Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase an item that I link to then I will make a small commission, at no extra cost to you.
This post was last updated on April 16th, 2020 at 02:34 pm
What’s your father’s occupation?
Are you are secret terrorist?
Are you actually a super hero?
What did you eat for dinner yesterday?
I had heard that obtaining a visa for Russia was a bit of a challenge, but I didn’t realize quite how much of a challenge it would be until I began the process.
I needed my passport for a trip to Moscow and St Petersburg at the end of January, so I did begin the visa application process a little later than I would have liked. I’m a pretty organized person, and I never normally leave things like this to the last minute. But I had just over three weeks until I was due to set off so I thought that should be sufficient.
I began the process with a search on Google for Russian visa, and I was immediately intimidated by the response. There were so many websites advertising Russian visas and invitation letters and stamped vouchers, all for different prices. How am I supposed to know which is the official site? What does all this mean?
After finding what I thought was the best website to use, I began to complete the forms. Question after question after question. What’s your mothers’ middle name? Why do they need to know that? She’s not going- I am! List every educational establishment you have ever attended with addresses and phone numbers. With my three degrees, that took a while!
But what I found most challenging was the requirement for me to list every country I had visited in the last ten years. I’m a travel addict, and been for the last ten years- do they realize how unrealistic this is? Is this information not stored on a coputer system somewhere that they can access?
So about an hour later I had completed the form. So where do I send it? How much does it cost? Finding this information was another hurdle I had to overcome! After digging around the website for around 30 minutes I eventually found the information I needed.
Now to pay.
‘Postal order to bankers draft only’.
What is a postal order? I’d heard of it but never used one. And what on earth is a bankers draft? What’s wrong with paying online with a credit card? This is the 21st century after all. Another Google search educated me on the above and I decided that I would take a trip to the Post Office to purchase a postal order and to send off my precious passport in the hope that it will be returned to me with an open door to Russia.
The next day I received a phone call. ‘Where is your invitation letter and voucher? We cannot process the visa without these’.
What?!?
What is this? Where do I get them from? Do I actually have to pay for these?
So it seems that you need to be ‘invited’, at a cost, into the country to be able to enter. So after several e-mails, the completion of more forms and even more money paid out, I received the documents I needed and sent them off. Now fingers crossed.
I have spent over 100Pounds on this visa all in all and many hours of my time too. My passport is due to be returned to me tomorrow, and I really hope that it will have all gone through ok and that my forthcoming trip will be able to go ahead as planned. Of all the visas I have needed in the past, this one has certainly been the most difficult, and costly to obtain!
So fingers crossed for tomorrow…watch this space for updates!
I didn’t realise it was *that* hard to get a Russian Visa! I’m planning on heading there next year, but as I hold a NZ passport I have to apply in New Zealand… despite the fact it’s valid for only 60 days after issue and I plan on arriving overland after a couple on months in Central Asia!
I’ll brush up on my “Bankers Drafts” before then too – like you did, I have no idea about how to go about getting them.
good to know! did you ever figure out what a ‘postal order and draft” was? lol
ha ha yes I did in the end! I can’t believe you have to pay £30 for a bankers draft!!
geez well hope you have a great trip!
We thought getting our Visa for India was difficult! Now we know to start in very good time if we decide to go to Russia, which is definitely on myto go to’ list. I hope your passport comes back in time and that you have a brilliant trip. Let us know how you get on 🙂 🙂
India was the 2nd most difficult to get! I will keep you updated! 🙂
Haha oh i remember my Russian visa all too well took forever and i was only there 5 days!!!! Glad I’m not the only one who thought it was hard!!! Lol !x
You’re definitely not the only one!! Lol x
It looks we will be there at the same time, I fly next Monday to Moscow!