I traveled to Russia on my own without the help of a tour operator. And then, I had to ask for a Russian tourist visa.
Russia REQUEST a letter of invitation to start the visa process. If you book through a travel agent or tour operator, they can help you facilitate the process.
But if you travel independently as I did, you have to find out how to get it for yourself.
This is how I did it.
Russia Guide Saint Petersburg Guide
I used the St. Petersburg guide for $ 19.99 per person with fast return service in a few days. Then I went to the website of the Russian consulate for my region in the United States and filled out the Russian visa application form. After following all the instructions and completing the forms, I sent my request with the $ 193 fee in a bank check. Seven days later, I took my passport in person with the visa page inserted and I was ready to go to Russia!
Allow enough time
I did it about 2 months before my trip.
I obtained a valid tourist visa for only 30 days. The dates you indicate on your visa application must be within this period. For example, I chose July 15 to August 15 as travel dates, but I arrived on July 18 and left on August 3. They are strict about not wanting the traveler to enter BEFORE the initial date indicated, and you can not leave AFTER the indicated date.
Get your migration card upon arrival in Russia
Once you enter the borders, you will get a migration map. This is a small sheet of paper that fits in your passport. (Do not miss it!) Use this migration card to register within 7 days of your arrival. They are strict about it too. Usually, your hotel can do this service for free. But in my case, I had rented an apartment on Airbnb.com, so I was able to use the services of the St. Petersburg guide again.
The St. Petersburg guide agreed to go to the post office to get the stamp and bring me the card. It was very useful because I do not speak Russian proficiently and did not want to queue all day. I agreed to meet Max, the liaison, at the local Starbucks to pick up my card. It was as simple as that.
Russia REQUEST a letter of invitation to start the visa process. If you book through a travel agent or tour operator, they can help you facilitate the process.
But if you travel independently as I did, you have to find out how to get it for yourself.
This is how I did it.
Russia Guide Saint Petersburg Guide
I used the St. Petersburg guide for $ 19.99 per person with fast return service in a few days. Then I went to the website of the Russian consulate for my region in the United States and filled out the Russian visa application form. After following all the instructions and completing the forms, I sent my request with the $ 193 fee in a bank check. Seven days later, I took my passport in person with the visa page inserted and I was ready to go to Russia!
Allow enough time
I did it about 2 months before my trip.
I obtained a valid tourist visa for only 30 days. The dates you indicate on your visa application must be within this period. For example, I chose July 15 to August 15 as travel dates, but I arrived on July 18 and left on August 3. They are strict about not wanting the traveler to enter BEFORE the initial date indicated, and you can not leave AFTER the indicated date.
Get your migration card upon arrival in Russia
Once you enter the borders, you will get a migration map. This is a small sheet of paper that fits in your passport. (Do not miss it!) Use this migration card to register within 7 days of your arrival. They are strict about it too. Usually, your hotel can do this service for free. But in my case, I had rented an apartment on Airbnb.com, so I was able to use the services of the St. Petersburg guide again.
The St. Petersburg guide agreed to go to the post office to get the stamp and bring me the card. It was very useful because I do not speak Russian proficiently and did not want to queue all day. I agreed to meet Max, the liaison, at the local Starbucks to pick up my card. It was as simple as that.
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