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dominika_s
Just Starting
Joined: 22 Feb 2005
Posts: 5
Location: Poland
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 Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2005 10:49 pm Post subject: Visa & & invitation & voucher & registration |
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i am pretty sure this subject has been covered loads of times. still, i have received so much information from different sources and i never heard the same thing twice, that i must ask you for help.
im planning a trip to St.Petersburg for early July. my accomodation is already secured (at a friend's friend's friend's friend...you know how it is  ).
ive spoken to the largest chain of travel agents in Poland called Orbis and they have provided me with a lot of brochures of organised tours - all of them dear. as well as that i have found out there's no way of getting a different mean of transport apart from the train (VERY dear), all coaches have apparently been cancelled due to lack of interest. im not surprised as there's NO information whatsoever on how to get there, how to apply for a visa, and so on. they have also informed me that the ONLY way to get the voucher is to book hotels through them for the whole lenght of the trip (the cheapest they found was 99 USD a night for 2...that kind of money is out of question for me).
i found that quite suspicious and was trying to verify the information in the Russian Consulate in Warsaw...hmm, guess what - the phone is ALWAYS busy. the only time i managed to get through, i got immidiately disconnected for some reason...interesting.
the whole part was to tell you i didnt just post this without a reason, just because i was too lazy to look for information anywhere else.
ive got the following questions:
1. what documents do i have to provide (apart from the obvious application and passport) if im not staying in a hotel? and does that mean a lot of inconvinience for the person hosting me (i would never like to cause grief to people who offered to help me - that would be openly rude).
2. i was planning to stay in St.Petersburg for 3 nights, i know about the 72 hours rule - does it count even if its the 74th hour (for example) and im on the bus back...but still in Russia...?
3. i know you're providing visa support and i would be keen to use your help if everything else failed - how sure can i be to receive the visa with the vouchers/invitations and whatever else you provide? please be honest with me.
if you could contact me through icq or my web page i would appreciate even more...although ANY sensible help will make me happy i have a feeling everything is better than what i know (or dont know rather) so far. |
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mediashark
Moderator
Joined: 04 Nov 2004
Posts: 1599
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| Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2005 11:25 pm Post subject: |
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You've come to the right place. Please waith for Dmitry (WayToRussia) to give all the details, but my suggestion is just forget the travel agents in Poland.
No surprise that the Russian Consulate phone is always busy. Better get hold of the address and find the time when they're open for visa applications, visit them and get hold of all the forms and information.
Apply for the tourist visa, get WTR (or whatever agency you used) to handle your registration and I don't think you need any documents from your host. Only with the business visa, you probably will.
Also, I heard that www.visahouse.ru can register you on the spot like a hotel would. It's a bit pricy but their service is very good and quick. I don't know about WTR as I've never tried it myself. |
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Skip
Talk Show Host
Joined: 19 Jan 2005
Posts: 283
Location: Planet Warez
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dominika_s
Just Starting
Joined: 22 Feb 2005
Posts: 5
Location: Poland
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| Posted: Thu Feb 24, 2005 2:34 pm Post subject: not sure |
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do you honestly mean that if i apply i dont need any documents from the host??? from what i found out from sites in Russian is that whoever hosts me has to get through a painfull procedure (lasting up to 3 months) of indentity confirmation and so on, they have to have a stamped official inviation and send it over to me - that i have to present to the Russian Consulate with the appropriate visa form...thats why id rather pay for the phony booking (around $30 i think) than cause grief to the lovely person who wants to help me out.
see what i mean, every day i find out something that has nothing in common with what i was told or found out earlier...
To Skip: when i search for connection to St Petersburg on that site - i dont get any! technically its there, in the section "Locations served in Russia" but when i actually click it and try to book it doesnt find anything. from what i was told by teh eurolines agent was: they had 2 connections but they were both closed due to lack of interest (i seriously doubt that, considering how expansive the train is). there's a possibility they will be reopened for summer but thet can't tell for sure.
WAY TO RUSSIA experts - PLEASE HELP ME! |
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Skip
Talk Show Host
Joined: 19 Jan 2005
Posts: 283
Location: Planet Warez
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| Posted: Thu Feb 24, 2005 2:55 pm Post subject: |
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So what you're talking about is a private invitation?!? If so all the paperwork that's the most awkward will be handled by your friends, friends, friend who'll be accommodating you in SPB... 
All you have to do is put the resultant original UVIR invitation with your demand for a visa and it's really simple (for you...)
If not then you need a tourist invitation. These are available through countless websites for reasonable fees. Better still to go with a service that handles both the invitation and your actual visa. I doubt however that you should submit an application for a visa until you're within 90 days of travelling.
You have Google and you can read the previous posts and advice given here to other people with virtually identical questions...
The bus is a summer service only... OK, so now is only Febraury... but you said you weren't travelling until July... and believe me, they've advertisied the Russian bus service extensively and for that reason I doubt it will be dropped in the short to mid term!!!! |
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dominika_s
Just Starting
Joined: 22 Feb 2005
Posts: 5
Location: Poland
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| Posted: Thu Feb 24, 2005 5:29 pm Post subject: |
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Skip: i know all the paper work has to be handled by that person and im not going to opt for that for this very reason.
"These are available through countless websites for reasonable fees. Better still to go with a service that handles both the invitation and your actual visa."
yes, i think this is what i will actually do. the problem is i want to be sure the service is reliable. i suspect the "waytorussia" service should be. but from what i read they only offer visa support (the voucher, or whatever)...
yes, i know July is ages away. i like to have everything preorganised though and know exactly what i have to do as ill be VERY busy from April onwards and i doubt i will have time to enquire.
ive already solved the bus problem - ill take it from Riga - the connection is great, ive checked. |
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dominika_s
Just Starting
Joined: 22 Feb 2005
Posts: 5
Location: Poland
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| Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2005 5:21 pm Post subject: Yuppee!!! |
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i managed to persude my travel agent to use his credit card details!!! and so i ordered the visa support from you site. all great.
i found it not very clear though - i mean where does the invitation go?will it be sent to the consulate? or am i gonna get it (i did ask for the original in the comments as i know the Warsaw consulate requests one). i know i have to go to the consulate to apply for the visa personally. if so it seems logical i should get the papers. i was just a little confused when i had to put in the location of the consulate the visa support will be sent to...does that mean you (i mean the company issuing the papers) have to get in touch with the consulate as well??
i would appreciate if you cleared that up for me!!!
(i know im beeing fussy)
p.s. if this works ok, you can be sure to get more orders from that travel agent. its really hard to get any information about the visa support in Poland (as you can see from my ealier posts) and im sure many people will find your service very handy once they find out about it. |
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mediashark
Moderator
Joined: 04 Nov 2004
Posts: 1599
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| Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2005 10:47 pm Post subject: |
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Unless you are applying for your visa remotely, the invitation should be sent to you. If it was sent to the consulate, just go there anyway (or ring them in advance and ask) and submit the rest of the documents (application form, passport etc). Sending an invitation directly to the consulate minimizes the risk of it getting lost in the mail.
I've never used WTR, but some companies just pefer to send the invitation direct (by fax) to the consulate because it's faster than courier. You may have to call them to check if they have received it though. However some consulates request for the original invitation (if it's business multi-entry).
Hope this helps! It's not a big problem really. Just make sure you do have a few copies of the invitation in case you run into trouble in Russia (lost passport etc.). |
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dominika_s
Just Starting
Joined: 22 Feb 2005
Posts: 5
Location: Poland
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| Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2005 12:29 am Post subject: |
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BIG thanks to you, my good man
i just found it a little confusing thats all it's all obvious and clear now, thank you again!
KNOCK ON WOOD. i hope i never loose my passport!
p.s. im sure i will love St.Petersburg...ive been wanting to see it since i was a wee girl and saw a set of photos of the city my dad's pal brought from a journey to the East...no other city ever did to me what a set of those photos did. i had actual dreams about it for weeks after that. |
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