Russian visa
Jul 13th, 2012, 12:35 PM
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Russian visa
We're taking a riverboat cruise through Russia in May. I read on cruisecritic.com that people have had to spend hundreds for their Russian visas. I went to several online visa sites and see that they cost between $30-$45. I know I must be missing something. I think I remember that one poster wrote that her visas cost $240 per passport. If anyone can clarify or furnish any info. I'd sure appreciate it. Thanks!!
Jul 13th, 2012, 02:52 PM
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Whoever is booking your cruise for your, and/or the cruise company itself should give you all the information you might need to know.
If not, it took me a good 3 minutes to find this from the government. http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_p.../cis_1006.html
If not, it took me a good 3 minutes to find this from the government. http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_p.../cis_1006.html
Jul 13th, 2012, 04:13 PM
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You need to check with your cruise line (not just Cruise Critic) as to whether or not you need the visa.
As for how much it costs... An internet search returns a bunch of sites that, upon scrutiny, say they're not the official Russian Embassy site. This one -- with the circa-mid-90's design -- apparently is:
http://www.ruscon.org/main_ENG.html
It says that the visa process has been outsourced to Invisa Logistics Company, where the prices for visas -- including transit ones -- do appear to be almost $200/pp:
http://www.ils-usa.com/price-list/
(Note that I've made the assumption that you're using a US passport. Visa prices differ depending on nationality!)
As for how much it costs... An internet search returns a bunch of sites that, upon scrutiny, say they're not the official Russian Embassy site. This one -- with the circa-mid-90's design -- apparently is:
http://www.ruscon.org/main_ENG.html
It says that the visa process has been outsourced to Invisa Logistics Company, where the prices for visas -- including transit ones -- do appear to be almost $200/pp:
http://www.ils-usa.com/price-list/
(Note that I've made the assumption that you're using a US passport. Visa prices differ depending on nationality!)
Jul 13th, 2012, 05:39 PM
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We took a river cruise in Russia last year and were told we needed a Visa and got ours. We had free days in Moscow and St. Pete's and went about on our own. But Viking (company we went with) didn't say that if you only book their excursions you don't need a Visa. Not sure about regular cruise ships (not river cruises) that just stop in St. Pete's for a day or two. Perhaps in that case, with a "licensed company" which meets you right at your ship and delivers you back again, it may be different.
Jul 15th, 2012, 12:00 PM
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If you are doing a riverboat cruise in Russia you will need a visa. Those travelling on large cruise ships with a short stay in St. Petersburg do not.
We recently applied for a Russian visa at the Russian visa center in DC. The cost per visa was $170. If you go through a visa service it will cost more as you need to pay for the service. The key is to have the proper paperwork.
We recently applied for a Russian visa at the Russian visa center in DC. The cost per visa was $170. If you go through a visa service it will cost more as you need to pay for the service. The key is to have the proper paperwork.
Jul 16th, 2012, 11:01 AM
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I am leaving for a river cruise in Russia (Moscow to St. Petersburg) in 3 weeks. I recieved my visa last week. It took approximately 2 weeks from the time I submitted the visa application to receive my visa.
The cruise company I am going with (AMA Waterways) does not handle the visa procurement process but recommends a visa company by the name of ZVS for it's clients to use and in return we received a discount on ZVS's regular processing fee.
First you must obtain a letter of invitation, again, AMA Waterways did not provide this to me, I had to obtain it through ZVS. I can't recall the amount I paid for that, I think $50, which may have been a special rate since I was an AMA Waterways client.
Then I had to complete the online visa application, gather all the required documents for submission and submit that and a duplicate copy to ZVS for processing.
The Visa price is $140, there is an intermediary company called ILS, which ZVS had to go through for the visa and their fee is $30. Then ZVS has their processing fee of $50 (but without the AMA Waterways connection it would be $99)and I had to pay for return shipping. So, I paid $240 for my Visa, plus $50 for the invitation letter.
If you live near a city where there is an ILS office, you can cut out the visa processing company, in my case that was ZVS, and submit your application directly to ILS and then you would not have to pay for the visa processing company.
You may want to Google the Washington Post Travel section, last week there was an article by a woman who had to go through the visa process...it was eye-opening.
Hope this helps in your trip planning.
The cruise company I am going with (AMA Waterways) does not handle the visa procurement process but recommends a visa company by the name of ZVS for it's clients to use and in return we received a discount on ZVS's regular processing fee.
First you must obtain a letter of invitation, again, AMA Waterways did not provide this to me, I had to obtain it through ZVS. I can't recall the amount I paid for that, I think $50, which may have been a special rate since I was an AMA Waterways client.
Then I had to complete the online visa application, gather all the required documents for submission and submit that and a duplicate copy to ZVS for processing.
The Visa price is $140, there is an intermediary company called ILS, which ZVS had to go through for the visa and their fee is $30. Then ZVS has their processing fee of $50 (but without the AMA Waterways connection it would be $99)and I had to pay for return shipping. So, I paid $240 for my Visa, plus $50 for the invitation letter.
If you live near a city where there is an ILS office, you can cut out the visa processing company, in my case that was ZVS, and submit your application directly to ILS and then you would not have to pay for the visa processing company.
You may want to Google the Washington Post Travel section, last week there was an article by a woman who had to go through the visa process...it was eye-opening.
Hope this helps in your trip planning.
Jul 16th, 2012, 11:44 AM
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There are plenty of trip reports here and elsewhere on the web.
This is a good one
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-in-russia.cfm
It's five years old, but we went more recently and all was quite similar.
This is a good one
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-in-russia.cfm
It's five years old, but we went more recently and all was quite similar.
Jul 16th, 2012, 11:45 AM
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I was in NYC for a month several months before going to Russia last year, so I thought I'd save money and go to the Russian Embassy myself and get it. After standing in line there for several hours (getting there before they opened) and only moving forward a few spaces, they came out and announced that was all they were taking that day. I talked with several people in line -- some had been there a number of days before. The visa is not cheap, but I'd use a service to get one, as I eventually wised up and did.
I think the cruise confusion is that if you are doing an overnight cruise that just stays in St. Petersburg or somewhere you do not need a visa, but I'm pretty sure you do need one for the full river cruise and certainly if you are spending other nights on your own.
I think the cruise confusion is that if you are doing an overnight cruise that just stays in St. Petersburg or somewhere you do not need a visa, but I'm pretty sure you do need one for the full river cruise and certainly if you are spending other nights on your own.
Jul 16th, 2012, 12:05 PM
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So 1965 you are definitely getting the correct advice here. 1) Yes, you definitely need a visa. 2) It's definitely not $30 to $45, and I'm not sure where you ever got .that information. Most Russian visas are $170.
To be clear, you need a tourist visa, not a transit visa, and you need to arrange it in full before you leave for your cruise. But it's far too early to do that now. You also need confirmed reservations, presumably from the cruise line. They should know what you need and should provide the necessary confirmations along with some instructions and information on which documents to submit. I would not bother with a separate visa expediting company because that's just going to add $70 or $80 onto the cost, but you can certainly do that. They will provide more hand-holding. But follow your cruise line's instructions, and do this after the first of the year.
You'll have to mail away your passport and might not have it back for a couple of weeks, so be prepared for that.
To be clear, you need a tourist visa, not a transit visa, and you need to arrange it in full before you leave for your cruise. But it's far too early to do that now. You also need confirmed reservations, presumably from the cruise line. They should know what you need and should provide the necessary confirmations along with some instructions and information on which documents to submit. I would not bother with a separate visa expediting company because that's just going to add $70 or $80 onto the cost, but you can certainly do that. They will provide more hand-holding. But follow your cruise line's instructions, and do this after the first of the year.
You'll have to mail away your passport and might not have it back for a couple of weeks, so be prepared for that.
Jul 16th, 2012, 12:10 PM
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Doug I'm a little confused by part of your reply "I would not bother with a separate visa expediting company". Where would you send the application? I am under the impression you can now ONLY get a Russian Visa through an expediting company and cannot get one by sending your forms directly to the consulate. No? Or are you only referring to not using an additional expediting company to get the letter of invitation?
Jul 16th, 2012, 02:16 PM
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this person is not going on a cruise to russia, but is going on a river cruise once they reach russia...
thus they need a visa..
go to the russian embassy site and you can read it all... i believe they redirect you to a servicer... while you pay for the service, this group makes sure you have completed the paperwork correctly before submission..
thus they need a visa..
go to the russian embassy site and you can read it all... i believe they redirect you to a servicer... while you pay for the service, this group makes sure you have completed the paperwork correctly before submission..
Jul 17th, 2012, 05:00 AM
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Neo...
I believe Doug was referring to an additional expediting company (the one I used was called ZVS)
A few months ago (May, I believe) the Russian Consulate changed the process and no longer directly accepts applications from individuals. Applications now must be submitted to ILS. I cannot recall exactly what ILS stands for but I believe it is the company or division the Russian consulate has outsourced the visa handling process to.
If you live near a city where ILS has an office you can set up an appointment with ILS and submit your application to them for a $30 fee. (No way around that fee)
If (like me) you do not live in or near a city with an ILS office or can't get to a city with an ILS office, because they require an interview/appointment for you to submit the application to them, then the other option is to use a visa procurement (expediting) company and there will be additional fees for their services added to the cost of the visa.
Doug...if this is not correct, please chime in.
adrienne...I generally write trip reports and post them here on Fodors when I return. I anticipate I will write one for my upcoming Russia river cruise trip, and post it sometime in late August/early September. So there will be an account of my experience with AMA. And for what it's worth, I did do a search here on Fodors about AMA and there were a handful of posts, but most simply asking if anyone had used them before and most were pertaining to their cruises of the Danube and Rhine, so my account of the Russia cruise may be a first here on Fodors.
For those interested in the Washington Post article I mentioned in my post above here is a link to it:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifest...xRW_story.html
Hope this information is helpful.
I believe Doug was referring to an additional expediting company (the one I used was called ZVS)
A few months ago (May, I believe) the Russian Consulate changed the process and no longer directly accepts applications from individuals. Applications now must be submitted to ILS. I cannot recall exactly what ILS stands for but I believe it is the company or division the Russian consulate has outsourced the visa handling process to.
If you live near a city where ILS has an office you can set up an appointment with ILS and submit your application to them for a $30 fee. (No way around that fee)
If (like me) you do not live in or near a city with an ILS office or can't get to a city with an ILS office, because they require an interview/appointment for you to submit the application to them, then the other option is to use a visa procurement (expediting) company and there will be additional fees for their services added to the cost of the visa.
Doug...if this is not correct, please chime in.
adrienne...I generally write trip reports and post them here on Fodors when I return. I anticipate I will write one for my upcoming Russia river cruise trip, and post it sometime in late August/early September. So there will be an account of my experience with AMA. And for what it's worth, I did do a search here on Fodors about AMA and there were a handful of posts, but most simply asking if anyone had used them before and most were pertaining to their cruises of the Danube and Rhine, so my account of the Russia cruise may be a first here on Fodors.
For those interested in the Washington Post article I mentioned in my post above here is a link to it:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifest...xRW_story.html
Hope this information is helpful.
Jul 17th, 2012, 05:12 AM
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LCI - I know you do write reports and I've read some of them and appreciate the time and effort they take. The Post article was very interesting. Even if you live in/near a city with a Russian consulate it seems to be worth paying for a service.
Jul 17th, 2012, 11:30 AM
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We went to the ILS office in DC the day after the article appeared in the Washington Post. Needless to say we were somewhat concerned but decided to give it a try anyhow. We were in and out in 45 minutes. The key is having the proper paperwork. If you read that article you will see the writer did not have the paperwork he needed.
You will need:
* a cover letter. I found an example when I googled Russian Visa application cover letter.
* An invitation and a voucher which I got from the company I will be travelling with
* a passport with 2 empty pages and will not expire for 6 months after your return
* a visa application which I found on line
* $170 cash or cashiers check at the ILS office
You will need:
* a cover letter. I found an example when I googled Russian Visa application cover letter.
* An invitation and a voucher which I got from the company I will be travelling with
* a passport with 2 empty pages and will not expire for 6 months after your return
* a visa application which I found on line
* $170 cash or cashiers check at the ILS office
Jul 17th, 2012, 03:56 PM
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Russian Visas are provided by an outside vendor, but they are not an expediting company. Several companies provide various visa services to many countries. Travisa, for example, processes visas for India, and I used it for my trip there. ILS provides visa services for Russia. You can also hire a company to apply for the visa on your behalf, but that's what I think isn't necessary unless you don't feel comfortable doing all the paperwork yourself and are worried you don't have everything you need. I hope that clarifies things.
