8420PR

Some experience for anyone else thinking of applying for a Russian visa when they arrive in Europe: When a US citizen applies for a Russian visa in Germany they have to submit a proof of residence in Germany (for more than 90 days). The application form for German citizens is 2 pages (and the process quick), whereas for US citizens it is 8 or so pages (e.g. list all countries visited in the last 10 years) and took a long time to get the visa.

Maybe the Russian consulate in Belgium has different rules, than the one in Germany.

Of course the agent reading their computer screen probably didn't know if it is possible to get the visa or not. However just to point out had you got to Brussels I doubt you would have made it to Russia.

alfahund

Get an online visa, if you are unsure, it costs 60 USD and when I applied for it last week, it took two hours until the e-mail with the confirmation came in. Just print out the e-mail and produce it, when somebody asks.

https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/visa/tvoa.html

In my case, I was staying 3 days in BLR without any issues...

joshwex90

Another reason OP may have wanted to get Russian visa in Europe and not US is if OP doesn't reside in the US. Being an American citizen doesn't mean living there, and if only there for a short time, that may very well have precluded getting the visa before departure

weero

It's an airline - they don't go for any effort if a foul excuse will do.

And even if they did. The authorities there would be firmly asleep. So I very much doubt such a version.
Must have been "a while" ago. More than a decade ago, I got a Russian visa in Oz. And they did not require me to provide proof of my Oz residency.

oliver2002

Airlines usually have a helpdesk they can call to sort out such issues, LH has a joint office with the BP in FRA that is available for outstations to consult. I'm pretty certain SN has one too, since they fly to a number of destinations with complex visa rules.

joshwex90

Call me naive, but I can't imagine immigration authorities ever shut down for the night

warakorn

Then SN has the burden of proof to show such an official order by the Belgium government. I very much doubt that such a written order exist, because it would not 100% adhere to the Schengen border code. I have cited the relevant pages from the border code. Belgium is a sovereign nation and has signed up voluntary to become a member of Schengen. Thus, Belgium (with their courts and immigration department) are bound to these rules.

I do not understand what you mean with "have advised". How would you know that?

Proper documentation does not mean it has to be a visa or onward flight ticket.


I have explained that issue numerous times already. Russian consulate in Finland seems to be liberal.

Ok, then by design SN would have to refund the full ticket PLUS EUR 600 compensation PLUS receiving a DOT complaint, because TIMATIC was wrong.

weero

A European member state sovereign? That is like referring to US States post war-between-the-states as sovereign.

Didn't the links in this thread shed light on how these rules do not depend on the member state?
No doubt.

But that hardly impacts a mandated liability such as EC 261.
Really?

I mean if an airforce can be "closed after business hours", why not the tenured clerks of a less vital state organ?

joshwex90

Yes, really

What country "closes" their airforce?

And in what country is border control not vital?

YuropFlyer

Swiss airforce is only open for service during working hours, Mo-Fr

joshwex90

I guess neutral countries have that luxury

8420PR

Yes, they look the most liberal, as they will accept applications without proof of residence in Finland, just that it takes 10-15 days working days:


Source: http://www.vfsglobal.com/russia/finl...required_4.pdf

Still I think it was unrealistic to expect to be able to get a Russian visa after arriving in Brussels.

Of course there could be exceptions, such as flying to Finland for 3 weeks or being a resident of Belgium, but as the OP doesn't mention these we can only speculate!

weero

I guess that the defence against civilians with valid US passports is of much less importance than the defence of the airspace against invades or hijackers. So I agree with you, just in proportion.

Myyra

The Schengen Borders Code regulation EC 562/2006 states, for non-EU nationals, among others:

they justify the purpose and conditions of the intended stay, and they have sufficient means of subsistence, both for the duration of the intended stay and for the return to their country of origin or transit to a third country into which they are certain to be admitted, or are in a position to acquire such means lawfully;

(Article 5, 1, c)

Clearly a ticket from Belgium to Russia + no Russian visa doesn't qualify as the OP is not certain to be admitted to Russia.

If the OP's flights US - BRU - Russia and back are all on the same ticket, this ticket is also not proof of being able to return to the US. If he's not able to fly to Russia on it due to no visa, then I guess the remaining segments would be lost as well.

So to fully satisfy the Schengen requirement, the OP should be able to show that he's able to return to the US in another way, or has the means to do so - a refundable flight BRU - US would certainly do, a credit card with means to buy a ticket back probably also.

In any case, to me this is not a clear-cut mistake of the carrier.

irishguy28

However, the passenger was not travelling to BRU. The problem is not the entry requirements for BRU, their stopover location. The problem was the complete lack of documentation for Russia, the ultimate destination of the ticket being used.

The passenger was travelling on a ticket to Moscow. Therefore, the passenger presented themselves for travel without the full documentation required for their trip.

The passenger could have avoided this by either:
a) obtaining a visa in good time at the place of residence
b) buying separate tickets [making NYC-BRU one separate journey, with no visa issues; and making a separate BRU-MOW journey, for which they would then have "delayed" the timing of the check of the possession of the necessary Russian entry visa until such time as they actually had a visa - assuming that they even had all the necessary documentation with them with which to apply from BRU. Given the amount of paperwork US passport holders can be asked to file, I think it unlikely that the OP would have been able to obtain a Russian visa during their stay in Europe].

Given that the passenger did not have the required visa to enter Russia then the passenger faced the possibility of being stranded in BRU and being unable to use the onward part of his/her ticket. (The likelihood of whether the OP would even have been able to obtain such a visa in time for the purported BRU-MOW flight doesn't come into it - when you rock up with a ticket involving an ultimate destination in Russia, then you must have the Russian visa at the start of the journey).

Therefore, no travel could be allowed.