Hi,
I am studying in Vienna for the semester and would like to head to St. Petersburg to visit a friend. I was wondering if there was a way to obtain a Russian visitor's visa in Vienna or elsewhere in europe?
The logic being that I do not yet know the dates when I can make it there.
I have a student visa for the schengen states if that makes a difference.
Thanks!
It's a bit tricky to visit Russia without staying in a hostel/hotel; I'm assuming you will be crashing at your friends place. In order to get a visa you need a "hotel invitation", and once in Russia the hotel has to file all kinds of paper work to "register" your presence in the country with the government. Without this registration you may not be permitted to leave without paying large fines or worse.
The most direct way to get a visa is to visit the Russian Embassy in Vienna:
http://vienna.rusembassy.org/rusvisa.html
But the paper work is tricky and one small mistake will result in a rejected application. In Vienna I would track down a travel agent that specializes in Russian travel and let them do the paper work. You should also head over to the http://www.Tripadvisor.com Russia forums. There are lots of locals that frequent the site that can give you more insight.
Louise, here's a list of Russian-approved agencies in Austria that can help you get a visa:
http://www.visatorussia.com/russianvisa.nsf/agentscountry.html?Open&cnt=AT
It is possible to stay in a private residence in Russia- I´ve done a homestay in St. Petersburg. You may want to inquire with a travel agency that specializes in Russia- Lonely Planet lists several in their Russian edition. I have used a company called "White Nights", but I don´t think they´re in business anymore.
I agree with the advice to contact a travel agent. I'm not sure I would want to part with my passport to get a Russian visa while you are in Europe. Organized tours can be taken visa-free and may be your best option.
We were in St. Petersburg recently and handled the visa issue by taking a private tour.
