June 2013 Baltic Treasures--St Pet Visa?

[robert32asp]

I have signed up for the 2013 Baltic Treasure tour. I have been to Stockholm, Helsinki, Tallin, and Copenhagen before. I am really looking forward to going to St. Petersburg.

 

My wife and I prefer to tour independently, and stop to shop and eat when the mood strikes us. I already know what we want to do in many of the ports.

 

However, I was hoping that someone might have some experience with getting a Russian Visa. I did a search and posted on another segment of the boards a question, but thought that I might reach out to Oceania travelers for help.

 

There is a Russian Consulate that issues Visa's near the town I live in, so I can do it in person. Two of my grandparents came to US from Russia around 1905. I have studied the Visa regulations and the rules seem to have changed in 2011, so some of the old posts probably don't reflect the current application situation.

 

I really prefer independent tours. I have a number of questions regarding the "invitation letter" and how to obtain it, since we will be staying on the ship overnight and not needing a hotel.

 

My wife has a position at a university and I have a number of engineering society connections. From what I have read an invitation for a tourist visa requires a letter of support from a licensed tour group or lodging firm.

 

Can I book a tour on one afternoon from an independent guide service and will their invitation allow me a Visa for only that day or can I get the visa for a more than just the day of guide services?

 

Can I get a tourist visa support letter from say a church to do geneological research for my stay in St Pet, or say from a University, or Russian museum?

 

Any help or thoughts would be appreciated.

 

Thanks

[LHT28]

I may be wrong but I think the documentation from the ship is your invitation

You may be best to contact the consulate & ask what is required if you are on a cruise ship

 

You could hire a guide & be covered under their group VISA but I believe you have to stay with them anytime you are ashore

 

SPB is a very large city & getting around via subway/trams could eat up a lot of your time

You could do the taxi trip if you can converse with the drivers ..as I understand not all speak English but if you speak Russian that would work

 

Enjoy SPB it is a wonderful place

 

Lyn

 

http://russianembassy.org/Embassy_eng/Consulate/tourist_visa.html

[pacheco18]

The solution is to book with one of the highly rate private tour companies. Then you are covered by their visa.

 

I recommend SPB tours highly. Other recommended Denrus, Red October and Alla.

 

Any of these tour companies can arrange a private, personalized tour and escort you wherever you want to go.

 

There have been previous threads on getting a Russian visa. Do a search for "Russian visa." I am sure something will come up.

[Mura]

I think the above comments are correct.

 

In 2001 we used a visa service (Zierer) to get our visas and it was cost effective and fast. At the time I didn't think that the ship's info was enough for an invitation letter (and Renaissance was not exactly helpful in this connection), and our private guide wasn't able to produce one. (This was before Red October and these other groups started up.) But Elena only charged us $60/day so ....

 

With our private visas we were able to go around on our own. We missed our guide the first day because at the very last minute we went to a different port and Elena didn't get the information on time. She arrived at the ship right after a crew member offered us a ride to the Hermitage, so we just spent the day there and took a cab back.

 

The next day we went around with Elena.

 

Mura

[pacheco18]

Here is the thread

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1608454&highlight=private+visa+russia

[computerworks]

I recommend SPB tours highly.

 

I'll second that... Used SPB Tours in St. Petersburg and the experience was stellar.

[Tansy Mews]

The solution is to book with one of the highly rate private tour companies. Then you are covered by their visa.

 

I recommend SPB tours highly. Other recommended Denrus, Red October and Alla.

 

Any of these tour companies can arrange a private, personalized tour and escort you wherever you want to go.

 

There have been previous threads on getting a Russian visa. Do a search for "Russian visa." I am sure something will come up.

SPB was great. Find a compatible group that wants to go on your customized itinerary through CC. Groups are small. They organize the visa.

http://www.spb-tours.com/st-petersburg/en/

[LuAnn]

is the private tour agency we used in '07....and our guide was Helen....if she is still working for them please ask for her! She is very bright, knows everything about her city...and is just the best!! I'm sure you could arrange a private tour with her...and go/be where you want!! Please let me know if she is still working for them....and tell her LuAnn & Kenneth...her"sweetheart"...send our regards!! She is a GEM!!!! LuAnn

[RuthC]

is the private tour agency we used in '07....and our guide was Helen....if she is still working for them please ask for her!

LOL! I suspect that every female guide with Red October is given the western name "Helen" to use, as that's the only name---with varying physical descriptions---I have ever read about on CC.

However, every one of them has also been reported as excellent. My "Helen" was when I used Red October on my first visit to St. Petersburg back in '03.

[LuAnn]

LOL! I suspect that every female guide with Red October is given the western name "Helen" to use, as that's the only name---with varying physical descriptions---I have ever read about on CC.

 

However, every one of them has also been reported as excellent. My "Helen" was when I used Red October on my first visit to St. Petersburg back in '03.

 

That is amazing! But...I can't imagine that the bright, articulate lady we met would have ever taken on a "pretend name"!!! Not the independent, vocal lady we met!!! But...it doesn't matter, does it!?? Red October is a great option fo a wonderful tour of SP!!! LuAnn

[Mexfolkart]

We had our own Russian Visa and for the "invitation" we stated that we were

on the ____ ship docked from ____ to _____ and made a copy of our booking.

We were out and about on our own. The taxis we found only spoke Russian, and we had to go into a bank to get Rubles and that was all in Russian (broken

Russian but it worked with many smiles all around!!) We had a marvelous day,

starting out at the Church on Spilled Blood (where you have to pay for tickets in Russian Rubles..natch!!) However, we did have a guide the following day and it was much easier and more relaxing.. SPB is great..just tell them you have your own visa. Enjoy your time there..it is a fabulous city..it is truly more than a "city"!!!!

Sherry

PS..we had the name of the dock written in Russian and we needed it to get back to the ship by taxi the first day.

[tanny18]

Just returned from our cruise which stopped in St. Pete. We opted to take a private tour with one of the very good tour agencies there. You get a letter of invitation with a full itinerary from them stating you are covered with a visa. Just take this with your passport to customs as you leave the ship and you are all set. However, if you want to "do it alone," then you'll need to obtain the Russian visa by yourself. As with all independent tours, you can opt for what you want to see, and if with a group, take a vote. Arlene;)

[Mura]

We are recently back from the Black Sea cruise and in Sochi it was handled a little bit differently. I don't know if this would apply to St. Petersburg but thought I'd mention it since it's a slight variation.

 

We had a tour booked with an agency and they were provided with our passport numbers and names. We just went through passport control as a group, with no trouble.

 

Perhaps it was handled this way because we were NOT given such a letter in advance.

 

Mura

[ShipsandDipper]

A new US-Russia visa agreement went into force in September 2012. According to reports, you no longer need an invitation letter.

[robert32asp]

Yes, from everything I have researched new regulations are in place to make things "easier." It still looks like you either need to buy a tour ahead of time or "buy" a fake tour with a tourist agency registered with the appropriate Russian ministry so that you will have a piece of paper that the Russian Consulate person can look at and use when granting an individual Visa.

 

Still, I would love to hear from someone who recently got a Russian single entry tourist Visa.

 

The two best explanations I found are as follows:

 

http://petersburgcity.com/for-tourists/visa/cruises/

 

Russian Tourist Visas are not required for liners tour passengers participating on their liners organised tour. All passengers who elect to participate on a their liners' tour in St. Petersburg, including Private Vehicle tours and the tour to Moscow, may disembark the ship for their tour without a Russian Tourist Visa provided they present the following to Russian Immigration:

 

• A valid passport.
  
• A liner's tour ticket.
  

Passengers who wish to sightsee outside of a liner's tour MUST obtain an individual Russian Tourist Visa before leaving home; visas cannot be obtained during the cruise. Should you wish to obtain an individual Russian Tourist Visa, you will need to be sponsored by a licensed Russian tour company. This company will provide you with the necessary Visa Support Letter and documentation to obtain your individual Russian Tourist Visa. After obtaining this information, it is necessary for you to contact the visa service of your choice or the Russian Embassy for the procedures to obtain the visa. Passengers on their liner's tours (visa requirements waived) will be disembarked first upon arrival in St. Petersburg; passengers with individual Russian Tourist Visas will disembark after the tour passengers and must present the following to Russian Immigration:

 

• A valid passport.
  
• Russian Tourist Visa
  
• A voucher confirming service arranged by the Russian tour company sponsoring visa
  

We anticipate independent passengers with individual Russian Tourist Visas being able to disembark at approximately 9:30AM and therefore recommend that any independent services be arranged no earlier than this time. Passengers who have not purchased one of the available tours and do not possess an individual Russia Tourist Visa, or whose visa is not properly supported by the proper documentation, will not be permitted ashore in St. Petersburg. Visas cannot be issued during the cruise. In order to apply for a Russian visa, a guest must have a valid passport, which does not expire within 30 days of the last day of the cruise.

 

 

http://russianvisas.org/cruise.htm

 

 

in other words, the normal procedure for passengers on a cruise ship is for them to issue an official invitation for you to apply to the Russian Embassy for a tourist/cruise visa. The guide who is licensed by the Russian Authorities is responsible for you while you on a conducted tour organised by the cruise line. If you do not leave the ship, then no visa is required while in port, up to a maximum of 72 hours. If you wish to leave the ship on your own, then you need your own invitation and visa.

 

Most cruise lines allow you to get your own visa so that you can wander around on your own, instead of using their invitation for guided tours....

 

 

 

 

...Normally when entering Russia you pass through passport control at a border point. A Russian official sits at the gangplank or dock gates enabling you to pass through a 'border control' point at the dockyard.

 

This may sound strange, but we have to book you on a conventional tour of St.Petersburg to be able to issue you with the correct paperwork for a tourist invitation, as yet there is nothing for ships passengers. This paperwork is required to obtain your visa.

[LHT28]

It still looks like you either need to buy a tour ahead of time or "buy" a fake tour with a tourist agency registered with the appropriate Russian ministry so that you will have a piece of paper that the Russian Consulate person can look at and use when granting an individual Visa.

 

Not sure what you mean by a Fake tour but you can always use the licensed guide & book a custom tour

You can have them take you the sights that you want & do things of interest to you and still be covered by their VISA

 

In SPB you will get more out of the city with a tour/guide of some description than DIY

 

JMO

Lyn

[robert32asp]

What I have read and why I call it a fake tour, is that for a few dollars $18 to $75, a registered tour group will provide you with paper work that says you are going to take one of their tours, with the understanding that you will not and that they will cancel it after your Visa is approved. You will still have all your needed paperwork to leave the ship and enter Russia for a modest fee.

 

That sounds really odd to me, but this whole Russian Visa things also sounds odd. I really appreciate all the nice people saying that this private tour or that private tour is great and that you don't need a visa if you sign up with this tour or that tour.

 

I want to find out what it will take to get a Russian Visa. That is the focus of my question on this thread. Thank you everyone.

[LHT28]

What I have read and why I call it a fake tour, is that for a few dollars $18 to $75, a registered tour group will provide you with paper work that says you are going to take one of their tours, with the understanding that you will not and that they will cancel it after your Visa is approved. You will still have all your needed paperwork to leave the ship and enter Russia for a modest fee.

 

Thanks for the explanation I have never heard of that before

The link provided above should give you the information needed to apply for a personal VISA or a call to the Consulate

 

Not sure I would go the route of the FAKE tour for Russia ...but that is just me

 

Lyn

[Mura]

I want to find out what it will take to get a Russian Visa. That is the focus of my question on this thread. Thank you everyone.

 

My information on that score is old but I don't think it's changed all that much.

 

We got our own visas in the spring of 2001. The main difficulty was the "invitation letter" which Renaissance would not or could not provide, and we were using a very inexpensive guide who didn't work for an agency, so she couldn't produce one either. That's why we used a service to get our visas. Normally I would take our passports and all the required info to the consulate in NYC but at the time Russia didn't have one, so I used a service.

 

There was a form to fill out, our passports, of course, the invitation letter, and a fair amount of cash to change hands. Zierer did a quick and efficient job for us and it somehow seemed to cost less to use them than to do it on our own!

 

I read an article not long ago (I forget the source) detailing the difficulty of dealing with the Russian consulate in Washington, D.C. which involved numerous visits before the visas were produced. "You forgot to cross this "t", so come back later." When you came back later, "this time you forgot to dot your "i".

 

Mura

[LuAnn]

What I have read and why I call it a fake tour, is that for a few dollars $18 to $75, a registered tour group will provide you with paper work that says you are going to take one of their tours, with the understanding that you will not and that they will cancel it after your Visa is approved. You will still have all your needed paperwork to leave the ship and enter Russia for a modest fee.

 

That sounds really odd to me, but this whole Russian Visa things also sounds odd. I really appreciate all the nice people saying that this private tour or that private tour is great and that you don't need a visa if you sign up with this tour or that tour.

 

I want to find out what it will take to get a Russian Visa. That is the focus of my question on this thread. Thank you everyone.

 

You're on Your Own"...that is a famous line from "Blazing Saddles"! :cool: TBH...I would not feel comfortable ...with a "fake" visa...even seeing the guards at the disembarkation point off the ship were scary to me!!! But then...that's me. And driving and getting around the city is difficult. But...if you are set on a DIY...then I would suggest you contact the Russian Embassy in your area...and find out what you need to do. In that country...at this time...I would only trust "them" to tell you what to do!!! :eek: Good luck...and enjoy this fabulous city!!! LuAnn

[pacheco18]

Your answer can be found here.

 

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1006.html

[robert32asp]

Your answer can be found here.

 

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1006.html

 

Thank you so much!

 

This site not only describes what I call the fake letter of reference/tour, but also lists some alternatives that seem more honest.

 

...Under Russian law, every foreign traveler must have a Russian-based sponsor, which could be a hotel, tour company, relative, employer, university, etc. Even if you obtained your visa through a travel agency in the United States, there is still a Russian legal entity whose name is indicated on your visa and who is considered to be your legal sponsor. In many cases, organizations with sponsorship ability are being paid informally by travel agents to act as a legal sponsor, in violation of Russian law. Please ensure the name of the sponsor indicated on your visa corresponds with the organization you intend to visit, or those who are arranging your travel in Russia. If the sponsor named on your visa is not the person or entity you intend to visit, you may encounter problems with Russian immigration authorities...

 

 

P.S. It would seem that the cruise ship line could make this a lot easier for their passengers, if they were not quite as focused on extracting heavy profits out of their shore excursions. Hopefully Oceania will become more customer focused in the future. Actually, hopefully Russia will better understand that making travel and entry easy is a good source of economic benefit.

[robert32asp]

You're on Your Own"...that is a famous line from "Blazing Saddles"! :cool: TBH...I would not feel comfortable ...with a "fake" visa...

 

.....then I would suggest you contact the Russian Embassy in your area..

 

It is not a fake Visa. It amounts to a letter of invitation that is not quite right. It seems to be widely done and understood as a way of getting a letter of invitation that allows one to get a real Visa. (see post above) and the one were the reference said that they sign you up for a tour so they can issue you the invitation letter so you can get you valid Visa.

 

I did call the Russian Embassy and they gave me a list of companies that for a fee will provide a letter of invitation, that will satisfy the embassy requirement. I then started researching firms that will provide the letter for a lot less. Then I thought I would see what others have done.

 

I guess the old saying of when in Rome do what the Romans do, can be applied to when in Russia, do what the Russians do.

 

I have connections to an international engineering society (former international officer) and my wife is an administrator at a US University so I will next explore if there is some university or engineering/technology museum that we might visit and would be willing to provide a letter of invitation.

[winegirl]

You can use a service that expedites obtaining your Visa. They will tell you what documentation is needed. These services are expensive. Then you will be able to figure out your own logistics in this huge city with Cyrillic signs that you can't read (unless you know Russian.)

 

I researched the top rated tour guides on Trip Advisor and contacted the top 10 rated at the time (2012.) Told them when we'd be in town (3 days on our cruise ship stop) and what we wanted to see. Based on the replies, I selected one tour operator who developed a program just for the two of us for three full days. We were e-mailed our tourist visa documents which I could not read since they were in Russian. We printed those documents and used them along with our passport to leave and reboard the cruise ship every day. We spent $ 1,600 for three days of private touring, to all the best sights, with all the admissions handled, with a gourmet lunch provided, a private van and driver, and a personal, vastly educated guide who spoke excellent English and had an encyclopedic knowledge of the subject matter we were interested in.

 

If we'd booked the ship tours covering the same places, we'd have spent more $$$, had less time, be in a group, be rushed along, have to return to the ship at midday to join the next tour. This was some of the best money we ever spent--it went without a hitch and I was not responsible for navigating our way around St. Petersburg using taxis, transit and not speaking the language. Having guide who knew where the loos are is worth it's weight in gold!;)

[robert32asp]

You can use a service that expedites obtaining your Visa. They will tell you what documentation is needed. These services are expensive. Then you will be able to figure out your own logistics in this huge city with Cyrillic signs that you can't read (unless you know Russian.)

 

....I selected one tour operator who developed a program just for the two of us for three full days. We were e-mailed our tourist visa documents which I could not read since they were in Russian. We printed those documents and used them along with our passport to leave and reboard the cruise ship every day. We spent $ 1,600 for three days of private touring, to all the best sights, with all the admissions handled, with a gourmet lunch provided, a private van and driver, and a personal, vastly educated guide who spoke excellent English and had an encyclopedic knowledge of the subject matter we were interested in.

 

....This was some of the best money we ever spent--it went without a hitch and I was not responsible for navigating our way around St. Petersburg using taxis, transit and not speaking the language. Having guide who knew where the loos are is worth it's weight in gold!;)

 

Thank you for your comments. Maybe you missed in my original post that I had two grandparents from Russia. As such the language is not totally unknown to me and I intend to brush up on it between now and our trip.

 

I too intend to research what I want to see and can say that in just about every city I have been too, my wife and I prefer to tour independently at our own pace and experiencing the locals in small out of the way neighborhood restaurants (whether Italy, France, the UK, Spain, Brussels, Denmark, Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, the Czech Republic, Solvinia, Croatia, Finland, Estonia, Hungary, Poland, Mexico, Nicaragua) and picnics in parks, plus shopping and sightseeing off the beaten path. We certainly don't speak all of those languages.

 

As tourists who have been to many countries, we have found the style of travel and sight seeing that seems to suit us the best. We are much more into meeting and connecting to some of the locals than having gourmet meals.

 

We have survived using public transportation in some pretty interesting places. We have even found ourselves more than once stranded and had to walk with luggage several miles to get to where we need to go. Last year I ran multiple half marathons and my wife does a lot of walking. It is not uncommon for us on vacation to walk 5 to 10 miles some days, with lots of rest and restaurant breaks. We also really like going to local universities, churches and libraries in the places we visit.

 

About the only type of tours we consistently like are hop-on-hop-off bus tours to get a lay of the land in a big city and travel to a few out of the way destinations. And even then, it is always a question of when we will hop off and when we will stay and ride.

 

I agree with you that the expediting services seem like a rip off. There is a Russian embassy in a city near where I live, so I can get submit and get the Visa in person, if I leave enough time and take care of doing the paperwork right.

 

I still think that having our own Visa will probably allow us to get the most pleasure out of our time in St Pete.