Abolishing the Visa requirement for Russia

calzzetin · Post Number:**#41** **Posted:** 07 Apr 2011 15:25

wiz wrote:

Malcolm wrote:

My wife, who is a Russian citizen can invite close relatives to visit or stay here for long time, BUT me as Greek or British citizen I can't.
In Russia the same happens in the opposite direction. The Russian Nationals can't invite any relatives but the EU National, legally residing there, can!

Isn't that something silly? I mean, I'm sure they have a point when they write these rules but... if I see the day when visas are not needed, or at least they are easier to make, I'll be more than happy.

Gipsy · Post Number:**#42** **Posted:** 10 Apr 2011 05:17

wiz wrote:

As we have already (experienced and) suspected long time ago, when the Russian Consulate appointed VFS Global to run their Visa Centre in London and Edinburgh, the Russian Government is following suit the steps and actions of the British Government and very soon, when the installation of the new technology finish, will start requiring the Biometrics of each person who is applying for a Visa to Russia.

At this instance we should NOT blame the Russians for following the actions of the British Government, which are treating the Russian applicants (citizens) appallingly and impose so much extra requirement and cost to their applications. Taking into consideration the size of the Russia Federation that's to me is an impossible position to be.

Operating only five Visa Application Centres, in Moscow, St Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk and Rostov-on-Don everybody can understand the frustration of the Russian would be applicants and visitors to the UK! [angry2.gif]

Any how here is the latest development:

30 March 2011, Moscow Times, By Howard Amos

While the Russian consulate in London is getting ready for deploying a biometric visa system, its headquarters in Moscow — the Foreign Ministry — denies such a plan is in the works.

“It’s only a question of time,” Jelena Kirilenko, managing director of the Russian Visa Center in London, said in an interview. “We are ready to establish a biometric system as soon as there is a necessity to do so.”

The use of biometric data would require each visa candidate to submit their application in person — adding a new layer of complication to an application system that was recently streamlined for British citizens.

The imminence of the new process was confirmed by the consular department of the Russian Embassy in London.

“The consulates of the Russian Federation’s Foreign Ministry will move to biometric visas in the near future,” said Andrei Batmanov, head of the consular section at Russia’s embassy in London. “Accordingly, in those countries where Russian visa centers are operating, the apparatus for taking biometrics will be installed.”

Batmanov said he did not know exactly when the biometric system would be introduced — or whether Britain would be the first country where it would be applied.

The Foreign Ministry in Moscow, however, denied that there were any plans to introduce a biometric requirement for visa applications.

“No biometric visas requiring the essential provision of photos or fingerprints — neither for British citizens nor citizens of another country — will be introduced in the foreseeable future, and there are no plans to introduce them,” a ministry source told The Moscow Times.

The ministry did not comment on when biometric processing equipment might be installed at passport control points in Russia.

The embassies of the United States and Britain in Moscow both told The Moscow Times that they had no specific information about biometric visas to Russia being an imminent requirement for their citizens.

“But there is a global move in this direction because it makes travel safer for everyone,” British Embassy spokesman James Barbour said.

A U.S. Embassy spokesman said: “The U.S. Embassy in Moscow has not been informed by the Russian government of any plans to implement biometric Russian visas for Americans.”

To read more:

According to information obtained unofficially this week from a FMS source in Russia, Biometrics for visitors to Russia will be implemented late this year/early next year.....
The accuracy of this cannot be verified at this time, however, the new Immigration software now being/already implemented in most arrival/departure points of Russia, is capable of taking/controlling/processing biometric details...
HTH

wiz · Post Number:**#43** **Posted:** 10 Apr 2011 12:46

59dotru wrote:

The accuracy of this cannot be verified at this time, however, the new Immigration software now being/already implemented in most arrival/departure points of Russia, is capable of taking/controlling/processing biometric details...
HTH

Can you please verify ..........

Do you mean that the Biometrics will be taken on arrival at the airport or

will be required at the Visa Centre to be taken and
then on arrival at the Russian airports will be verified... like the British Government ?

Gipsy · Post Number:**#44** **Posted:** 10 Apr 2011 16:07

wiz wrote:

59dotru wrote:

The accuracy of this cannot be verified at this time, however, the new Immigration software now being/already implemented in most arrival/departure points of Russia, is capable of taking/controlling/processing biometric details...
HTH

Can you please verify ..........

Do you mean that the Biometrics will be taken on arrival at the airport or

will be required at the Visa Centre to be taken and
then on arrival at the Russian airports will be verified... like the British Government ?

Biometrics will be taken at the visa application point, and verified at port of entry/exit.....
Same as the uk...
HTH

viking · Post Number:**#45** **Posted:** 17 Apr 2011 00:49

Hi
A long tread and I just skim read it. It seems admin here has forgot the good news from january this year.

An agreement between EU and RF which hopefully will be sign as a treaty in this summer EU-Russia summit.

In short for EU citizen:
1) first visa apply = 1 stay
2) second visa aplly = a visa for 2 years
3) third visa apply = a visa for 5 years

Since UK, Ireland and DK are not member of Schengen or the legal section of the EU treaty, seperately negotions must be made. In marts Russia began such, with UK, so shirtly after EU and Russia make a deal, so will UK and Russia.

My own personal way to get visa. Buy invitation online, cost from 15€ plus the formula and a copy of an travelinsurance and then the visa process at the consulate in Copenhagen cost 40€ and 1 week later you pick it up. Its easy and its works. Take about 5-10 minutes at the consulate.

wiz · Post Number:**#46** **Posted:** 17 Apr 2011 06:22

Viking

The admin and the other interested people here always post the latest information but personally I have not heard of such an agreement between the EU and Russia.

I am sure if 59dotru or anybody else knew anything they would have post it here.

Can you give us please more information about the new possible treaty?

Thank you

viking · Post Number:**#47** **Posted:** 20 Apr 2011 10:21

Hi

I can see I cant read. Its the other way around. Its for Russians. Sorry (however, still good news). But its not a treaty yet - however it seems strange that Russia has begun a negotiation with UK, without they believe that EU will agree on such.

http://english.pravda.ru/russia/economi ... ia_visa-0/

Viking

viking · Post Number:**#48** **Posted:** 20 Apr 2011 10:27

06 Apr 2011 — Russian Federation
According to Moscow’s EU Ambassador Vladimir Chizhov, Russia and the European Union continue working on visa-related issues: “Work on visas continues in parallel directions. One of them is our dialogue on visa-free travel. I can make an announcement that senior officials of Russia and the EU will meet in Moscow at the end of next week to discuss this scenario.”

Source: Interfax

As long they talk, Maybe one day something will happen [thumbs.gif]

Post moved here so al info is in one place!

viking · Post Number:**#49** **Posted:** 20 Apr 2011 10:34

a follow up:

http://en.rian.ru/world/20110411/163471464.html

The liberalization of the visa regime between the European Union and Russia is hampered by technical and legal issues rather than political considerations, a EU lawmaker said on Monday.

A group of EU parliament members is currently on a visit to Russia to discuss Partnership for Modernization and the upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections in Russia.

"I think there are no political problems if we are speaking about general visa liberalization because those people who will gain from that freedom are first of all the citizens of the Russian Federation," Kristiina Ojuland said at a news conference in Moscow.

Ojuland said, however, that there are many technical and legal issues that have to be resolved before a non-visa regime could be introduced.

She added that the next round of Russia-EU talks on visa liberalization should take place in May.

Moscow has made visa-free travel between Russia and the EU a foreign policy priority.

Russia submitted a draft agreement on scrapping the visa regime to the EU at the Russia-EU summit in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don in May last year, but Europe has been reluctant so far to move ahead with the issue amid concerns that a visa-free regime could lead to a rise in crime and illegal immigration.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has called on the EU to determine visa scrapping terms and schedule without further delay, saying failure to do so was causing problems in relations between Moscow and Brussels.

MOSCOW, April 11 (RIA Novosti

wiz · Post Number:**#50** **Posted:** 20 Apr 2011 10:43

Viking

No you are not wrong with your assumption, because if the new conditions made applicable for the Russians it will also apply for the Europeans too!

Quote:

On January 14, Russian news agencies reported about the negotiations, which the Russian Foreign Ministry conducts with European countries.

As it was said, Europe agreed to issue single-entry Schengen visas to Russian citizens during their first visit to European countries.
During a second visit to Europe, a Russian citizen will be allowed to receive multi-entry visa for the period of two years.
Afterwards, visas will be issued for the period of five years.

Any how we have already touched this subject earlier and I can understand that there is a lot to read on this thread! [wink.gif]

viewtopic.php?p=3039#p3039

personally I will be OK as I have a Greek Passport too! [hi.gif]

Abolishing the Visa requirement for Russia

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