| Author |
Message |
tambok17
Just Starting
Joined: 08 Jul 2009
Posts: 1
|
 Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2009 6:17 pm Post subject: US citizens trying to get Visa while living outside of US |
 |
|
| I' m in Manila now. Do you think I could get a Russian visa here? I have heard that the law requires that we go to the USA to get it. Does anyone know anyting about this? What if I work in Saudi or Kuwait and places like that? |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
romdur
Lounge Lizard
Joined: 17 Mar 2010
Posts: 189
|
| Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2009 7:21 pm Post subject: |
|
|
The policy seems to depend on which country you are in.
In some countries, the Russian consulates will only accept visa applications from citizens of third countries who can prove that they have long-term status in the country where they are applying (possible examples could be a visa for more than 90 days, a work permit, legal residency, etc. - but what is acceptable depends on the consulate).
It seems that in other countries, third-country residents can apply for a Russian visa without any special requirement, although the visa fees may be higher, and the processing slower.
I don't know how this works in the Philippines - maybe your best course of action is contact the Consular Office at the Russian Embassy in Manila, and hope you can find somebody who speaks English.
Please post back, with what you learn! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
nikir
Frequent Guest
Joined: 17 Mar 2010
Posts: 54
|
| Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 4:06 am Post subject: |
|
|
| romdur wrote: |
It seems that in other countries, third-country residents can apply for a Russian visa without any special requirement, although the visa fees may be higher, and the processing slower.
|
Can you provide links to consulates that do this or any other evidence to validate this statement?
A lot of people would find this information very helpful. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
romdur
Lounge Lizard
Joined: 17 Mar 2010
Posts: 189
|
| Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 7:17 am Post subject: |
|
|
@nikir:
| Quote: | | Can you provide links to consulates that do this or any other evidence to validate this statement? |
This is a big question for me: I also would love to know more, it is a big question for many travelers! Many Russian consulates around the world don't seem to have web sites. Of those that do, many say that citizens of third countries must prove long-term status in order to apply for a visa: for example, here is the rule in my home country (USA) "Non-US citizens should also provide proof of legality of their stay in the USA (US Resident Alien status, form I-94) when applying for a visa." It is a very big deal to get Resident Alien status here: it is not something a casual traveler would have!
[There is a general exception for Schengen countries that a resident of any of these countries can apply at a Russian Consulate in any other Schengen country.]
In some countries, the Russian Consulate will accept a work permit or student visa as proof of long-term residency, the general criterion seeming to be having been in the Consulate's country for more than 90 days, or at least having permission to stay for more than 90 days. Because I saw this so many times, I thought that (apart from the Schengen countries) it is a general rule, and I apologize to anyone I have misinformed on this forum 
But I have recently gotten information about exceptions. I don't consider ANY of it validated until I hear from somebody who did it (we're talking about Russia, after all). For example, the Russian Consulates in UK outsource their visa processing to a private company. That company's website http://ru.vfsglobal.co.uk/generalrequirements.aspx includes a table of processing times for residents of 6 non-UK countries (including the US) who "do not have UK leave to remain or UK residence permit for a term exceeding 90 days" (for example, someone on vacation in England). But this page lists many OTHER countries for which proof of long-term status is required.
I have also seem claims of third country citizens obtaining Russian visas in Ukraine and Italy, apparently without having resident status there. And I have noticed that some Russian Consular websites DON'T list special requirements for residents of third countries (but this is not the same as saying that third-country residents can get visas there).
For me, the best information is from people who ACTUALLY DID IT. So anyone who has (as a non-resident, for example a visitor on a tourist visa) gotten a Russian visa someplace other than their home country, PLEASE TELL US! It would be great to compile a database on this. And please let us know, did you have difficulty managing for days (or weeks) without your passport in foreign country? I've had Ukrainian cops stop me on the street and demand to see my papers... what would happen if my passport was on a desk in the Russian consulate? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
nikir
Frequent Guest
Joined: 17 Mar 2010
Posts: 54
|
| Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2009 3:49 am Post subject: |
|
|
| So, to summarise, your answer to my question is basically "no"? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
romdur
Lounge Lizard
Joined: 17 Mar 2010
Posts: 189
|
| Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2009 4:58 am Post subject: |
|
|
@nikir, No, the answer I posted was "yes" (if it must be expressed in one word).
First, I assume we can all agree on the exception for residents of Schengen countries.
But outside of Schengen, take a look at the link I posted before. It is possible that they would post a visa schedule for people from the USA (and 5 other countries), who do NOT have 90+ day status in the UK, knowing that such people cannot get a Russian visa in the UK; possible, but not sensible. [If you didn't look at this web page yet, they also give a much longer list of countries whose citizens MUST prove long-term status, in order to apply for a visa from the UK.]
The simplest way to understand this page is, "Yes, people from SOME third countries can obtain Russian visas in the UK, with only short-term status in the UK."
This is not a consular website, but the official webpages for UK Russian consulates link to it, which suggests that this site represents the Russian consular policies with some degree of authority. The consulates in the UK don't handle visa applications, this company does it for them!
So in the sense of your question, I interpret these web pages as "other evidence to validate [the] statement" about third-country visitors. This is a very limited exception: one country, in which the consulates accept such visa applications from the citizens of 6 other countries.
So far, this is the only non-Schengen exception for which I have seen documentary evidence. If my Russian were better, and I had 3 months of my life with nothing else to do, I could (a) study all of the web pages for the offices that have official web pages, and (b) contact every Russian consular office in the world that doesn't have a web page (or whose web page doesn't give a clear answer), and for the percentage that would answer, I could construct a list of their third-country application policies.
Maybe the UK is the only non-Schengen exception. I have only anecdotes without details about other countries.
Last edited by romdur on Fri Jul 10, 2009 5:46 am; edited 1 time in total |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
romdur
Lounge Lizard
Joined: 17 Mar 2010
Posts: 189
|
| Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2009 5:17 am Post subject: Additional Information |
|
|
This is an example of an official consular web page that seems to suggest that third-country residents can get a Russian visa in Norway:
http://www.norway.mid.ru/webko/visa_non_eu_en.html
Unlike many other Russian consular web pages that address third-country residents, this detailed page does not say anything about proving residency (or other long-term status) in Norway.
This is absolutely not the same as saying that third country residents don't need long term status! But it is an example of a case where it would be interesting to follow up by contacting the consular office. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
DavidE
Just Starting
Joined: 15 Jul 2009
Posts: 1
|
| Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 2:23 am Post subject: Looking at options |
|
|
I have taken a look at this thread as I am trying to figure out the best approach for my first trip to Russian this fall. I am a US citizen, and am going to be volunteering at Camphill Svetlana east of St. Petersburg. I would like to be there for the most time I can between October and June (9 months).
This site is the only place I've seen that has stated that one needs to have been to Russia before to aquire the 1 year Multi-entry visa. If so, that is out for me!
The other options that have come up are:
To try re-applying after my 3 month visa expires from a third country as this thread has been exploring or
Having a friend or relative in the US apply for me while I am in a third country (something a worker at the Camphill suggested might be possible).
I am held back from giving her the dates for the official invitation by not knowing what is possible and advisable for me between these 3 options. It seems like it may be that I could only get a 3 month visa! That would be unfortunate. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
David Ecklund |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
stanj
Frequent Guest
Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 41
Location: St Petersburg Russia
|
| Posted: Wed Jul 22, 2009 6:20 pm Post subject: |
|
|
A 12 month Business Visa will not allow your 9 month stay. It will allow a 3 month stay, followed by a 3 month absence before re-entering Russia for a maximum stay of 3 months. Consecutive 3 month visas would allow a semi-continuous stay.
A business visa is not quite the one you need however. Volunteering might be considered work which can't be legally done on a Tourist or Business Visa. Your sponsor needs to provide the correct type of invitation for the correct visa.
Given all that, from personal experience the only Consulate in a surrounding country that responded positively to my queries concerning renewing visas for me, a US citizen. The London visa desk replied that they would process my visa in England. The waiting time was a minimum of 10 working days. Nowhere else in Europe or Scandinavia was that possible. I contacted Kiev and was told they do process US citizen visas to Russia but for only a maximum of 15 days duration. I ended up going back to have it done in San Francisco where the total cost of the new visa including airfare was $2400 for a 3 month business visa. Unfortunately I have been doing that every 3 months since my old style 12 month visa expired. This was due to the stalling of granting foreign wok permits this last 9-10 months. I finally got my work permit after 1.5 years processing. From reliable sources I was one of the only ones to be given the work permit this year. It is a total waste of time and money to go back for 7 days to get a visa renewed but those are the rules and I am a guest.
Additionally, there is a requirement for prior satisfactory entry and departure before a 12 month visa is granted. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
gaijin
Lounge Lizard
Joined: 03 Oct 2007
Posts: 155
|
| Posted: Wed Jul 22, 2009 6:58 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| In short, it depends on the consulate, but normally it's OK if you can prove that you are there legally. If you live there, it really should be OK. If you work in Kuwait you bascially should apply in Kuwait. Doesn't your company have a branch in Manila that could give you a paper saying that you work in Manila (just an idea). |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
