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Russian Embassy in London - BEWARE!
byb3
Posts: 188 Forumite
Ok a bit of background:
I am going to visit a friend in Moscow, Russia hopefully in mid-April.
I had all of the required documents, and all I needed to do was visit the Embassy to apply for the Visa.
Well on the website http://www.rusemblon.org, they state they are only open from 9am - 12pm. Hardly easy if you live in Sheffield. It also states that the last applicants are allowed in at 11:45am.
I was already visiting London so I thought it was the perfect time to visit the Embassy. I joined the queue for Visas at 10:30am, thinking it would be plenty of time. There were about 15 people in front of me. In about 20 minutes, 1 person went through. At 11:45am a total of 7 people had been allowed through and everyone else was told it was now shut.
Now there is no note on the website that there might be a long wait.
However, the people who were in front of me in the queue had said they had been queuing since 9:30am. People in front of them must have been queuing since about 9am!
So to get into the embassy to apply for your visa, you would have to be queuing from about 8:30am and be waiting till about 11:30am to get in!
It is an absolute farce.
If anybody is thinking about visiting Russia, I would advise you to apply for a visa through an organisation which does all the legwork. It has cost me £35 extra, which I am happy with.
Just a heads up for anybody who is heading to the embassy. Queue up very early and expect a long wait. And still don't expect to be seen!
I am going to visit a friend in Moscow, Russia hopefully in mid-April.
I had all of the required documents, and all I needed to do was visit the Embassy to apply for the Visa.
Well on the website http://www.rusemblon.org, they state they are only open from 9am - 12pm. Hardly easy if you live in Sheffield. It also states that the last applicants are allowed in at 11:45am.
I was already visiting London so I thought it was the perfect time to visit the Embassy. I joined the queue for Visas at 10:30am, thinking it would be plenty of time. There were about 15 people in front of me. In about 20 minutes, 1 person went through. At 11:45am a total of 7 people had been allowed through and everyone else was told it was now shut.
Now there is no note on the website that there might be a long wait.
However, the people who were in front of me in the queue had said they had been queuing since 9:30am. People in front of them must have been queuing since about 9am!
So to get into the embassy to apply for your visa, you would have to be queuing from about 8:30am and be waiting till about 11:30am to get in!
It is an absolute farce.
If anybody is thinking about visiting Russia, I would advise you to apply for a visa through an organisation which does all the legwork. It has cost me £35 extra, which I am happy with.
Just a heads up for anybody who is heading to the embassy. Queue up very early and expect a long wait. And still don't expect to be seen!
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Comments
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Russia is too cold for me....0
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I had exactly the same experience. When I went to the agency they were processing dozens of passports, whereas as you say, through the queue, the embassy must handle less than ten passports per day.
A cynic would assume that there must be some arrangement whereby the embassy officials are letting in only a very small number of applicants in order that people are forced to go to the agencies, and the agencies are then passing on some part of their fees to embassy officials in return for the favour. Far be it from me to suggest that that such dishonesty could possibly be taking place however. Absolutely not.0 -
From experience it is best toapply by registered post to the conulate in Edinburgh. I had no prob 3 years ago. Lj"if the state cannot find within itself a place for those who peacefully refuse to worship at its temples, then it’s the state that’s become extreme".Revd Dr Giles Fraser on Radio 4 20170
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