What is the easiest, cheapest, fastest way to obtain a visa ?
Citizens of countries that were not a part of the Former Soviet Union are required to have a visa to enter Russia. There are different types of visas available depending on your needs and objectives. The most common visa that my guests use is a “tourist visa.” There are single-entry and double-entry tourist visas and they typically last for 3 months. For example, if you are flying into St. Petersburg, spending 5 nights here, and then traveling to Moscow for 3 nights before going home, you would only need a single-entry visa since you are only entering into Russia one time. But if you were planning on flying into St. Petersburg, but also visiting Riga, Latvia, or Kiev, Ukraine before returning to Russia and flying home, you would need a double-entry visa because you would cross into Russia twice.
If you think you will visit Russia more than two times over the course of one year, you may prefer to obtain a “business visa” which allows unlimited entries for one year. Despite the name, business visas do not require any proof of business, but they are approximately twice the cost of tourist visas. One advantage of a business visa is that you only have to register it once and are free to travel throughout Russia. With tourist visas, you are required to list the cities you plan to visit on your trip, and technically you have 3 business days within any city to register.
The extent of work you want done for you will effect how much you will pay for your visa. The fees are basically broken into two parts. One is the consulate fee. This is the set fee that the Russian embassy or consulate in your home country charges to process the visa. There is usually a price range that includes standard 2 week service, a higher price for 1 weeks service, and a premium price for as little as 24 hour service. I believe that standard service is approximately $75 but this may vary by country and is of course subject to change.
The second part of the fee is your “invitation” and/or agency fee. Essentially, you are required to have an invitation to enter Russia. Most tour agencies, hotels, or even private parties can arrange for this by fax for a fee ranging from $30 - $50. More common is the use of visa agencies. They charge a few more dollars but are generally more helpful in walking you through the process and answering your specific questions. Most will also mail all your information directly to the proper parties.
In the end, you will need to send, either yourself or though an agency, a copy of your passport information page, 3 passport photos, a self addressed and pre-paid envelope, preferably something registered and express such as Federal Express, your visa invitation letter and the exact date of your entry to Russia. This is critical. You CAN NOT enter Russia prior to the day on your visa. So if your visa says August 5th, but you’re plane is scheduled to arrive on August 4th, you will have many problems. Additionally, you will be declined a visa if your passport expires within 6 months of your trip, so please check and renew if necessary.
How much money do I need?
This is subject to your tastes and needs. A back-packing student can probably manage on $20 a day after lodging, while most will need considerably more than that. Your lodging, if you are paying for a place, may range from a low of about $50 at a hostel to a high of $600 for the nice rooms at Western Hotels. Popular and affordable rental apartments range from $80 to $300 depending on size, location, and condition.
There is much diversity in restaurants and cafes. It is quite possible to eat all meals at decent quality restaurants for $10 - $16 per person before alcoholic beverages. Cafes and bistros can be found for a few dollars per person. Fine diners can expect to pay similar prices to western countries.
Transportation is a true bargain in St. Petersburg. For the mildly adventurous, the metro provides travel to almost every place of interest for just a few rubles per trip. Busses and other public transportation can be very crowded but equally cheap. Most foreigners rely on taxies to here and there. Russia taxies are quite an adventure and require negotiating a price up front to where you want to go. Drivers know that foreigners are used to paying significantly higher rates in their home countries and sometimes confuse the value of the ruble under pressure, so you have to try hard. For those in the know, few rides within the center of St. Petersburg should cost more than 100rubles (about $4). Taxies that wait outside of hotels and nightclubs will attempt the most ridiculous charges and should be avoided if you are on a budget.
Museum and theatre tickets are a sore subject for many foreigners because the city allows a two tier pricing system. While Russians can enter museums for just a few rubles, foreigners are typically charged $10 - $15, or fairly standard museum entrance fees for the rest of the world. Some guests understand that this is so ordinary Russians who may only earn $100 a month won’t be shut out from seeing national treasures, but others decry the system as discriminatory. It is possible to have a Russian (such as me J ) buy your ticket for you at the Russian price and try to enter on the discounted ticket, and usually provides good anecdotes for your friends and family back home. However, the people who collect the tickets are trained to find foreigners (hint: your shoes and smiles give you away!) and it can be embarrassing if you are caught.
Nightclubs usually charge a small cover fee ranging from $3 - $10. A ? liter of Russian beer usually runs about $1.75 and mixed drinks about $3 - $5. See question on tipping below.
Shopping costs in St. Petersburg will primarily depend on whether you are buying Russian or foreign goods. Because there is a high import tax of western goods, it is usually not advised to do your clothes shopping here, though you will find a wide variety of western stores vying for your business along the trendy Nevsky Prospect. If you are staying at an apartment, you can usually stock your refrigerator with snacks and beverages for the week for about $20.
Can I use credit cards, traveller's Checks, and/or ATM cards?
Master Card and Visa are commonly accepted at hotels, restaurants and stores in the center of Peter, though you should always ask up front if they are accepted even if you see the logos in the window. American Express is gaining popularity but still not accepted in most places. Diners Club and Discover are to the best of my knowledge never accepted here. (note: tips are never put on credit cards in Russia and must be paid separately in cash)
Traveler’s Checks are fairly unknown in Russia and can only be used to obtain cash from banks. ATM machines, commonly referred to as “bankomats” here are becoming more and more prevalent. It’s difficult to walk a few hundred meters in the center without coming across one.
Will I be safe ?
Perhaps this should be the first question I answered because it is probably the one question that EVERYBODY asks. Apparently, many foreigners have a view of Russia as some sort of American Wild West or Chicago in the 1920’s location. Safety is of course a serious issue, and one can never be guaranteed complete safety regardless of where they travel. I can relay to you that my clients repeatedly tell me that they are surprised at how safe they feel and that they are surprised by the images they had before hand. I am often told that they feel more danger in New York, Los Angeles, or London.
A few suggestions:
NEVER get into a taxi that has more than one male in the car.
If you have female company that you are unfamiliar with, NEVER allow your drink to leave your sight.
Keep your doors LOCKED whether you are home or away.
Beware of groups of children begging for money and who begin to touch you.
Citizens of countries that were not a part of the Former Soviet Union are required to have a visa to enter Russia. There are different types of visas available depending on your needs and objectives. The most common visa that my guests use is a “tourist visa.” There are single-entry and double-entry tourist visas and they typically last for 3 months. For example, if you are flying into St. Petersburg, spending 5 nights here, and then traveling to Moscow for 3 nights before going home, you would only need a single-entry visa since you are only entering into Russia one time. But if you were planning on flying into St. Petersburg, but also visiting Riga, Latvia, or Kiev, Ukraine before returning to Russia and flying home, you would need a double-entry visa because you would cross into Russia twice.
If you think you will visit Russia more than two times over the course of one year, you may prefer to obtain a “business visa” which allows unlimited entries for one year. Despite the name, business visas do not require any proof of business, but they are approximately twice the cost of tourist visas. One advantage of a business visa is that you only have to register it once and are free to travel throughout Russia. With tourist visas, you are required to list the cities you plan to visit on your trip, and technically you have 3 business days within any city to register.
The extent of work you want done for you will effect how much you will pay for your visa. The fees are basically broken into two parts. One is the consulate fee. This is the set fee that the Russian embassy or consulate in your home country charges to process the visa. There is usually a price range that includes standard 2 week service, a higher price for 1 weeks service, and a premium price for as little as 24 hour service. I believe that standard service is approximately $75 but this may vary by country and is of course subject to change.
The second part of the fee is your “invitation” and/or agency fee. Essentially, you are required to have an invitation to enter Russia. Most tour agencies, hotels, or even private parties can arrange for this by fax for a fee ranging from $30 - $50. More common is the use of visa agencies. They charge a few more dollars but are generally more helpful in walking you through the process and answering your specific questions. Most will also mail all your information directly to the proper parties.
In the end, you will need to send, either yourself or though an agency, a copy of your passport information page, 3 passport photos, a self addressed and pre-paid envelope, preferably something registered and express such as Federal Express, your visa invitation letter and the exact date of your entry to Russia. This is critical. You CAN NOT enter Russia prior to the day on your visa. So if your visa says August 5th, but you’re plane is scheduled to arrive on August 4th, you will have many problems. Additionally, you will be declined a visa if your passport expires within 6 months of your trip, so please check and renew if necessary.
How much money do I need?
This is subject to your tastes and needs. A back-packing student can probably manage on $20 a day after lodging, while most will need considerably more than that. Your lodging, if you are paying for a place, may range from a low of about $50 at a hostel to a high of $600 for the nice rooms at Western Hotels. Popular and affordable rental apartments range from $80 to $300 depending on size, location, and condition.
There is much diversity in restaurants and cafes. It is quite possible to eat all meals at decent quality restaurants for $10 - $16 per person before alcoholic beverages. Cafes and bistros can be found for a few dollars per person. Fine diners can expect to pay similar prices to western countries.
Transportation is a true bargain in St. Petersburg. For the mildly adventurous, the metro provides travel to almost every place of interest for just a few rubles per trip. Busses and other public transportation can be very crowded but equally cheap. Most foreigners rely on taxies to here and there. Russia taxies are quite an adventure and require negotiating a price up front to where you want to go. Drivers know that foreigners are used to paying significantly higher rates in their home countries and sometimes confuse the value of the ruble under pressure, so you have to try hard. For those in the know, few rides within the center of St. Petersburg should cost more than 100rubles (about $4). Taxies that wait outside of hotels and nightclubs will attempt the most ridiculous charges and should be avoided if you are on a budget.
Museum and theatre tickets are a sore subject for many foreigners because the city allows a two tier pricing system. While Russians can enter museums for just a few rubles, foreigners are typically charged $10 - $15, or fairly standard museum entrance fees for the rest of the world. Some guests understand that this is so ordinary Russians who may only earn $100 a month won’t be shut out from seeing national treasures, but others decry the system as discriminatory. It is possible to have a Russian (such as me J ) buy your ticket for you at the Russian price and try to enter on the discounted ticket, and usually provides good anecdotes for your friends and family back home. However, the people who collect the tickets are trained to find foreigners (hint: your shoes and smiles give you away!) and it can be embarrassing if you are caught.
Nightclubs usually charge a small cover fee ranging from $3 - $10. A ? liter of Russian beer usually runs about $1.75 and mixed drinks about $3 - $5. See question on tipping below.
Shopping costs in St. Petersburg will primarily depend on whether you are buying Russian or foreign goods. Because there is a high import tax of western goods, it is usually not advised to do your clothes shopping here, though you will find a wide variety of western stores vying for your business along the trendy Nevsky Prospect. If you are staying at an apartment, you can usually stock your refrigerator with snacks and beverages for the week for about $20.
Can I use credit cards, traveller's Checks, and/or ATM cards?
Master Card and Visa are commonly accepted at hotels, restaurants and stores in the center of Peter, though you should always ask up front if they are accepted even if you see the logos in the window. American Express is gaining popularity but still not accepted in most places. Diners Club and Discover are to the best of my knowledge never accepted here. (note: tips are never put on credit cards in Russia and must be paid separately in cash)
Traveler’s Checks are fairly unknown in Russia and can only be used to obtain cash from banks. ATM machines, commonly referred to as “bankomats” here are becoming more and more prevalent. It’s difficult to walk a few hundred meters in the center without coming across one.
Will I be safe ?
Perhaps this should be the first question I answered because it is probably the one question that EVERYBODY asks. Apparently, many foreigners have a view of Russia as some sort of American Wild West or Chicago in the 1920’s location. Safety is of course a serious issue, and one can never be guaranteed complete safety regardless of where they travel. I can relay to you that my clients repeatedly tell me that they are surprised at how safe they feel and that they are surprised by the images they had before hand. I am often told that they feel more danger in New York, Los Angeles, or London.
A few suggestions:
NEVER get into a taxi that has more than one male in the car.
If you have female company that you are unfamiliar with, NEVER allow your drink to leave your sight.
Keep your doors LOCKED whether you are home or away.
Beware of groups of children begging for money and who begin to touch you.
If you still feel you need extra protection Mace is legal in Russia
What should I wear ?
The obvious answer is to be you. Many have been surprised to see how nicely Russians dress in everyday life, though recently blue jeans have become a dominant fashion trend. If you want to fit in and be less obvious in a crowd, some black pants, and black shoes will help. Sport coats are common with well-to-do men. The strongest advice I offer to those interested in appealing to Russian women is to keep your shoes clean. This is sometimes easier said than done because St. Petersburg streets can be quite dirty, so some cleaning supplies would be nice to bring or buy here.
If you are traveling during the winter, please pack accordingly. The temperatures can drop quite low in a short period of time. It’s important to wear layered clothing such as long underwear. During the summer, it should be noted that short pants are very uncommon in St. Petersburg, though they are being seen slightly more often.
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What should I wear ?
The obvious answer is to be you. Many have been surprised to see how nicely Russians dress in everyday life, though recently blue jeans have become a dominant fashion trend. If you want to fit in and be less obvious in a crowd, some black pants, and black shoes will help. Sport coats are common with well-to-do men. The strongest advice I offer to those interested in appealing to Russian women is to keep your shoes clean. This is sometimes easier said than done because St. Petersburg streets can be quite dirty, so some cleaning supplies would be nice to bring or buy here.
If you are traveling during the winter, please pack accordingly. The temperatures can drop quite low in a short period of time. It’s important to wear layered clothing such as long underwear. During the summer, it should be noted that short pants are very uncommon in St. Petersburg, though they are being seen slightly more often.
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What happens if I overstay my visa?
The simple answer is that it gets ugly and avoid it at all cost, but imagine you did ...if its less than 24 hours you will pay a fine and be issue an exit visa at the airport, it can take several yours. If its more than that then you will be at best asked to get an exit visa and it may take more than 4 days, if you have extended your stay for a long time you could face jail, fines, deportation and being blacklisted possible preventing your return to Russia.
The simple answer is that it gets ugly and avoid it at all cost, but imagine you did ...if its less than 24 hours you will pay a fine and be issue an exit visa at the airport, it can take several yours. If its more than that then you will be at best asked to get an exit visa and it may take more than 4 days, if you have extended your stay for a long time you could face jail, fines, deportation and being blacklisted possible preventing your return to Russia.