Visas: Russia

NOTE: British passport holders need to apply in person, in order for their fingerprints to be taken. You will also need a double entry visa, regardless of route, or even multiple entry business visa (pricey).

We are planning on applying for this one during mid May. The reason being that we will luckily be in Edinburgh, and therefore able to apply in person at the centre there. Until that time, here's a general overview of the process:

1. Apply for an LOI through any seller you choose.
2. Complete the online application form through VFS Global.
3. Take your printed out form, LOI, passport, passport photo (35 mm x 45 mm), and a photocopy of passport with you to the VFS Global centre in either London or Edinburgh.
4. Take a queue token, wait in the 'holding area', have your documents processed, and your fingerprints taken. Then it's the waiting at home game.
5. VFS Global process the documentation and send it to the Russian Embassy for approval (or not), the turn around time is typically 5 day. Once processed you can either collect your passport in person (from the VFS centre) or have it securely posted back to you (at a cost of around £10).

This process is different to how I have previously applied for a Russian visa, but there should be plenty of similarities. We will most likely apply for the LOI and fill in the application form by the end of April, so expect an update then.

Update: having read, re-read, re-re-read, and slept on it, I've decided that the best course of action for us is to get a 90 day double entry business visa. This means we will be able to spend up to 30 days in a 90 day window in Russia. One of the reasons behind this is that we can not be fully certain of entry/exit dates. Furthermore, the business visa allows for a flexible 'itinerary-less' journey.

The actually cost of applying for the visa is still the same (VFS costs of £104), it is just the LOI that costs more, roughly 30 pounds. We also have various timings to keep to, and we don't have the flexibility in time off work to have our fingerprints taken whenever. Other factors include LOI processing time, and the fact that LOIs won't be issued so many months in advance (unless you pay more).

Some facts about what we are doing:

• Double Entry Business Visa
• LOI support through Real Russia (£57.50)
• Anticipated fingerprinting date: 25th May
• LOI application on 1st May (12 working days processing)
• Russian visa start date: 4th August
• Russian visa end date: 1st November

I appreciate this a rambling update, really only specific to our situation. I'll break down the facts soon.

Car: Mandatory Safety Equipment

It seems the British (and Dutch) governments have very little concern for our motoring safety, at least judging by all various pieces of driving safety equipment that are not mandatory! For all other countries you will need a variety of different pieces of equipment. As a general rule, don't think you can get away with not having it. You don't want to give over zealous cops another opportunity to fine you. Regardless of whether it is mandatory or not, it makes sense to have a lot of the items, just in case. Here's a quick list of the stuff you'll most likely need:

 Fluorescent Jacket

If you get broken down at the side of a motorway, it is well worth sticking on a high-vis vest. When you're stuck on the steppe of Mongolia, then probably not so much. In some countries it is compulsory for it to be within the reach of the driver, i.e. not buried in the back of the boot. In other countries it is necessary to have high-vis jackets for all passengers. Our recommendation is to have a couple of high-vis jackets stuffed under the driver's seat. That way they're nice and easy to reach.

• Countries required in: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia.

 Warning Triangle

Much like the fluorescent jackets, this an ideal piece of kit for breaking down on busy roads. Make sure you place it a hundred or so metres down the road, there's no point warning people you're broken down two feet away from your bumper! In some countries it is compulsory to have two triangles, we've indicated that in the list below.

• Countries required in: Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Georgia (x2), Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey (x2).

 First Aid Kit

An item that quite frankly you should have anyway. I know the Mongol Rally is a tongue in cheek middle finger up to health and safety, but seriously if you have an accident then you'll want to be prepared.

• Countries required in: Albania, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Georgia, Hungary, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Slovakia, Russia, Turkey.

 Tow Rope

You're almost certainly going to need this at some point. Even if it is used to hitch up to a tractor to get towed across a swollen river in the middle of nowhere. Also a useful bit of kit to have to help out fellow ralliers whose car has gone kaput. Or even your own car in the worst case scenario.

• Countries required in: Croatia, Macedonia.

 Fire Extinguisher

You're driving a crap car, through a baking hot desert, you're running low on water, what are you going to do in the event of a fire? If you have an electrical fire you most certainly don't want to be throwing water on it, hence the need for a powder extinguisher. If you never have to use it then you you can save it for the finish line, for the obligatory photo op of you spraying it in the air. 

• Countries required in: Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Russia, Turkey.

 Spare Bulbs

A necessity for certain countries. Also makes sense to have a few spares as you don't want to be driving along the Pamirs late at night with only one driving beam. It's also recommended (but not compulsory) to have a few spare fuses. 

• Countries required in: Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Russia.

 Breathalyser

There are a lot of misconceptions floating around about this one. Quite simply the law in France makes it mandatory to carry a breathalyser. However,  if you are in a foreign (non-French) registered vehicle then the fine for not having one is zero euros. So you are technically breaking the law by not having one, but you won't be punished. Our decision: don't take one.

• Countries required in: France.

Visas: General Guide

It seems sensible to give you an overview of visas, requirements, deadlines etc, especially as we write more and more 'how to guides'.

Below is a list that will summarise different visas for the rally, costs, and other details. We can't complete this for all the countries that you may encounter, so at the moment this is just for our route. We've listed them in order of when we will encounter that country, and have started with those outside of the European Union.

Note: these brief guides are all written from the viewpoint of a British passport holder living in the UK.

Turkey

For British passport holders this visa can be applied for online, up to one day before entry to the country. It cannot be applied for any early than 3 months before travel. Payment and application is online, and costs 20 USD (watch out for your own bank charges for currency conversion). You get an email with a confirmation that you should print out and present at the border, in return for a stamp in your passport. Key points: super easy, 20 USD (~16 GBP), online.

Georgia

No visa required for UK and EU citizens. Show up at the border and get let in. You can spend up to 90 days (in a 180 day window) in Georgia as a tourist without having to fill out any paperwork.

 Armenia

No visa required for UK  and EU citizens. Show up at the border and get let in. You can spend up to 90 days (in a 180 day window) in Armenia as a tourist.

 Iran

This one is complicated. Very complicated. UK/USA/Canadian visitors need a guide. UK citizens will need to pick up their visa stamp from a different country as the London Iranian Embassy is closed for consular services. Full and detailed explanation about how to do it is coming soon. 

 Turkmenistan

Expect lots of beaurocracy. Easiest (ish) thing to do is get the LOI through the Visa Machine, then get your visa at the border control (by presenting the LOI). At the border, or embassy in Baku, you will need to pay 55 USD (based on research) for the visa stamp. There is also a 12 USD tourist fee at the border. One piece of good news is that on a transit visa you do not need to register with the migration police during your stay. Key points: Visa Machine LOI deadline of 1st April. Full explanation found here.
Update: a variety of people had incorrect LOIs from the Visa Machine. If you are going through Iran and know your Turkmenistan entry date then it is possible to get a free LOI from the embassy in London, I'm not up to date on all the details, but definitely research it.

 Uzbekistan

Easy peasy for British passport holders. Do this one yourself, apply up to 6 months before entry, should possibly be the first one you should do. Doesn't require any booked hotels, or even definitive entry/exit dates. The only really important point seems to be to make sure you register at a hotel once up to three days into your arrival. Key points: easy, ~70 GBP, by post. A full guide explaining how to apply can be found here. 

 Tajikistan

Another relatively easy one, definitely do this one yourself as you can apply up to 6 months before entry. If you are planning on taking the Pamir Highway then you need to specifically mention this in your application so that you can obtain a GBAO permit. Requires at least one hotel booking, but dates can be flexible, just explain your situation in your cover letter. Key points: easy, ~77 GBP, by post. A full guide explaining how to apply can be found here. 

 Kyrgyzstan

The kind people of Kyrgyzstan have introduced a visa waiver scheme for British passport holders. You can spend up to 60 days as a tourist in their country and not have to fill out any paperwork or pay any money!

 Kazakhstan

To wait, or not to wait? Kazakhstan currently has a visa waiver scheme for British passport holders. Unfortunately the trial of this scheme expires on the 15th July 2015. It is still uncertain as to whether this will be extended or not. Therefore, there are two options: wait and see, or apply for a tourist visa. We are currently in the 'wait and see' category. Reports suggest that the turn around time for processing a tourist visa is very quick (roughly five days), so we can afford to wait a bit longer (we'll make a decision around the start of June).
Update: they extended the visa free regime, so you can just show up at the border and get let in.

 Russia

Another bureaucratic nation? In the past the Russian visa was tricky for UK citizens, but doable. Therefore, just to make things interesting, the Russians change the rules so that from December 2014 visa applicants are required to have their fingerprints scanned at one of their centres in London or Edinburgh. There are also several different options for this visa, but one thing is for certain, you will need at least a double entry visa. In order to do this you will need a LOI (with itinerary) that can be obtained relatively easily through a number of online merchants. I'll be applying for the Russian visa by the end of April, so expect a full guide then, for the moment you can find an overview here.

 Mongolia

The country we've all been waiting for. Another kindly country, a visa waiver scheme was introduced for British passport holders recently, with the scheme running until 31st December 2015. Simply show up at the border and get let in.



*If this guide has been helpful (and saved you some time and worry), and you would like to say thank you then feel free to donate a couple of quid to our charity, Anthony Nolan, through our Just Giving link.

Documents: IDP (International Driving Permit)

What is the International Driving Permit (IDP)? It is a document born out of a series of treaties between different countries. It essentially allows you to not have to take a driving test in each country, with your home licence being sufficient, but needing a special new document to declare that. Increasingly there are less countries that require you to have one, but the moment you leave the European Union it is an essential piece of paperwork. This guide will help you through the process.

Firstly, there are two ways to apply for the IDP. They follow much the same system, one is done in person, the other is done by post. In order to do this in person you need to find your nearest post office branch that offers this service, because not all branches do it. Use the handy little branch finder on the post office website (link). Enter your postcode or town, on the 'Products and Services' drop down menu, scroll to the 'Driving' section then hit the check box for 'International Driving Permits'. Alternatively, if you want to do this by post (and incur a few extra pounds cost), then head on over to the AA website and use their guide found here, or the RAC website here.

So before we begin, some quick points about the IDP.

• Cost: £5.50 per IDP (in person), £8.50 (AA by post), £8 (RAC by post)
• IDP Duration: 12 months from start date
• IDP Processing Time: 10 minutes (in person), about 10 working days (by post)
• Place of Application and Nationalities: Post Office/AA/RAC and UK Citizens
• Application Date: you can apply up to 3 months in advance of the start date

So how did we do it? Firstly here is our little check list of things you will need per person:

• Passport Photo 35 mm x 45 mm (x1)
• Printed Application Form (x1)
• Passport (if applying in person), or photocopy of passport main page (by post)
• Driving Licence and Counterpart (in person), or photocopy (by post)

Step 1 - The Application Form and the IDP

Below is a scan of the application form that you can get at the Post Office. The online/by post form looks slightly different and can be found here (AA) or here (RAC).

Fill out all the details and select which type of permit your require (1926 versus 1949). For the Mongol Rally you will definitely need a 1949. However, if you're mad enough to want to go and visit Iraq (or Somalia, or Brazil) then you will need to apply for the 1926. For further information a list of countries and guidance can be found here.

Once you have filled in all the necessary details, show the person at the counter your driving licence and counterpart and your passport (another form of photo identification will do if your passport if off at an embassy somewhere). Give them your passport photo (signed on the back), it doesn't need to be attached (at least I didn't bother), and the application form. They'll go about their routine of hand writing details onto the permit, stamping it multiple times, and no doubt asking you a multitude of questions about your upcoming trip!

Finally once that is all done (it took about 10 minutes for me) you will have a nice pale brown looking piece of card that you probably could have made at home. A copy of the one I applied for last year is below:

If this guide has been helpful (and saved you some time and worry), and you would like to say thank you, then feel free to donate a couple of quid to our charity, Anthony Nolan, through our Just Giving link.

Decals: Team Gobiyond Stickers

A small challenge we are setting ourselves: how many other ralliers can we tag? We've been busy making custom vinyl stickers, ready to be slapped on the side of any nearby Mongol Rally team. These stickers are really easy to make, all you need is an inkjet printer, A4 sheets of sticky vinyl (available from ebay), and a bit of time. 

If you want to make your own custom stickers then our top tip is pick a simple design (we went for black and white to save ink) and also a simple shape (with hindsight we should have  gone for a square sticker, then cutting could have been done quickly with a guillotine).

Visas: Turkmenistan LOI

Update: I realised I never gave any details about our TVM saga, I will write it up fully soon, but the general jist:
- security breach by releasing passports numbers for everybody (big issue)
- incorrect routes
- a lot of money for no benefit as there are other options

What should you do? Apparently Real Russia can do the LOI for thirty quid, get in touch with them and find out!

Original article:


The on going saga of the Turkmenistan letter of invitation (LOI). At least that's how it feels at the moment. Turkmenistan is a tricky one. A tourist visa requires you to have a guide at all times (far from ideal), but there is a nice little loop hole. The transit visa allows for five days travel within Turkmenistan, all without the need for a guide. Cool, so you might think let's just pop down to the embassy and get that sorted? Well possibly, but then how will you know what dates to put this far in the future, will the embassy be easy to deal with, what if they say no?

This is where The Visa Machine (TVM) step in. Now I've avoided them wherever possible, mainly because I resent paying twice as much for nothing extra in return, but with this one TVM are a necessity. According to the TVM you can get a transit visa (through them) without being date specific. The general process is that you pay TVM some money, they give a list of all the Mongol Ralliers and their entry/exit points to the Turkmenistan embassy, who in return provide a LOI. You take your LOI with you on the rally and when you reach the land border (the one you put on your appication form) there will be all the necessary documentation waiting for you (you will still need to pay for the visa at the border). If you are taking the Caspian Sea ferry then you can collect your visa stamp at the embassy in Baku.

Some quick facts about the LOI:

• Cost: £51 per person (TVM fee) plus card handling fee (2.3 % + 20 pence)
• Visa Duration: 5 days
• Number of Entries: Single
• LOI Processing Time: still waiting
• Place of Application and Nationalities: TVM London and UK Citizens

So how did we do it, and what did we need?

• Passport Photo 35 mm x 45 mm (x1)
• Printed Application Form (x1)
• Colour photocopy of passport main page (x1)
• Digital scan of your passport main page (x1)

Step 1 - The Visa Machine Website

Head on over to the TVM website and buy your Turkmenistan 5 day transit visa. You can only buy this as part of the Mongol Rally, so you need to navigate through to the rally specific page, found here. Select the transit visa and pay your money.

You'll then get directed to a page where you need to input your personal details and trip details. You will also need to upload a scan of your passport main page.

The dates of entry and exit are flexible for the trip details section, so put a rough set of dates in, but bear in mind that the total duration should not exceed five days. You do not need to book the hotel, so choose a random place to stay, a hotel in Ashgabat is always a good shout. The one we chose was the Ak Altyn Hotel, but there are many others.

Step 2 - The Visa Machine Paperwork

Once you have filled in all the online bits, there will be a link to download the paper copy of the application form. Now be careful here. There are two different forms for a Turkmenistan visa, one for a tourist visa, and one for a transit visa. Several ralliers were sent the incorrect form (it was four pages long and requiring lots of details). The correct form is only one sheet of A4, and it is titled 'QUESTIONER', you can download the correct form here.

Above is a copy of my filled out application form (with personal stuff removed). Fix a passport photo to the form with a paper clip, attach a colour photocopy of your passport main page and post it down to the Visa Machine in London. If this is the only visa/LOI that you are doing through TVM then you do not need to post your passport.

Step 3 - Sit Back and Wait

The Visa Machine will keep you updated on the application process by text/email or you can check on the website. Don't expect to receive your copy of the LOI until after the 1st of April deadline. I'll update this post once we receive this.

Step 4 - What Happens at the Border?

We're really not too sure on this one. At least expect to pay money for your visa, internet sleuthing has suggested 55 USD. You will also need to pay a registration fee of 12 USD for a document that you must not lose. Expect beaurocrary, various fees, etc etc, and that's not including the hassle for bringing in your own car! An important point: as you are travelling on a transit visa you do not need to register with the migration police during your stay.

Visas: Tajikistan

Next visa: Tajikistan (plus the hallowed GBAO permit). I'll be honest at the start, I messed this one up. If you're trying to go for the full 45 days then I strongly recommend you lie a fair bit on the itinerary and make it look like you're staying for a good chunk of time. I put our itinerary down as an honest 7 days, and in return I got issued with a 30 day visa that starts two weeks before we plan to get there, go figure! Anyway I digress, it's not the end of the world, just always nice to have significant overlap of various visas. Some quick facts:

• Cost: £77 per person (including signed for postage and consular fee)
• Visa Duration: 30 days
• Number of Entries: Double
• Visa Processing Time: 1 Week
• Place of Application and Nationalities: London and UK Citizens
• Application Date: 6th March 2015 (almost 5 months in advance)

So how did we do it? Firstly here is our little check list of things you will need per person:

• Passport Photo 35 mm x 45 mm (x1)
• Printed Application Form (x1)
• Cover Letter (x1)
• B&W Photocopy of Main Passport Page (x1)
• Copy of Mongol Rally Entry Confirmation (x1)
• Copy of Hostel/Hotel Booking Confirmation (x1)

Step 1 - The Hotel Booking

Having to book a hotel is a pain, especially when you are unsure about dates. Luckily there is a neat little trick that bypasses some of the uncertainty and costs you a mere 2 pounds (far less than a pint nowadays). A few hostel websites allow you to make a booking and only pay a deposit (typically 10-15 percent). Therefore, you need to find the cheapest hostel in the place you wish to stay, and actually book it for at least 1 night (this seemingly is enough to satisfy the visa application). 

We chose the 'Green House Hostel Dushanbe', slapped down our deposit for two people and one night, the added 'flexible deposit protection'. This is the clever bit, for your two pounds you can cancel your booking and get your deposit back (you lose the two pound protection money though). So this only makes sense to do if your deposit costs more than two pounds (particularly important for large group bookings).

So we parted with our £5.55 to get a legitimate hostel booking, then once we had our visa stamp we cancelled it and clawed back £3.55. Got it?

Edit/Update: it's better to use booking.com, they allow cancellations for free, without you even putting down a deposit!!! So it's completely free!

Above is a copy of our web booking, simply print it out and place it with all the other application documents.

Step 2 - The Application Form

The first step is to head on over to the Tajikistan Embassy website and download the application form. This gives you a word document that you can fill in. I'm sure you can fill it in digitally, but I hand wrote mine to avoid messing up the formatting.

Above is my completed application form (with all my personal stuff crossed out).

Step 3 - The Cover Letter

Now where do you begin with one of these? Well hopefully you've written a letter before and know the layout, so I won't patronise you with that bit. Remember, I messed this up a little bit, so I would definitely add on lots of dates. However, the main points you need to cover are:

• Why you are travelling to Tajikistan.
• Your itinerary for Tajikistan (we did this day-by-day and specifically mentioned the GBAO).
• The name and address of a hostel or hotel you will stay at (we booked this one).

Again, below is the letter we sent (with various personal stuff removed).

Step 4 - Sundries

Make sure you have a passport sized photo (45x35 mm) available and paper clip this to the application form. Make sure you have photocopied the main page of your passport. For this visa it is recommended that you also send a copy of your Mongol Rally registration.

We used the confirmation email that we received when we signed up. If you are applying for several people at once then it is a good idea to place the application forms and photocopies for each person in a separate plastic wallet.

Step 5 - Payment and Postage

You need to send a special delivery self addressed envelope with the application (so they can send your passports back) and bank transfer the amount needed to pay (in our case, 2x tourist visas at £20  per visa plus 2x GBAO permits at £50 each, ie £140 in total). The embassy fee is paid through a bank transfer, we used our online banking and transferred the money using the following details (these could change, so please check that these are up-to-date here):

• Name of bank: TSB
• Account Name: Embassy of Tajikistan
• Sort Code: 30-99-10
• Account Number: 17479568
• Reference: Your Surname

Place all these items in a large envelope and post it off down to the embassy in London (we sent it special delivery). In total, for two visas, it cost us £154.30 (which is half of the cost that a well known visa service would charge you). Below is the full breakdown of costs:

• £140 transferred to the embassy bank account (for 2 tourist visas and 2 GBAO permits).
• £7.15 special delivery to send your passports and documents.
• £7.15 special delivery to have your passports sent back.

Step 6 - Sit Back and Wait

One week later we got our passports back with our shiny new visa sticker and GBAO permit. 

If this guide has been helpful (and saved you many many pounds compared with using a visa service), and you would like to say thank you then feel free to like our Facebook Page and find out what adventures we are currently embarking on.

Visas: Uzbekistan

So we've finally started the seemingly never ending process of visa applications. Today we received our passports back from the Uzbekistan embassy, having successfully applied for our tourists visas. A bonus of the system: we applied for a 30 day single entry visa, but instead we received a 30 day multiple entry visa! This article will hopefully help you apply for your own by the same method as us. Some quick facts:

• Cost: £70 per person (including postal order fee, signed for postage, and consular fee)
• Visa Duration: 30 days
• Number of Entries: Multiple
• Visa Processing Time: 1 Week
• Place of Application and Nationalities: London and UK Citizens
• Application Date: 16th February 2015 (almost 6 months in advance)

So how did we do it? Firstly here is our little check list of things you will need per person:

• Passport Photos (x2)
• Printed Application Form (x2)
• Cover Letter (x1)
• Photocopy of Every Passport Page (yep EVERY page)

Step 1 - The Application Form

The first step is to head on over to the Uzbekistan Embassy website and click on the e-visa link. This takes you to an online form that you can fill in. Now this isn't actually an e-visa system, it is purely a way to fill out the form that you will eventually print and send to the embassy. You can add extra people on the same application, but we did each instance separately just to avoid confusion.

Above is my completed application form (with all my personal stuff crossed out). For purpose of visit we put: "Auto tourism. Travelling by car for Charity Rally". For inviting party we put: "none". For accompanied persons I put the name of the other person in the car (and vice-versa for their application). I made a point in my cover letter (see step 2) about not knowing what to put in the accompanied persons box. Once you have completed it, you can print it off twice (also I always save a PDF as well, just in case). Sign both forms and date them.

Step 2 - The Cover Letter

Now where do you begin with one of these? Well hopefully you've written a letter before and know the layout, so I won't patronise you with that bit. However, the main points you need to cover are:

• Why you are travelling to Uzbekistan.
• Your itinerary for Uzbekistan (not day by day, merely list a few cities you'll go to).
• The name and address of a hostel or hotel you will stay at (we didn't even bother booking it).

Again, below is the letter we sent (with various personal stuff removed).

Step 3 - Sundries

Make sure you have two passport sized photos available and paper clip these to the application forms (one per application form). Make sure you have photocopied every page of your passport (I didn't bother with the front and back covers). If you are applying for several people at once then it is a good idea to place the application forms and photocopies for each person in a separate plastic wallet.

Step 4 - Payment and Postage

You need to send a special delivery self addressed envelope with the application (so they can send your passports back) and a postal order for the amount needed to pay (in our case, 2x tourist visas at £57 per visa, ie £114 postal order made payable to the "Embassy of Uzbekistan" which incurs a £12.50 transaction fee). Place all these items in a large envelope and post it off down to the embassy in London (we sent it special delivery). In total, for two visas, it cost us £140.80 (which is half of the cost that a well known visa service would charge you). Below is the full breakdown of costs:

• £114 postal order made payable to the embassy.
• £12.50 postal order fee, charged by the Royal Mail.
• £7.15 special delivery to send your passports and documents.
• £7.15 special delivery to have your passports sent back.

Step 5 - Sit Back and Wait

One week later we got our passports back with our shiny new visa sticker.

If this guide has been helpful (and saved you many many pounds compared with using a visa service), and you would like to say thank you then feel free to donate a couple of quid to our charity, Anthony Nolan, through our Just Giving link.