Russian Visa

[surfersgirl]

We are Australians will be on the Pride in June when it visits St Petersberg and would appreciate any info on how to get a Russian visa.

We have been there before for a week on our own but stayed in hotel last time so the hotel sent the letter of invitation for the visa but how does it work when you are staying on a ship?

 

 

Jean

[GrannyLorr]

We are also doing that trip in August, and I have been led to believe that if you are doing ship excursions, they take care of the visas for you, or if you are booking private tours with one of the St Petersburg companies, then they arrange the visas. Only time you would need to get your own would be if you intend going off the ship on your own. As you have been there before, that is probably what you intend doing. If that is the case I think I would use a Visa company....the one I have used is linked to the Qantas website....based in Melbourne (I think) rather expensive, but was quick and trouble free! All the forms to be filled in etc are online so its nice and simple. We have also been to St Petersburg before and have seen most of the sites so will probably just opt for a ships tour to Peterhof and hopefully a ballet. Are you at Surfers?

[surfersgirl]

Hi,

As far as I understand it the visa from the ship covers the shore excursion that you book but that is all.

We had a week at a hotel last time and the hotel had to send a letter of invitation so that it could accompany the visa request (we had arranged a private guide and driver not a tour company). We want to go back to the Hermitage and also to the Peterhof gardens again. We spent about 6 weeks driving in Scandinavia in 2006 before we went to see polar bears on an icebreaker before St P.

It seems as if I might have to chase up our TA for some paperwork.

When are you getting on the Pride? And yes I'm from Surfers, we live just across the lake from the 5th on Southport Golf Course.

[GrannyLorr]

we board on August 29th, in Copenhagen...disembark Sept 24th in London. Of course you would be able to get your TA to arrange for visas...silly me....I mentioned the Visa company because I dont use a TA so have to do that stuff myself.....

Last time we were in Russia was on the Trans Mongolian Railway (far better than Amtrak!! :D ) so all visas were arranged for us.

We are at what used to be "the Northern end of the Gold Coast"....Bahrs Scrub....

[surfersgirl]

Got an invitation for Russia today through visalink (cost$100pp),then have to get visa on top of that. We are covered by a group visa when we do a ships tour but to even get off and just wander to the Hermitage etc you will need that individual visa. We don't use a TA much except for flights and certainly wasn't any help for this.

Very envious of your Sth America trip. If you want to chat etc., ghendy@igpond.net.au

[GrannyLorr]

visalink was the company I used.......I am very envious of my South American trip too....want to do it again! The Baltic one is going to be too port intensive for me. :( No time for trivia or long afternoon naps! 28 days (or 26?) is much too short too!

[Chairsin]

My T/A told me that to get a visa for Russia we have to mail our passports away-- this makes me very nervous and brings to mind about the only good thing about when we used to live outside Washinton ,D.C. -- I could just bop down to Embassy Row and walk into the relevant embassy and apply for my visa in person.

[surfersgirl]

We have always had to send our passports off for visas, the only bugbear is how much room they take up and how often the passport has to be replaced.

After being to St.P. before I could not imagine not getting the visa - it was just working out how to.

When we stayed there for 5 days 2 years ago, we had to surrender our passports at the hotel to conform with the regulations. But we always carry photocopies of all our documents and credit cards just in case.

Jean

[bahrain_not_dubai!]

If you are doing a ship excursion you dont need a visa. If you where traveling on RSSC or Crystal or most other cruise lines doing a ship excursion would be your only choice as the ships dock an hour out of St. Petersburg, and to get a taxi you need to walk three miles through a junk yard. However Seabourn docks directly opposite the Hermitage, in the city centre, and it would be very nice if you could just get off the ship and go for a walk so I reccomend contacting the Russian Embassy in Canberra.

 

I dont know if your overnighting in Russia, but if you are then I really roccemend getting a visa.

 

All the info you need is here:

 

http://www.australia.mid.ru/11_e.html

[Chairsin]

Actually, in addition to docking in front of the Hermitage one of the reasons we signed up for this trip is because we are there for three full days. Anyone have any suggestions on places we should not miss while we are there?We will take a semi-private tour with friends one day but would prefer to wander on our own the other two days.

[surfersgirl]

Hi, I can recommend buying a 2 day pass online for the hermitage, then you don't have to wait in queue for tickets- just go in the side door.

If you need to get a headset you will be asked to leave a passport or drivers licence but we got away with an airline loyalty card.Also no bulky bags otherwise they have to go in a locker.

Take the hydrofoil from behind the hermitage to Peterhof for the gardens and fountains- Just walk and walk but don't carry a bulky camera it could be the only thing that marks you as a tourist. Jean

[Chairsin]

Thanks for the info -- who knows if we will ever get back there so would like to make good use of our time but we also enjoy just strolling around.

[surfersgirl]

Hi, A friend has tried to get her "invitation" for her visa through a russian company and has now been told she will need "port permission" before she can get off the ship. is it just me or is just another "scam" so she has to buy a tour.Has anyone had any experience of this?.

Thankfully I went with Grannys advice and arranged it at home.

J