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Old 03-14-2006, 03:01 AM   #1
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So, like ive mentioned before, me and a friend are travelling round eastern europe in the summer, including a week in russia.

We were about to apply for a visa for russia, or at least begin the process by booking a hostel in moscow to get an invitation you need to apply for the visa.

But we were looking on the website of the Russian embassy in Bonn (Germany), and it says that non germans wanting to apply through the embassy need a German residents permit - thats where the problems start. We are british, and just in Germany for a year to do a placement from our university, so dont need, and therefore dont have, a residence permit

Not a problem, you might think, just post your passport and visa application to the uk embassy. They only accept payment by postal order - no cash or cheques then read a bit further:
Quote:
IMPORTANT NOTE. Visa applications cannot be accepted if the passport-holder is not present in the country where the application is to be made.


its like somebody doesnt want us going to russia...

any suggestions to get round this, apart from an expensive day trip to london?
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Old 03-14-2006, 03:11 AM   #2
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I'd say ring up your embassy or consulate there in Germany and see if they can handle it for you. Sounds like you're "falling between the cracks" on various policies, and I'm sure they can fix it for you.

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Old 03-14-2006, 06:08 AM   #3
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No luck with the embassy here in Germany...they said that they can only do it if you have a german residence permit - no exceptions

i had thought about applying for a residence permit. but knowing germans, im sure that will involve a lot of hassle and a lot of paperwork, and really is out of the question as it will mean i have to register for health insurance and everything else as well, and when im only staying here until the end of june its not worth it at all

so then it looks like the only option is to go back to the uk for a few days...which sucks as more holiday i take from work will mean less time off to do this trip flights will be around 50 quid plus a same day visa for 90 quid, food transport on top, im looking at about 200quid ($350)!!! just for the russian visa - and all coming out out my trip fund

It just seems a lot of hassle...its almost tempting to not go to russia and spend more time in the other places, but that would really mess up our route, and makes the baltics and helsinki awkward to get to without going back on ourselves (avoiding belarus which also requires a visa)...

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Old 03-14-2006, 06:25 AM   #4
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Is there a country in Eastern Europe where you'll stay a few weeks in ? If so, maybe you could get your visa done there, rush - with the extra $$$$$ ! -.

Another option is the «St. Petersburg & Moscow 72-hour Stay Visa». Cost about $35, and is delivered upon entry. It's only available to Schengen countries and Britain, Switzerland and Japan. No invitation letter needed. You can get those at one of those 6 points :

-Sheremetevo Ariport Terminal
-St Petersburg's Pulkovo International Airport
-Bagrationovsk And Mamonovo points on the Polish border in the Kaliningrad area
-Brusnichnoe and Torfyanovka points on the Finnish border in the Leningrad area.

72 hours is short, but...
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Old 03-14-2006, 07:15 AM   #5
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Quote:
72 hours is short, but...
Better than not going at all!! Good advice Atchoum!

Good luck FreakyPete!
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Old 03-15-2006, 03:03 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally posted by atchoum@Mar 14 2006, 03:25 PM
Is there a country in Eastern Europe where you'll stay a few weeks in ? If so, maybe you could get your visa done there, rush - with the extra $$$$$ ! -.

Another option is the «St. Petersburg & Moscow 72-hour Stay Visa». Cost about $35, and is delivered upon entry. It's only available to* Schengen countries and Britain, Switzerland and Japan. No invitation letter needed. You can get those at one of those 6 points :

-Sheremetevo Ariport Terminal
-St Petersburg's Pulkovo International Airport
-Bagrationovsk And Mamonovo points on the Polish border in the Kaliningrad area
-Brusnichnoe and Torfyanovka points on the Finnish border in the Leningrad area.

72 hours is short, but...
[snapback]106682[/snapback]
Thats really useful Atchoum, thanks!

We really want to go to kaliningrad but didnt want to have the added hassle of applying for a double entry visa, so thats a great alternative, and 72 hours should be ok. we were going to main bit of russia via the ukraine, so its not really an option there...plus most of the 72 hours would be spent travelling!

I have emailed the embassy here again to see if they can somehow bend the rules. but im not really that confident. its not stopping us though, now ive slept on it, the hassle of going to london for a couple of days isnt too bad, apart from the cost.
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Old 03-15-2006, 06:55 AM   #7
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The 72-hour visa is only to visit St. Pets or Moscow, not Kalingrad, even though you can purchase the visa at this border. A transit visa for Kalingrad is a low budget option.

If you do go to Kalingrad, please share with us the experience and tips ! This tiny Russia is a hot conflict spot at the moment, not dangerous to tourits, and I'd love to read about real life in there.
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Old 03-15-2006, 07:33 AM   #8
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I assume since you want to go to Kaliningrad Oblast, you will be travelling in Lithuania. Did you know that in summer there is a boat trip between Nida and Kaunas down the Nemunas River from which you can see Kaliningrad (though you can't get off the boat in "Russia" without the visa - the town in which the boat docks is called Sovietsk). If you're just wanting to "see" the oblast, that might give you another option, without having to get the multiple entry visa, and you could save your 72 hours for Russia proper. The trip goes through the Nemunas Delta regional park, a wildlife reserve and passes the ruins of several fortresses from the days of the struggles with the Teutonic knights, so it's a pretty interesting survey of Lithuania that you wouldn't get from just a visit to Vilnius. From June 1 to Sept 1, the 4 hour hydrofoil journey departs Kaunas at 9 or 10 am, and departs Nida at 3, so you could go for just the day, but Nida's pretty cool and worth at least an overnight stay - though the Curonian spit is an interesting place to explore and you could easily spend three or four days or more there. One way tickets (in 2000) cost 59 litas (about 20$), return 89 (about 30$). You can buy tickets in Kaunas or Nida, and also at tourism info offices in Vilnius.

Just another option for you!



As atchoum mentioned, Kaliningrad has been posing all sorts of interesting political problems since before Lithuania joined the EU in 2004 - transit between the oblast and Russia proper being a major issue... Interesting part of the world, that.
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Old 03-17-2006, 05:34 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally posted by tumblezweedz@Mar 15 2006, 04:33 PM
I assume since you want to go to Kaliningrad Oblast, you will be travelling in Lithuania.* Did you know that in summer there is a boat trip between Nida and Kaunas down the Nemunas River from which you can see Kaliningrad (though you can't get off the boat in "Russia" without the visa - the town in which the boat docks is called Sovietsk).* If you're just wanting to "see" the oblast, that might give you another option, without having to get the multiple entry visa, and you could save your 72 hours for Russia proper.* The trip goes through the Nemunas Delta regional park, a wildlife reserve and passes the ruins of several fortresses from the days of the struggles with the Teutonic knights, so it's a pretty interesting survey of Lithuania that you wouldn't get from just a visit to Vilnius.* From June 1 to Sept 1, the 4 hour hydrofoil journey departs Kaunas at 9 or 10 am, and departs Nida at 3, so you could go for just the day, but Nida's pretty cool and worth at least an overnight stay - though the Curonian spit is an interesting place to explore and you could easily spend three or four days or more there.* One way tickets (in 2000) cost 59 litas (about 20$), return 89 (about 30$).* You can buy tickets in Kaunas or Nida, and also at tourism info offices in Vilnius.

Just another option for you!



As atchoum mentioned, Kaliningrad has been posing all sorts of interesting political problems since before Lithuania joined the EU in 2004 - transit between the oblast and Russia proper being a major issue...* Interesting part of the world, that.
[snapback]106850[/snapback]
That sounds really interesting, thanks! i think we will try and fit that boat trip in while we are in lithuania. We want to get out of the big cities a bit so that should be a great opportunity. the boat trip sounds great as well.

one question though, in these smaller towns like Nida, im guessing that theres not going to be any hostels there? but then hotels are likely to be cheaper, or not?

Im definitely tempted to find a way of getting a few days in kaliningrad now i have read a bit more about it in the last couple of days. a friend of mine might have found a way round the visa problem for me, but not sure if thats going to work yet. but if it works, i think i might celebrate by getting a double entry visa so i can see kaliningrad!
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Old 03-17-2006, 07:14 AM   #10
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Nida, like the other towns around the Curonian lagoon, is a BIG TIME resort town in Lithuania. There are millions of rooms to let - well, okay, not millions, but lots. If you go in August, prices spike because all the beautiful people - and you'd be surprised how many there are - go to the beaches that month. Make sure you book something in advance if you're going in August, or you could wind up paying WAY too much. I don't know about hostels, but there are tons of hotels up and down the coast (both on the mainland, in places like Klaipeda, Plunge and Palanga, and on the spit in Nida, Juodkrante and the other smaller villages). The Kaunas/Klaipeda In Your Pocket (www.inyourpocket.com) has dozens of listings, and almost every private home also lets out rooms, they usually have a sign saying "Zimmer Frei" (yes, it's German - there's a historical connection, and lots of Germans go there). The private rooms are usually cheaper, though may be a little less luxe. We stayed in a house - not in Nida, to be sure - that had an outhouse. It's not that uncommon. The Litinterp offices are a good bet for booking a private home, as they speak English. We've had good luck with them in the past.

We stayed in an awesome hotel in Nida, the Parnidzio Kopa, which is also the name of the famous dune, but it was relatively expensive. Check out the inyourpocket for more current details, mine is a couple of years old.

The boat trip would be an excellent way to see the countryside away from the cities - much more pleasant than driving or taking the bus. And the Nemunas is a pretty significant river historically, certainly for the region.

Good luck with your visa issues!


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