Since you'll be applying on the road, you might think about using a visa service. Agencies will specify the turnaround time for each visa type up front. A Russian business visa should take no more than 2 months at the most to acquire, start to finish.

Importantly, agencies also procure the "letter of invitation" needed for a business visa, which seems a bit tricky to pin down if doing it on your own.

I (American) used an agency to get a 6-mo Russian business visa spring 2016, starting the process in Egypt after riding South Africa > Cairo. DHL'd my paperwork to the agency and they got the materials to the U.S. Russian consulate, which returned the visa approved to the agency. Then the agency sent the materials to a DHL office in Tbilisi, Georgia, where I picked it up.

(I used Travisa but can't recommend them; they might be OK but a few staffers bungled details several times and cost me some delay).

If you do it yourself, you'd probably want to DHL your application and passports into the Russian consulate in Canada... so long as they will agree to DHL your passports to a DHL location of your choosing. Good luck

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And you need a 2nd passport when you are on the road.
To send it to the visa agency.

I do not know how it is for Canadians, but usually you have to apply in your home country.

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I also don't know how it is for Canadians, but US citizens don't have to apply for Russian visas in the US; I've gotten one in Milan and friends have gotten them all over Europe. IIRC there is a clause in the US-Russia visa treaty allowing for this.

When I got my visa in Milan, I had to leave my passport with the consulate for two week while I waited for the visa, so took the opportunity to explore Italy.

I was crossing. Georgia - Rusia border in May 2016 with business visa. The pasport guy parket me aside waiting for other guy, kinde of specialist.
After 20 minuts waiting, he came and asked me guestions. What kinde of business, do I have some business dokuments, what is the compani in Moskow I am working with, he was taking me to the back office, but on the midle of the parking he turned around, gave me pasports and said, you can go.
No other problems in Russia or living the country at Rusia- Estonia border
Have to see about Cultural visa next year.

We had a similar experience entering from Georgia. My impression is that they just ask those questions hoping you say something that is inconsistent with the visa type you have.

Some other Belgians entering Russia from Ukraine had problems getting in because one of them said he was entering Russia for tourism, but he was traveling on a business visa. They were held over +6h at the border but in the end were allowed in.

We just stuck with our story and didn't volunteer any information we were not directly asked about. There wasn't anyone around that spoke anything but Russian decently so it was also easy to pretend we didn't understand the questions exactly or to answer besides the point.
After the first "interrogation" (which was more like a friendly chat, actually) they sent in a youngster who looked hardly old enough to be out of his diapers. I think they just wanted him to get some experience...

All the officials there were very polite and correct, some even very friendly. Except for the guy checking the import papers for my bike. He sent me back to do them again because my "M" looked too much like a Cyrillic "П" in his opinion. He was a bite rude at it. But when I came back all smiles with new paperwork saying I would deserve an "отлично" score on these, he couldn't stop grinning and wished me a good time in Russia.

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Can anybody enlighten me please! I am filling out my multiple entry business visa application (yeah, it's a holiday, I know) .
how do I answer this question:

Do you plan to stay anywhere (hotel, individual) during your stay in Russia?

I have not hotels booked as we will mostly be camping.

Thanks!

Dave

If you're using an agency, definitely check with them for their recommendation.

If not, since it is a multiple entry visa, I doubt that they expect you to stay in the same place every time, so I don't think it matters much. I would pick one of the cities you plan to visit, and indicate one of the hotels/hostels in that city that you find on booking.com or whatever. Most booking.com hotels allow you to cancel, so you can reserve, print it out (if necessary), and cancel later if you want.

awesome, thanks for the info. As you suggest I have put the question to the agency that got me the letter of invitation. Will wait to see what they suggest.

Cheers.

We recently got our multi entrance business visa and we put down the address of the inviting organization as directed by our LOI supplier. This worked fine and we are set to go!

Help - have just got off the phone to a visa company in London having been told that all I can get is double entry visa valid for 30 days - this completely destroys the idea of my trip( london -mongolia- japan).
Am a u.k citizen living in London & applying for my visa in London. Obviously I was hoping to be able to get a multiple entry (hopefully business) visa. I understand this can cost a bit more but I'm prepared for that.
Have I just been unlucky in the company I spoke to & does anyone have any recommendations? Am not giving up!!

It is still possible to get multi entry business visas for 6 or 12 months:

https://realrussia.co.uk/Visas/Russian/Business


See with them, I used them 3 times for biz visas with no issues for husband and myself.
Cheers,

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Maria

www.franglais-riders.com

The catch is that to get a multi-entry time-based visa, you need to have had a single or double-entry visa previously (and have left the country with no problems), so that they trust you now.

If your trip is not absolutely imminent, I suggest that you get a single or double visa, take a cheap flight for some sightseeing in St Petersburg or such, then use its presence in your passport to re-apply for a time-based multivisa.

I asked this specific question to RealRussia and was told this is only the case for certain classes of visa. It's worth talking to them if you have any visa questions, I have found them very helpful.

Not true

You just need a invitation from the FMS then, and it depends on your visa agency if they can get that.

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The first ever visa I had for Russia was a business visa, multi entry, for one year. I had never been there before and had no difficulty getting it, other than the price. Same for husband. Me on a French passport, him on a british one.
Call Real Russia, they do that everyday and should be able to advise you. They are very helpful and cheaper than other agents.

We were both contractors ( I.e. self employed) but this was no issue, they only asked to show enough cash in the bank.

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www.franglais-riders.com