Way to Russia Community and Forum

If you have a question or want to help someone, please, go to
Way to Russia Forum on our Facebook page.
 
We also invite you to join our Facebook community, where you can meet other travelers and read interesting news on topics ranging from visa regulations to culture and music.
 

 

We are currently moving the old forum to Facebook, so what you see below functions as an archive.

If you have a question, please, post it on
Way to Russia Facebook Discussions Page

FAQ   Search   Memberlist   Usergroups   Profile   Log in to check your private messages   Chat   Log in

EU-Russia agreement on visa facilitation Goto page Previous  1, 2, 3  Next

Way to Russia Talk Lounge Forum Index -> Russian Visa Forum

Author	Message
Lao-Shu Frequent Guest Joined: 20 Jun 2007 Posts: 24	Posted: Wed Jul 04, 2007 11:33 pm    Post subject: Re: visa for academic personnel donturiddu wrote: Quote: QUOTE: f) for persons participating in scientific, cultural and artistic activities, including university and other exchange programmes: – a written request from the host organisation to participate in those activities; Does this new RF-EU agreement mean that I only will need a "written request" from one of the universities I will be working with, in order to get a (business) visa? Are these rules applied yet by the embassies in the EU? Thanks The new agreement means, indeed, that some categories of citizens only need a "written request" for all types of visas. This is stated in paragraph 3 of article 4: 3. For the categories of citizens mentioned in paragraph 1 of this Article, all categories of visas are issued according to the simplified procedure without requiring any other justification, invitation or validation concerning the purpose of the journey, provided for by the legislation of the Parties. This rule is already applied. The problem is that the exact meaning of a "written request" is not explained in the agreement. I know that in case of close relatives the "written request" is a notarized invitation. I guess that in your case this should be a letter from the University typed on their official blank with their official stamp. Possibly, there are some other requirements, which you can figure out in the local Russian consulate.
Back to top
alberto Frequent Guest Joined: 22 Jan 2007 Posts: 12 Location: Spain	Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 11:57 pm    Post subject: Article 5, paragraph 1, section b wrote: b) spouses and children (including adopted), who are under the age of 21 or are dependant, visiting citizens of the Russian Federation and the European Union legally residing in the territory of the Member States or the Russian Federation, with the term of validity limited to the duration of the validity of their authorisation for legal residence. Article 5, paragraph 4 wrote: 4. The total period of stay of persons referred to in paragraphs 1 to 3 of this Article shall not exceed 90 days per period of 180 days in the Russian Federation or in the territory of the Member States. Aparently, spouses can get visa to live with the couple who legally resides in the RF or EU. But paragraph 4 states that the stays can last up to 90 days per half year. Can anyone clarify this? They can live just half of the time together?? I think this paragraph will bother many people who use multiple entry visas to reside in the territory of the Russian Federation. I hope I misunderstood the agreement. Regards, Alberto
Back to top
surfguy Lounge Wizard Joined: 13 Apr 2006 Posts: 6979	Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2007 3:44 am    Post subject: sounds like they can stay only 90 days in a six month window
Back to top
alberto Frequent Guest Joined: 22 Jan 2007 Posts: 12 Location: Spain	Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2007 4:43 pm    Post subject: surfguy wrote: sounds like they can stay only 90 days in a six month window This just blew up all my plans... There are thousands of europeans living and/or doing business in Russia with business visas. For example, that's the visa that wives accompaining their husbands used to have. Now everyone will have to apply for residence, because of this stay-duration restriction. We'll see if there is a way out apart from the temporary residence permit... Thanks, Alberto
Back to top
Lao-Shu Frequent Guest Joined: 20 Jun 2007 Posts: 24	Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2007 10:23 pm    Post subject: alberto wrote: Now everyone will have to apply for residence, because of this stay-duration restriction. Alberto True, because according to Russian Federal Law № 115-ФЗ (25.07.2002), there are three legal cases for foreigners to stay in Russia: temporary staying, temporary living, and permanent living. Visas give right for temporary staying only, which cannot exceed 90 days per half year. For temporary (3 years) or a permanent living one has to get a residence permit. The new RF-EU agreement is about issuing visas, and it does not change the above law. Useful information concerning visas and residence permits can be found at: http://moscow.usembassy.gov/consular/acs.php?record_id=acsrusvisas#VisaRegistration
Back to top
alberto Frequent Guest Joined: 22 Jan 2007 Posts: 12 Location: Spain	Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 8:16 am    Post subject: I think fortunately this won't be applied to me. The case with my russian visa is a bit odd, because my invitation was issued in may (before the agreement was in force) and I applied for the visa in june (after the application of the agreement). Now I think I can stay the whole year because of the field "Duration of Stay ... Days". This field was not present in the old yellow-brown visas, because the total duration of stay was the validity of the visa. Usually, when you applied for a multientry business Schengen visa it was written the dates of validity (let's say six months term) and apart the number of days of stay, 90 usually. Now the Russian Gov. will adopt this as part of the reciprocity that this agreement is trying to establish. As far as in my visa it says 366 days of stay, I guess I have been applied the old stay-duration regulation, because my invitation was old. And I paid the new fees, which was quite convenient. I'm going to have a consultation with an immigration expert, so I'll post what he says regarding to this new stuff. Thanks for your answers, Alberto
Back to top
alberto Frequent Guest Joined: 22 Jan 2007 Posts: 12 Location: Spain	Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 11:28 am    Post subject: I correct myself. I asked about this at Domodedovo passport control and they told me that the visas that are affected by this limitation are those that have the following sentence in the "Additional Information" field: Действует 90 дней из каждых 180. (or something like that) The text is apparently written only in Russian. The field "duration" is kept at 365 days.
Back to top
european Frequent Guest Joined: 24 Oct 2007 Posts: 49	Posted: Thu Oct 25, 2007 5:44 am    Post subject: Does someone know whether the new regulation for visa for grandchildren to visit grandparents (no cost and only a written invitation necessary) is only valid for a EU grandchild is visiting a EU grandparent legally residing in Russia, or also for a EU grandchild visiting a Russian grandparent in Russia?
Back to top
european Frequent Guest Joined: 24 Oct 2007 Posts: 49	Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2007 3:58 am    Post subject: Retaliatory measures? From Moscow Times Monday, October 29, 2007. Issue 3774. Page 1: Foreigners Face a 10-Day Wait for New Visas The minimum wait time for a new Russian visa has risen to 10 days at many embassies in Europe where expatriates previously could get them in just a day. The longer waiting times stem from an agreement between Russia and the European Union that was meant to simplify visa procedures and went into effect in June. "The agreement says consulates have up to 10 days to issue the visa," Bondareva said. "But some consulates have taken that to mean a set period of 10 days." RIA/Novosti 20071029: The sides also discussed the visa process. A visa facilitation agreement was enforced nearly five months ago, but the majority of Russians have not seen any improvements. On the contrary, the visa situation has deteriorated in the most popular tourist destinations, such as France, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands and Belgium. Their consulates turned over the documents registration process to so-called visa centers, i.e., for-profit intermediaries allowed to provide visa services. As a result, the number of documents required for an EU visa and visa costs have actually increased. RIA/Novosti 20071026: Yastrzhembsky also said Russia may introduce retaliatory measures against countries violating the Russia-EU visa facilitation agreement. "This relates to France, Spain, Germany and Belgium," Sergei Yastrzhembsky told journalists, adding that a number of countries deviate from the principles of visa regulation facilitation. He said France, Spain, Germany and Belgium established so-called service centers for Russians wishing to obtain visas, which resulted in visas becoming 70% more expensive for those who want to travel to the Schengen zone via those countries. The Russia-EU agreement on visa facilitation and readmission was signed in May 2006. It was aimed at creating favorable conditions for the development and expansion of reciprocal contacts by citizens and official representatives of Russia and EU members. It also envisions a simplified procedure to process visas for official delegations, journalists, businessmen, scientists, culture and education figures and students heading to study abroad. RIA/Novosti 20071026: Thirdly, the sides have not made much progress toward the declared goal of relaxing visa rules. A new EU-Russia agreement on simplified visa regulations came into force on June 1 of this year, which is a positive development at the first glance. Counter to expectations, most EU consulates have now enlarged the list of documents to be submitted by visa applicants instead of narrowing it down, and have begun to charge additional fees for processing services provided by their newly established visa application centers. Whether European consulates should take that responsibility back from the visa centers and get rid of the surcharges will be discussed at the forthcoming EU-Russia summit in Portugal.
Back to top
european Frequent Guest Joined: 24 Oct 2007 Posts: 49	Posted: Fri Dec 28, 2007 2:32 am    Post subject: I finally got a reply from the EU (others don't answer) on my question about visa for near relatives. This facilitation agreement appears not quite as useful as it seems (except for the price of visa): (quote) The Agreement only intends to cover the visit of Russian family members to a Russian citizen legaly residing in the EU, and EU family members who want to visit an EU citizen legaly residing in Russia. It is for each contracting party - the EU and Russia- to define the regime and the conditions for issuing visa to family members who want to come and visit its own nationals. In principle, this should be a privileged regime, favouring the visits to their own nationals. In that sens, the EU has a Directive from 2004 defining visa facilitations for family members of EU citizens (visa issued for free; speedy procedures; ...). In that same sens, in the case mentioned in your mail -an EU citizen wanting to visit a Russian family member in Russia- the Russian visa rules will apply, and not the specific rules on visits of close relatives provided in the Agreement. However, the general facilitations provided by the Agreement to all visa applicants,whatever the category to which they belong, and in the first place the visa fee of 35 euro (and not the former, higher visa fee fixed by Russia), will apply in that case.
Back to top
prestowk Frequent Guest Joined: 27 Jul 2006 Posts: 26	Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2008 12:23 am    Post subject: Is the law text (visa facilitation agreement) available in Russian somewhere on the internet?
Back to top
european Frequent Guest Joined: 24 Oct 2007 Posts: 49	Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2008 3:57 am    Post subject: It is here: http://www.ambru.nl/?a=30002
Back to top
Michiel Just Starting Joined: 09 Apr 2008 Posts: 3	Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2008 12:55 pm    Post subject: Do you know when the new 90-day limit regulation came into force? Does it apply to a one year visa issued to a Dutch citizen in august 2007?
Back to top
alberto Frequent Guest Joined: 22 Jan 2007 Posts: 12 Location: Spain	Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2008 4:33 pm    Post subject: Yes, it does. For Schengen countries, all Multy-Entry visas issued on or after June 17th. For other countries, October 17th. (that's for business visas)
Back to top
Acoreana Frequent Guest Joined: 12 May 2008 Posts: 15	Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 8:37 pm    Post subject: Leave it to the UK government to think their **** dont stink and not agree to anything only making it more difficult for their citizens. The most ridiculous thing of all is being married to a Russian and there not being any spouse visa or something to let the MARRIED couple stay together. The Russian government gets the "thanks for nothing" vote on that one.
Back to top
Display posts from previous: All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First

	Way to Russia Talk Lounge Forum Index -> Russian Visa Forum	All times are GMT + 3 Hours Goto page Previous  1, 2, 3  Next
Page 2 of 3