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8 Oct 2012
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Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Bristol UK
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Russian LOI & Visa (again! sorry)
I know this has been done to death, but things change fast. I have done a lot of reading but obviously dont have all the answers!
This post relates to the 12 month ME BV or equivalent.
Has anyone had/gone for a 'cultural' visa? Stantours have recommended one if supplying 'company' details is difficult.
I could say I am self- employed and supply statements showing the £££ in my ISA but what happens with the 'inviting organisation'? how and what do I do to get around this?
Other things regarding supporting docs for MEBV are HIV cert? needed?
and this has popped up again - 'Applicants should also have a single or double Russian visa in the last 1 year, without which they cannot apply for multiple entries.'
I did email VFS Global (The UK Visa application company) a while back and they said it wasn't neccessary.
Does anybody have recent experience of applying?
We will be starting ours next month but I just want to get everything lined up prior to applying mid November.
My plan was LOI from Stantours then postal application to Russia Visa Information - UK - Home Page for our Visas with supporting docs.
G
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8 Oct 2012
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Join Date: Feb 2006
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Hi there
I cannot give you any info on Cultural visa but we applied for 6 month ME BV in March of this year and got it - we had never been to Russia before. I had left my job so was unemployed when we applied but I got my ex boss, who has his own company, to 'lend' me his letterhead. I did the letter and he kindly signed it.
We used the visa agency Real Russia in London for ours and found them really helpful. They supplied the LOI and I transfered that info into my letter. I was forever emailing and asking questions and asking them to change information already submitted and they always answered promptly.
Hope you get the visa you want.
Debz
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8 Oct 2012
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Thanks Debz,
Did they 'contact' your old boss in any way? I could use the letterhead for the company I am with now but they don't yet know I'm leaving in December! Last thing I want is for the Russian Consulate to ring up and start asking questions  I might have to risk it, or come clean earlier than planned.
G
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8 Oct 2012
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Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Moscow
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Griffdowg
Did they 'contact' your old boss in any way? I could use the letterhead for the company I am with now but they don't yet know I'm leaving in December! Last thing I want is for the Russian Consulate to ring up and start asking questions I might have to risk it, or come clean earlier than planned. |
No risk - in my mind.
Russian burocracy is about paperwork matching and then they accept the previous steps must be OK because someone else approved it. It is not for the Officer in current step in the process to query his predecesor but to look at only the paperwork appropriate to his part.
Not their responsibility to check up on the decisions of others !!
And I have never heard of them checking outside parties. For example, back in my Visa days, I regularly provided an "employers letter" from a Company of mine that was dissolved years earlier and had an address which had been demolished as part of the very preliminary Olympics redevelopment about 8 years ago!
Never a query.
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8 Oct 2012
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As Tony says, I don't think there's any risk they'll contact them, they certainly never contacted my ex boss.
I used the same letterhead and content for me and my partner, who has never worked with my ex boss, I just gave him a different job title but everything else was pretty much the same. Although I did use different home addresses - I only did this because that's the way we ended up splitting our banks/mail, mine to my folks, his to his.
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9 Oct 2012
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Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Alcester UK & Idilevo, Bulgaria
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+1 for Real Russia
Last year we got a 6 month multi entry business visa. LOI from Stantours and visa application from Real Russia. Worth paying their fees just for peace of mind.
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17 Oct 2012
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Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: London
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The business visa was fine for me also, one border guard going from Kazakhstan into Russia (near Pavlodar) raised in conversation "Commercial visa?" to which he shrugged when i said a bit of business a bit of pleasure using gestures and pigeon russian.
Who's to say you could not come across business opportunities while enjoying a nice ride anyway?
You would not need bank statements if a covering letter (on headed paper of a company that will never be contacted) states the applicant will carry enough cash and credit cards to fund the trip...
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7 Dec 2012
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Good news. I got the original LOI through the door today and am putting through the visa application online now.
1 more stumbling block is the need for insurance. We have yet to order any for our 12 months away as I was going to max out its length by leaving it till the last week. However It seems that it is 'strongly recommended' to take some out and to send a copy along with your visa.
Should I do this 1st? or have people applied and been granted WITHOUT taking any insurance?
Cheers, nearly there 
G
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7 Dec 2012
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and what is with the 'have you visited any countries in the last 10 years'!?
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20 Dec 2012
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Join Date: Apr 2011
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insurance
We were in Russia last year, and went without insurance, brought in on the border.
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21 Dec 2012
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Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Warrington UK
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Griffdowg
Yes, think so.
All cold weather gear sorted for Nordkapp next month
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Wow, brave man, sure going to be cold up there.
Are you aiming for the top, or the “Very Top” ?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Griffdowg
All cold weather gear sorted for Nordkapp next month
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I am sure the cold weather gear is going to be properly tested.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Griffdowg
Picking up our Central Asia Visas in Ankara.
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Excellent, any hassles there, or is it like a “Bought visa”?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Griffdowg
Truck and trailer nearly done.
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Are you using the Sankey as your base, with the roof-tent on top?
Hope the shipping from Siberia to Aus works out.
Are you staying in Aus, or planning a return?
Vette
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18 Jan 2013
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Join Date: Dec 2004
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Stantours/Online vs Real Russia (or other)
Hi Griff,
I'm sure you're busy sorting last minute stuff but if you do happen to read this then I have a question for you (or anybody else who's made this decision).
I'm about to go through the same process myself so...
What made you go down the Stantours LOI/Self-Application Online route rather than hand the whole process over to Real Russia?
It looks as though the prices would be virtually identical.
I ask because I've recently been in contact with Stantours regarding other visa's and David offered his services for a Russian LOI.
Cheers and Safe Travels
Adam
PS...I'll keep an eye out for you on the road this summer
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18 Jan 2013
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JediMaster
What made you go down the Stantours LOI/Self-Application Online route rather than hand the whole process over to Real Russia?
It looks as though the prices would be virtually identical.
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I have used David in past also over the others. For me it was because even before I even spent a cent with him, he provided excellent information on my many questions, gratis. From my point view I saw benefit in keeping him in business for both myself and others.
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18 Jan 2013
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Registered Users
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Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Bristol UK
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JediMaster
Hi Griff,
I'm sure you're busy sorting last minute stuff but if you do happen to read this then I have a question for you (or anybody else who's made this decision).
I'm about to go through the same process myself so...
What made you go down the Stantours LOI/Self-Application Online route rather than hand the whole process over to Real Russia?
It looks as though the prices would be virtually identical.
I ask because I've recently been in contact with Stantours regarding other visa's and David offered his services for a Russian LOI.
Cheers and Safe Travels
Adam
PS...I'll keep an eye out for you on the road this summer
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I don't know Adam. Same as Craig, David has been an excellent resource and helped/reassured us along the way. I heard good things in the past about him so went with it. I don't see how Real Russia can process your visa application any differently as all of the questions are personal. For example, your last 2 employers, previous addresses, 10 year travel history etc. What do you gain from using an agency anyway? Get the LOI from David then print out the visa forms, its pretty easy.
I also like to be in control of things so if it got denied I would know why. If an agency is doing it for you, you dont know what they are writing!
what do real russia charge for LOI and visa?
EDIT: I just looks. Seems we saved about £65 each overall so its not a bad saving considering the extra work required is very little and you have some scope for movement. As I said above, you would still need to provide them with bank statements, visa application etc. I guess they just fill some things in and do your LOI processing so it does remove a step I guess.
G
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8 Dec 2012
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Join Date: Oct 2007
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Griffdowg
Should I do this 1st? or have people applied and been granted WITHOUT taking any insurance?
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When we applied I gave them the details of the policy we had, no Cert of Currency or anything like that.
So I guess in theory you could just make it up!
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Stantours/Online vs Real Russia (or other)
Hybrid Mode
