Russian invitations and visa support

Multiple entry one year visa:
$270, including registration and associated footwork in Moscow. [April 2008: assume around $300.]

April 2008: The need for registration is back. The cost seems to have stabilized at around $25 for my clients and $40 for all others whose papers are in order.

I am now able to issue invitations and do registrations. Invitations are e-mailed same or next day in most cases and cost from $50 (tourist) to $250+ (business multi-entry). [April 2008: $60 for e-mailed tourist invitation, $80 + cost of mailing/courier for paper originals, rates apply to nationals of "Western" countries.] Registration is $25 for clients who obtained their invitations through me and $40 for those who did it elsewhere. Pickup and delivery of papers in Moscow is included, i.e. you do not need to look for the office in the outskirts of the city, stand in line in OVIR etc. Invitations/registrations are not my main product and thus the prices I'm able to offer are somewhat higher than average although by no means the highest. It is often simpler, however, to get me to do your visa support than to arrange it elsewhere and then call me with question, as was often the case, which was exatly what prompted me to investigate the scene and to come up with this offer. To get started I'll need from you a scan of your passport, with text and numbers readable, but no more than 200kb because downloading large files via GPRS at my dacha is no fun, and you can expect an e-mailed invitation (acceptable in most western countries) within hours. The original can be posted at the cost from $25 to $70 but again, if you are in US, Canada, or one of the European countries, you don't need the original. Start by checking with the Russian Consulate where you plan to apply for your visa. Payment can be made via PayPal through an American associate of mine, or by cheque sent to my bank in London, Ontario. Those shopping for the lowest price see the list of agencies below. I recommend that you double check if they will register you visa or merely issue a letter that you then yourself take to the police station, where you are told to come back next day, fill the form in triplicate etc. Please consider that your footwork may negate what you think you are saving. If you value your time, chose an agency that offers complete support. Some of those listed below will also arrange for your application to be delivered to the Russian consulate, and your visa brought to your door. Look for simplicity rather than the lowest nominal number.
Pasha

New! April 18, 2008. From my mailbox:
LATEST UPDATE ON RUSSIAN BUREACRACY
When I was at the consulate in Montreal, I was informed that as of mid-February 2008, persons who have relatives in Russia will no longer be allowed to travel to Russia on a tourist visa (unless they're visiting a region far from their relative, I assume). They are now required to use a private (homestay) visa, obtainable with a private invitation from their relative through their local OVIR. The ORIGINAL of this invitation is required to obtain the visa. I can't confirm this absolutely, but I assume this is a new directive from the Russian government, and therefore would also apply to visa applications submitted to the embassy in Ottawa, and most likely to citizens of any country wanting to visit Russia. From my understanding, this would not seem to affect business visas for travellers going to Russia on legitimate business. But I presume any "business" travellers going to a city where a relative resides (Russian relatives must be declared on the visa application form) would be considered suspect, and require a private visa.
Somehow I managed to obtain an "exception" to this new rule from the clerk in Montreal. I'm not sure if it's because he took pity on my wife (I told him this was a surprise visit for her birthday), or that I told him it would be impossible to obtain a private invitation in time for my trip, and therefore wouldn't go if I couldn't get the tourist visa (in other words, he wanted the $150 express-service processing fee). But this is unlikely to work again... my wife only has one birthday. So better warn your customers.

Denis

I'm therefore directing my assistant Valentina to make arrangements to be able to issue private invitations. Watch for an update. Your enquiries will encourage me to push forward with the matter. - pv

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Visa support agencies & misc.

www.transworldvisas.com/ They do visas to a lot of countries, including Russia. Positive feedback from my clients who arranged visa support though them.

From my mailbox:
> The Scottish visa company I mentioned - www.Russiadirect.net. good people -
> actual visas not dummy invitations and very efficient for tourist & business
> people. They will deal with the Russian Consulate in London on your behalf...

...Intel Visa Services ( www.intelservice.ru / www.visatorussia.com can no longer be recommended after several pieces of negative feedback EXAMPLE They also will no longer register your visa.

....From my mailbox: ."The visa support scene sucks but try www.gotorussia.com или www.russia-travel.com. These two will register you too but there will be a charge of $30-50 of which you may not be told by their western counterpart."

...Visa House Invitation issued via e-mail within 15 minutes during business days. Good feedback.

...From my notice board: "I used www.getrussian.com; they were fast, easy and cheap"

...Indian nationals who I hear have difficulty obtaining visa support may try G&R Hostel http://www.hostel.ru

...Another agency for India is Salvia Travels Ltd.
905, 9th floor
Prakash Deep Building
07, Tolstoy Marg
Connaught Place
New Delhi 110001
India
Tel.: 0091-11-23730086, 2373087, 23327818, 23327819
Fax: 0091-11-23730087
www.salviatravels.com
salviatravels@myrealbox.com
salvia_travels@yahoo.co.in
(Speak with Vikas Chaudhary)

From my mailbox
Received April 4, 2008

BTW, I must thank you for having the information for Indian nationals on your website. If I hadn't read about Salvia Travels, I would never have had the Russian visa with me today!

Agencies that advertise in The Moscow Time but I don't have any feedback on these:

www.infinity.ru,
tel. 243-6999 / 234-6555 / visa@infinity.ru

Andrew's Consulting, www.russianvisa.ru, 916-9888 FOR A FEE THEY WILL ARRANGE YOUR VISA DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR. NO NEED TO INTERACT WITH THE CONSULATE!!

Visa House, www.visahouse.com, 721-1021

978-7805, 250-8024. Claim to handle problem cases.

www.formatviza.ru 745-0777

www.onlinevisa.ru 783-8020

www.visa-russia.ru, 500-7705, 500-7702

www.visalink.ru, 772-4224

Telex-Mid, 507-1017

Eye Vista Travel,
Russia, Moscow, Varvarka Str. 6
Hotel "Rossia", office 3-071
Tel/fax +095 789-9722, 789-9721 (24 hour) VISA REGISTRATIONS FOR THE ENTIRE STAY FOR $20!! [THE HOTEL IS BEING PULLED DOWN, CHECK NEW ADDRESS]

Recommended on www.travel-information.org:

Here is one more offer from Vladivostok, Russia...

Tourist Single Entry Cost & Time Needed to Acquire Support
Type of Visa	Invitation next work day	Invitation same work day
Tourist for up to 30 days	$25	$45

Business Single, Double and Multiple Entries Cost & Time Needed to Acquire Support
3 month single entry	$100	7 working days
3 month double entry	$150	7 working days
6 month single entry	$200	7 working days
6 month multi-entry	$200	30 days
One year multi-entry	$300	30 days

Registration of visa	1 month	3 months
	$50	$100
Contact us for any period over 3 months for visa registration pricing
Contact: Pacific Wave Co. Ltd. Russkya 65-44 Vladivostok Russia 690105 Tel/Fax: 7(4232)34 54 84 pacificwavetour@gmail.com http://www.pacificwavetour.com

PLEASE SEND MY YOUR FEEDBACK, HINTS, TIPS ETC. ON THE INVITATION/VISA SUBJECT FOR THIS PAGE. OR SHARE YOUR RUSSIAN VISA EXPERIENCE THROUGH WWW.UNCLEPASHA.COM/GUESTBOOK.HTM

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The Russian Consulate in Washington:
www.russianembassy.org

Russian consulates in other countries:
...........

...The government department responsible for visas, invitation, immigration etc. is called UVIR, their office is located in Pokrovka 42 (M. Kurskaya or Kitai-Gorod). Telephones: 207-0113/3930/3032. Usually it is faster and cheaper to work through agents but in cases out of the ordinary, eg. lost or expired visas, you may have no choice but to deal with OVIR/UVIR

UKRAINIAN VISAS

Malaysia
&
the region:
Write to
zaharah@enesty.com.my for visa support, tickets, other assistance. Zaharah is based in Kuala Lumpur and can look after the citizens of Singapore, Indonesia, Tailand and Brunei, in addition to those living in Malaysia itself.
Recommended by a Malaysian couple who travelled to Russia in the winter of 2007.
When writing, refer to Salleh & Aini.