Getting Russian Visa the Easy Way

Getting Russian Visa the Easy Way

I got really nervous just by the thoughts of handling all these administrative stuff just so that I would be able to drink vodka every day and maybe shake hand with Mister DO-IT-ALL Putin.

My super-easy, spontaneous traveling days in non-restricting Europe is over. I can’t leave on a last-minute impulse, showing up at the bus station to get on the next available bus ride to wherever I want. I can’t take advantage of promotions and book flights leaving a few weeks later. I have to plan a lot, and this distressed me.

I need to figure out how to fit all missing pieces together: who will send me the invitation letter, when I will arrive in the country, how long I want to stay, in what cities I will stop over, how do I show proof of the hotels if I don’t intend to book etc. As a treat to its American ‘friend’, Russia added 2 extra pages to the visa application form asking for my parents, my last three attended schools and employers, countries I have visited in the last 10 years among all the other information they don’t ask anyone else. (There are two visa application forms: one for American citizens and the other for rest of the world.)

It is a nightmare for someone who doesn’t have an ounce of handling administration. This post from an irritated American surely made it worse. [source]

Lesson learned: Some people do make things more complicated than they actually are. Make sure to read from various sources.

My co-workers, who recently visited Russia, came to rescue. They sent me to a consulting firm (/kaduconsulting.cz) who handled visas and work permits to Russia. I made an appointment, showed up with my form filled (you don’t have to do that), photos, paid the money and left my passport with them. The only critical information was the duration of the visit, thus the validation of the visa. The rest was there to fill up the paper. I got my visa 10 days later. The consulting fee would be a mere $20 for all the administration and the effort if I was to do it on my own.

The prices vary depend on your nationalities, how urgent do want your visa and consulting agencies. (Americans probably pay the most for the visa). I paid $130 in total for (1) invitation letter, (2) visa and (3) consulting fee which is more or less the same compared to those charged by the referred agency on the Russian embassy website [link] plus the comfort in dealing with a real person.

Lesson learned: Outsource and forget about it.

The next step is whether to see whether I will have any hassle later on with the visa.