russian visa

Not recently but it is an expensive, time consuming process. First you need an invite. Your hotel will handle that for you. Probably easier to get a visa expediter and pay the fee.

Most of the visa expediters will also be able to get you a hotel invite. You're under no obligation to stay at the hotel the invitation originates from.

Ron, I tried to find and re-post an answer I've previously given here but I can't find it. For work I've obtained visas for students traveling to Russia on tourist visas. I figured there'd be no problems: (a) I'm a neighbor to the consulate and could come and go as needed and (b) I speak some Russian, (c) I followed all the instructions on the consulate web site. Short version: Two weeks of hassle from the consulate and we barely got the visas. Criticized because one student wrote his birthday "American style" (month/day/year) not "Russian style" (day/month/yr). Come back later. Next visit, sorry: one of the photos was not glued properly to the application. Next trip: One student's middle initial isn't clear. I fixed it on site, so she replied: Now you have to re-do each application, noting that you are the "filing agent" (since I wrote on one application.) The office says it is open at noon, but still is locked at 12:30. They don't answer the phones. Etc. Etc. Etc. The commercial agencies' people meanwhile stroll in, drop off dozens of applications, and are treated like family. Moral of the story: Go with one of the commercial expediters to arrange your visa. They know what they're doing!

Last year we used Travisa. They were excellent. But I did not pay them to get the forms from the hotel. I had the hotel e-mail me the necessary forms. Go to Travisa's website and you will see what is necessary.

Ron, Using a commercial service is the route I'd probably take, as they do these frequently and know all the "hoops to jump through" to satisfy the government officials. According to the website for the Russian Embassy, they are no longer accepting applications by mail. It's recommended that travellers not able to appear in person at the Visa office (Ottawa?) should use the services of International Visa Passport Service Corporation (offices in Ottawa and Vancouver). I've also thought about visiting Russia, but the bureaucracy is very complicated and intimidating! Good luck!

Ron, I also used Travisa last year without any problems. I received my invitation from the hotel and sent all of the information to them. They work with the Russian consulate so they review your forms first. I actually sent in my forms too early and they called to tell me that had to hold on to them for 3 days. I received constant email updates and a tracking number. I would go with them next time I go to Russia.

To apply for a Russian visa one needs an invitation ("visa support") from a Russian tour company. We got ours from Palladium Travel for free, because we booked tours with them.

Russia does not seem very welcoming and is still immensely bureaucratic and vaguely Stalinist. It almost feels as tho the Russians have decided to tell the World that: "We are Russians and you arent and that is YOUR problem". It is not a country that makes independent travel easy and it is one that constantly throws roadblocks in a traveller's way.

...I think the same could be said for USA travel ;-)

Rick Steves' guide for Tallin, Helsinki and St. Petersburg once told me that questions on application for russian visa are the same as questions on application for US visa.