Visa Support FAQs

The general rule: Dispatch of documents to Visa support + Processing time in the respective consulate + Return to you.

Shipping solutions to Visa Support are: Courier or personal delivery or parcel service. Please note that only documents that have arrived to us before 9 AM can be proceeded on the same day. If your documents came in after 9 AM, processing will require one extra day.

Depending on the consulate, the processing time is usually between one and 14 days. Few countries require up to four weeks to validate visa applications. For short processing times (express or same day) the consulates demand significantly higher fees.

Also note that consulate opening hours are based on national holidays. Further information can be found under News on www.visa-support.de.

Duration of the return shipment depends on the selected courier service. That goes by delivery on the same day up to the normal post office of approx. 3 days.

The delivery takes place on the same day to the normal post office of about 3 days.

We are happy to advise you on the spectrum of possibilities.

The basic idea behind this regulation is the tax law. If you spend more than 90 days in Russia within 180 days, you will be treated by law as a tax liable person.

According to the Russian Law of Residence, the holder of a one year visa may spend up to 90 days in Russia within a period of 180 days granted the visa is valid. This means a maximum stay of 180 days a year is possible (see graph).

Maximum stay calculation

Another important aspect is the maximal duration of stay of 90 days. It always depends on the check time. This means that in the past 180 days, the stay in Russia must not have exceeded 90 days (see graph).

The review on 15.05. would be fine and the stay complies with the regulations. The review on 15.09. The check on the 15.05. was fine and the complies with the regulations. The check on the 15.09. showed exceed of the permitted length of stay and is therefore a violation of the Residence Act.

Summary

The period of 180 days begins with the first entry with the issued visa. In the past period of 180 days you can stay for a maximal period of 90 days. Within the 90 of 180 days any number of entries to Russia is possible.

As a rule, business visas require an invitation from a business partner to the country of destination. This is often difficult to get because of lack of contacts. For this purpose there exist invitations by the authorities which can be issued upon request.

Apart from official invitations from an authority, there is also an opportunity to get an invitation from a company. Such invitation letter must contain certain information. On request we can provide you with further details.

The consulates charge a fee to issue a visa.  Its amount varies from country to country, depending on the visa category and, if relevant, the processing time for the visa issuance (extra charges for express or same day processing). The exact fees can be found on our website (country section).

The purpose of the trip - possibly also your professional background (e.g. journalist, diplomat, student) - determines the type/category of visa that needs to be applied for. Visa requirements differ from country to country.

Please contact Visa Support to find out if a tourist visa is sufficient for your trip, or if a business visa, work visa or other visa category, is required.

When entering the country, care must be taken that the actual reason for entry matches the type of your visa.

Please read the visa and entry requirements of your destination carefully. If you travel to a visa-requiring country with a false visa or false information, you may risk extensive consequences, ranging from refusal of entry, immediate deportation and permanent entry ban, to imprisonment and fines. If in doubt, please contact us by phone. Our specialists are happy to consult you.

Visa Support will be happy to arrange an official invitation for you and assist you in choosing the right insurance for your trip.

As a rule, processing takes no longer than 13 days. In most cases, it can be completed within a few days.

Unfortunately, no. Please notice that all covers and all personal items or documents must be removed from the passport. The passport is handed over to the consular service providers or consulates, for this reason, we cannot accept any liability for the loss of private covers and passport inserts.

We work with reliable shipping companies because the travel documents are important and need to be delivered on time.

Whether by an overnight or a direct delivery, the documents will reach you nationwide. The cost of an overnight delivery is 25 euros net. The costs of a direct delivery depend on the corresponding route. Call us and we will send you an offer.

Deposit of documents, e.g. at the airport

In the major airports, there is usually also the possibility to deposit documents at the baggage claim for a fee. We have them delivered by a courier so that you can pick up your documents safely before you leave.

You can also have the documentation collected from your service provider (e.g. UPS or FedEx).

Payment in cash
At any time you have the possibility to pay the bill in cash upon collection of the travel documents. Bank card or credit card cannot be accepted, but all major banks ATMs are present within walking distance to our office.

Payment with credit card
You have the option to pay the invoice with your credit card when ordering online or picking up.

Payment by direct debit
If you have given us direct debit authorization when placing the order, the invoice amount will be debited from the specified account after the invoice has been issued.
Existing contractors who use our services will receive an invoice from us with an agreed payment term.