Ever have a visa not arrive in time?
 

:confused:

I'm supposed to be leaving for Russia early Monday morning. The Russian Embassy has had my tourist visa application for over 1 week. I paid the $200 next day service fee, and included a next day air envelope for them to return it in. I still have no visa, and now no passport since I had to send it with my application. Aeroflot has no reservations support on weekends, so I can't call them to change my flight. This past week I've called the Embassy 20+ times. I either got a busy signal, a recorded message in Russian, or it just rang and rang (one time for 10 minutes straight). So, unless someone has another idea that I can't think of, it appears I've blown a $1500 ticket. :mad:

I recognize that it's my fault for booking such a trip last minute (and for buying the ticket prior getting the visa), but it was a spur of the moment trip idea and I figured the visa would have plenty of time to get here if I paid for the rush service. Lesson learned: No trips to Russia unless you've got at least one month lead time.

I've had similar issues with the Brazilian embassy. You are SOL. I hope you bought a changeable fare. They won't let you on the flight; and they may or may not be helpful in adjusting your itinerary.

I think I'm simply SOL. I am good friends with our local postmaster, so I'm going to call him and ask him to go through the mail as early as possible Monday morning in case it happens to be there and I can get it before I leave for the airport. Otherwise, I'm out everything, including the visa fee because I'm sure the Russian Embassy would claim they issued it, even if it does arrive two weeks late. It was a changeable fare, but only if I changed it within 6 hours of the departure. So if it doesn't arrive Monday morning I'm not going to be able to change it because it would only be about 3 hours before my flight. I've learned all sorts of (expensive) lessons from this experience. Ugh.

I was just looking on a website that offers visa assistance for travelers. They note that, due to new security regulations, getting a Russian tourist visa approved in less than 3 days is rarely possible. It would have been nice if the Embassy website noted this.

I hope you find it at the post office! Good luck.

It doesn't hurt to talk to the airline and explain the situation. They are not obligated to do anything; but there are plenty of stories where they've attempted to accomodate somebody with an expiring(ed) passport, visa, etc.

I don't know enough about the details, but you'd probably be better off talking to a real person than via the phone.

Good Luck! I know how much it sucks to be in your position.

Another option is to try to contact the airline's office in another country. Perhaps the office in Moscow is open 7 days a week. Another alternative would be to call the Hong Kong office, where they are certain to speak English. Even if they are not open on the weekends either, their Monday morning will be Sunday afternoon or evening your time.

I've had this happen too many times. If you're buying on short notice and visa is not in hand, always buy refundable.

These are all great ideas, but I think I'll hold off for right now. If I were to re-book right now and then the visa ended up arriving Monday morning, I'd feel like a fool. If my visa doesn't arrive by Monday morning, I'll call Aeroflot and give them a sob story and see if they'll help me out. If I have to swallow $1500, I'll do it. It'll p*** me off, but it won't bankrupt me. ;-)

Or anywhere in the Former Soviet Union. Of course, this board's Soviet apologist would say otherwise.

Well, I learned that lesson and the lesson about not buying a ticket before you have the visa in hand. I'd done it half a dozen times before and never got burned, so I apparently had let my guard down. What I'd forgotten in the last 7 years since I'd been to the FSU is the eye roll and shoulder shrug that comes from anybody even remotely linked to customer service. I imagine that right now, my visa application is still sitting in some consular in-box while some guy named Sergei laughs with his buddies about how he's pulling one over on the American who's so filthy rich he can fly to Russia on two weeks notice. ;)

At least you get that much. In much of China all you get is a blank stare which becomes hostile when you start pushing back.

I feel your pain. I studied aboard junior year of college. My parents and I were sitting in our car in the driveway with all my stuff packed waiting for the FedEx man to come with my Visa so we could drive to the airport. It is the most frustrating experience!

In many other parts of the FSU, most Western nationalities either do not need a visa (Ukraine, Baltic States) or you can easily pick one up on arrival.

For Americans, a visa is needed for Ukraine. Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania are visa-free for visits up to 90 days.

Actually for the past three years or so Ukraine has been visa-free for visitors from the US, EU and several other Western countries for up to 90 days. I believe Georgia is as well. Armenia you can buy on arrival if you fly in. But for most of the CIS visas are still required for many Western countries.