dvdbuddy

Just want to share my experience with applying for a Russia Visa.

We did our visa application at the ILS office in NYC. It was a pretty painless process except for the 1 hr wait on line inside a hot office.

We got the invitation letter from an online service for $30 per person. The letter came within 2 hrs. Both our names were on the letter. I printed 2 copies and submitted it with our applications.

We filled out the visa application online and it was pretty straight forward like any other visa applications. The 2 key items you need to get right on the application are :
1. Item #10 - Date of arrival and departure.
2. Item #11 - Host organization you intend to visit.

Date of arrival and departure is the dates of your visa validity.
For example: if you're applying for a 3 years visa starting August 1, 2016. The date of arrival and departure should read August 1, 2016 - July 31, 2019. For a 1 year visa it should be August 1, 2016 - July 31, 2017. Some people would confused that as being the actual dates of the days you will be in Russia.

Host Organization you intend to visit is the Organization on your invitation letter. On your invitation letter there should be a Reference # and Confirmation #, these are the items you will enter in for the institution you will visit. My letter came from a travel agency, so we used their name and address plus the reference # and confirmation #.

The cost for submitted it through the ILS USA was $193 for a 3 years Multi entries Visa. $160 + $33 (ILS fees) = $193. You can pay by cash, money order or credit card w/fees.
My total cost was $193+$30=$223 and 2 hrs of my time. Hope this helps.

ffsim

Thanks for sharing your experience. I can absolutely +1 the visa validity tip you provide above.

I had always indicated the arrival and departure dates of my first planned trip into Russia for which I was applying for a visa. Only on the most recent application (my fourth), did the ILS clerk explain that the dates should match the entire visa validity.

Great tip ^

ncvet61

This is a fairly new change and their Consulate web site has been updated to show this new requirement. (Bolding mine)

IN THIS RESPECT – FOR THE PURPOSE OF THE FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE AGREEMENT ON THE SIMPLIFICATION OF VISA FORMALITIES - IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT US CITIZENS APPLY FOR THREE YEAR MULTIPLE-ENTRY BUSINESS, PRIVATE, HUMANITARIAN AND TOURIST VISAS REGARDLESS OF THE PERIOD OF STAY STATED IN THEIR INVITATIONS.

II. Dear US Applicants,

1. According to the Agreement it is recommended that you submit your documents for obtaining a 3-year multiple-entry visa at least 8 working days prior to your intended date of entry into Russia.

2. When filling out the electronic visa application form at: http://visa.kdmid.ru please choose «multiple» from the drop-down menu and indicate a 3-year period of stay starting from the date of entry in your visa support documents (invitation).

3. Your Visa Application must be accompanied by an invitation from the hosting party. Copies or facsimilies of the invitation are acceptable.

4. A multiple-entry visa allows subsequent trips with a purpose other than what was initially indicated in the visa. Thus, the new purpose of each trip and information on the new hosting organization must be indicated in the Migration Card form in order to clear Russian customs and border control.

lkar

We're looking at flying SQ into DME and then leaving the next morning on LH to FRA. Not sure if they would be split tickets. Either way, we'd like to visit Moscow in the afternoon on the arrival day.

It's unclear to me whether we need tourist visas or transit visas. If the former, what do we do for an invitation -- I assume we'll stay at an airport hotel. Do we just get our invitation letter from that hotel? What else should I be thinking about? Since the cost is the same between a transit and tourist visa, it seems like we might as well go for the tourist visa and maybe even a three year visa in case we return.

Xyzzy

Cntact your hotel. They can arrange for an invitation letter.

lkar

Ok, thanks very much. One more question -- what if we get a visa but end up cancelling the trip? If it is a multi-entry visa, and we didn't use it on the first validity, can we still use it later -- like next year?

BuildingMyBento

Getting the visa was the tricky part...although the visa is date-specific, you are allowed to enter anytime after the date in which the validity starts, obviously up until the point the visa expires.

lkar

Thanks!

FlyAO2

Did you get your visa right away (i.e. while waiting) or did you have to come back? If you had to come back -- how long did they hold your passport till it was ready?

channonc

I just went through this process, it was the exact same experience as dvdbuddy. They held my passport 4 business days. They assigned me a date to come pick up my passport. At the DC office, they allow passport pickups from 2-4pm on the date of your assigned pick up. While I was available to pick mine up on that day, I did ask them if it mattered if I came later than that assigned day. They said it was not a problem. The assigned day was the earliest I was allowed to retrieve my passport.

dvdbuddy

In NYC, our assigned day was 10 calendar days from the time we applied. Pick-up was also 2-4pm. I picked up our on the assigned day and our friend wasn't able make it that day, so she picked it up the following day.

iamflyer

If I have a tourist visa but then end up staying at a friend's house is that a problem? Do they generally ask at the border where you are staying?

TMM1982

So I will be going to Russia and Ukraine in September. Problem is that my flight on the 9th from St. Pete to Kiev requires a stop in Minsk, Belarus. Do I need a Belarus VISA to make that connecting flight? Same question on the return going from Kiev to Moscow?

ncvet61

You have 7 days to register your Visa in Russia. It is the responsibility of both you and your friend to register it at the local Migration office. If you do stay first at a hotel, be sure to ask how long Registration will take as they will submit your passport to Migrations Office. Also, your hotel will most likely cancel their registration on the date you check-out. Depending on how long you will be in Russia, and what city your visiting, should guide you as to re-registering at your friends home. I always list the cities I will be visiting
on my initial application, as well as listing a hotel and then register at family home upon arrival there. Never been a problem.

On the first trip I've never been asked where I was staying as visa lists the cities you put on your application, as well as the hosting agent.

A multiple-entry visa allows subsequent trips with a purpose other than what was initially indicated in the visa. Thus, the new purpose of each trip and information on the new hosting organization must be indicated in the Migration Card form in order to clear Russian customs and border control.

iamflyer

Thanks! Registration won't be a problem. I was more worried about having a Tourist visa for a stay that would probably technically fall under the category of a "private stay"