Navigating The Russian Visa Application Process

The goal of this post is two-fold. First, if someone finds this in a search and it can help them navigate the difficult process that is applying for a Russian visa, then mission accomplished. Also, we hope to have visitors while we're in Russia and they will need to apply for a visa. Either way, we hope to help someone get through the process with as few problems as possible.

The first step is to figure out how you're getting there. If you're going for business, your employer (or future employer) will issue an official invitation for your visit. This invite can be an actual document that outlines the reason for your visit, the dates of the visit and your itinerary. The invite can also come in the form of a telex number. If a Telex number is issued, all of the details of your visit (thus your invitation) is submitted directly to the Russian Consulate General, electronically. Either way, you will need the invitation to apply for your visa. If you are going as a tourist, you will most likely go through a travel agency and will have the appropriate travel documents with the appropriate details provided by your travel agent. If you book your travel on your own, you will need proof of travel details (ie: flight reservation, hotel reservation and travel itinerary).  As a tourist, the travel details take the place of an invitation/telex number.

Once you've received the invitation/travel details, you will have to fill out a visa application online at http://www.netconsul.org/ . Choose the link for the corresponding visa (business, tourist, student, etc) on the right side of the page. After selecting the desired visa type, there will be a link for a web service in the center of the page. Follow that link to access the application. You will be provided with a unique user name and password so you can save the application and access it for editing as needed.

The Russian Consulate requires you to fill out the application online, but you cannot submit the application online, nor by mail. After the application is complete, you need to print the application and sign it. You must present the application to the Russian Consulate with your original signature (no copies are accepted). Additionally, the application must be filled out completely online before printing. The application will not be accepted with any writing other than your signature. Another important detail  in submitting the application is to be sure that each field on the application is filled out or has N/A as the answer. Visa applications are not accepted unless they are filled out completely.

So, if the consulate general does not accept online or by mail applications, that leaves only submitting the visa application in person. There are five Russian Consulates in the United states, each assigned to a particular region.  There is one consulate each in New York, Washington D.C., Houston, Seattle and San Francisco. You can also use a visa processing agency to apply for your visa "in person".

If you choose to go through an agency, there are costs and, in our opinion, risks involved. You will need to send your passport, the visa application, invitation/travel details and visa processing fee(payable to the consulate general) to the agency. On top of this, you will have to pay the agency fee for assisting with your application. Some agencies don't accept rush deliveries from the USPS , thus they require you to send your documents overnight via UPS/FedEx. This is another cost incurred.  So, to sum it up, if you choose to use an agency, you will pay the visa processing fee to the Consulate General (a fee you will pay regardless of how you choose to apply), the agency fee, the shipping fees (including insurance costs for your passport) and you will have to send out your passport to an external agency for at least a week and hope it gets back.

We are fortunate enough to be an 8 hour drive from Seattle, so Mark chose to drive to Seattle to facilitate the application process himself. In the end, it was cheaper to pay for gas on the drive, pay for a hotel and pay for the rush visa processing at the consulate, rather than pay for the agency fees. Also, figured in this decision, was having the peace of mind of not having to send his passport out to an external agency. If you don't have the luxury of being close enough to a Russian Consulate General to apply in person, be sure to research the agency thoroughly. You will find countless agencies that provide the service when you search online. The fees vary, processing time varies and only proper vetting will ensure you are sending your passport, application and money to a reputable agency.

Once all of the above has been sorted out, and assuming you choose to apply yourself, in person, be sure to confirm the application details on the consular website. The consulate in Seattle was only open from 2pm-4pm to accept visa applications. They also have a varying fee schedule depending on how fast you need the visa processed. The consulate in Seattle did not accept cash or credit cards for fee payment. They only accept a money order or a cashier's check as payment. All of these details are spelled out pretty clearly and should not cause any issues, if you're paying attention to detail.

So, now you have your invitation (or equivalent info), you've filled out the application, decided how and where to apply, you've followed all of the directions on the consular website, have the necessary details covered and your form of payment is secured. The hard part is done. If you have all of the required documents and information, the rest is fairly simple and straight forward. This is information is in no way meant to scare anyone off from going through the process themselves. Hopefully, it will help prepare people who are starting the process and encourage and remind them to secure all information and documents before applying.

When applying in person, you may experience the following environment, as this is what Mark experienced in Seattle:

The Consulate is on the 25th floor of a downtown high-rise, at the end of a long, plain hallway. The main door has a large window so you can see into the foyer behind it. The door is locked and access is controlled by a gentleman sitting behind, what appears to be, bullet resistant glass in the foyer. The guy, who looks to have been reassigned after the wall fell and struggles daily to remember that he is no longer an agent of the KGB, buzzes you into the foyer. The man looks you up and down and you wonder if you'll be interrogated and possibly tortured, or if you'll simply be able to apply for the visa. The man just stares at you until you finally tell him you're there to apply for a visa. The man smiles and tells you, in the thickest Russian accent, that window number three is accepting visa applications. He points to another windowed door to your right and buzzes you in. He smiles again and gestures towards the door and again tells you to go to window three. Upon entering the long, narrow, generic waiting room, there were numerous people all waiting to apply for their visa at window three. The only thing to suggest Mark was in the right place was a stack of periodicals, all in Russian, on the table to the left. On the right side of the room is a couple of tall "cocktail" style tables, followed by a row of chairs. Just past the table on the left with the newspapers, is a line of windows. Now, there are four windows, all labeled sequentially in large numbers over the top of each, but only window three appears to be occupied.

There were about ten people waiting when Mark arrived. However, there seemed to be no rhyme or reason to how they were queued. Some were standing against the wall, some were sitting in the chairs and some were standing at the tables. But, there was nowhere to "take a ticket" and there was no stanchions to line up behind. Everyone there just seemed to be patiently waiting while the individual at window three finished. Finally, Mark asked the closest person how the process went. The room was so small and everyone waiting was so quiet, that the whisper he thought he was using boomed and echoed down the room and back. Everyone waiting turned to look at Mark and smiled, as if he was not the first person to walk in confused and "yell" to figure out what the hell was going on. An older gentleman sitting along the right side of the room said, "You're after me and I'm after her", as he pointed to a woman standing on the other side of the room. At this point it occurs that maybe the two hour window allotted for visa processing may not be enough. However, in true international traveler fashion, the little "community" of applicants that Mark  just joined policed themselves, made sure everyone remembered who was next and helped each person who came in after Mark, just as they helped him.  Each member of the community was in this together and, with no signage and no one to answer questions, everyone had to help each other get through.

As the line progressed, Mark witnessed a business traveler, who clearly did not do his research, approach the window and say he needed to apply for his visa. He told the guy behind the window (who spoke very good English with only the slightest Russian accent) he had a telex number, provided his passport and said "you should have the rest back there", as he tapped on the window indicating the little munchkins with the wizard behind the curtain had completed the rest of his application for him. In spite of "Business Traveler Guy", who thought he was the most important thing on the face of the earth, acting like a complete ass, the guy behind the window very patiently and eloquently explained the process of going online and completing the application and returning once he had the required documents. BTG argued a bit, but in the end backed down and angrily stormed out. It's a good thing too. Mark was concerned for him that some ex-KGB type might come out of one of the adjoining doors in the small room and haul BTG off, never to be seen again. Most of the Community would have been OK with that. However, witnessing BTG's antics without being hauled away gave the rest of the community hope that this strange, somewhat disheartening experience would turn out OK.

Finally, it was Mark's turn to approach the window. He provided the man with all of his documents and his payment in the form of a cashier's check. Window Guy disappeared for a bit and came back with a document produced when he retrieved Mark's telex number. Window Guy gave Mark back all of his documents and asked him to proceed to window four where he will be provided a receipt. To this point, it did not appear anyone else was working behind any of the windows. However, when Mark moved over to the window, he saw a little old lady, sitting in a short chair so she cannot be seen unless one is standing at the window. This woman, wearing her loosely crocheted shawl, did not speak one word of English. She processed the paperwork and provided Mark with a receipt. She circled a date on the receipt which, after much gesticulating towards the calendar and the clock, Mark realized was when he was to return and pick up his passport and visa. Mark returned the next day to pick up his passport. This time, however, he was a confident veteran in the community. He found his place in line and watched all the newcomers struggle the same way he had the day before. Mark retrieved his passport and visa from Window Girl (a different agent at window three from the day before) and left without any issues.

If anyone finds anything in this post that helps them prepare for applying for a Russian visa, that's great! However, if you're reading this and never intend on traveling to Russia, please take this from Mark's experience. Despite all outward appearances and preconceived opinions of the people and their demeanor, and the somewhat unorthodox (aka-unfamiliar to Americans) way in which they conduct business, Mark realized in just a couple of short hours while applying for his visa, that we are not visiting his parents and grandparents Russia. Nor, are the people the gruff, standoff-ish "commies" so often depicted in TV and movies. The people are genuine and helpful and the experience left Mark with an overall good feeling of what is to come. He felt so good in leaving the consulate, he mixed in a "Spasiba" to Foyer Guy on the way out. The smile on Foyer Guy's face, as he responded with way more Russian than Mark's Rosetta Stone has covered to this point, made Mark realize his efforts to fit in and respect the language, people and culture he is joining,  will go a long way. With any luck, we will assimilate into our new community as quickly and easily as Mark did in his consulate "community".

I'll have Bacon, Eggs and...um...vodka???

We got this from a friend, who found it on a travel website. We figure, if it was found on the internet, it must be true...right?

"Never mix—or turn down—vodka in Russia.

The beverage is always drunk neat—and no, not even with ice. Adding anything is seen as polluting the drink's purity (unless the mixer is beer, which produces a formidable beverage known as yorsh). But there's another faux pas that's even worse, says Foster: when you're offered the drink and you turn it down. Since offering someone a drink is a sign of trust and friendship, it's a good idea to take it. Even if it is 9 a.m."

I think I might have enough 9 am shots of vodka in my future that I could qualify as an honorary Accidental Drunk. Many may already qualify and don't even know it. Check out our friend’s blog accidentaldrunks.blogspot.com to find out if you too could be an honorary member.

Thanks for the heads up, Monica : )

What did you say?

Russian is an incredibly difficult language to learn. The Cyrillic alphabet bears no resemblance to English language characters or the sounds they represent. So, unlike other languages, like Spanish or French, where you can kind of guess what the road sign means or what the menu says, we will not have that luxury in Russia. 

We have the Rosetta Stone computer program to learn Russian and have been learning a little. It has been difficult, but it should provide a base for us to take to Russia and continue to learn and build upon. Also, worked into Mark’s contract with the Organizing Committee, there is an allowance for language courses to help ease the transition. We plan on taking full advantage of this allowance.

When we moved to the Middle East, we had every intention of learning Arabic. However, due to the nature of the “business world” in Qatar, and the fact that nearly everyone spoke English, we were never really “forced” to learn Arabic. It’s unfortunate that opportunity wasn’t embraced and taken advantage of. This time, it will be more difficult to get by with day-to-day living without learning at least the basics in Russian. Mark will most likely struggle more than Danielle. Throughout our travels, Danielle has always been better at picking up words and phrases and she is great at using a phrase book or language guide. Mark always struggled in each new country they visited. However, Danielle struggled with people speaking English with a thick accent. Mark always had to “translate” the English (in thick accents) for Danielle. So, as usual, Mark and Danielle make a great team. Mark can not speak other languages and Danielle can. Danielle can not understand English and Mark can :)