http://blogs.waytorussia.net/item/107

quote:

There has been some changes in Russian visa regulations, which were implemented a few days ago.

1. A foreign citizen can now obtain a Russian visa ONLY in the country of his/her citizenship. One can also obtain a Russian visa in another country but will need to present to the Russian consulate a permit of stay in that country valid for more than 90 days. A visa may also be issued in a country other than an applicant's own in case of urgent necessity, such as participating in international, governmental, official, scientific, sport and cultural events. A final decision in these cases would be left up to the consulate.

2. A multiple entry business visa allows nationals of all countries to stay in Russia up to 90 days out of the period of 180 days.

3. A multiple entry visa is only available for people who have been issued a Russian visa before. If this is your first visit, you are only eligible to obtain a single or double entry visa for 1 to 3 months, which is the only way now to stay in Russia for longer than 50% of time if you plan to live here (apart from getting a residence permit or an official work permit, which enables you to stay in Russia for as long as you are employed here). A copy of your previous Russian visa should be enclosed in your application for a multiple entry invitation.

If you are on a RTW trip, you are now sort of SOL unless you apply for your visa before you leave.

Ah crap, I didn't even know EU citizens need a visa for Russia. There go our plans for a long weekend (far too much hassle)!

It's a pain for expat EU citizens like myself: the UK no longer issues specific residence permits. Since the early nineties, I've simply obtained my passports from the German embassy/consulate, listing London or Edinburgh as residence respectively. That's probably not enough for the Russian bureaucrats.

All very old-fashioned.

I sent an email out to a group that processes Russian visas in the US. I'll report what advice they have.

Please do. I'd be interested to hear how you go.

I'm sure they're determined not to let me in. I spent two days queuing in London last year and never made it to the front. I was hoping to pick one up in Beijing or Ulan Bator next year and now it looks like that'll be a no-go too.

Even before these new rules, getting a Russian tourist visa in Ulaan Bataar was near impossible unless you went through an expensive travel agency.

It's so bizarre that the Russians are going the absolute opposite way as the rest of the world. When I planned my trip through Russia and Central Asia, I expected the 'dodgy' Stans to be difficult. Getting a Kazakh visa was a piece of cake (the embassy employee even helped me cheat around the tour company requirement). The Kyrgyz visa couldn't have been easier. Man, even China was a piece of cake (in Almaty), albeit expensive. But the Russian visa was a pain before and now it seems to become even worse. Not interested in tourists?

quote:

Originally posted by elAdi:
It's so bizarre that the Russians are going the absolute opposite way as the rest of the world.

Doesn't really surprise me though.

I guess this also means that the option of getting a tourist visa easily in the Baltic States is also out.

More from the Moscow Times:

quote:

"Zubkov's decree also says foreigners might have to obtain the visas in their native countries -- which implies that U.S. and British expatriates could no longer hop on the train to Kiev for a visa run. But representatives of visa agencies and foreign business lobbies were unsure how that rule would be implemented, and some said it might not apply to Westerners."

"Timur Beslangurov, managing director of Vista Foreign Business Support, said foreigners would be able to obtain visas in the Russian embassy of any country as long as they could present a residence permit for that country, or at least some document proving that they had the right to live there for 90 days."

I don't think the Russians even know what is going on. From what I've read this totally came out of the blue and no one expected it.

I think I'm going to Seoul and wing it. If they approve it, they approve it. If not, then so be it. I'm only looking to visit Vladivostok for 3-4 days.

Let us know how you get on!

This makes me want to cry. The Trans Siberian was going to be a major bit of my RTW. I will either have to FedEx my passport to the States (gasp) or I don't know what.

Don't despair yet. I'm sure there will be companies that will find a way around it. I got a Business Visa for Russia so that I could travel for three months. And technically that wasn't really possible back then either. It will cost you (it did before), but I'm sure you'll be able to get a visa.

As far as I can tell, a lot of the new visa regulation is aimed at people who live and work in Russia year round on 1 year multiple entry business visas and go to a 3rd country every year for a new 1 year ME visa and come back to live, this going on year after year. The Russians are absolutely trying to put a stop to this.

However, in their usual form, the Duma passes many poorly worded and unthought out pieces of legislation, leaving to the officials of whatever agency to figure what the Duma meant and to implement the new indecipherable legislation. The new visa regulations are just this.

For now, I would say that the hapless tourist trying to get a Russian visa in a 3rd country will likely be denied. It will take the Russian business people who deal in the visa process a bit of time to figure legitimate ways around the new murky law. But I am sure that they will find ways. They always do. Just takes a bit of trial and error.

There is no question that xenophobia in Russia is on the rise both officially and in the general population. Foreigners are generally not welcome in this country and becoming less welcome by the day. I just came back from vacation and would love to tell my (expat) friends about my travels--but I can't. They've all left. I saw one off in late September and had another farewell dinner Oct. 8, this year more than half a dozen of my friends have left the country for good. And I know many other expats who've gone this year or are in the process of leaving, people who have been in Russia for years. Going, going, gone.

The Russians are increasingly making it exceeding difficult for foreigners to get in, and almost impossible to stay.

But back to the visa issue. There are some many discussions about the problem here on Redtape.ru. These are all expats who live here and nobody can figure out what's what. Read through the Passport Control folder for current events: http://www.redtape.ru/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=5

Is there any limit how long in advance you can get your visa? We will be leaving our home country in August 08 and will be spending three months each in China and Mongolia before (hopefully) heading across Russia on the Trans-Siberian.

I believe Russian visas can be applied for up to 90 days in advance of arrival.

But don't get excited about the new rules just now. If you won't be coming to Russia before August 08 there is a high probability that the visa rules will change again at least once before then. In my experience here, the Duma tweaks with visa and registration laws about every 6 months. And Russia is soon to have a new president....

There is no telling what may happen. None.