Russian Visa

9 February 2012 – The visa for Russia is going to be a challenge I reckon. I need a Business visa, multiple entry, with 12month validity. That’s the only way I can enter three times the country (From the Kazak border, from the Mongol border and later again from the Estonian border).

First I need a “LOI” (Letter of Invitation) which can be obtained by a Russian company anywhere in Russia, the Travel agency “Way To Russia” can do that (http://www.waytorussia.net/Travel/VisaSupport.html?ref=til_widget_why). This letter will include the purpose of my journey and all destinations (all provinces in fact). They may refuse some of the destinations though, as I become their responsibility for the entire stay in Russia.

Then this letter is forwarded to the embassy and my visa gets approved. Now the problem is that the visa is issued no earlier than eight months prior to the first entry, so roughly end of this year or early 2013 I should apply. This means I should apply from India, this is the biggest and easiest.

Piece of cake… yeah right. The major problem is that a visa is issued by the Russian embassy in my home country. So either Belgium or Australia. Then the consul or the ambassador will decide on my case, since it’s an unusual one, and may or may not grant the visa.

Awesome…