Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Ed Provencher]

When I first went into the Russian Embassy, it was a Friday morning at 10:15am. I counted 31 people in the waiting room. All of which were in line in front of me. I waited for 1hr 30m during which not one person made it through the sole visa processing window in the embassy. I learned while waiting that the woman at the front of the line was a travel agent. She had duffle bags full of Korean passports which she was processing for her clients. There were other travel agents in the embassy with similarly full duffle bags. I heard through the waiting line grape-vine that the travel agents arrive at the embassy at 8:00am, 1hr 30m before the doors open, so they can have a head start.

I returned to the embassy on the following Monday at 7:30am, sat down and read a book until the doors opened at 9:30am. The first travel agent arrived at 8am, two more at 8:30am, and there were seven by 9am. Some were holding spaces in line for their buddies. I felt bad for the people in the back of the line who watched the travel agents cut the line with their bags full of passports. I speak Level 3 Korean and could hear the travel agents talking about how surpised they were that I was the first person at the embassy.

I went into the embassy with the documents I filled out from my previous trip. I went to the window and it turned out that I had filled out the wrong form. So I had to spend another 10m filling out new forms and then waited for one travel agent to process some passports. I interrupted the travel agent to demand that I process my passport before she continued. It took a mere 2 minutes for the embassy clerk to process my paperwork. I don't know how I made the mistake of getting the wrong form. They are almost identical at first glance. I thought I pulled the forms from the correct pile...

TIP #1: Americans have a special form to fill out. Double check if you have the correct form.

TIP #2: Print out the forms from home and fill them out before going to the embassy, or you risk losing your precious spot in line. If possible, make a trip to the embassy just to see where it is and to get the correct forms.

TIP #3: Arrive at the embassy at 7:30am and wait 2hrs so you can be the first person through the door.

Embassy is open 9:30am-12:30pm/2:30pm-5:30pm. Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri.

[soviet_man]

That's legendary Russian customer service comrade

[R-Seoul]

Why didn't you just get a travel agency to get your visa for you? No multiple trips to the embassy, no filling out of forms, no waiting for hours and I�m sure the extra expense is minimal.

[Ed Provencher]

[R-Seoul]

[Ed Provencher]

Here are some questions I recieved via pm.

1) Can you you please tell me where the embassy is and how to get there?

City Hall Station exit 1 toward the palace. At the corner of the palace, take the road that goes around the palace. Go toward Chongdong Theater http://www.chongdong.com/chongdong_english/m02_01_map.htm

When you get to the roundabout, take a left. After taking the left at the roundabout, on the right side of the road is a shady brickyard that you need to cut through between the buildings. When you reach the end of the brickyard you will see a guard hut. Take a right at the guard hut and you are at the gate of the Russian embassy.

2) Did you have to pay a fee for your tourist visa and how much was it? Did you pay in won? I looked on the embassy website and I see nothing about fees? Was it free for americans? I know in the US they charge $131 to americans and you must pay by money order but I dont know how to get a money order in Korea.

The fee was 70,000 won. I paid in cash. You pay at the second window after you have submitted your documents.

3) I assume you applied with a invitation from a russian travel agency. Did they also ask to see hotel information or flight tickets?

I got an invitation from the service linked to on the Russian embassy website. I figured it would be the best one to use. I printed the invitation and brought it with me. I only needed one picture that you must glue to the forms. Glue is provided at the embassy. Nothing else was needed. There was a place on the form for saying where you are staying, but I didn't fill it out. They didn't ask me any questions, so I assume that is going to be okay.

My invitation was for Moscow, so I may not be able to visit any other cities without risking trouble. I put Moscow and St. Petersburg on the visa application form.

[nicholas_chiasson]

I've never needed to apply for a russian visa in person, and am American. I only applied from the US however.