Russian visa and Mongolia?

[Kennichi]

I was going to send off my passport to get the Agent to fill get me a Russian Visa , but then somebody told me that if you go to Mongolia you cannot re-enter Russia from Mongolia as it is an ex CIS country, and thus you MUST get a Russian business visa to allow for re-entry...

I don't need a Mongolian visa btw due to my citizenship with HK which allows me to enter mongolia for 14 days.


Is the above true , that I need a biz visa?.

Any thoughts?

Thanks

[MotoEdde]

How would you enter Mongolia, if you're not entering via Russia.
Multiple entry and double entry Russian visas work for entering via Russia into Mongolia and exiting Mongolia via Russia.

[Kennichi]

I have Hong Kong citizenship , my citizenship papers allow me to enter mongolia without a visa for Mongolia for 14 days on the Russian border.

[Chris of Japan]

If you leave Russia (even to CIS countries), you need either a new visa or a multiple-entry visa to go back to Russia.

So, China --> Mongolia --> Russia = Single entry visa OK
Russia --> Mongolia --> Russia = Double (multiple)-entry visa required

For most of us, China is not an option. But if you are from HK, maybe you can ride mainland China. I'm not sure how your one-country two-systems thing works...

You can get another single entry visa in Mongolia, but I hear the embassy is not very efficient. If you only have 14 days in Mongolia, you should have your Russian visa beforehand.

[Kennichi]

No I figured it out I think , in that double entry tourist visas have a single 30 day limit to them ie you are expected to enter and leave and enter and leave within 30 days TOTAL.

While the biz ones allow double entry in a 90 day period.

I don't think we can do Mongolia and Russia in a total 30 day period.

[MotoEdde]

Are there multiple types of double entry visas?

The one I had allowed me to enter and exit Russia twice within a 90 day period.

Check with StanTours on the web...they helped with the LOI for my Russian visa.

[ilesmark]

FWIW, I was up against this issue. I think there ARE different types of Russian multiple-entry visas - I only had a 1 month one. See this Thorn Tree thread

Russian Visa Extension ... - Thorn Tree travel forum - Lonely Planet

[MotoEdde]

From my understanding, you can get a Russian double-entry visa for a 3 month maximum duration->you have to specify up front as part of your LOI.

If you need more than three months, than you need to get a multiple-entry visa.

Again, David at Stan Tours would be your best source of this...and which consulates are the easier ones to issue these visas. I found Tashkent to be easy and cheap...same day, once I LOI was received.

[Kennichi]

Right I think we have resolved this issue in that we are just going to have to fork out for double entry 90 day Business Russian visas and pay for the LOI through the same company. Its a time issue rather than anything else as we want time to ride around Kazahkstan and the other Stans (David B says it is easy to get visas in Almaty to Kryg and Tajikistan).

We have to wait a bit though since we can only apply for visas for entry into Russia for the 1st of may currently , suppose we will pay for the express services as they won't process it anymore than the specified date of arrival.

[MotoEdde]

What is your planned route? Please share when posting your queries...as answers for travelling within Central Asia depend on it.

If David B says so, that's reliable...you could also try to pick up those Visas in Bishkek. Its a cheaper place to do it and there's plenty to see in Kyrgyz...while you wait for visas to process.

[danielsprague]

As far as I know, a double-entry visa allows you to leave Russia to a CIS country (i.e. Kazakhstan, Ukraine, but not Mongolia) and re-enter, but a multiple-entry visa is required to enter a non-CIS country. This is according to Russian Immigration rules 2007. I'm not sure if this has changed (I doubt it).

Daniel

[farqhuar]

Originally Posted by danielsprague

As far as I know, a double-entry visa allows you to leave Russia to a CIS country (i.e. Kazakhstan, Ukraine, but not Mongolia) and re-enter, but a multiple-entry visa is required to enter a non-CIS country. This is according to Russian Immigration rules 2007. I'm not sure if this has changed (I doubt it).

Daniel

My experience last year was not consistent with that Daniel.

Please note that even for business visas there are 3 types - single entry, double entry and multiple (2 or more) entry. Each can have different periods associated with them. However, from October 2007 the rules changed and you can no longer obtain an invitation for a multiple entry visa unless you had previously had, and used, a Russian visa (of any sort). I understand there may have been further changes subsequently.

This SNAFUed my journey last year and meant that I had to change my plans so as to enter Mongolia from China (rather than Russia).

Garry from Oz.

[Kennichi]

Thats a bit of a snafu .... so Multiple entry visas are a no no then? , we were thinking of getting double entry Russian ones , the 45 days before entry into Russia is a bit of an issue also...

Our route is:

Turkey -> Georgia ->Azerbajian -> Kazahkstan** -> Almaty -> Krygstan*** -> Kazahkstan -> Russia -> Mongolia -> Russia ->Korea.


** we are taking the Ataku ferry from Baku even though it comes every 7-10 days we can wait it out if the worst situation occurs ie we get to Baku as the ferry leaves we can explore the mountains north of Baku for 3-4 days and come back and wait for it.

*** David B of Stan tours says it is simple to get Kry visas in Almaty.

Hence i think a double entry business visa will be ok for the Russian bit as we will only enter twice. A quick run through Russia for the Mongolian border and through Mongolia out to the border with China and back up into Russia for Vladivostok to leave via Korea for the bikes to be shipped home.

Double entry biz sounds right yeah?.

Scott's tried to sell us £700 visas today , I said no , and real russia seems to do the double entry biz visa for an awful lot less. They didn't pick up the phone today when I tried to contact them though but I'll try tommorow morning.

[farqhuar]

Originally Posted by Kennichi

Hence i think a double entry business visa will be ok for the Russian bit as we will only enter twice. A quick run through Russia for the Mongolian border and through Mongolia out to the border with China and back up into Russia for Vladivostok to leave via Korea for the bikes to be shipped home.

Double entry biz sounds right yeah?.

Yes, I agree, the double entry business visa will cover you for that.

Garry from Oz.

[MotoEdde]

Kenniche,

1. Why aren't you getting your Russian visa via Stan Tours? Picking it up en route is very easy(and cheaper)...especially in Tashkent...same day service for me.

2. You may not be able to ride your bike around Baku, unless you fork over a ridiculous deposit for importing your bike...Azeri customs have been inconsistent(depending on which border you enter) but they limit the amount of time you can ride your bike in Azerbaijan. Google the HUBB on this...some bikers have gotten caught in this...

3. Will your citizenship and bike registration status allow you to ride your bike in China without an expensive guide?

4. Will 14 days be enough time in Mongolia...considering you entrance and exit points?