I'm off to Moscow for a few days in late August (first trip as a tourist). I know that my company uses a London courier company for obtaining visas through the embassy but was thinking, on costs grounds, of doing it myself. It's not that I can't afford the couroer company but I'm tempted to minimise the cost of what at the end of the day is a weekend break!

I have a hotel booked (the Sheraton) and they are offering to provide the invitation and hotel voucher.

Am I completely mad to be even considering doing this myself? I'm happy to take my passport etc down to the Consulate in London if that will speed things up, or alternatively I have heard good things about the Consulate in Edinburgh.

Any thoughts/experiences?

Hello,

When I lived in Cambridge, I obtained a tourist visa to Ukraine from the Ukrainian Embassy in London. (I am a US citizen.) The process was fairly smooth, although it took a few days longer and a few pounds more than what was promised by the Embassy. I suppose it also helped that I spoke Russian, although the visa section people seemed pretty competent in English.

Of course Ukraine and Russia are different countries but not too different... same old Soviet bureaucracies. I would definitely suggest trying to do things yourself and to allow plenty of time for processing.

I read somewhere that using an alternate consulate (i.e., Edinburgh instead of London) might be better as they have fewer inquiries and are therefore a bit more efficient and nice.

Alex

I haven't done a Russian visa for myself in a while, but it certainly is possible. The key thing to remember is that you need to be SCRUPULOUSLY careful about bringing/properly completing all of the required documents, showing up during their ridiculously short office hours, and following all of the rules for visas to the letter. If you do this, you'll get the visa with no problems, but Russian consulates love to send people away if they can find even the smallest excuse to do so. Don't give them the opportunity. Getting the visa by mail is also a fine option, if you have the lead time. It's reliable, don't worry.

The idea of going to an out-of-the-way consulate is a good one, if it's possible. The consulates in the US often have long lines, usually made up mostly of visa agency employees who have greased the appropriate palms so that they get served before the hoi polloi. You may find yourself having to wait quite a while in line if this is the case at your local consulate.