Russian Visa

Interested in hearing if anyone has any recommendations for getting a Russian visa sorted. Looking at travelling through Kaliningrad and wanting an easy and cheap way of getting it arranged.

Advice gratefully received

This probably isn't what you want to hear but as I understand it, easy and cheap are not words commonly associated with Russian visas. I am assuming that you are going for pleasure, I think that you need to be invited, if you are going with a tour company they will invite you, if you are organising the trip by yourself I am not sure how you would go about it.

http://ru.vfsglobal.co.uk/

Offices just near Farringdon - it will be a processing exercise - get the form, references and pictures and all that right - and you get your visa in a few days.

Same chaps run the Indian visa operation and it is reasonably efficient it not necessarily good value for money

I used these guys.

Easy, reasonable, friendly and local to me (in Islington.)

I'd definitely use them again.

@gustav - russian visas are done with predetermined dates for entry and exit of the country and cant be changed once ordered. you'll need 2 blank pages, machine readable passport and 6mo validity to apply. the application is pretty strict, you'll need to list all the cities your visiting and invitation(tour company can provide it) and a russian tourist voucher.

and if you're self employeed you'll need to submit at least 3 bank statement

www.visaservices.co.in/russia-uk-online

or get these guys to do it but you'll pay a fee and still have to provide everything
http://tlcsvisas.com/

^ so you've got tons of choices -- good luck!

Yeah I've heard people having problems with getting a russia visa, does any one know why its so hard to get one? I've always wanted to go, but having to sort that out puts me off.

I went with the Real Russia people that are listed above - quickish turnaround but far from free

http://visitrussia.org.uk/visa/

You'll have to go via an agency, there's no way out.
Russian government LOVE bureaucracy. They are not very friendly either...

http://visitrussia.org.uk/visa/

You'll have to go via an agency, there's no way out.
Russian government LOVE bureaucracy. They are not very friendly either...

Sounds great, definitely the sort of place I want to go.

Have they stopped requiring an HIV test? When my wife had a project in Moscow some years ago, she used to spend ages at their consular office on Bayswater Rd to sort out her visa. Ever since then, she completely ignores my musing about visiting St Petersburg on holiday...

no HIV test needed for the holiday visa i got. Took them about 5 working days to process but set me back about £100

£100? Wow.