Today I accomplished the second phase of acquiring a visa to Russia. Just an hour or so ago I assembled the application packet and dropped it in the FED EX box for overnight delivery to the Russian Consulate in San Franciso. One or two of you might be wondering why all the fuss…can it be THAT difficult? Not really – no more difficult than long form federal taxes. haha. The packet consists of (bundled in this order OR ELSE!) a cashiers check for the fee, depending on how fast you want the visa. I opted for the cheapest this year since all is going so well. Anyway, the cashiers check for $131.00, then my passport (yes, the real thing), then my invitation letter (read below for more about what that is), then the 2-page application form with my personal history back to the cradle. New this year, a not-older-than-6 months-prior photograph, not smiling…like a mug shot. Let’s see, where was I…okay, then a cover letter saying I’m sending all of this plus what I will be doing in Russia and where I’m staying, my dates of travel, etc., then a photocopy of my passport’s vital page, and last but not least, a return FEDEX envelope, prepaid by yours truly.
So…now it’s a matter of waiting. If I don’t have the visa by the 17th of April, I’ll have to find out why and maybe even start over with RUSH service that costs 3x as much. Let it not be so…
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