Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Sean02]

Hi. I'm ten months into a year teaching contract in S.Korea and have the following info re trying to get a Russian visa in Seoul: I wanted to fly to Vladivostok and travel back to the UK on the Siberian train. However I cannot get the visa.

I phoned the embassy before going to Seoul to apply and they went over what documents bring- passport, application form, photos, visa support letter, Korean alien card and W45000 ($40).

However on presentation (after 90 mins queuing in a very slow process for each of the few applicants) I�m told that I�m ineligible because my alien visa card must show validity for three months beyond the end of the Russian visa expiry date- which would be middle of August 09, rather than its expiry in March, at the start of my projected Russia visa period.

This basically means that for a non-Korean to get a Russian visa at an embassy outside their own country, not only must you be living there but visiting Russia and then returning back to that country- and well within the existing visa dates you have for it.

They will not issue tourists with onward visas to visit Russia, not even when living here for a year- I�d have to fly to the London embassy, wait two weeks for the visa, and then back over to Vladivostok.

The only people who go to the embassy seem to be Korean businessmen and Russians, and the clerk�s first words to me after seeing my stuff were �Who are you?�. I even went back to the place a few hours later to ask different people the same thing, but it�s the law: what bureaucrats.

I didn�t see any mention of this is on the website (the downloadable form also also being out of date- you have to fill in another) and at it�s cost me a bit too- two guidebooks I bought, $28 for visa support letter via internet agency, a day off and trip to Seoul, and flight cancellation fee (I wanted to get the flight paid for early as it takes weeks for the school financial office to refund me, as per my contract).

This contrasts for instance with simple processes at various Chinese and Indian embassies, also offering same-day services.

[soviet_man]

Plainly, thousands of foreigners have been issued Russian tourist visas in Seoul.

Few would have qualified for: "alien visa card must show validity for three months beyond the end of the Russian visa expiry date".

He wanted additional payment. This is the custom. Pay an additional "fee" and it will be done.

Or use an agency and let them sort it out. There is one on the same street as the Russian embassy in Seoul who could get a tourist visa turned-around perhaps even same day - again there is cost involved.

I suspect the justification is likely you not having Vladivostok specific invitation. An invitation issued in Moscow may often not be sufficient to enter Vladivostok or points in between (eg. if you were planning to stop along the way).

Russia is not an open country - there are internal passports and document required even for ordinary Russians and registrations are required on arrival in each city. Not having confirmed reservations and confirmed itinerary will also count against an application. Naturally independent travellers are not looked on favorably and often, extra cost will be applied.

It is disappointed that you got bad treatment, but you will save money by avoiding Russia.

[D.D.]

Just go to China after you finish here and get your visa there.

[Sean02]

Good to read the replies. However the office certainly didn't seem a venal kind of place: it seemed like it was one heck of a rule-following bureaucracy, and with personnel visibly afraid to even think about getting some procedure wrong. I did say 'Is there nothing I can do?' and he just said only if you can get your alien card validity extended.

The norm is to get your visa from your home country's embassy; even if you could get it in China I expect the waiting time is two weeks?

[RufusW]

yea, you could go on the Trans-Siberian via Mongolia from Beijing (and get your visa there). Probably a preferable trip as well....

[Sean02]

By the way the London embassy accepts postal applications so I wonder if I could have investigated the Seoul embassy a little earlier, thence giving me time possibly to post my passport and forms to my father, for him to post to London, them post back to him, and then him post back to me (rather than me mailing them direct, deceiving the bastards that I wasn't in my home country for making the application like you're supposed to be). I did think about this before but for all I knew everything was just fine- until I got to the Seoul embassy.

Actually though there's also the requirement to register your visa on arrival in Russia at an office, so maybe they'd check my Korean exit stamps and see I hadn't left the country to get the visa: I expect they're probably devious like that, and I wouldn't like to mess with them too much...

[Sean02]

Or might it be even something airport immigration would check, stopping you flying if they think your visa's not valid...?

Or would postal applications back to your home country be allowed??

[Sean02]

Thinking about this a little more, I was wondering- when countries require visas to be obtained in your home country, the reason is nothing to do with paperwork but so that they know where you're coming from, and that you'll be going back there? Visas gained en route would make it less clear what your intentions are re how long you really intend to stay or even what you intend to do.

Maybe you could get a visa in your home country, then visit another country en route before arriving in Russia, but in that case your passport will show you've planned your visit from your home country. If you've been abroad for a long period they don't know so well who you are or what you're doing...

So by that reasoning postal applications back to your home country would be breaking the rules?

[soviet_man]

This is one hell of a mess comrade.

If offering them a "donation" hasn't worked, extending your ARC is not an option, and you are uneasy about posting it to London (which I wouldn't really recommend anyway).

Then PLAN D would be to try the China route.

The Beijing consulate is known as being more strict and more slow than Seoul, so I would flat out avoid that place.

But as a British passport holder you are entitled to have 6 months stay in Hong Kong (which would put it presumably somewhere around August 2009, assuming you depart Korea in late February/early March 2009). So that makes redundant the supposed 6 month rule. The HK embassy is also known to issue visas to out-of-country foreigners, so that would probably be the best chance of getting it, if it can be done. If yours has been rejected once, who knows. Certainly worth phoning them beforehand.

As with anything to do with Russian bureauacracy, there are no certainties and rules are applied arbitrarily.

If you do apply in HK, it would cost about US $120 for a ticket on the express train HK to Beijing. Then you would need a another ticket for Beijing to Moscow.

[chris_J2]

I did Korea > China > Mongolia > Russia > Korea in 2007.

Easiest way was to get a Chinese visa in Korea
Then a Mongolian visa in China (not required for US citizens)
Then a Russian visa in Mongolia (Legend Tour, UB)

None of them took more than a day or 2.

[Sean02]

Many thanks Soviet Man (& Chris J2)- nice to read some thoughts on this thing. As you can see I'm still a bit unhappy with not being able to go, but I've bought a flight to India (where I've already been) so that's what I'm going to do now for a few months travel.

Interesting thought about Hong Kong- that might indeed work considering its British connections: it'd be almost like applying at home...

Thanks anyway. It's going to be a good few years before I get another chance but hope to see mighty Russia eventually.

Sean

[wombat90]

Well looks like I'm going to be in the same boat. Was planning on heading up to Seoul tomorrow to get my Russian visa.

If I go up it will be to find the travel agency on the same road to get visa service from them.

Ughh... what a mess.

[dimnd]

Lived in Russia for a year on a study abroad visa from my school. It took a long time to get the paperwork processed I remember.

Even when I was there to leave, I had to turn in my passport to the Russian police for two days so they could verify that I had done nothing wrong. It was turned into my university at Moscow State and then returned to them two days later. Scary giving the Russians my American passport..and then waited 2 hours in a bank to get a receipt to get a photo taken for my exit visa.

Not easy going there and this was in 1998-99.

My roomie was Russian and we lived on Leningradsky Prospekt there and he had to show his internal passport every time the police asked him..walking by with the M-16's. Anyone outside of Moscow or St. Petersburg had to take their papers to the police station to show why they were in the City. It had to be for official business. Guess because everyone wanted to live their instead of the outlying suburbs...

[chris_J2]

http://www.russian-embassy.org/english/main.html

Make sure you have an invitation letter.

[wombat90]

Wanted to leave an update because I was looking into attaining a visa in Mongolia through Legend Tours. This is up on their web page:

"A foreign citizen can obtain a visa to Russia ONLY in the country of his/her citizenship. Exceptions include those who have a residence permit for a foreign country for the period more than 90 days. "

Check for yourself here:

http://www.legendtour.ru/eng/mongolia/russiavisa.shtml


Looks like I'll be heading to Hong Kong to get my visa.