FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Few odd visa questions about traveling to Moscow
Old Mar 15, 2011, 11:11 pm
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redheadtempe33
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: UA Silver
Posts: 1,818
Few odd visa questions about traveling to Moscow

This is an odd situation so I'm not sure I can get an answer, but I wanted to try here before I try to explain this to a person at the Russian Consulate in SFO.

I am an airline employee. We can purchase stand-by tickets on other carriers. I wanted to try visiting Moscow this fall. I was surprised to find that (from what I could find), at best, there are two direct flights from the US to Moscow from any given city (JFK, IAD, ATL).
So my first question is, how strict are they with the travel dates listed on the visa application? What if I show up 1-2 days later (but still leave on the date listed)?

My second question is (and this is a little stranger), are visas specific about from where you enter the country? I can fly to London, and have a much broader array of choices to get to Moscow (on BMI for example), but I'm not sure if a visa is good for just US-Russia, or if I can enter Russia from the UK, being an American citizen.

And last, do I actually (physically) have to go the consulate/embassy to get my visa? The website I found (which I am hoping is legit), asks which embassy the visa will be picked up at.

The problem is that these decisions have to be made on the fly (if I don't get on the direct flight, JFK-LHR/FRA-DME would be my back up option).
I've never traveled to a country that required a visa so I want to make sure I don't get turned away or have any issues.
I'm planning on paying for a guided tour while I am there (I don't speak Russian).


Thanks,

Last edited by redheadtempe33; Mar 16, 2011 at 1:29 am
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