Visa hassle

With just one week to go until the start of the trip, I’m happy to say that my preparations are coming to an end. There are just a few things left on my to do list, which has finally started to grow shorter over the past few weeks. I won’t bother you by telling what was on the shopping list or what other boring stuff comes with preparing such a trip.

However, I do want to share something about fixing the visas, because that has been quite a challenge.

First of all, there’s the fact that you cannot take care of more than one visa at the time, because your passport remains at the consulate while the visa application is being processed. So, I had to fix one visa after the other.

Russia called me the day after I had handed in my application. Apparently, they needed a document from a Russian tourist company with an official stamp detailing which tourist activity I had planned for – not kidding – every single day of my stay in the country. Eventually, I fixed this together with the precious help of RealRussia (the company I booked my Transsiberian train tickets with), but it delayed my visa processing with a few days. Cost: €75.

China wouldn’t accept my application as long as I didn’t have a proof in the form of a train or plane ticket, that I would leave the country within 30 days.
“I want to go by bus, but it cannot be booked beforehand,” I said. I had an e-mail from a Chinese bus company to prove that.
“I need a proof that you leave China,” was the answer.
“So what should I do?” I asked.
“I don’t know. I need a proof. I cannot give visa if I have no proof.”
So I left the visa centre, booked a train from Nanning to Hanoi (other itinerary than planned) on August 5, went back with the confirmation the next day and this time, it was okay. It took only four days to process the visa. Cost: €126,5.

I will pick up my transit visa for Belarus on Tuesday (two days before departure – just in time!). I need this one because the train that will take me from Warsaw to Moscow, crosses through Belarus. Surprisingly, to obtain this visa, I also needed to fill in an entire 2-page application form, submit a document which proves I have medical insurance and pay… €60.
“60 euros?’ I asked, “this is a transit visa, right? I won’t even leave the train.”
“Yes. 60 euros.”

Luckily, the visas for Mongolia and Vietnam were easy to arrange. For the other countries, I will have to take care of matters while travelling, because right now is too soon to do that (my visas would expire before I can actually use them).

Annoying detail: to come back by train in December, I will have to arrange new visas for China and Russia… from abroad. Nothing can be done now – there are no double entry possibilities nor the option to apply for two visas at the same time. So… fingers crossed I won’t have to take a plane back!