February 22, 2022

There's a Visa For That


There's a Visa For That
Getting from here to there may just get a little bit easier. The Russian Life files

Russia is not a particularly easy country to enter, and visa options abound. But some changes are in the offing.

A plan is brewing to add four new types of visas to help Russia “streamline” its process. The new visas included will be investor visas, special visas, ordinary medical visas, and universal visas. 

Although these visas do intend to simplify the selections, many existing visa types will remain, including worker and diplomatic visas, but the overall number of special-purpose entry visas will be reduced. Along with these changes, the general medical visa will not only allow for a foreigner to enter Russia to receive treatment, but will also allow that person to bring along a friend if they receive an invitation issued by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, at the request of a medical organization.

The bill aims to help those looking for medical treatment, but those seeking work in Russia will be relieved to discover that their visa process will be simplified as well. If the bill passes, any worker entering Russia on a visa will now receive the same benefits that so far only highly qualified specialists have received.

Even though it is good that Russia is looking to streamline its visa process, we find it far more interesting to hear about what hasn't been streamlined.

Gogol would be proud.

You Might Also Like

Your Trip To The U.S.S.R.
  • September 12, 2021

Your Trip To The U.S.S.R.

Let's take a trip to a nation that no longer exists! We've got an old hard-cover travel guide to lead the way. 
A Different Kind of Train Schedule
  • December 20, 2021

A Different Kind of Train Schedule

Second-class travelers on Russian trains may soon be required to take turns with their neighbors to use their compartment's table.
Rushin' to Get Back To Russia
  • July 05, 2021

Rushin' to Get Back To Russia

Russophiles delight! The motherland calls, and she's saying that American ex-pats are welcome to enter through her borders once again.  
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.
Driving Down Russia's Spine

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 
The Little Golden Calf

The Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.
Tolstoy Bilingual

Tolstoy Bilingual

This compact, yet surprisingly broad look at the life and work of Tolstoy spans from one of his earliest stories to one of his last, looking at works that made him famous and others that made him notorious. 
A Taste of Russia

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.
Fish: A History of One Migration

Fish: A History of One Migration

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.
Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.
White Magic

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955