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Russian Foreign Passport

 
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Shrike1070
Just Starting


Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 9
Location: Colorado, USA

PostPosted: Fri Aug 12, 2005 9:36 am    Post subject: Russian Foreign Passport Reply with quote

I'm really not sure where to post this question in the forum, so I'll put it on this board.

Do any of the Russians here know how long it is taking these days (summer-fall 2005) for a Russian citizen to get a Foreign Passport, and how much is it costing (including any 'greased' palms)?


Thanks in advance! Smile
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Intourist
Talk Show Host


Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 245
Location: Moscow

PostPosted: Fri Aug 12, 2005 9:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

A friend of mine did it last week through a channel at MID for $200. It took about 4 or 5 days.
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Shrike1070
Just Starting


Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 9
Location: Colorado, USA

PostPosted: Fri Aug 12, 2005 9:41 am    Post subject: really? Reply with quote

I'm a noob about this kind of stuff. What is MID? Ministry of something? Did they have an inside connection?

Thanks for the info!
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steve7871
Frequent Guest


Joined: 17 Feb 2005
Posts: 42
Location: London, UK

PostPosted: Fri Aug 12, 2005 11:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

My wife got one done in a couple of weeks recently. I'm not sure exactly how much it cost, but they wanted 8000 roubles to spell her surname the same as mine! (otherwise they spell it in French, which would have been different).
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Intourist
Talk Show Host


Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 245
Location: Moscow

PostPosted: Fri Aug 12, 2005 11:22 am    Post subject: Re: really? Reply with quote

Shrike1070 wrote:
I'm a noob about this kind of stuff. What is MID? Ministry of something? Did they have an inside connection?

Thanks for the info!


MID is Ministiry of Foreign Affairs (Ministerstvo Innostrannikh Del). But again, that's through an internal connection.

Basically, if you do it without paying someone, you have to do it at the OVIR for the region you're registered. My friend's propiska is from Saratov, so getting a 'zagran' (travel abroad) passport would've entailed going home to submit the application, then waiting god knows how long, then showing up in person again to receive it. Not fun.

But a lot of Russians do it through people who have connections with MID or some other Moscow-located government agency with the authority to issue passports. From what I understand, that route, if you know the right person, costs approx 200-300 dollars.

If you ask enough Russian friends, usually someone will be able to put you in touch with someone who can do it this way.

That's it in a nutshell.
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MrSpice
Lounge Wizard


Joined: 14 Jul 2003
Posts: 3431

PostPosted: Fri Aug 12, 2005 11:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

There are also some agencies (sort of like travel agencies) that do this kind of thing. Any russian that lives there can go to the internet or just ask around in the center of the city and should be able to find one of those agencies that may do visas, "propiska", travel documents, possible travel tours, etc. and can either help or advise where to get help with the passport. I would say, she/he can go to a travel agency in the center and they should be able to help (better yet, go to several and use the one that charges less)
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