No Visa's Please - She's British

In Vientiane we again got caught up seeking Visas and therefore couldn’t travel far until our passports were returned. A Visa application was made at the Mongolian Embassy and after meeting the Russian Consul General I established that we could also apply for a Russian Visa in Vientiane. His exact words were “yes, it is possible, of course it can be done”, bringing tears to my eyes. He did add that it would be unusual for him to process an application by a British passport holder………

Of course “possible” does mean that certain requirements are to be met, amongst other things a Letter of Invitation from a Russian travel agency, signed by the appropriate ministry official in Moscow, must be presented - the original document is expected and thus a document courier is required.

So after getting Mongolians Visas in less than a 3 day turn around, I went the next day to apply for the Russian Visas with a copy of a letter of invitation (explaining that the original was on its way but had been delayed by the volcanic ash “disaster”), an itinerary I had prepared in Ho Chi Minh City, a bank statement to demonstrate we could fund our travel and our completed application forms.

Unfortunately the Consul-General was not available so one of the other officials told me to wait. So I waited, then I provided the paperwork, then I waited. Then I was asked to use a new, different form to apply so spent a while filling out the same information on a different form. Then the official came back and told me that nothing could be done today because Julia is British and they do not do processing of British passports in Vientiane – he suggested I ring the Consul-General or return tomorrow when the Consul-General would be back as he would ultimately have to make the decision on a British application. So I left the paperwork and took a business card and after weighing up my options I returned the next day.

Noting that the Consul-General had pointed out to me on the Monday that British passport holders are difficult cases (due I believe to the British making it difficult for Russian’s to gain visas), I had expected there may be a delay. He had suggested though that as Julia is clearly living in Australia and traveling with her Australian family, it was logical to process her application.

So when I returned on the Friday morning I was hoping to get confirmation that the processing could occur and that we would likely get our Visas by the Wednesday or Thursday of the following week. So I arrived and I sat patiently. After an hour I was told that there was a technical problem delaying the Consul-General and that he would be along in maybe 40 minutes. After another hour he arrived, said hello and said he would be with me shortly. Ten minutes later he came out and asked me if I would like our Visas today – um, yes please! He took my money (twice as much for 2 day visa processing vs. 7 day processing but worth it when in fact I was getting it same day) and then I sat and waited, wondering if I should ask what time to come back. Then 10 minutes later he came out and said it would only be another 10 minutes - and it was – same day Russian visas!! Had I known in Ho Chi Minh City that it could be so logical and easy in Vientiane, then we would have saved several days of administration and lots and lots of worry and angst! Russia here we come – za schast’-ye!