Should I be making an appointment at the embassy?

[YoungBuck]

I am looking at applying for a Russian visa (3 year multi-entry - homestay or tourist) and I found the Invisa website yet I cannot schedule an appointment for later than April 2013. The dates are blocked out for at least the next 3 months. I live in LA, have family in SF, and I was going to apply in person in SF. I also checked NYC since I will be there in early June, same thing.

Is it a system error or am I missing something here?

Also, I haven't bought the plane tickets due to visa timing issues. Is it necessary to state exact dates on the itinerary or would approximate dates work. Essentially if I arrive a day early or day late, would I be denied entry due to the itinerary mismatch? I am looking to travel in Aug. or Sept., before the school semester starts.

[Chicagoguy]

www.gotorussia.com provides a service for a reasonable charge. Check out their web page. I have one there now. Three year one is cheaper than 30 day !? But my passport expires too soon for one.

[onus]

Once you send in your visa application by mail they will let you know if you need to show up.

Skip the 3rd parties and just use Invista Logistic Services. They do all the processing for the consulates now and save your self a few $.

[ML]

Skip the 3rd parties and just use Invista Logistic Services. They do all the processing for the consulates now and save your self a few $.

Invista is a 3rd party.

[BillyB]

I cannot schedule an appointment for later than April 2013. The dates are blocked out for at least the next 3 months. I live in LA, have family in SF, and I was going to apply in person in SF.

I used gotorussia.com.  American based company with lots of FSU employees. Mailed my passport 2-3 day USPS priority mail and they mailed it back. Like most visa services no appointment necessary and they provide the invitation letter the Russian govt. requires.

Also, I haven't bought the plane tickets due to visa timing issues. Is it necessary to state exact dates on the itinerary or would approximate dates work. Essentially if I arrive a day early or day late, would I be denied entry due to the itinerary mismatch? I am looking to travel in Aug. or Sept., before the school semester starts.

Buy the plane tickets after you have visa in hand. Be on the safe side and apply for dates before you're 100% sure you can go. For example, you want to come Aug 7, tell the visa company you want the visa to to start July 30. If you arrive in Russia before your visa is valid, you sleep in the international airport until it's valid and buy another plane ticket to your final destination if it's not the city you arrived at.  Once on Russian soil, you have 3 days to get your passport registered. Hotels, if you stay there, will do this for free but if you rent an apartment, your apartment manager should know where to go to help you out. The apartment manager will expect to get paid for this help and there could be additional costs from the govt office/company who registers your passport. Don't expect mercy from Communist style passport control at the airport. If you do not register your passport, you may not leave Russia on time, be sleeping at the airport and have to buy another ticket home.

[onus]

Invista is a 3rd party.

I guess in some sense. All the other companies have to go through invista. The embassy / consulate says so. They even advise all people to use that in attempt to cut down their work load. You can still apply in person but, if you go to the consulate they have a of paper telling you to go to invista's offices.

I used gotorussia.com.  American based company with lots of FSU employees. Mailed my passport 2-3 day USPS priority mail and they mailed it back. Like most visa services no appointment necessary and they provide the invitation letter the Russian govt. requires.




Buy the plane tickets after you have visa in hand. Be on the safe side and apply for dates before you're 100% sure you can go. For example, you want to come Aug 7, tell the visa company you want the visa to to start July 30. If you arrive in Russia before your visa is valid, you sleep in the international airport until it's valid and buy another plane ticket to your final destination if it's not the city you arrived at.  Once on Russian soil, you have 3 days to get your passport registered. Hotels, if you stay there, will do this for free but if you rent an apartment, your apartment manager should know where to go to help you out. The apartment manager will expect to get paid for this help and there could be additional costs from the govt office/company who registers your passport. Don't expect mercy from Communist style passport control at the airport. If you do not register your passport, you may not leave Russia on time, be sleeping at the airport and have to buy another ticket home.

I believe the rule is now 7 days in the same place now before you have to register. I was their for over 7 days and had no problem leaving. My girlfriend's knows someone at what ever agency does that sort of thing and they said i didn't need to register unless i was in one place for more than 7 days. Since was never in the same place for 7 days over my two week period i was fine. Goes against what i usually hear but seeing as i left without problem i didn't worry. I was just there a last month.

Passport control is no different than other countries. Give them your passport they check it with your picture and info in the computer, photocopy it, and print out your migration card.

[steve057]

I got my 3 year visa last October and since it went through Washington DC there was no interview. Received it in about three weeks. I used VisaHQ to get mine and had heard they were asking for some to come in for an interview. Got lucky maybe? Price is about the same as a 30 day visa.

[Faux Pas]

I got my 3 year visa last October and since it went through Washington DC there was no interview. Received it in about three weeks. I used VisaHQ to get mine and had heard they were asking for some to come in for an interview. Got lucky maybe? Price is about the same as a 30 day visa.

steve, VisaHQ makes no mention of the 3 year visa on their website. Did you ask specifically for the 3 year  or did they just sent it?

[steve057]

steve, VisaHQ makes no mention of the 3 year visa on their website. Did you ask specifically for the 3 year  or did they just sent it?

In the area for 'Tourist' visa it says up to three years. It's the second one down and also has one for business and private as well. It was a little more paperwork but well worth the extra time since now I can go when I want and not have to wait for a visa.

[steve057]

steve, VisaHQ makes no mention of the 3 year visa on their website. Did you ask specifically for the 3 year  or did they just sent it?

I should mention that they decide how long your visa is for. If it is your first Russian visa you might not get three years. I had a couple before so maybe that's why I got the three year one? Still haven't figured out if the 182 days it says at the top is per visit or total for the three years? If you read the Russian Embassy site they make it sound like it's per visit but is it? I will ask passport control next month when I'm there.

[Faux Pas]

In the area for 'Tourist' visa it says up to three years. It's the second one down and also has one for business and private as well. It was a little more paperwork but well worth the extra time since now I can go when I want and not have to wait for a visa.

Yeah I saw that after I had posted. The 3 year would certainly be worth the effort and small amount of extra expense