Russian Travel Passport

[shikarnov 7]

When my then-fiance, got her travel passport three years ago, we went to the local immigration office, stood in a long line, and then when the office closed, went home without having seen a bureaucrat. The next day we had more luck, after waiting in line for several hours. She filled out paperwork, and three months later, and after another line endured, we had her passport in hand.

Fast forward to this week, and my wife is visiting her family for the first time in two years (I'm stuck stateside working). We've been talking about getting pregnant when she returns, so neither of us is sure when her next trip will be to Russia after this. And that passport I mentioned in the previous paragraph will expire in little more than two years. So we've decided to renew it now, and to get one of the new 10-year biometrics passports.

Well, Ira's journey started much the same way as it did the first time, except this time she noticed that some people were standing in the long line, and others were passing right on by into offices. It turns out, she discovered, that all of the necessary documentation is available online now. Moreover, it's possible to make appointments over the Internet. Elated by this discovery, she abandoned the line, caught a marshrutka, and stopped at a nearby net cafe. Within 5 minutes there she'd made an appointment, found the appropriate forms, typed in her responses, and printed them out. Her appointment was today. She reports that she walked in, passed the line, knocked on the office door, and had everything filed within 10 minutes.

The passport will be ready in five weeks, and she asked to make another appointment. However, they apparently don't make appointments in person. That must be done online.

Anyway, that's the story. No point to it. I just thought I'd share a rare positive experience with Russian bureaucracy.

ZS

Edited May 6, 2010 by shikarnov

[chili74 0]

Thanks!