Russian tourist visa in Tbilisi, Georgia

[steven]

Please read and post reports on the tourist visa at the embassy of Russia in Tbilisi below.
Another forum topic collects reports on the Russian transit visa in Tbilisi.

We summarize all info on the Russia visa page.

See here if you are still in need of a letter of invitation for your Russian visa.

[tabf2010]

There is already information in this forum about Russian transit visas obtained in Tbilisi but nothing yet about tourist visas. Russian tourist visas are also quite easy to obtain in Tbilisi. I have a USA passport, so hopefully someone with another passport can add their experience to this thread as well.

Here's what I needed:

A photocopy of my passport
A tourist voucher (obtained online)
A completed application (filled out online after you receive the tourist voucher)
A passport photo
$180 USD (some embassies take credit cards, others only cash)

The tourist voucher was free from http://www.saint-petersburg.com/russian ... a-support/, after booking a night in a hostel through their booking.com affiliate link (can be cancelled for free later).
You need the tourist voucher before filling out the application, but you'll receive it in just a few hours from when you request it. On the application, make your start date the first day of the hotel booking. USA citizens can receive 3 year visas, but the tourist voucher site will only give you a voucher for the days of your booking. The end date on the voucher doesn't matter, just make the exit date on your application 3 years after the entry date.

Here's my experience at the embassy:

I first had a Russian-speaking friend call the embassy to ask what I would need (actually, it's not an official embassy, but rather a Russian interests section of the Swiss embassy, which for visa purposes makes no difference). It turned out that one of the ambassadors speaks English so I talked to her. She told me that in order to receive a Russian visa with a USA passport, I need to bring a passport copy, tourist voucher, visa application, photo attached to the application, and $180 USD, any time during their opening hours. The USA and Russia have an agreement for 3-year tourist visas and she specifically added that I don’t need a hotel reservation for this visa, only a tourist voucher (effectively telling me that it’s totally ok to cancel my hotel reservation as soon as I receive the voucher).

I showed up to 53 Chavchavadze St in Tbilisi to find a big crowd standing outside, but walked right up to the guard at the entrance and he waved me in when he saw my American passport. One guy at the reception desk inside spoke English and told me to wait outside for 20 minutes. I went back outside, a bit confused. After 20 minutes, the security guard told me (in Russian) that I couldn’t take my backpack inside. I went to the supermarket next door and asked to leave it there, which was fine. The police gave me a slip with a number and I walked through the door with several others into a waiting room. When my number came up on the screen, I went to talk to the ambassador who told me that it would be no problem to give me a 3-year visa. I paid the cashier and she gave me a paper saying to come back in nine days.

Nine days later, I called the embassy in the morning and they told me to come at 2pm. This time the guard wouldn’t let me skip the crowd, but it turned out that everyone was there to pick up visas so the line moved very quickly. Half an hour later I had my passport with the visa inside.

[sakara]

Just got our russian tourist visa in Tbilisi yesterday. Swiss passport. Not permanently living in Georgia (but as all Schengen states with the right to stay for ,1 year).
No express service possible. Took 5days, they keep the passport. price: 50US$. payable in dollar or credit card.
Documents same as mentioned above.
For applications better come in the morning, they sometimes have a lunchbreak and dont accept applications afterwards.
Tbilisi might be one of the last embassies where Schengen passport holders can still get a russian visa outside their home country (see reports about almaty).

[rumolddo]

Great info guys! can i ask what you put as your route? if you plan to go overland did you mention Vladikavkaz?

[sakara]

i mentioned wladikavkaz, moscow, murmansk, for both the voucher and the application form. the super friendly, good english speaking young lady at the embassy was interested in our plans, but not in a negative way. just crossed the border. I ll post the report in15 minutes.

[Twoontwowheels]

HI,
we just tried to apply for a 30 day Tourist Visum in Tbilisi on a German and a Swiss Passport. We couldnt apply because our Visa Support Letter is only for the first 3 days of the 30 day Visum we wanted to get. We were told to come back once the Support letter is corrected. I got the support Letter from http://www.saint-petersburg.com/russian ... a-support/ .
Until now the guys there were super friendly and super fast ( a few hours only). I hope we get the corrected support letter soon and I will keep you posted of how it goes.
Cheers,


We needed until now:

A photocopy of my passport
A tourist voucher (obtained online) FOR THE WHOLE DURATION OF YOUR VISUM APPLICATION
A completed application (filled out online after you receive the tourist voucher)
A passport photo
A letter from your Health Insurance

[Twoontwowheels]

We applied yesterday after we received the tourist voucher for the whole time.the free service of the above mentioned page is great and super fast, but I was asked to please not cancel my booking.com reservation afterwards, because they get money over this they need to make a living.
The women in the first window the embassy is very friendly. She cannot speak english, but has some pieces of paper in english to explain some things.
We had to pay 50USD each by credit card or cash and were told to pick up at the 16.5 at 6pm.
Fingers crossed.

[levelo]

Thanks for the info 2on2wheels. Let us know when/if you get it. I will most likely be applying for my Russian visa in Tblissi soon.
A few more questions for you so that everything is clear :
- Is the " voucher " what you get from the hotel/hostel after you make your booking ? Does that mean that you had to pay for 30 nights ? Or did the hostel only made you pay for 3 nights but corrected the voucher for 30 days afterwards ?
- Is the visa time-specific ? Meaning you have to state which day you are going to enter Russia ?
- Is 1 month the maximum validity one can get ? Or do you know if you can ask for more, say 2 months ?
- Would entering Russia Overland from Georgia but having a booking in Moscow or St Petersburg be a problem ?
Cheers,
Levelo.

[hotval]

Hey, thanks for the hotel info guys!

[Radelman]

Got my Russian Tourist visa with double entry yesterday. No problem, very easy service.