Visas '07
From Macska Travel Co.
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Update 2009
We followed these plans to the letter, and had absolutely no problems anywhere. Russian border control between Russia and Mongolia was very severe, but exiting Russia into Finland they didn't even ask us for any papers. I think this means that some borders are just easier to enter/exit than others. Also, we were never once stopped by Russian police officers to audit our visas, nor by any Chinese police officers. (To be perfectly honest, both of these places treated us very kindly everywhere.)
Sino-Soviet Split: An Adventure in Bureaucracy
From guidebook perusal and friend accounts, it looks as if passport and visa control will be the most aggravating part of the trip. Apart from exacerbating Kat's fear of the system, they are costly time vaccuums, entrenched in fine print and bureaucratic jargon (Yes, this is an exageration). Though being at the mercy of anal security guards the world over isn't the happiest prospect, it's our only option for entry into some pretty neat parts of the world. Ergo, we comply. :)
People's Republic of China
Chinese visas are touted as some of the easiest to come by, both in terms of hastle and expense. The one proviso to this would be if you don't live near enough to an Embassy or consulate (only in LA, NY, SF, Chicago, Houston, and DC). Since the Chinese Embassy and consulates don't accept visa applications by mail, this obligates anyone outside of these areas to go through a proxy travel agency, which means money. Luckily, there is a Chinese Consulate General only a bus ride from Westwood (located at 500 Shato Place, one block east of Vermont).
Our visa stats are Chinese Tourist L, allowing single entry into the country for a duration of up to 30 days. Unfortunately, we will only be there for 6.
Also, street vendors around Vermont and Wilshire sell the best hot dogs in ever. They are wrapped in bacon (bacon!) and covered in onions and bell peppers in all of their goody friedness. It is near impossible to pass them by. Seriously, I'm concocting some excuse to go back. Perhaps Matt can conveniently "misplace" his papers? ;)
Russian Federation
The visa to end all visas (excepting North Korea, perhaps).
Steps to obtain a Russian Tourist Visa
- Buy Russian Visa Support. Sometimes called a "Confirmation," "Tourist Voucher," or my favorite "Invitation to Russia." Basically a document that states you are registered with a specific travel agency and have confirmed housing in Russia. However, this is not true for Matt and I (and many travelling on tourist visas). We are neither staying at a hotel nor buying tickets through a travel agent. So from what I can gather, an invitation is really a faux reservation and agent confirmation for purchase at $30-50 depending on the desired response time. Shady even before we get into the country! And all of this in the cyrilic alphabet, mind you, so we can neither understand it nor pronounce it to verify any information. We bought ours through http://www.visatorussia.com/.
- Gather application documents. This is another time-sink. Needed: Two copies of filled out Russian Tourist Visa Application. 1 passport photo. Passport with at least 2 empty pages and 6 months remaining before expiration. Money order. Russian Visa support. Cover letter. Stamped self-addressed envelope.
- Apply for visa. In which we send in our paper stack to the Russians. There is no Russian consulate in Los Angeles, so we will have to send them to San Francisco. A regular 30-day visa costs $100 for a two week processing time. That would be running it a little close to departure time for Matt and I, so we will have to take the $100 hit to get them within 2 days.
- Register visa. And to think that the worst was yet to come. As this article explains, visa registration is really jumping through hoops in a Russian bureaucratic circus. Matt and I will have to register our visas within 72 hours of entering the country. Foreigners have to provide proof of how long they've been in Russia to comply with this rule (for Matt and I this will be our train tickets to Irkutsk). To add to the bureaucratic mess, we'll be given a migration card upon arrival at the Russian border. We will have to present the card, our passports, and visas to the agency we register with. If we are lucky, Matt and I will be able to do this at our hostels for ~$10-20. However because our Invitations weren't issued by a hostel (see 1 above), this might not fly. In that case, we're left to register with an approved travel agency for a much higher fee ($20-$50). We also have to register our visas at all other destinations in Russia within 3 buisness days of arrival. Here are approved places to register visas in all of our Russian stops:
Irkutsk
Agency: Baikal-Discovery; Contact: Alexey Nikiforov
Tel: +7 (3952) 249715, 619835
or else use
Alpha Tour -Irina
Tel/fax: (3952) 352-435, 354-707, 352-435
Address: #255, Baikalskaya st., office 204
Phone: (3952) 35-24-35, 35-47-07, Fax: (3952) 35-24-35 Email: alfatur@irk.ru
Omsk
Agency: Pyat’ Zvezd, Contact: Ms Buzoverova O. V.
Tel/fax: 7 (3812) 535555
Moscow
Address: #29, Leninsky Prospect, office 100 (first floor)
(Metro station "Leninsky Prospekt", corner of Leninsky prospekt and Stasova st.)
Phone: (095) 956-4422.
Open hours: Monday to Friday 9:30-6:00 p.m
St. Petersburg
Open hours: Monday to Friday 9:30-6:00 p.m.
Address: #78, Nevsky Porspect
(Metro station Mayakovskaya or Nevsky Prospekt)
Phone: (812) 327-3023
It is very important to be prompt in registering our visas. Registration lends itself well to scams (It is my personal goal to make it out of Russia without having to pass a bribe). Often the scenario is a policeman stopping an unsuspecting tourist, informing them something is wrong with their papers, and threatening imprisonment or fines. This can happen at Customs, too. Better to be entirely in compliance with those crazy Russian laws and have a good chance of not getting swindled.
Oh, Russia.
