Visas

For those wishing to attempt gain entry into any of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Russia or Iran set aside some time, patience and get in touch with David at Stantours (http://www.stantours.com, info@stantours.com).

What follows is a summary of info from a multitude of other cycle tourists, several months worth of email correspondence to David and the odd piece of gold from Thorn Tree. Keep in mind this is for Australian citizens. We obtained a Mongolian and Russian visa before leaving and have planned to get the remaining visas en route. The reason for getting most of our visas along the way is because it takes significantly less time then sending our passports to overseas embassies (Australia doesn’t have a lot of embassies for CISs) and more importantly, we won’t know our entry our exit dates until we are closer to each country.

South Korea, Japan
Visa upon entry.

Mongolia

Length of Stay options:
• Single entry 30 days ($65)
• Double entry with side trip only ($110)
• Extension to 60 days*
• You can commence your 30days within a 3 month period from your declared entry date

Costs: As above

Visa turnaround time: 7-10 days

Requirements:
• Application form, passport, one photo, fee (cash, cheque or bank money order).
• Itinerary, showing arrival and departure dates, or cover letter explaining travel arrangements with arrival and departure dates.

Visa extension
• For 30-60 days can be done in Mongolia on arrival. Take letter with reasons to Office for Immigration, Naturalisation and Foreign Citizens (OINFC; 11 Chinggis Ave, Sukhbaatar district, Ulaanbaatar tel: 11-313616; and 11-312737; fax: 11-313259; email: gihaea@mongolnet.mn; website: www.mngimmigration.mn. Office hours are 09:00-13:00 14:00-17:00 Monday to Friday, except Wednesday afternoon. Cost: $15 US per week (5000 Tg), and ~$2 per day thereafter.

Contacts, links:
http://www.mongolianconsulate.com.au/

Embassy of Mongolia
29 Cobbadah St, O’Malley ACT 2606
Email: mngemb@bigpond.com.au

Update: What we discovered in Mongolia:  The Mongolian Immigration Office is NOT where the Lonely Planet says it is. It is about 700m before the Chinggis Khaan International Airport. You can catch bus number 11 from outside the Bayangol Hotel. It is a small new building next to a massive stadium-looking building being built by the Chinese. Get off the bus after passing through an large archway. The visa extension costs about $35USD for the first 15 extra days, then $2/day after that. You can pay more for a 'next day visa', we didn't and it took 3 working days (applied on Friday, picked up on Wednesday). Remember to bring a photo and a cover letter with your itinerary.

Russia

Length of Stay options:
• 30days
• Some double entry and business options
• You have 30days from the day you declare your date of entry (unlike Mongolia)

Processing time and costs:
Visa Processing Time Single Entry Double Entry
Seven business days $110 AUD $220 AUD
Two business days $220 AUD $420 AUD

Requirements:
• Check out these sites:
o The Russian Embassy website: http://www.australia.mid.ru/11_e.html
o Thorn tree link to a helpful collation of information: http://www.myazcomputerguy.com/everbrite/Page3.html
o Waytorussia website: http://www.waytorussia.net/

Important points:
• You can obtain a Russian visa through a Melbourne based tour agency called Passport Travel (www.travelcentre.com.au). It will cost you about $170AUD more than doing it yourself. The do it yourself method is outlined below. It seems dodgy, but it worked for us and for others we know. The extra cost is associated with getting the Letter of Invitation or Visa Support Letter allowing you access to the country.
• The letter of invitation (LoI) is probably a hangup from the old Soviet days. In essence it is a document that states your ‘itinerary’ and the ‘tour agency’ who is supporting you. Online agencies can supply you with this document and a cover letter for about $30USD. You don’t have to follow this itinerary and you are not actually on a tour. The Russian Embassy in Australia has a link to these such sites to get the LoI.
o We used waytorussia.net who will email a cover letter and LoI in 24hours for 30USD each. They are recommended by Lonely Planet. The Russian Embassy link to another similar agency
• Forums have commented recent difficulties associated with obtaining visas from the Sydney Embassy. They suggest applying to the Canberra Consulate. We applied to the Canberra Consulate and didn’t have any problems.

Registration:
Every foreigner who comes to Russia should have his/her Russian visa registered within 72 hours upon arrival, excluding holidays and weekends. Visa registration is a relic of the past dating back to the Soviet time designed to make sure you're not going to occupy the valuable Russian soil without authorities' permission. Nowadays, the purpose of the registration is to notify the immigration authories about the place of your stay while you're in Russia.
Check out http://www.waytorussia.net/RussianVisa/Registration.html for a detailed overview of registration.

Update: What we discovered in Mongolia: Lucky we got our visa in Australia. Contrary to the Lonely Planet. You cannot get a Russian visa in Mongolia, unless you are Mongolian. Your need to get it from your home country. I think you can get a transit visa though. Many travelers on the TransSiberrian were having a lot of problems with this. 

Kazakhstan
We are getting our visa in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. It should take 1-7days. You can also get it from Omsk in Russia.
If applying in Australia, you’ll need to send your documents to the Embassy in Singapore: http://kazakhstan.org.sg/content/intro.php?c_id=14

Update: What we discovered in Mongolia. Don't believe the Lonely Planet!!! The Kazakh embassy has changed location. It is about 700m from the Buddha Par on the city side. Coming from the city, it's on a side road to the right that runs alongside 'Greenhouse', before the bridge, look for the Kazakh flag. Catch the number 7 bus from the Bayangol Hotel.
Bring enough money for the visa, passport photo and cover letter. Make sure you belong to one of the 45 or so countries that don't need a letter of invitation. 
We got a double entry 2 month tourist visa ('next day' express service) for $100USD each.


Kyrgyzstan
Embassies:
• Almaty. Can take 3-4 working days. Received bad reports recently
• Novosibirsk, Russia


Tajikistan

• Letter of Invitation: issued within 3-4days from Stantours. Generally not required for those with Western passports.
• Visa pick up (and GBAO): Bishkek (or Almaty, but it does NOT currently issue the GBAO!)
• Wait: One day
• Cost: 30 USD*
• Extra documents/information required:
o Passport photo – by email attachment
o Digital copy of passport
o Entry/Exit Dates
o Itinerary
o Cover letter

*The cost of this GBAO permit is an additional USD 40 per person, plus an extra 10 USD if you need the permit delivered to Murghab and can be issued in connection with the LOI or your TADJ visa copy. Anyhow - in Bishkek, normally the Embassy will issue the permit along with your visa against a small extra payment

Additional StanTours info:

Usually with a western passport you SHOULD be able to obtain the Tadjik visa (and a GBAO permit) by yourself without invitation.

In case the Embassy insists, we can supply you with an invitation for a
Tadjik single-entry tourist visa for up to 30 days WITHOUT MfA approval
against a fee of USD 30 per person. The invitation will be issued within
3..4 working days and sent to you by e-mail attachment.

WIth the invitation the Embassy will usually issue the visa on the spot,
costs for this is USD 90-120.

Please note that in order to travel through the Pamir region (Murghab,
Khorog) a special permit will be requested which can be issued in connection with the LOI or with a copy of your TADJ visa. The cost of this GBAO permit is an additional USD 40 per person, plus an extra 10 USD if you need the permit delivered to Murghab and can be issued in connection with the LOI or your TADJ visa copy. Anyhow - in Bishkek, normally the Embassy will issue the permit along with your visa against a small extra payment.

If you wish to proceed we would request your passport info, a copy of your
passport and a colour passport photograph by e-mail attachment and payment
of USD 30 or EUR 24 per person.


Uzbekistan

• Letter of Invitation: Required. Sent to email account in 10-14 days from Stantours
• Pickup: Bishkek (or Novosibirsk or Almaty)
• Wait: One day
• Cost: $35USD
• Extra documents/information needed:
o Passport photo – by email attachment
o Digital copy of passport
o Letter confirming employment
o Entry/Exit Dates
o Itinerary
o Cover letter

Additional StanTours Info:

We can supply you with an invitation for an UZbek single-entry tourist visa
for up to 30 days against a fee of USD 35 per person. The invitation will be issued within 10-14 days and sent to you by e-mail attachment. The dates you set on your LOI will normally correspond to the ones fixed on your visa. You will be able to enter and exit anytime within the OUTER dates you set, for the number of times you apply for.

Turkmenistan

There are two main options: transit visa or tourist visa.

Transit visa:
• Allows independent travel through the entire country
• Will only be for 3-7days
• Embassies are in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Iran.
• Visa will take 10-14 days. There is no guarantee of approval.

Basically the transit visa is a poor option. No guarantee of visa. And if you actually get it, then you have anywhere from 3-7days to ride about 500km across the country.

Tourist visa:
• LoI required
• Independent travel in Ashgabat and it’s surroundings, everywhere else a tour guide is mandatory. Bike guides are available.
• Travel for up to 30days
• Visa provided by Stantours upon entry
• 5-6 day tour costs about ~$500USD

Iran

• Invitation: 2-3 weeks (sent as a telex reference number)
• Cost of invitation: $55 USD
• Wait: 1-7 working days
• Pickup: Uzbekistan or Tajikistan
o ‘Uzbekistan - Tashkent: good reports, our experience was superb, friendly Uzbek guards, friendly consulate staff and the visa was issued the same day for an extra 20 euros. Only accepted Euros – No US Dollars!!!’
• Extra Documents/information required
o Passport photo – digital
o Copy of passport – digital
o Entry/Exit Dates
o Itinerary
o Cover Letter

Additional StanTours Info:

Usually you MIGHT be able to apply for an Iranian visa by yourself without
invitation at any Iranian Consulate in person. Once you submit your documents, within a 7..14 days, the Consulate will obtain approval and
issue your visa when you come back.

In case the Embassy does NOT accept an individual application (they normally do not if you hold a Commonwealth passport) or if you wish to increase your chances of approval, we can supply you with an invitation for a single-entry tourist visa for up to 30 days against a fee of USD 55 per person. The invitation will usually be issued within 2-3 weeks and sent to you as a telex reference number.

WIth the invitation the Embassy will normally issue the visa in 1..7 days,
costs for this is USD 60-80. The acceptance rate for Commonwealth citizen is about 75%, in case of a rejection a final decision is normally not taken
earlier than 3..4 weeks after application and there will be no written
confirmation or explanation from the authorities for this. We will charge a
handling fee of USD 15 + trasnfer charges in this case.

If you wish to proceed we would request your passport info, a copy of your
passport by e-mail attachment or fax and a full payment of USD 55

Turkey
Visa upon entry