Embassy reports: Russian visa in Hanoi

[JossD]

Dear Caravanistan

I recently obtained a Russian Visa at the Consulate in Hanoi. I was able to get a tourist visa (30 days) for a visit that would start 6 months ahead of when I was applying. Here are some points that might be useful to others.

The Consulate opening hours are restricted.
Phone always diverted to fax when I rang outside these hours; but when I tried one day during the morning opening hours, phone was answered and staff gave helpful advice in clear English in reply to my questions.

The opening hours, address and phone number is at: https://vietnam.mid.ru/web/vietnam-en/working-hours
This also has an email address, which I had tried but noone replied.

The consulate address, at 191 La Thanh , is a doorway in the western wall of the embassy compound. You access the doorway from the unpaved laneway (La Thanh) that runs along the western side of the Russian embassy compound. Don't go to the main embassy entrance.

There is lots of advice elsewhere on this site about getting Russian Visa. I found this very helpful. People especially need to note that you cant apply in Vietnam unless you have proof of valid long term stay in Vietnam (eg work visa). The consulate asked me about this, and checked my Vietnam visa.

Specific advice from the Consulate staff was that I would need to submit:
-travel insurance showing Russia as one of the countries covered
-because I intend to travel by train and could not provide a copy of return air ticket out of Russia, I was told to include a full itinerary. I wrote up an itinerary showing dates, towns and hotel names and train segments, which agreed with the less detailed info on my invitation letter but was not actually booked.
plus standard requirements:
-invitation letter. Good quality copy of emailed letter was acceptable.
-printout of online application form. ( a long complicated form which thankfully has a save button and can be edited and completed in more than one session)

The process was quick; there was no queue. The officer checked all my documents , then stamped my passport with a rubber stamp and returned it to me, and told me to pay the visa payment by bank deposit and return with the deposit receipt. Although the consulate website says to pay at a particular bank to avoid extra fees, the visa payment can be made at any bank, and the bank fee is likely to be small (I paid 28,000 VND at the closest bank to the Consulate). When I returned to consulate, I showed the deposit slip, handed over my passport again and was given a receipt.

I had to pay for express service (ouch!) because I was only in Hanoi for a limited time. I was told I could collect passport next morning (Tuesday) which I did (again, with no queues). Without express fee I could have picked up my passport the following Monday (7days). The printed visa had been glued in the passport over the top of the previous day's rubber stamp.

The visa costs are shown on https://vietnam.mid.ru/web/vietnam-en/c ... s-and-fees
scroll down the list until you see them. The first (left hand) column is the relevant column.

Happy travels
Joss