best way to mail documents to russia

[Lilly.Pon 1]

I was just doing some quotes and fedex is $130-180 about week long delivery time and usps $40 for the envelop and $70 for small box with 3-5 days delivery hm... usps sounds too good to be true in delivery time

You're right, FedEx turns out pricy. Brandon paid around $200 for a 0.5lbs package with international priority shipment. But I just got it an hour ago!!! Sent on the 1-June from Houston it made it to Vladivostok (Far East Russia) in 7 days!! It was in Moscow 5-June. If time matters to you, then FedEx is a good company to go with!

[san diego 407]

I was just doing some quotes and fedex is $130-180 about week long delivery time and usps $40 for the envelop and $70 for small box with 3-5 days delivery hm... usps sounds too good to be true in delivery time

They are. It is a complete BS regarding USPS. I always send important documents to Russia via FedEx - always on time. For last X-mas my wife and I decided to send presents to her parents in Moscow via USPS - 3-5 business days. Right!! It took over a month! USPS is fine. Once it gets into hands of Russian mail - this is where the problems are. Sometimes they steal stuff, some times they simply throw it away if they have a bad mood! DON'T DO IT!

Edited June 7, 2013 by san diego

[jft 12]

What's really odd about Russian mail is that the people behind the counter are just fine. Everything runs well and for Russia everyone is friendly and efficient. So it seems a little odd that the actual delivery part is so inefficient and rife with theft. I hope at some point they can get a handle on things but until they do I'll have to stick with FedEx and pay three times as much.

[Abell 11]

You're right, FedEx turns out pricy. Brandon paid around $200 for a 0.5lbs package with international priority shipment. But I just got it an hour ago!!! Sent on the 1-June from Houston it made it to Vladivostok (Far East Russia) in 7 days!! It was in Moscow 5-June. If time matters to you, then FedEx is a good company to go with!

Does fedex has an office in Vladivostok?

well I don't need to send it there but does it mater if they have office in the city you are sending to or not?, I couldn't find local fedex office in the city I need to send to so I wonder if it is going to affect their performace

[Lilly.Pon 1]

Does fedex has an office in Vladivostok?

well I don't need to send it there but does it mater if they have office in the city you are sending to or not?, I couldn't find local fedex office in the city I need to send to so I wonder if it is going to affect their performace

I don't think they do. But they are not using general post offices to ship these packages. I got a call from a courier who confirmed address and was at my door within half an hour after the call. I think FedEx uses some private post companies, not a public post office system, at least it didn't look like one.

[paws057 9]

I was just doing some quotes and fedex is $130-180 about week long delivery time and usps $40 for the envelop and $70 for small box with 3-5 days delivery hm... usps sounds too good to be true in delivery time

I have sent many small packages and cards to Russia and believe me it's going to take some time to get there. Once I sent a small package and at the same time sent a card. Twp weeks later I sent another card and they all arrived on the same day, of course that was two months later as well. The guy at the post office told me once it leave this country they have no control over them so I would use DHL or someone else and not the USPS.It you are going to the interview take the documents with you and save the money,

[Abell 11]

what about DHL vs FedEx? does anyone have any experience with DHL cost wise seems to be the same as fedex

[slim 1,525]

It's been quite a while since I've sent packages over there (Vlad/Khab/Far East) but when I did, I'd just send them through the Post Office via Global Express. No problems, pretty quick, cheap too.

[Abell 11]

just talked with DHL, they won't ship to residential address, only to business, not even to their local office for pickup, and they tried to blame Russian customs, that sucks since they are the one with local office in the city funny thing that I was in the ups store the other day and guy there told me that it is ok to send documents to residence with DHL, today the other guy said it's not but he can try, didn't like the odds so had to call them and they confirmed.

[Abell 11]

ok this is ridiculous, if anyone interested, I called UPS and they told me almost what DHL told me, that russian customs does not allow at this moment shipments of anything but documents to residential address, well I need only documents but decided to try to call DHL again, this time they told me that if it is documents only then they can ship to residential address no problem (even though last time I did ask them about documents but they said no) but now they gave me a list of what is "documents" and get this, photos are not considered documents and won't be accepted, after that I called FedEx and they told me the same thing, when I asked about photos they were kinda vague and unsure, they said that if it is more then 10 photos you have to fill commercial invoice for customs, on the other hand people either at UPS and FedEx stores had no idea and didn't say a word until I asked if there are restrictions then they checked and said yes, kinda funny that they wanted to accept shipment without even looking first

[jft 12]

just talked with DHL, they won't ship to residential address, only to business, not even to their local office for pickup, and they tried to blame Russian customs, that sucks since they are the one with local office in the city funny thing that I was in the ups store the other day and guy there told me that it is ok to send documents to residence with DHL, today the other guy said it's not but he can try, didn't like the odds so had to call them and they confirmed.

FedEx lets you send to the local office for pickup but I never figured out how to send a package to a residential address, even a package that was all documents. Thankfully the FedEx office is only one metro stop from my Fiancee's apartment so it was no big deal to pick it up.

[AEL81 0]

DHL - nuff said. Worked for me constantly and on time everytime, within a week most times can cost between 130-180$ but totally worth it.

[P A U L 14]

<sub>i sent a pile of documents, including original NOA2 to my fiancee through USPS Express mail.. it has been 3 weeks (15 business days) and it still has not arrived yet.

i've mailed something to her before to the same address before and it arrived in about 4-5 weeks? that was sent USPS priority..</sub>