Being British, I can get a double entry visa for Russia.
I want to ride from the UK to Mongolia and was hoping to go through Kazakhstan however, unless I go south of the black see and arrange visas for Turkey, Iran and a whole handful of other 'stan countries, I can't get there without either:

1. Entering Russia more than twice or
2. Missing out Kazakhstan completely which seems a real shame.

Any suggestions?

Am I right in thinking that:
a) i can only get a double entry visa for Russia.
b) It is definitely not possible to cross from Kazakshtan to Mongilia without entering Russia.

I would love to travel through Turkey and Iran etc. however I plan to leave in April and have a feeling I will never arrange the visas in time.

Any help will be much appreciated.

Pete.

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You CAN get Multi Entry Business Visas (recommended) and Tourist Visas

NOT possible by land- the two countries do not touch or meet each other.

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No border between Kazakhstan and Mongolia.

Have you considered a multi-entry business visa? Take a look at VisaToRussia: Russian Visa Online, Moscow, Russia. Tourist, Business, Multiple-Entry Travel Russia Visa Support Invitation Services. Russian Federation Visa Requirements, Embassy and Consulate Application Form. Visas to all CIS Countries: Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhs . You should have plenty of time to obtain one by April. The visa requires a letter of invitation, which is arranged for by them. It comes to you as a certificate which you file along with a visa application, a letter outlining the type of business opportunity you are interested in exploring, and a recent AIDs test. It is not an onerous process. It allows unlimited entries over the time period (6 or 12 months) but is still subject to the 90 day visit with the last 180 day limit.

There might be other options but my understanding is that Russia is fairly strict on getting your visa in your home country which can limit your options on the road.

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Samuel Longiaru
Kamloops, BC Canada
1975 BMW R60/6
http://thetwilightproject.net

No.
AIDS Free Certificates are only required for Visas and Permits that allow continuous stays of over (from memory) 6 months. No Tourist or Business Visa allows staying beyond the 90 day limit.


Almost that.
For British citizens, Visa applications can only be made from within countries where they have a written right of residency specific to that person. They do not accept the EU general right of citizens of full member states to live in other EU states but require some additional written proof of actually residing there, such as a Carte de Sejour in France.
You do occasionally hear of people getting 'in under the fence' on that in some places.

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Thanks all for your input. I'm still a little confused.
According to this source: Russia Visa Information - UK - All About Your Visas - Tourist I am only able to enter up to a maximum of two times on a tourist visa.

You mentioned the option for a business visa but according to point 5 of this document checklist (again pulled from the same site as above) http://ru.vfsglobal.co.uk/pdf/Busine...0countries.pdf it would appear that I need an introductory letter from the company I will be doing business on behalf of.

Can I really go for the business option if I am simply there to ride through on a motorbike?

Thanks again.

Pete.

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I had a multi entry business visa in 2011. I was only travelling and had no intention of working. I used a visa agency as I live in Norway and did not have time to do the groundwork myself. Had Russia, Kaz and Mongolia visas before I left and had no problems. No AIDS certificate needed, and visa lasts 12 months. Also, you cannot apply for Russia visa earlier than 45 days before entry date, but that is not an issue as you can ge the visa easy in a coupl e of weks (at least throough the agency I used). The 45 day rule applies to US and UK citizens only.

Hope you have as good a time as I had and don't miss Kaz, some say it is flat (which it is, VERY) and boring, which it may be, but the people I met were fantastic and worth the effort.

Sorry - I see I was wrong about that for Tourist Visas. I never had one, only Multi EntryBusiness ones.
That is another advantage of Business Visas, you can apply for Multi Entry!

The Invitation comes from an organisation (IO) in RUS. 'Dummy' organisations do it for about 50 Euro. Visa agencies will organise it for a fee of their own on top.

How it works is the IO submits an Invitation Application to the Ministry accompanied with your Passport details (possibly a photocopy of it - 'relatives' who already had photocopies always did mine). The Ministry issues the formal Invitation Certificate and the IO collects it about a week later. The IO either gets it to you or your Visa Agency. It is possible do this via a telex to the Embassy if in a hurry in which case you pay more but only quote the telex number instead of producing the Certificate with you Application.

I always produced a letter from my Company confirming my position, they wish me to visit RUS to do business through the IO and confirming taking responsibility for any liabilities I do not meet myself. They never checked up - otherwise they would have realised ther phone number had not worked from up to 6 years earlier because we had closed the business down and liquidated the company!
If there is no Employer who will do it, ask a mate - or get a little print run organised!!

Once you have a Visa you are free to come and go anywhere in RUS for any purpose by any means. Although you put cities on the Application form they do not appear on the Visa. My Business Visa applications had MOS and Pete yet there was never a query when it was inspected in a Black Sea resort or even arriving dishevelled and filthy at the Pacific Ocean end of the Road of Bones on a moto.

RUS burocracy works on the basis that each person is only concerned with his specific small part of the overall process. No one checks back to see what yousaid or did. You passed the previous step is all he wants to know and wants to get rid of you by passing you on to the next step - unless you are being investigated for some serious matter or crime.

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If you have a year long Multi Entry Visa (Business!) you have all the time up to the end of the year ahead of you before entering. So you can get it and then spend many months travelling elsewhere before entering.

But you must exit RUS before midnight on the final validity date of the visa.

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Oh great... and after I just went and got stuck...

My source for the info on the AIDs test comes from the VisaToRussia site that lists the following requirements:

Russian Business Single, Double and Multiple-Entry Visa

1. Your original passport with at least 2 blank visa-designated pages (passport must be valid for at least 6 months after intended departure date from Russia).
2. Two copies of Russian visa application form, completed and signed.
3. ONE passport-size photo signed on the back.
4. For stay exceeding 3 months, or multi entry visa, a HIV test required.
5. Official invitation from an organization authorized to invite business visitors to Russia.

My highlights under point 4 above...

Would be nice to know if it is not required for sure.

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Kamloops, BC Canada
1975 BMW R60/6
http://thetwilightproject.net

Visa for business, study, religious or cultural purposes | The Embassy of Russian Federation in Canada

So I see in para 6.

That is a variation for Canadians that does not appear for British citizens applying in UK.

Russia must recognise us Brits as being pretty pure people.

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OK... the Russian Embassy in Canada site states the following:


Visa for business, study, religious or cultural purposes

1. These requirements apply to Canadian citizens only.
Additional requirements can apply to non-Canadians. Further information for non-Canadians can be sent by e-mail upon your request.
2. The consulate does not provide the information on the status of visa processing by phone.
Please send appropriate request by e-mail with the name of the applicant and his date of birth.
3. In accordance with Russian laws citizens of the Russian Federation regardless of any other citizenship they have must travel to Russia on valid Russian documents only.
4. All the paper work has to be submitted in person.
In meanwhile the applicants unable to be present in our visa section in person are recommended to rely on services provided by visa agencies.



1. Original of completed visa application form with attached photo, one per person.
Application form must be filled out in capital letters using a black point-pen or typing machine or computer. Writing must be legible. Your photo must meet following requirements: the frame size must be 35mm X 45 mm (1 3/8’’ X 1 3/4’’); the photos must be clear, well defined and taken against a plain white or light-coloured background; The photo must be glued on the form strictly at reserved space.
2. Passport or other travel document in original.
At least two pages of the passport should be free of any notes, stamps and visas. Passport must be valid at least 6 months after your supposed date of departure from Russia
3. One photocopy of information pages of the passport.
4. A letter from your company or from yourself (if travelling individually) explaining who is travelling, where, when and with what purpose.
5. The most important document to be submitted is INVITATION or VISA SUPPORT.
INVITATION from your Russian host must be issued by the local office of the Federal Migration Service of the Russian Federation (FMS). The invitations for a work, study or multiple entry visas must be submitted in original.

VISA SUPPORT is provided by your host through Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia. Please, check with us that your visa support has arrived to Consular Division PRIOR to sending documents.

If applying for a multi-entry or double entry visa, it should be specifically mentioned in the Visa support.
6. Applicants obtaining work, study or business multiple entry visas must submit HIV test Certificate issued not earlier than 3 months before the visa application.




Part 6 above, outlines the requirement for the AIDs test. It should be noted, however, that all this just applies to Canadian citizens.

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Samuel Longiaru
Kamloops, BC Canada
1975 BMW R60/6
http://thetwilightproject.net

... or it could be that they saw this article British women 'have worst sex lives in Europe' | Mail Online and figured there was no need

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Samuel Longiaru
Kamloops, BC Canada
1975 BMW R60/6
http://thetwilightproject.net

Thats because I live here - poor things.
I live with a Moscow girl and get no complaints.

Wait til you get here and see them

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Hi Tony,

I can only go on what happened to me, but it may be that I am a UK passport holder living abroad? I tried to apply for my Russia visa early but was told by the agency that I could only apply for the visa 45 days before my first entry date. This may not be correct for those resident at home? Or maybe the agency was simply wrong.

Anyway, just my experience and as is often highlighted here, beureaucracy seems to be a bit of luck as well as judgement.

I suspect we are talking at cross purposes here.

What they were probably saying was the Visa validity period cannot start any more than 45 days ahead of the Application date.

A visa start date has nothing to do with when you eventually enter (if indeed you do) - as long as when you do enter, you are still within the validity period.

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