G:eek::eek:gle is your friend... (at least in this case)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...als-en.svg.png

We were told at ILS in San Francisco that we do not need a health doc, nor flight info. Just the visa application on line at the ILS website, photo, copy of passport and letter of invitation from hotel.

As Xyzzy pointed out, google is our friend.

San Fransisco ILS: http://www.ils-usa.com/main.php?id=t...quired&lang=en
"EU Citizens are required to provide a copy of their health insurance policy card, along with their policy documents that is valid in the Russian Federation for the visa period, except fro countries covered by bi-lateral agreements. If you are not EU citizens, then please ask visa center operators whether you require medical insurance. Your policy must include information about clinics covered in Russia."

As about the flight data: what do you think you will have to fill out on the form?

Learn something new every day :)

Today we took our package to ILS in San Francisco. We are US citizens so I am only speaking for our rules. Olga, pretty friendly woman, looked over all our docs, exactly what she asked for, and deemed them to be satisfactory. Passports with visas due to be picked up April 6. They will call if there is a delay. No appointment necessary. When we walked in, there were two couples at each window and two waiting. We waited maybe 15 minutes at 11 am. One couple who showed up a little later had been to the consulate who shooed them away and sent them to ILS. Interesting development. We could have used just one money order but I split them as all the other docs were for individuals.

Two words of warning on the online (ONLY kind accepted) application

1. Once you click that you are finished, you are and cannot go back if you print out your application and see a mistake so be careful your first time.

2. There is a question about the two jobs you had before you got the one you hold now with a caveat that you may only list two MAXIMUM. Turns out when it prints out on an entirely different form (reconfigured), the slot says to list your last two jobs. My husband got it right because he went after me and learned from my error but I have only one job listed whereas I was supposed to show two EXACTLY. Olga looked over each and every detail of our applications and accepted both. So I am assuming my having only one job was going to sail on through. My husband and I are both retired.

I decided not to point out the error in their question until AFTER we get our visas! Must keep Olga happy...;)

I am very excited about getting the 3 year, multi-entry visa. Plan to use it for all sorts of trips, including trips that just require flying in and out, like for the Stans.

The visa application accepts imprecise dates. You can just enter 00 August 2001, for example, and if I recall correctly it will accept a null entry for the month. I don't think they'll mind if it was really July or September, but YMMV.