Embassy's Visa Handling Agency, as the link - they are the ones who initially check/reject your Application while you wait there. The staff are mostly Russian speaking East Europeans, not Russians, and generally more helpful.

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thanks Tony,

I have just emailed them. due to the fact it is a business visa, should I be stating that I am self employed, there for opertunities, etc etc or is it fairly widely known that travellers get business visas to travel?

Just wondering how 'honest' to be, I dont want to get into a pickle!

G

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I just wanted to add my bit.

We got a 3 month- Multi entry business visa for Russia last year. This was even though the embassy website says you need to have had a visa before.

My cover letter simply said that I wanted to enter Russia to look for investment opportunities and i stated a long list of cities that i wanted to visit.

The Visa was issued without any pain- Apart from the cost.

G,
Self Employed is no problem. You still need the Invitation but not an 'Employers' letter. You must produce original Bank Statements (or certified print outs) for the past 3 months which must have a current balance equal to at least £100 for each day of the Visa validity.
Once you have your visa no one worries if you are on business, holiday etc, nor which parts of Russia you go to (other than military and border restricted areas). When I used visas the invitation/application said Moscow and Peter - the visa says nothing and not a query when I produced it in Magadan, Vlad or other places.
In fact the Police in Fevralsk (east section of BAM road), not having seen a GB passport before, took it to the station to photocopy and check on the computor. No problem. Same when once stopped on a gravel track high in the Caususes not far from Chechnia and very close to the Georgia border.

For UK citizens, 3 month MEBVs have never required previous visas - as you apear to have discovered assuming you are a UK citizen.
It is the 1 year MEBVs that required you had a visa before, within the previous year.
This requirement appears to have very recently disappeared from the UK Russian Embassy Handling Agents Website. It is unclear if the rule had been dropped or overlooked!

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Hi,

The below applies to Romanian citizens (EU passports):
In order to get the Russian busines visa, one needs the following:
- passport valid for another 6 months after the expiration of the requested visa;
- visa application form;
- passport photo;
- letter of invitation ("LOI") from Russian company/organization. The LOI must be submitted in original. This will add supplementary costs because of the transport fee from Russia to the destination country. LOI from Stantours - 95 Euro + 55 Euro DHL transport fee;
- Health insurance - 80 Euro/1 year (original and copy)
- Fee at the Embassy - 35 Euro
- Emergency fee - 35 Euro.

Without emergency fee will take 7-10 day to issue the visa. With emergency fee, they issued the visa in 45 minutes, on spot.

The documents can be submitted by another person then the owner of the passport.
The documents ca be picked up by another person then the owner of the passport if he/she has the receipt given to you by the Embassy when you submit the documents for visa along with the payment.

Safe travels,
Adrian