Invitation for Visa??

I hope to be in Minsk next month, so I am applying for a visa early next week! Will a copy of an email from a friend in Minsk, inviting me there as her guest suffice for a 5 day tourist visa.??

I have rread on one site that no invitation is needed for a short tourist stay?? any one know if this is the case or not??

Thanks

|||

Hi,

well, i can%26#39;t be 100% sure but judging from what you say (inviting you as a guest), it sounds like you will need a guest visa. But what i know, for guest visas you need an official invitation which is not a letter sent by your friend via internet:) she will need to go to some kind of police station, called OVIR here and fill in the papers and pay some money and probably wait up to 1 month (maybe less) for the invitation to be ready:)

another way you can get an invitation is thru some tourist agency, but you or she will have to pay a bit more money than if you choose the first variant:)On the other hand, it can be done sooner:)

Anyway, from my own experience i liked the first variant more, somehow i felt more in charge:)

Good luck and enjoy your stay here:)

|||

Thanks Solnce, I did not realise that ther invitation would have to be state sanctioned ?? I will just get one from a travel company to avoid any hassle!

Thanks again, I am looking forward to seeing Minsk

|||

you%26#39;re welcome:)

omg, some more info for you if you don%26#39;t know:) but i think it doesnt%26#39; matter 5 days or not...

anyway, when you aarive in Minsk you will still need to get some kind of registration. All foreign visitors are supposed to have it.

if you get your invitation thru a travel agency, it%26#39;s good, but they usually write there that you will be staying at some hotel which can be expensive but on the other hand, the hotel will make this registration for you. so no problem for you.

if you decide to stay at your friend%26#39;s place, (let%26#39;s say a flat), the owner of the flat and you will have to go to that OVIR anyway to register you within 3 days after your arrival. Maybe it sounds complicated but in fact, it%26#39;s not difficult at all:) it%26#39;s just your friend should go to OVIR and read some info they provide there.

good luck:)

|||

Well, being 100 per cent sure as a professional I can say that applying in the country of citizenship you don%26#39;t need anything.

If you want to apply on arrival at MSQ airport - which obviously is not the case - she will need to submit an invitation to her local PD.

Tourist visa is much easier to organize, though not cheaper.

Should you have any questions, do not hesitate to PM.

|||

Thanks guys for your update! To be on the safe side I have got an official invitation from a Travel company for 35 Euro, I am sending this away today, its £UK 63 for the visa!! (Dont tell me its cheaper at the airport lol)

|||

And that%26#39;s the way that most Britons go - mail the dockets to the Embassy and get them back in a week stamped.

At the Airport they would charge EUR 45 or something for the visa plus travel services naturally.

|||

Thanks Felix, and just for those who like to factor in all the costs!!! A Post Office secure envelope, at £5.05 (each way) neatly rounds the total up to £73.01

|||

Err £73.10 even lol

|||

haha, good for you, niamhemer))

|||

I recommend allbelarus.com on SKYPE to get a VISA very quickly (less than 5 days) to most countries.

I was very pleased with the service and if you can find him online on skype this person will answer many questions as well.