Russian invitations and visa support

September 15, 2007. Corrected contact details for Pacific Wave Tours (Vladivostok). Changed a few prices, especially regarding visa support and registration from me. Deleted links to pages that I don't plan to update.

Invitations and visa support
(Scroll down for the old but still mostly valid stuff)

Rates here are valid as of March 2008
==>>

i am now able to issue invitations and do registrations. Tourist invitations are issued same or next day in most cases and cost $60. If you plan to travel/be here a lot, I recommend a multi-entry one year visa. An invitation for a multi-entry one-year visa will be around $380. The way things are at the moment, registration is $25 for my clients and $40 for off-the-street people with tourist visas. If you need to a registration address for your one year multi-entry visa, it is doable at the cost from $100 to $300, depending on the situation. Fees cover the actual cost, selection of the immediate provider of the service, footwork associated with arranging the above (i.e. you do not need to look for the office that otherwise you may have to visit twice, the the locations are not always easy), processing of payment (are you comfortable giving your credit card number to a Russian visa sponsor?) etc. etc. Invitations/registrations are not my main product and thus the rated I'm able to offer cannot and are not intended to be "competitive". 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 is in fact what prompted me to investigate the scene and to come up with this proposal you are now reading.. Note that I will be able to offer this type of support only to people whose situations are clear and transparent to me. Assistance in non-standard circumstances, eg. lost documents, expired visas etc. is also available at my standard hourly/daily rate but please try not to get into these. To arrange for your visa invitation 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 near Staritsa, Tver region is no fun. You you can expect an e-mailed invitation (acceptable in most western countries but do check with the Russian Consulate where you plan to apply) within hours in most cases. The original can be sent to you at the cost from $5-7 to $100 but again, if you are in US, Canada, or one of the European countries, in all probability 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. Consider that footwork you'll need to do here 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, which often makes sense even if the price tag may look hight. Also note that hotels will usually do registration but only for the duration of your stay. Note that "my" registration is good for the duration of your entire trip, and being free to chose where you stay will save you much more that the amount of the registration fee. My general advice with the invitation/visa/registration business: Look for simplicity and complete support rather than the lowest nominal number. Safe elsewhere, eg. on accommodation or transportation... -- Pasha

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Visa support agencies

An agency in St. Petersburg: http://www.invitationrussia.com/ Recommended by Masha of Vasilyevsky Island from whom you can rent a room for about $50/night.

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 èëè 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."

That may be a good point to insert a commercial
...Yes, if you really run into trouble we will help you in dealing with authorities. Should you overstay your visa we'll walk with you to the infamous OVIR and plead for a more humane alternative than a lifetime exile to Siberia, or an extended trip to the Village of Dubrovki...

...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"

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:

Pacific Wave Tours, Vladivostok

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 $250 30 days

One year multi-entry $350 30 days

Registration of visa 1 month 2 months

$50 $100

Contact us for any period over 2 months for visa registration pricing

Pacific Wave Co. Ltd
Russkaya 65-44
Vladivostok, Russia 690105
Tel/Fax:7(4232)-34-64-59
Contact Website

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

Contact details

MAIN

Contact

Attention Indian nationals:

G&R Hostel in Moscow

...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)

I am able to issue invitations only to Indian nationals with whom I know personally. No exceptions!

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

I'm receiving 2-3 serious enquiries per year on acquiring Russian citizenship and am sort of looking into this subject. Here are some links on the subject:

Russian language forum