Russian visa at the border??
 

Is it possible?
How long to wait?

If you have actually done it could you give me some first hand info. Please

I'm not worried if the camagnolo visa is better than the shimano one.
or if you google it.
Or you have a link to a journal someone wrote 10 years ago
Or even a youtube link to someone waiting.

So has anyone done it?

where? when? how?

thanks

george

Huh? Try not the be on crack when ya make a post.

Anyway...answering what I think your post was about, you are best off getting your Russian visa thru a visa service. Russia is so corrupt and littered with shake-down artists you would be best leaving it to organizations which know the ropes. There are many of them in London: i always used Russia House.

roughstuff

No need to think what its about.

It's:-

Can one get a visa at the border?

Has anyone done it?

If so, can I they give me some information please.

george

It's a really bad idea. Russia's decision to give out visa's can be influenced by many factors. Get one in advance if you know what's good for you.

BTW, which border are you thinking of crossing at?

George, it is still impossible unfortunately. I know this exactly. Take a look here http://www.voyage.gc.ca/dest/report-...untry=249000#8 . Information is for Canadians, but for Europeans it is the same. Everything is correctly there.

There is the wall still in Europe. It is not a proper place here to discuss this, but I want to say my opinion on the problem. I don’t mind against visas in general, but I think that the requirement of invitation or prepayment for a hotel according duration of stay aren’t reasonable if a tourist has enough money and insurance. The agreement between Russia and European Union about readmission of illegal immigrants has been signed. So, not Russia is an initiator to continue to keep the wall. I’m sorry for this political off topic.

As to practice, Roughstuff is right, unfortunately, on the methods. They aren’t good but they work. I used a similar way to get a Finnish visa. However, to be honest we have a legal way now to get the visa without an invitation to this country, as well to Norway. It is quite enough to point out exactly official campgrounds on the route, where you plan to sleep. Nobody will check it out while you are on tour there.

Good luck, George. I hope this is not too big/expensive problem, otherwise e-mail me.

Alexey

Its not off topic AT ALL, Alexei. Requiring 'hotel reservations and a certain amount of foreign exchange' as a visa prerequisite is soooooooo 1970s! Only third world countries do it these days; and Russia should be shamed into eliminating the practice.

roughstuff

You need to get the Visa here in the US, otherwise they won't let you in. Or, if im correct, if you have a American passport, you can travel across Europe without a problem.

Well, as Russian citizen I must do 'hotel reservations and a certain amount of foreign exchange' to get a shengen visa. I know that Russia has suggested to establish visa free relations with European Union and some steps has been made in this direction. Our parliament has ratified the agreement on simplification of getting visa, European one still not.

Europeans are not ready for visa free relations, not Russia. And I agree with them, probably this is reasonable, because we know in which direction illegal immigration traffic goes. However, relations between countries must be built according to principle of mutuality that is why we have what we have.

You write that Russia should be shamed… Ok, Ukraine has abrogated visas for Europeans. The result was further restrictions for Ukrainians on getting shengen visas. So I think that Russian policy is right on the issue because I think this is an incentive for Europeans to make steps to visa free or, at least, visa reasonable mutual relations.

Roughstuff, believe me I have head ache to get a shengen visa. I have no time to wait for my turn at the embassy. I don’t want to spoil my vacation because of unpredictable result in the embassy both in general and relative to the term of the visa issue. If I get ten days shengen visa, the two days gap of it’s validity is madness nothing more etc etc…

Sincerely yours

Alexey

Thanks for the clarification on what I already believed.
I will be crossing from Ukraine, to go to Kazakhstan and , not being sure of arrival and departure times just wanted to see if it was possible to get a visa while in the Ukraine.

The place I will most probably cross in Tetkino, on the road from Kiev to Kursk, then to Saratov

As I have no hotel reservations its going to have to be a trip to IntouristUk Manchester to see what they can do to help me.

Thanks again

george

Russia is a tough one to plan for, esp as you need to pick your date of entry. Get your Visa from home, and just do your best "guesstimate" of when you might cross over. You can allways use alternate transport to catch up if need be.

If you have the time and money, you might investigate getting a longer Visa (ie business). Will take much more support than a regular tourist visa. Perhaps talk to the folks at the Russian Cycle touring Club. Orion cycling club out of Volgograd may or may not be able to help.

I trained in Ukraine (Odessa to Yalta-ish), as well as Russia (Krasnodar to Volgograd) with relative ease.

Other stuff-supposedly Moldova is going Visa free like the Ukraine. If you still need to register with OVIR in Kazakhstan when you go, do it within the alotted time. Trust me.

~Cheers from Chaing Mai Thailand!~

...my camera ALL my pictures, my journal, a goodly bit of cash, & a credit card were stolen in Bangkok. Be careful all.

sorry to hear that - hope you can recover the traveling tool (i.e. credit card) and then hold onto your memories...

-Thanks. I still have my ATM card and a backup credit card. The thieves had charged near on 1000$ within an hour from when I left my room (I called and reported the theft). Still working through my anger over the pictures/journal loss. As soon as I can reflect on my trip so far without getting overly emotional, I'll attempt a breif rewrite of my journal. Ugh.

I think you can find all the answers here:
http://www.rusemblon.org/

Russian visa policy is to have the same requirements and fees as it is set by the other country. I assume it's Britain in your case. No, I cannot get visa at the UK border, sorry.

George, sounds like a brilliant trip, I hope you can find a way across the border.

I always wonder what Tristan Jones would have done (aside from the fact he was in a boat). Seem like there are some people who are always capable of imposing their will, i'm not one of them though. I don't really enjoy a good buro fight.

What hotel was that?