How can a US citizen obtain a Russian tourist visa from Berlin?

Question

I'm in Berlin and plan to travel to Saint Petersburg in the not-too-distant future.

How can I obtain a Russian visa while I'm in Berlin? Here are my criteria:

Obtain a Russian tourist visa while in Berlin.
Minimize the time I'm without a passport
Maximize the length of my permitted stay in Russia (30 days minimum)
Minimize paperwork / bureaucracy, I'm happy to pay an agency to handle things and expedite the process.

Have you tried contacting the Russian embassy in Berlin? It's been a few years since I last got a Russian visa, but I don't get the impression it's become any easier. Still lots of paperwork and messiness. You will need an "invitation" from a hotel / tour company in Russia. These can be purchased online which makes life a lot easier. — daamsie, Apr 17, 2013 at 10:06

Karlson · Accepted Answer · 2013-04-17 17:55:12Z

9

If you go to the website of the Russian embassy in Germany, you can find (although a bit hidden) a page where they state that the consular department started since 8. January 2013 to process digital visa applications coming from Consulate Portal of Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry.

So if you go to that site you should be able to get your Visa

Otherwise, there are agencies like Visa To Russia and VHS.

Karlson

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answered Apr 17, 2013 at 11:47

uncovery

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The link to the consulate portal doesn't work.
– johndbritton
May 3, 2013 at 13:52
2

I ended up going through VHS. They were really helpful on the phone and the processing fee is 25EUR.
– johndbritton
May 3, 2013 at 14:13

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