visa type needed & source

[dardislake 0]

Hello -

I'll be traveling to Russia in July with my FSU wife and child. What type of visa should I apply for (wife & child are taken care of), and do any of you have a recommendation of the best way to obtain it? Also any insight on where to find the best fares would help - flying Chicago to Moscow.

[James And Oksana 19]

Hello -

I'll be traveling to Russia in July with my FSU wife and child. What type of visa should I apply for (wife & child are taken care of), and do any of you have a recommendation of the best way to obtain it? Also any insight on where to find the best fares would help - flying Chicago to Moscow.

You will need an invitation, or what is called a visa support. See http://www.waytorussia.net/Travel/VisaSupport.html for details and comparisons between the types of visas. Once you get an invitation, then you send it into the consulate with passport and application filled out. The consulate uses a visa processing service, I have used https://russiavisa.travisaoutsourcing.com/russia/homepage and have had no issues. In general if you are staying under 30 days, then I would get visa support for tourist visa through waytorussia, and then submit it, application and passport to travisa. Over 30 days then you are likely looking at a business visa which is more costly and time consuming. However if you plan on going back often it may be worth the time to get a multiple entry business visa and be done with it for 1 year.

[ONA 133]

The consulate uses a visa processing service, I have used https://russiavisa.travisaoutsourcing.com/russia/homepage and have had no issues.

My fiance used the same website for tourist visas 3 times. Everything went perfect

Actually he was getting the invitations from them also.

[dardislake 0]

Thank you - excellent links. I've read through them and wondering - we'll be staying at her parents for a few days, then a week in Sochi (probably an rented apartment) then back and at the parents again for a few days. It looks like I'd want to get a Homestay Visa instead of a Tourist Visa??

[mckay76 11]

Thank you - excellent links. I've read through them and wondering - we'll be staying at her parents for a few days, then a week in Sochi (probably an rented apartment) then back and at the parents again for a few days. It looks like I'd want to get a Homestay Visa instead of a Tourist Visa??

Homestay's are kinda a pain to get...tourist visa is far easier...i've stayed at my fiances flat on numerous occasions with a tourist visa and have had no problems. Waytorussia.net is a good source to get visa support i've used them and haven't had an issue yet.

[James And Oksana 19]

Thank you - excellent links. I've read through them and wondering - we'll be staying at her parents for a few days, then a week in Sochi (probably an rented apartment) then back and at the parents again for a few days. It looks like I'd want to get a Homestay Visa instead of a Tourist Visa??

I would use waytorussia, get a tourist visa and then just have relatives to register you. Way easier than getting an invitation from them, as it takes a month or better and lots of paperwork from them and sometimes they will be harassed about inviting a foreigner. Waytorussia can get one easily for you within a couple days without the hassle. Have relatives to register you at the post office and NOT at a police station. Post office only cares about paperwork being filled out correctly, police will likely give you a hard time.

[eekee 182]

Homestay visas are only worth it if you want to stay for a long time or wish to obtain permanent residency. Tourist visas are the way to go for visiting relatives and what not.

[James And Oksana 19]

Hello -

I'll be traveling to Russia in July with my FSU wife and child. What type of visa should I apply for (wife & child are taken care of), and do any of you have a recommendation of the best way to obtain it? Also any insight on where to find the best fares would help - flying Chicago to Moscow.

Check out flights24.com. I plan on returning this summer and one way tickets look to be around 500-600ish, with sometimes tickets as cheap as 400ish one way. I would try several combinations and would recommend to stay away from Aeroflot unless there is a substantial $ difference.

[Used to be broken 147]

Thank you - excellent links. I've read through them and wondering - we'll be staying at her parents for a few days, then a week in Sochi (probably an rented apartment) then back and at the parents again for a few days. It looks like I'd want to get a Homestay Visa instead of a Tourist Visa??

The other folks are right, the homestay VISA is a bust for many reasons. The hassle to the folks in the family there, the fact its a ####### shoot of when you will get it and then dealing with the mail because you need the original to apply for the VISA at the consulate ... there is no way to figure out your actual travel dates and actually snag a deal on airline tickets because you don't know if you will have it in hand in time.

VISA service is the only way to know where you are in the process.

[dardislake 0]

Thank you all very much, I will go that route.