They are also on racks at arrival points. The cards are distributed by flight attendants before landing. Russian authorities do not always point this out, expecting you to learn the rules by osmosis.

You will need to fill out a migration card on arrival. The Catch 22: lodgings may refuse to accept you with an expired visa. If you get stuck in Russia, your sponsor will need to request a visa extension, which can take up to twenty days. The second is the date by which you must leave. Overstaying invalidates your visa, which bars you from leaving Russia. Overstaying by three days or less may not be a problem, subject to the whim of Russian immigration officials. The first date is the earliest you may enter Russia. Russian visas are granted only for the dates listed in the sponsor letter. If so, you will need a certified bank check or money order.Īfter receiving your visa, check that your name and dates are correct. Some Russian consulates do not accept personal checks, ATM, or credit cards.

For rush and work visas only: proof of departure (itinerary or copy of plane ticket).

Do not wear glasses if you are not wearing them in your passport photo.

Two passport-sized photos matching the photo in your passport.Original passport valid for six months after your departure from Russia.Submit and print an official visa application form via the consulate or one of several intermediary websites. Your signature on the application must match the one in your passport.Obtain a Russian-based sponsor (hotel, hostel, tour agency, relative or friend). For homestays, the sponsor obtains an invitation from the local office in Russia and sends it to you. If your sponsor is a hotel or hostel, contact them. They will send you an invite and voucher (proof of pre-payment for lodging). If you are visiting more than one city, going through a travel agency may be easier. You will need to write the dates and name of each lodging on your application, with a maximum of six. As invitations and vouchers from each lodging may be necessary, the paperwork can become complicated. You may also have problems proving proper sponsorship to customs officials on arrival.Spare the headache, and allow at least one month to process a Russian tourist visa. If you travel frequently, check that you have enough pages in your passport. Expedited processing takes three business days. Regular processing takes 10-20 business days. Processing for homestays takes twenty business days minimum. The day you drop off your application does not count towards processing time. For a steep fee some travel agencies do the paperwork for you, which eliminates confusion but does not decrease processing time. If you live far from a Russian consulate, check with the nearest one about obtaining a visa by mail. Some will do this. Others have stopped processing visas by mail and you will need to enlist the aid of a travel agency.Ī degree in international law is not required to obtain a Russian visa, but can seem like it. Several sleepless nights later, I received my visa one day before departure. I learned this the hard way, when I snapped up a discount ticket to Moscow two weeks before departure. Then I realized I had only one blank passport page-the last one-which cannot be used for Russian visas. So I had to apply for a new passport, as well as a rush visa. Russian rules do not make personal exceptions, even if your plane is about to leave. A Russian tourist visa lasts up to 30 days. Here are some tips to help you best cope with the unexpected while traveling in Russia:Īrriving in Russia without a visa is grounds for denial of entry and return home at your own expense. Check with your local Russian consulate about what kind you need. But Russian rules can become Kafkaesque nightmares for unwary travelers. Traveling independently offers the flexibility to experience these wonders far from the madding crowd. Petersburg now sparkles as in the days of the czars, duly deserving its status as a UNESCO World Heritage site. In recent years, Russia has been hard at work shaking off the gray vestiges of communism. After a 6-year, multi-million dollar renovation, Moscow’s world renowned Bolshoi theatre reopened. Volunteer Abroad Study Abroad High School Language

Russian hotel aftermath meaning