First Trip to Russia

[Rina_G]

Hi Guys!
Again I need a help.
One american man would like to come to Russia.
But he wants to come with invite visa.
I say - at first it'll be better to come as tourist.
Please give me some information about it.
It isn't questiong - I don't want to invite hin - I want.
but I want too to make everything correct and easer (faster)
where he can read in internet about tourist trip - possible, docs? time and ect?
Thankd for all minds.
Rina

[Blues Fairy]

One american man would like to come to Russia.
where he can read in internet about tourist trip - possible, docs? time and ect?

My husband came to Moscow on a tourist visa; I used a Moscow travel agency to issue a guest invitation (voucher) for him and fedex'ed it to him directly.  You can read about the process here, for example: http://www.visarus.net/

Mind that it takes a few weeks for the Russian Embassy to issue him a visa once he submits his docs; so do this well in advance.  The voucher cost me something like 2000 roubles and the visa itself will cost him $100 ($150??)

[Shadow]

Tourist visa is the most easy.
The link of BluesFairy will work, if he can not book it by internet himself.
If he asks, tell him that due to the bureaucracy a private invitation is a lot harder to get. It is the truth.

[Rina_G]

Thanks - I sent him all your posts already

[OlgaH]

Rina_G,

he and you also can look for information about homestay and tourist visas on the Russian embassy website

http://www.russianembassy.org/

[Thomcat]

Rina_G,
I just got my passport back a few days ago for my trip to Russia with my Visa. I used a site in Washington DC that I had reccomended to me and everthing worked out fine.
The cost was $220.95 including the invitation letter that I think cost me an extra 20 or 30 dollars. The website is www.VisaHQ.com and they kept me posted by email throughtout the process. The woman that is handling my trip did not want to provide the invitation letter either and said it would be best to pay the Visa Processing people to provide the invitation letter.
Thomcat

[Rina_G]

Many thanks OlgaH and Thomcat
I'll use everything you've written.
 

[Ooooops]

Depends where in Russia, I guess..    I've just got a tourist visa using this agency (second time already) - http://www.visahouse.com   

[Brianinaz]

I used http//:www.gotorussia.com. It was easy

[Rina_G]

thanks all again
i think we build very full bank of information
thanks for many ways and possibles.

[Gator]

Tourist visa is best.  I also used gotorussia.com.  In fact I used them several times.  Never a problem.

The fee for a tourist visa is $190 with an 8-day turnaround.

If you have high hopes for this man, tell him to get a double entry visa (same price).  Or a business visa (unlimited entry for a year), but it takes more time to obtain.

[Rina_G]

thanks Gator.
I just want to get some information
no high hopes :ohbrother:
you know there is big diferens between I say and I make

[Daveman]

thanks Gator.
I just want to get some information
no high hopes :ohbrother:
you know there is big diferens between I say and I make

Indeed there is.  Good luck Rina. Hopefully this guy will make/do, and not only say.  Sometimes I get tired of the RW skepticism of Western men.. but then I think of all the self serving idiots who make grand promises and don't follow through, and then I'm able to put everything into perspective again. Too bad we can't just shoot those idiots.  Ahhhhh, when I am king of the earth, everything will be different! 

[Rina_G]

lol Dave not te so cruel - it shouldn't to shoot every idiots
They have to be too - for joy and good lessons.
thinking your wise advices I can to get diference .
some days ago I met one Romeo and on second day I understood this and on fourth day he dissapeared.
I think it's very good results!
Thanks you all.

[Mars]

Indeed there is.  Good luck Rina. Hopefully this guy will make/do, and not only say.  Sometimes I get tired of the RW skepticism of Western men.. but then I think of all the self serving idiots who make grand promises and don't follow through, and then I'm able to put everything into perspective again. Too bad we can't just shoot those idiots.  Ahhhhh, when I am king of the earth, everything will be different! 

There is also another face to this situation Dave.  That concerns the women's tendency to put all the man's words into ideas of 'grand promises' as you term it.

For instance; the man is corresponding back and forth in friendly fashion.  He starts wondering to himself what it would be like to visit a woman in another country, but he knows nothing of the procedures.  So he starts asking the FSUW questions like:  When do you have vacation time; how do I get a visa for your country, etc.?

The man is just in the investigation phase.
But to the woman, he has suddenly made 'grand promises.'

[Mars]

I have also used GoToRussia with no problems a few years back.  However, there is now some evidence that people are having problems with these '3rd party' type of helpers as reported by a tourist professional on another forum.

- - - -

Any visitor needs to register within 3 working days.

There are two ways; the correct way and the way most people on this forum
does it.
If you are staying in a private apartment on a  Tourist Visa it is
technically a violation of your visa but it is done often. The registered
occupant (does not have to be the owner but one who is registered as living
there, which could be the owner or just a renter legally living there) needs
to go with you to OVIR for that address and fill out a simple form. It is
free. Bring a photocopy of your passport information page, your migration
card and the visa page.
Here in St Petersburg lines have almost disappeared since they went from 2-3
days a week being open to 5 days a week and longer hours. I did that very
thing for my friend visiting from Milan this morning, it took 2 minutes. In
the past there would have been long lines with abbreviated hours.

Technically, your sponsor, the one listed on your visa is responsible for
that and also for you during your stay. If you got an invitation from a
foreign visa service, you most likely are breaking the law and can be
detained for immigration court.

Make sure the organization who sponsored you
is listed on your visa and that they handle the registration.
If you are visiting on a Private Visa, it is the same, the person who got
the invitation for you needs to go with you or handle the registration.
Within 48 hours of your leaving their supervision(usually by leaving the
country) they need to unregister you by turning in the original receipt.

 You can also register at post offices but they are not in a position to
catch a mistake or improper filing so you are better assured of having the
whole registration handled correctly if you visit OVIR instead of the post
office.

There are ONLY TWO TYPES OF ENTITIES who can sponsor a Tourist Visa, a hotel
and a registered tour operator. If you buy a tourist invitation from a 3rd
party visa service you might be liable for the CRACK-DOWN that immigration
officials are making targeting IMPROPER INVITATIONS and sponsorship.

Most of the 3rd party resellers of visa invitations are buying them from
Intel Service Center in Moscow which is a tour company and can issue
invitations but they do not sponsor you or even reveal who is your sponsor
so you are in violation of the terms of the visa. A friend had to go to
court 2 months ago based on that. It was a real hassle and I lost several
days acting as interpreter for the hearings. The cause of the problem was
using one of the largest visa support companies in the USA, supplying
invitations from a company that really did not exist.

If the visa service does not have their own MBT registration number as a
Russian tour operator or hotel, they are out of reach of Russian law but you
are. They MUST arrange to meet you in your destination in order to establish
supervision.

Good luck....follow the rules and it is very easy and free but using 3rd
parties costs more even if you don't get caught.

[JR]

Yay Rina ! ! !

You go girl

[Rina_G]

Wow JR!

do you amazing with this?  :whirling:

Or you're glad for me?

It just information - who knows what will be? 

[JR]

I am glad for you Rina It would also be interesting if you wrote a reverse trip report! Everyone writes about going. You could give us a look from the other side of the fence like Mies did, that would be sooooo cool

I know it's not a HUGE thing, I'm just excited for you. Hope you have a lot of fun and it turns out well.

[Rina_G]

I am glad for you Rina It would also be interesting if you wrote a reverse trip report! Everyone writes about going. You could give us a look from the other side of the fence like Mies did, that would be sooooo cool

I know it's not a HUGE thing, I'm just excited for you. Hope you have a lot of fun and it turns out well.

to JollyRats - I'v very glad to read your post/
If this date will be real - I will talk about here.
yes of course It'll be interesting to see other side of meeting
will see